COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN OF SIGNALLING CIRCUITS

A computer has been used in the Chief Signal Engineer's Department, London Transport to perform certain functions of safety signal circuit design which involve essential but repetitive work. The preparation of schedules was considered the most suitable area of application, and the computer has been used to automate this process, reducing the skilled manpower requirement and the time scale while preserving the responsibility of the circuit designer for the integrity of the design. The paper describes in detail the method of calculating signal overlaps and the production of signal and point circuits, together with the associated schedules. Numerous diagrams clarify the process and there are examples of the form in which the resultant information is printed out on the computer. Among the developments envisaged for the future is the ability to call up circuit information from the computer store and present it on a visual display unit superimposed on the actual condition of track circuits, points and signals as an aid to maintenances staff in deciding where a fault is likely to be found after an incident has occurred.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Paper presented to the Institution of Railway Signal Engineers, February 5th, 1975.
• Corporate Authors:

  Institution of Railway Signal Engineers

  London,   England 
• Authors:
  • Heaton, M W
• Publication Date: 1975-2

Media Info

• Pagination: 17 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Electric circuits; Information processing; Planning; Scheduling; Track circuits; Traffic signal control systems
• Old TRIS Terms: Circuit design; Computerized planning; Signal systems
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00096551
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: British Railways
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 24 1975 12:00AM