Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Highlights of R&D Activities 

for PTC Implementation 

Highlights of R&D Activities 

for PTC Implementation

Terr

S

Co

Terry 

Si

Co
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

PTC Im

Re

PTC Im

Re

• Adaptive braking algorithm• Employee-in-charge portable terminal• Support for communication spectrum and throughp• Communication protocol testing• Interoperable communication-based signaling proje• Data security• Universal on-board platform• High accuracy GPS tracking• Risk assessment methods
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Adaptive Bra

Adaptive Bra

0.05 probability

of undershoot

500 ft @ < 30 mph

1,000 ft @ ≥ 30 mph Tar

Objectives

GPS Antennae

EOTDevice

Tail End BPP

Speed/Location

Tractive Effort 

Head End BPP

Train Control PC

EnforcementAlgorithm PC

Data

Full Service Brake Application 

Full Service Brake 

Application 

With Close-loo-Brake Propag-Accurate Trai-Brake Efficien
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Adaptive Bra

Adaptive Bra

0

0.0010.0020.0030.0040.0050.0060.0070.0080.009

21500 22000 22500 23000 

Stopping Position (ft)

Probability Density

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

Base Case

Distribution

Distribution when

propagation time is known

Distribution when

train weight is known

Distributio

braking efficiency is 

Loaded, 40-car on flat grade from 40 mphIDOT Algorithm Mean Stopping Position – 20800 feet 
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Emplo

Por

Emplo

Por

Router

Dispatch

System

Train Control System

Office Server 

Office Segment

WLANRadio 

WLAN –WWANGateway 

EIC Work Vehicle or

Portable “Suitcase” housing

a WLAN-WWAN Gateway

WWANRadio 

GPS

EIC PRT

WLANRadio 
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Emplo

Por

Emplo

Por

• Proposed Subpart I governing mandatory PTC 2015 

one of the requirements for PTC is to reliably and a

incursions into established work zone limits – EIC Prequirement.

• Pilot project will be initiated to interface with BNSF 

• Software is to be portable so that it can be installed 

PC or a PDA. The communication link between the locomotives is system specific.

• Safety analysis in the form of Subpart H PSP is com• Demonstrated with PDA in RSAC PTC Working Gro

February 25 and AAR WCC/RESC on March 11– rethe railroads and the labor groups.
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Communica

a

Communica

a

Communication Network is the backbone of P
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Communica

a

Communica

a

• Assist railroads to petition FCC for waivers of “build 

the 220 MHz spectrum. (UP and NS have acquired KHz each)

• Conduct RF demand study using a basic territory m

metropolitan area and based on the newly defined mcompleted end of March)

• Develop other measures to improve throughputs an

concatenate messages, use directional antennas, li

• Continue the development of HPDR (Higher Perform

with MeteorComm. 

– 12 Phase 1 MeteorComm HPDR Radios received at T– MeteorComm continues on schedule on Phase 2 dev
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Communication P

Communication P

Application Specific / Data Dictionary

MobileApp.

MWGW OM

MMGW Mobile OWGW

Radio

Base

Radio

RF(TBD) Internal

Native (TBD)

Internal Internal

ITP

EMP

EMP‐ITP

Bridge

Class

D/C

TCP/UDP

Internal

EMP

Router

Internal Internal 
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Communication Pr

Communication Pr

• ITP – Interoperable Transport Protocol

– A proposed upper-layer, routable transport protoco

• EMP – Edge Message Protocol

– A proposed upper-layer message envelope

• Class C

– A proposed IP-based multicast protocol

• Class D

– A proposed TCP/IP-based point-to-point protocol

• Standard architectural components:

– MWGW – Mobile Wireless Gateway– MMGW – Mobile Message Gateway– OWGW – Office Wireless Gateway– OMGW – Office Message Gateway
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Interoperable Commu

Si

Interoperable Commu

Sig

• Demons

attracted January 

• Presente

railroads 

• Experien

applied tPTC tes

• With the 

the poteauthoritisignaling 

Communicatioand wayside sfrom four suppwith each othe
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

• Proposed Subpart I will require data security to in

and integrity of communication data.

• Confidentiality will be optional.• Minimum expected would be MAC and HMAC sch

algorithm recognized by National Institute of Stanstandards organization will be acceptable.

• Pending BAA submission by universities/railroads 

address reducing message overheads, increasing 

key management.
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Universal Onb

Universal Onb

• Develop a set of data elements to be used in this e• Cooperating with Locomotive OEM’s to enhance th

• Final goal is to develop a cost-effective platform to 

on-board applications including PTC within the locoenvironment.

Off-Board

Comms

On-Board

Buss

Cab Signal 

Pick-Up

Universal Cab

Data Radio

Location

AMTRAK

Cab Signal 

Territory

UPRR

Cab Signal 

Territory

BNSF

Cab Signal 

Territory

Cab Signal

Interface

PTC

Territory

Cab Signal/ 

PTC Display

Display

Manager

Brake

Interface

Other

Territories

Other

Loco and PTC

Objects

Control

Brake 

System

Track 

Characteristics

• Joint Project 

Committee anElectronics S

• Develop a co

architecture, messaging, afor command
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

High Acc

High Acc

• Evaluate High Accuracy NDGPS methodology for su

discrimination with probability of success greater thaimplementation

– GPS – 15 meters average accuracy– DGPS – 3 to 5 meters with 95% confidence– HA-DGPS – 10 cm to 30 cm resolution

• Upgrade Pueblo NDGPS base station site to be 

of the first operational High Accuracy Nationwide (HA-NDGPS) site in North America

• Conduct demonstrations & tests to show potentia

control, track database maintenance, and other r

• Project will proceed when Coast Guard approve

Change Request (ECR) for the Pueblo upgrade. 

ECR is expected to be in April, 2009
Office of Research 

and Development

Highlights of PTC R&D Activities 

Risk Assess

Risk Assess

• A Practical Risk Assessment Methodology by Union 

– Start with Tolerable Risk Level (TRL) based on the B– Iterate the design of the new system until TRL is reac– 4 page Research Results and a detailed report are un

published soon

• A Generalized Train Movement Model by DecisionT

– Phase 2 close to completion – pending addition of a f

which arose from discussion with BNSF on the Beard(ETMS I territory) simulation results

– Phase 3 will soon initiate to incorporate failures and h

event simulations