#Product Trends
Analog meets digital: Old locomotives with modern touch control
Touch Panel Computer for Railway Applications
In the age of smartphones and the IoT (Internet of Things), the cab of a German standard locomotive seems rather antiquated. Levers, switches, knobs, all analog. But the locomotives do not belong on the scrap heap. They are still economically used in freight traffic, even if the typical service life of a locomotive (usually 30 years) has long been passed.
Even old rolling material has to meet modern safety requirements. In addition, old locomotives are to be supplemented with new functions for economic operation. Combining the old and the new is a challenge. One company that knows how to do this is the Nuremberg-based company AAIT (Applied Plant and Industrial Technology). In a current project, this company has integrated modern touch technology in the cabin of German standard locomotives, thereby extending their service lives by another 15 years.
From research company to comprehensive supplier
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The company AAIT was founded in 2006. Originally active in the field of research and mainly involved in funding projects from universities, the company quickly developed into the comprehensive supplier for circuit and control technology primarily in the railway sector.
The mainstay of AAIT is the complete modernization of electric and diesel locomotives. Possible modernizations are the integration of a remote control or double traction control. AAIT also retrofits remote diagnostic systems, train control systems as well as safety or monitoring control systems. The company’s customer base is mainly composed of train operating companies (TCOs). Jürgen Weber, managing director of AAIT, says: "We have now gained a high profile among the TCOs through word of mouth propaganda." Accordingly, AAIT has already implemented projects across Germany, says Weber.
AAIT offers its customers complete systems. In addition to engineering, the company also does switch cabinet construction. AAIT also develops the corresponding software for its systems. AAIT works together with partner companies for the control hardware and for the installation of systems in locomotives.
Touch panel finds its way into the driver’s cab
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Back to the modernization of the German standard locomotive. AAIT has developed a completely new vehicle and drive control system for this purpose. Thanks to this system, the locomotives can be remotely controlled not only via a vendor’s tray, but they can also be coupled. This is referred to as double traction in technical jargon. By coupling two locomotives, the traction force can be doubled, which can move significantly heavier trains or manage steep gradients. A modern touch panel computer is available as the input device in the driver’s cab. This serves as the technology and diagnostic display that shows the state of the vehicle as well as warnings or faults and it can be used to execute control functions. The pantographs are lowered or raised via the panel display, the parking brake is operated or train data is entered, such as weight and length. AAIT uses its in-house developed safety control unit (SCU) as a monitoring control system for the safety-related functions.
All conversion measures in the areas of electronics, mechanics and pneumatics are planned by AAIT and implemented by a partner workshop. AAIT is responsible for monitoring the construction and for the commissioning.
Robust panels are needed for rolling stock application
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AAIT uses a touch panel computer from the PCT series (projective capacitive touch panel) of the embedded specialist Syslogic for the HMI system in the driver’s cab. AAIT CEO Jürgen Weber says that the requirements for durability and reliability were very high and different devices would have been tested. The touch panel computer from Syslogic is designed for the extended temperature range of
–40 to +70 degrees according to EN 50155, class TX. Accordingly, it had the best results under extreme temperatures compared to the other devices. The Syslogic panel was also able to stand out regarding the readability of the display in direct sunlight.
The high level of flexibility regarding adjustments was another reason why Syslogic ultimately won the race. Jürgen Weber says: "Although our project dealt with rather small quantities from the start, Syslogic has promised that they will adapt their standard device to our requirements on time and cost effectively." The vertical integration of Syslogic makes this possible. Most manufacturers of HMI systems rely on boards from Asian manufacturers. This means that the configuration capability is very limited. Syslogic takes a different approach and uses an in-house developed two-board solution that is based on the E3845 processor from Intel. This consists of a core board and a carrier or main board, which is adapted quickly and easily. Syslogic customers thus benefit from a high level of flexibility at an attractive price.
In the case of AAIT, screw-on M12 connectors were integrated for Ethernet and power instead of the standard RJ45 connectors. Durable interfaces are indispensable for reliable railway operation under constant vibrations. That is why Syslogic does not use any moving parts. This means that the panel computers are cooled passively and that industrial flash memory is used instead of hard disks. The panel computers therefore fulfill the shock and vibration standard EN 61373 that is important in the railway industry. Furthermore, Syslogic paints the CPU boards used with a protective finish that prevents condensation. This is important because the driver’s cab of the standard locomotive is not air-conditioned and extreme temperatures and a high level of humidity are commonplace. In addition, the panel computers have a galvanically isolated power input and they withstand power fluctuations typical of the railway sector.
Furthermore, it was important to AAIT that the devices are based on an X86 platform. Weber says: "We come from classical application development." Accordingly, powerful platforms would be needed, says Weber. Syslogic has many years of experience with X86 platforms. This was also shown during the design-in phase where the Syslogic software and hardware engineers actively supported AAIT.
The first locomotives were upgraded with new controls
The first locomotives have already been supplemented with the new control system. The initial feedback from the train operating company that is using the locomotives is absolutely positive. Accordingly, other systems are already being prepared for installation. Weber also sees a great deal of potential for subsequent projects, because the electronics development is advancing so rapidly that the demand for modernizations for rolling stock will increase. The German standard locomotive is certainly an extreme example, but modernizations would also pay off for much younger locomotives, of this Weber is convinced.
