Domino Type Control cum Indication Panel as per IRS:S-36/87 or RDSO/SPN/186/2004 and its Accessories

• Introduction

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  Universal Fail-Safe Block Interface (UFSBI) as per RDSO/SPN/147/2005, is a fail-safe digital triple modular redundant (TMR) multiplexer capable of transferring 16+16 i.e. a total of 32 On-Off relay states between locations physically separated by a distance but connected through a voice/data channel over OFC/Microwave or Quad cable. The UFSBI can be effectively used to replace the signalling cables required for repeating relays between mid-section block huts and end stations. The system development had been initiated by Ministry of Information technology, under technical guidance from IIT, Delhi & Centre of Knowledge Base Systems, Jadavpur University, along with railway expertise and field trial facilities that was provided by South Eastern Railways. The complete hardware and software are indigenously developed by our team of engineers and manufactured at our facilities in Kolkata, thereby, ensuring prompt after sales service and availability of spares over the entire equipment life period. The system ad been initially designed and approved by the Research Design & Standards Organization of Indian Railway for interfacing conventional Single & Double line Block Instruments on FC voice / data channels. But,eventually it found its utility in repeating relay states in Intermediate Block Signaling and Automatic Block Signaling applications where hundreds of copper conductors were replaced by a pair of optical fiber cables and the UFSBI equipment. UFSBI is now being extensively used for providing push button type block instrument as per IRS Spn. No. IRS:S-105/2012 and for Intermediate Block Signalling applications as a replacement of laying signalling cables which has proven to be cost effective and reliable.

• Fail Safety Approvals

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  • UFSBI has been validated and approved by RDSO for use in railways, as per RDSO/SPN/147/2005 (with latest amendments).
  • Center of Knowledge Based Systems, Jadavpur University, has validated the system.Software as per CENELEC SIL-4 standards
  • Hardware is evaluated and independently validated by Electrical Engineering department of IIT, Delhi

• Advantages

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  • Provides high level of reliability and fail-safety. Signalling relay states once exchanged through UFSBI can be worked interchangeably on OFC or Microwave (voice/data channel) with Automatic Media Changeover facility, to increase system availability in case of cable disruptions.
  • A single set of UFSBI mux system comprising of a pair each between IB hut and each station, caters for IBS section both Up/Dn lines. { A typical IBS section approximately 12 Km long needs a dedicated 6-Quad / 24 Core min. Signalling cable with cutting relays for exchanging IB states between IBH & stations costing approx. Rs.30,00,000 and at least two month’s time. While with UFSBI the same have been achieved by railway in less than 50% of cost and within 7 days, as only indoor work is involved. Rate references from different zonal railways are annexed for reference.}
  • Avoids additional block section cable laying, maintenance time and cost.
  • Can work over very long Block Sections using OFC Mux / E1 channel or even using 1- Quad copper cable up to 30 Km distance approximately.
  • The same OFC fiber, that is used for inter-station link can be intercepted at IB Hut by introducing a STM mux. The E1 thus derived between each station and the IBH, if used, with a suitable dedicated VF mux (Maple-4 or similar), as backup media of UFSBI and primary media being 1-Quad, then on the event of cable cut, the path protected E1 can be used for seamless backup for relay repetition through UFSBI. In fact the same E1 to VF mux can cater for back-up channel for Digital Axle Counter. Therefore IBS failure owing to cable cut can be completely avoided.
  • High level of noise and electro-magnetic immunity making the system suitable to work in railway electrified area and hence is a onetime investment for the Railways.
  • It reduces the cost of ownership as equipment forms can be changed just by mere change of relay logic (placed in detachable relay racks) and the same set of cards can be used for various applications.

• Usage of UFSBI

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  Block Proving through Digital Axle Counter using Single Section Digital Axle Counter with UFSBI & Block Panel as per IRS Spn. No. IRS:S-105/2012

  • It is a non-co-operative, user-friendly push button type Block Instrument.
  • The unique design of interlocking circuits and input/outputs through Q-series relays provide galvanic isolation, making the system usable in both RE & Non-RE sections.
  • The use of UFSBI with Automatic Media Changeover Facility additionally harnesses the true benefits of using HA-SSDAC.
  • Can be easily converted from one form to another (Single Line to Double Line and vice versa) by just mere change of detachable relay racks and block panels.

• The diagrams below represents the block working in Single and Double Line Sections respectively.

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• Design Features

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  • The Interlocking circuits as well as the UFSBI inputs are taken through Q-series relays(conforming to spec. BRS: 930), providing galvanic isolation, thus making the system usable in both RE and Non-RE sections.
  • The system is designed to work with MACL, PI, RRI or SSI installations.
  • Triple Modular Redundant fail-safe multiplexer working on 2 out of 3 logic ensures greater level of safety and availability.
  • The automatic TOL and LINE CLOSED features considerably reduces the operational time of the Station Master over any other block instrument used in Indian Railways till now.
  • The software coding for inter-station signal transmission takes care of noise disruptions generally encountered in the transmission system. It ensures safety of operation against these noises by use of fail-safe data structure, message redundancy, minimum Hamming distance of 5, etc.

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