TRAFFIC CONTROLLER LABORATORY UPGRADE … · nation and is poised to become a world-class research and training center, ... virtual lab funded through the ITD/UI ... Traffic Controller

TRAFFIC CONTROLLER LABORATORY UPGRADE

Final Report

KLK206

N06-21

National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology

University of Idaho

Ahmed Abdel-Rahim

August 2006

DISCLAIMER

The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors,

who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the

information presented herein. This document is disseminated

under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation,

University Transportation Centers Program, in the interest of

information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no

liability for the contents or use thereof.

1. Report No. 2. Government Accession

No.

3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

Traffic Controller Laboratory Upgrade

5. Report Date

August 2006

6. Performing Organization

Code

KLK206

7. Author(s)

Abdel-Rahim, Dr. Ahmed

8. Performing Organization

Report No.

N06-21

9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology

University of Idaho

PO Box 440901; 115 Engineering Physics Building

Moscow, ID 83844-0901

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTRS98-G-0027

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

US Department of Transportation

Research and Special Programs Administration

400 7th Street SW

Washington, DC 20509-0001

13. Type of Report and Period

Covered

Final Report: August 2001

– June 2006

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

USDOT/RSPA/DIR-1

15. Supplementary Notes:

16. Abstract

One of the major components of NIATT’s strategic plan is to develop traffic control technologies that are useful

to medium and small size cities. This project is part of NIATT’s strategy to develop and apply the controller

interface device (CID) technology as a key enabling technology for traffic engineers in the testing and

deployment of traffic controller systems and in the training of traffic engineers in the design of traffic controller

systems. This project will provide the research infrastructure necessary to develop and test a new traffic control

system as part of the City of Moscow signal integration project. The laboratory facilities will be used to train

engineering graduate and undergraduate students and traffic engineers in the design and operation of traffic

control systems.

17. Key Words

Traffic control systems, laboratory, ITS,

simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, controllers

18. Distribution Statement

Unrestricted; Document is available to the public through the

National Technical Information Service; Springfield, VT.

19. Security Classif. (of

this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of

this page)

Unclassified

21. No. of

Pages

10

22. Price

…

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized

Traffic Controller Laboratory Upgrade i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1

PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................. 2

PROJECT DETAILED TASKS ............................................................................................... 3

RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................... 6

APPENDIX: Power Verification and Design Review .............................................................. 8

Traffic Controller Laboratory Upgrade 1

INTRODUCTION

One of the major components of NIATT’s strategic plan is to develop traffic control technologies

that are useful to medium and small size cities. This project is part of NIATT’s strategy to

develop and apply the controller interface device (CID) technology as a key enabling technology

for traffic engineers in the testing and deployment of traffic controller systems and in the training

of traffic engineers in the design of traffic controller systems. This project will provide the

research infrastructure necessary to develop and test a new traffic control system as part of the

City of Moscow signal integration project. The laboratory facilities will be used to train

engineering graduate and undergraduate students and traffic engineers in the design and

operation of traffic control systems.

NIATT’s Traffic Controller Lab is a significant addition to the research infrastructure in the

nation and is poised to become a world-class research and training center, where practicing

engineers, researchers, and students can develop and test traffic signal timing plans on actual

traffic controllers, using state-of-the- art hardware and software. NIATT’s existing lab will be

substantially expanded this year, to provide the hardware and software infrastructure for testing

timing plans on up to 20 intersections at a time, with hardware-in-the-loop simulation and

NIATT’s new Controller Interface Device (CID).

NIATT’s expanded Traffic Controller Lab will initially be used to develop and test signal control

strategies for the traffic signal network in Moscow, Idaho. The $1.5 million Moscow ITS project

includes developing new signal timing strategies for Moscow’s 15 intersections and testing them

in NIATT’s Controller Lab using real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulation. This is the first time

that a system of this size will be modeled prior to deployment using hardware-in-the-loop

simulation and the CID. Funding for the Moscow ITS project and the NIATT Controller Lab is

being provided by the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. DOT's University

Transportation Centers program, and donations from the traffic control industry and the

University of Idaho.

The lab facility will also include two other components: an Advanced Traffic Management

virtual lab funded through the ITD/UI Cooperative Transportation Research Program, the

FHWA, and the USDOT UTC program, and a Transportation Planning TRANSIMS-DOT


system for modeling large scale transportation networks, funded through the FHWA, the

USDOT UTC program and the University of Idaho. Details of the lab layout are presented in the

following figure.

PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The primary project objective is to expand the capabilities of NIATT traffic controller

laboratory, located in room 108 in the engineering and physics building at the University of

Idaho campus. Once completed, the upgraded lab will provide a research and educational facility

that allows traffic engineers, practitioners, and students to develop, test, and analyze signal

timing plans and control strategies using hardware-in-the-loop simulation environment for traffic

signal system networks with up to twenty intersections. The goals of this laboratory are as

follows:

Provide a facility for undergraduate and graduate laboratory instruction.

Provide a facility for conducting research on Advanced Traffic Management Systems.

Provide a facility for disseminating state of the practice in traffic management and

freeway/arterial systems operations to practicing professionals in both the public and

private sector.

The initial requirements for the lab are:

20 Traffic signal controllers from different types (NEMA, 170, and 2070)

20 Controller Interface Devices (CIDs) and CID communication hubs

4 Laptop computers for control software and traffic controllers setting

4 Computer workstations for running the simulation software

3 traffic controller cabinets

An easily configurable communication infrastructure for networking the traffic signal

controllers in a flexible manner


A fiber-optic communication link to the lab

Communication hub to manage access to/from the lab through the fiber optic connection

Projector and projection screen

Data, communication and video servers

PROJECT DETAILED TASKS

1. Upgrade room 106-A in the engineering and physics building to a server room, this

includes*:

a. minor structural change to the room layout,

b. installing racks to mount the servers,

c. installing air conditioning unit to maintain the temperature in the server rack area

to the standard.

2. Upgrade NIATT traffic controller laboratory, located in room 108 in the engineering and

physics building, his includes*:

a. upgrade the power connections and outlets in the lab to handle the additional load

expected from the new equipment;

b. upgrade the internet connections in the lab to 100MB Ethernet connections and

add 8 more Ethernet connections.

3. Upgrade the laboratory equipment by adding the followings:

a. Fiver NEMA TS2 controllers and one street master;**

b. Five 2070 (Advanced Traffic Controllers);**

c. Fifteen CIDs;*


d. Four Communication Interconnect Network Devices (developed as part of

capstone design project for Electric Engineering students at the University of

Idaho;

e. one communication server;

f. one database server;

g. one video server; and

h. furniture and minor structure layout upgrades.

*All structural, mechanical, and electrical upgrade work were designed, built, and installed by the

University of Idaho’s facilities services.

**The addition of ten new traffic controllers and fifteen CIDs together with the existing ten traffic

controllers and five CIDs will expand the testing capabilities of the lab to traffic networks of up

to 20 signalized intersections.

The following Figure shows the proposed lab layout and configuration. The appendix lists the

equipment power and communication load requirements and power calculations.


Controller cabinet Area

NIATT Traffic Signal Controller

Room 108 Engineering and Physics Building

Existing NIATT Machine Vision/ Traffic

Signal Laboratory

Pro

jection

Scre

en

Co

mm

unic

atio

ns

Hu

b

Data

Serv

er

Vid

eo

Serv

er

AT

MS

Work

sta

tion

Are

a

VC

Rs/V

ide

o

Sto

rage

CID Subunit Rack

5 CIDs, 5 Controllers, & Laptop Computer

CID Subunit Rack


CID Subunit Rack

5 CIDs, 5 Controllers, & Laptop ComputerCID Subunit Rack


CID Assembly and Development Area CID Assembly and Development Area

Controller Cabinet Area

Server Room

106-A

Air-conditioned

server rack area


RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS

Power requirements for each piece of equipment in the new lab design were calculated. The

calculated values represent an approximate max current load for the device. Final calculation

for the overall load requirement will take into consideration all equipment plus allowance for

future expansion and flexibility. Refer to Appendix A for a list of Equipment Load

requirements.

After discussing the list of power requirements with facilities personnel, it has been

determined that the current laboratory setup cannot support our requirements. The lines on

both east and west sides of the lab will not be able to power all of our desired equipment;

however, the building does have available all the power needed. Additional lines can be

wired into the lab.

As a design recommendation, two or three additional lines must be installed on

the east wall of the lab (for a total of three or four lines) to support the 4 CID

subunit racks, data server and workstations.

For the west wall, two more lines must be installed (for a total of three lines) to

support CID development equipment, workstations, projectors, and data/video

servers.

