Inspection systems for Maintenance Trains Communication System for Safety Management

l® based 3U CompactPCI
® systems as the computing core of its infotainment systems. Depending on the requirements of the operator, the system may control LED or TFT displays, transmit TV, DVD or radio programs in addition to displaying pictures, support additional audio, or feature different fieldbusses or even wireless communication via GSM or GPS. “Le Shuttle“ connects France and England through the Eurotunnel and is one of four train services offered by operator Eurotunnel. “Le Shuttle“ transports cars, buses and mo- torbikes between Sangatte (Calais/Coquelles) and Folkestone. The vehicles are stowed in one- or two- floored, closed train segments. The trip itself takes 35 minutes and is thus the fastest connection to the island. Each of the nine trains used is about 800 m long, with two locomotives pulling 28 cars per train. The French company Mors, based near Marseille, was one of the companies that developed the second generation of data communications systems for “Le Shuttle“. This system collects, analyzes and processes any safety data from the individual cars. An MEN VMEbus communications controller in single Eurocard format is the central com- puter in the system.

Drive of Track-Laying Machines

A Swiss service provider uses the machines from Matisa and others for levelling, straightening and packing, grading and compressing, laying sleepers or cleaning gravel etc. An expert in the field of machine- aided maintenance of standard gauge lines and metric gauges, the service provider has even designed a special track measuring device. The appliance weighs about 12 kg, can be disassembled and is used to measure profiles, contact wires, fixed points and excess height. It reaches a measuring distance of up to 10 meters. The device is controlled by standard VMEbus boards from MEN. The PowerPC Matisa Matériel Industriel of Switzerland develops and manufactures machines and equipment for measurement of track geo-metry, track laying and track maintenance. Standard CompactPCI
® components from MEN are used to control and visualize the functions of the drive of the track-laying machinery that often weighs over 50 tons and is more than 20 meters long. The Intel
® based industrial computers in single Eurocard format run under Windows
® NT.
® based computers in single Eurocard format run under ELinOS embedded Linux. Several Industrial ethernet modules (PC-MIP
® ) and serial inter-faces (M-Modules™) handle communication between the machine and the driver’s cabin. Another company in Switzerland uses Inte

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