Method and system for the protection of an electric line for railway signals
AssigneeSirti S.p.A.
InventorsMaurizio Morelli, Daniele Trentini
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for the protection of an electric line for railway signals that comprises a computerized central apparatus (ACC) connected to a plurality of peripheral posts (PP). Each peripheral post comprises at least one plant-controller electronic card (CdE), which controls a plurality of plant-interface cards (IE) that supply the plants (E) directly, via a field bus (B1), on the basis of the commands received from the plant controller and acquire the control signals from the field sensors, transferring them to the controller.
Claims3
A system for protecting an electric line for railway signals,
- said line comprising:
- a computerized central apparatus (ACC) connected to a plurality of peripheral posts (PP),
- each peripheral post comprising at least one plant-controller electronic card (CdE), which controls a plurality of plant-interface cards (IE) that supply the plants (E) directly, via a field bus (B1), on the basis of the commands received from the plant controller and acquire the control signals from the field sensors, transferring them to the controller,
- said system being characterized in that it comprises:
- a protection bus (B2) common to all the interface cards;
- a switching relay (T) for each interface card, controlled by the plant-controller card (CdE), which enables selective connection of its own interface card, via the field bus (B1), with the plant (E) or with the protection bus (B2);
- at least one backup interface card (IER) connected to the common protection bus (B2) via a switching relay (TR), which is also controlled by the plant interface, which, in the case of a failure to one of the active interface cards, replaces said failed card automatically via switching of said relays.
A method for the protection of an electric line for railway signals,
- said line comprising:
- a computerized central apparatus (ACC) connected to a plurality of peripheral posts (PP);
- each peripheral post comprising at least one plant-controller electronic card (CdE), which controls a plurality of plant-interface cards (IE) that supply the plants (E) directly via a field bus (B1), on the basis of the commands received from the plant-controller card and acquire the control signals from the field sensors, transferring them to the controller,
- said method being characterized in that the plant controller carries out the following steps:
- identifying the failed interface card;
- disconnecting the failed card from the controlled plant (E) and connecting the corresponding connector to a protection bus;
- connecting the outputs/inputs of a backup interface card to the plant controlled via the protection bus;
- and
- programming said backup card with the same settings as those possessed by the failed card.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.