For cost purposes, it might be in NAITT’s best interest to run our own surge

protectors from the lines to the equipment.

Currently there are a total of 10 available outlets on the east wall of the lab, arranged in

groups of two spaced every 3 feet. The west wall has 18 available outlets; these too are

arranged in groups of two spaced every 3 feet. The east wall equipment will require a

minimum of 64 power outlets; however, design for this number of outlets should be in a

combination of additional outlets physically on the wall and piggy-backed surge protectors

on the subunit racks.


As a design recommendation, I would recommend that the number of outlets

located on the east wall be increased to 20 outlets, five groups of four outlets

every 3 feet. The subunit racks could possibly consist of 3 piggy-backed power

strips/surge protectors that have a single connection to the wall.

For future expansion and new lab design; the number of outlets on the west wall

must be increased to 36 outlets. Similarly to the east wall, nine groups of four

outlets every 3 feet.

The number of Internet Ethernet connections also needs to be increased in the new lab.

Currently there are six Internet Ethernet connections on the east wall and six Ethernet

connections on the west wall of the lab. The connections are in two groups of three on each

side of the lab.

As a design recommendation, that three Ethernet connections must be placed with

the outlets at every 3 feet grouping.


APPENDIX: POWER VERIFICATION AND DESIGN REVIEW

Goal/Objective

Determine an approximate load requirement for each piece of equipment in the new

lab design, determine total laboratory load requirements.

Verify if the power distribution lines of the NIATT Traffic controller lab can support

the desired load requirements of the new lab design and equipment power

consumption needs.

Determine the number and location of additional wall-outlets that need to be installed

in the lab to support the equipment.

Determine the number and location of additional Internet LAN Line connections that

need to be installed in the lab to support the equipment.

Allow for flexibility.

Questions to Answer

Number of internet LAN connections currently available?

Number of power and LAN outlets required for new design?

Number of power outlets currently available?

Number of power outlets required for new design?

Direct plug-in or additional surge protectors?

Load of each piece of equipment?

Total load required?

Two power lines (one east wall, one west wall)?


Actual capability of the lines?

How is the current surge protection system setup?

How do NIATT team members desire the new surge protection system and outlet

installation?

What are possible future expansions of the laboratory, what additional load

requirements must be met? (i.e. development equipment outlets & load)

EP 108 – NIATT TRAFFIC CONTROLLER LAB

EQUIPMENTPOWER LOAD REQUIREMENTS

Equipment Load

CID 1-2 A

Traffic Controllers 25 W w/o 24VDC load => 0.21 A

45 W w/ 24VDC load => 0.375 A

TC2ED (traffic controllers 1.5 A max

connections emulation device)

Laptop Computer 45-75 W => 0.375-0.625 A

Desktop Computer

- computer 1-2 A

- monitor 0.9-1.8 A

Projector 160-350 W => 1.33-2.92 A

Data Server 350-560 W => ~ 2.5-5 A

Video Server ~ same as data server =>2.5-5 A

CID USB communications HUB

- minimum of 5 outputs

Power Strips

CID Development Equipment


EP 108 – NIATT TRAFFIC CONTROLLER LAB

POWER CALCULATIONS

East Side of Lab

CID (x20) 20 x 1-2A 20-40A

Traffic Controller (x24) 24 x 0.375A 9A

TC2ED (x4) 4 x 1.5A max 6A

Laptop Computers (x4) 4 x 0.625A 2.5A

Desktop

=>Monitor (x4) 4 x 0.9-1.8A 8A

=>PC (x4) 4 x 1-2A 8A

Data Server (x1) 2.5-5A 5A

Hub Linkage

Communication Switches

Projector 1.33-2.92A 3A

Other…

61-81A

West Side of Lab

Desktop

=>Monitor (x4) 4x0.9-1.8A 8A

=>PC (x4) 4x1-2A 8A

Data Server (x4) 4x2.5-5A 10-20A

Video Server (x1) 2.5-5A 2.5-5A

Projector (1 or 2) 2x1.33-2.92A 3-6A

Development Equipment less than 5A <5A

Communications Hub

Other…

36.5-52A

Documents

TRAFFIC CONTROLLER LABORATORY UPGRADE … · nation and is poised to become a world-class research and training center, ... virtual lab funded through the ITD/UI ... Traffic Controller