Patent Publication Number: US-2022239079-A1

Title: Diagnostic system for a level-crossing safeguarding system, current sensor for such a diagnostic system, and method for installing such a diagnostic system

Description:
The invention relates to a diagnostic system for a level crossing safeguarding system. 
     A diagnostic system of this kind is known, for example, from the article “IDIS plus W95—ein modernes Diagnosesystem für EBÜT 80” [“IDIS plus W95—a modern diagnostic system for EBÜT 80”], Signal+Draht (90) November 1998, pages 14-19. In this diagnostic system, a specific relay interface is provided in order to capture information of selected adaptation points of the relay circuit and output it to a diagnostics PC. Relay interfaces of this kind require a high level of development effort. 
     The already-mentioned EBÜT 80 (standard level crossing technology), for example, controls a large number of (up to 21) switching situations, for which it is desirable to capture information (see “Bahnübergangs-Sicherungstechnik RBÜT realisierungsnah planen” [“implementation-oriented planning of level crossing protection technology RBÜT”], Signal+Draht (94) May 2002, pages 14-17). 
     It is additionally known from practice that, in EBÜT 80, the relay circuit has electrical connection cables, of which at least a plurality are guided in a cable duct, at least in sections, of which the access longitudinal side is provided with a detachable covering. 
     Starting from a diagnostic system with the features of the preamble of claim  1 , the invention is based on the object of simplifying the diagnostic system, in particular with regard to the development effort and the high costs associated therewith. 
     This object is achieved by a diagnostic system according to the invention, in which the covering is suitably embodied to accommodate a plurality of current sensors of the diagnostic system and the plurality of current sensors are arranged, in particular fastened, adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction of the covering in said covering. 
     It is therefore possible to capture the desired information regarding the switching situations without using a specific relay interface. The sensors can therefore be installed in a simple manner, meaning that the diagnostic system can be easily retrofitted in existing level crossing safeguarding systems. In particular, it is advantageous that the diagnostic system according to the invention is very simple and therefore cost-effective with regard to a need to verify that it does not have repercussions on the primary system on which diagnostics are to be performed—here the level crossing safeguarding system. 
     It is considered to be advantageous if the width of the covering substantially corresponds to the width of the cable duct. This has the advantage that access to other parts of the level crossing safeguarding system is not made difficult. 
     It is also considered to be advantageous if the depth of the covering is less than or equal to the depth of the cable duct. This has the advantage that the load-bearing capacity of the cable duct can be used without specifically having to fix it more strongly. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the plurality of current sensors, forming a communication bus, are connected to the data collection facility and output their measurement data to said data collection facility. In particular, this makes it possible to ensure that the measurement data is captured correctly in its chronological order, wherein just knowing the chronological order of the measurement data is particularly advantageous for accurate diagnostics of the switching situations. 
     It is considered to be advantageous if the current sensors are suitably embodied to transfer the measurement data to the data collection facility by means of a serial transfer protocol via the communication bus. A Modbus, in particular a Modbus RTU, may be used as communication bus, for example. 
     Preferably, the data collection facility is embodied as an Internet of Things box (known to the person skilled in the art, IoT box for short), which has a communication interface, in particular an antenna, for communicating with a higher-level information technology infrastructure, which is present in the form of a cloud, for example. 
     The invention also relates to a current sensor for a diagnostic system according to the invention, in which a section can be opened in order to encompass one of the electrical connection cables that is assigned to it in the manner of a clamp. 
     It is considered to be advantageous if the part of the current sensor that is embodied in the manner of a clamp forms a part of a sensor core and protrudes at least partially into the cable duct. 
     It is provided that the current sensor is at most 50 mm wide, at most 50 mm deep and at most 70 mm long, in order to take up as little installation space as possible. 
     Preferably, the current sensor is less than 45 mm wide, less than 40 mm deep and less than 45 mm long. 
     Preferably, the current sensor is embodied as a direct current sensor with a measurement range from 10 to 200 mA. 
     It is further considered to be advantageous if the current sensor in each case has a first connection embodied as a socket and a second connection embodied as a plug, wherein the first connection is embodied as a Micro USB socket at one cable end of a first cable, which in particular is at least 15 cm long, and wherein the second connection is embodied as a Micro USB plug at one cable end of a second cable, which in particular is at least 15 cm long. 
     The invention additionally relates to a method for installing a diagnostic system in a level crossing safeguarding system, of which the relay circuit has electrical connection cables, of which at least a plurality are guided in a cable duct, at least in sections, of which the access longitudinal side is provided with a detachable covering. According to the invention, the covering is suitably provided to accommodate a plurality of current sensors of the diagnostic system, and a plurality of current sensors are arranged, in particular fastened, adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction of the covering in said covering, wherein a section of a respective one of the current sensors is opened in order to encompass one of the electrical connection cables that is assigned to it in the manner of a clamp, and is closed again once the connection cable has been inserted. 
     Preferably, the plurality of current sensors, forming a communication bus, are connected to a data collection facility and output their measurement data to said data collection facility, in particular by means of a serial transfer protocol. As already mentioned, a Modbus, in particular a Modbus RTU, may be used as communication bus, for example. 
    
    
     
       The invention is furthermore described in greater detail below with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 7 , in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic representation of a level crossing safeguarding system with diagnostic system according to the prior art, 
         FIG. 2  shows a schematic representation of a level crossing safeguarding system with a first embodiment of the diagnostic system according to the invention, 
         FIG. 3  shows a sectional representation of the first embodiment of the diagnostic system according to the invention along the line III-III in  FIG. 2 , 
         FIG. 4  shows a sectional representation of a second embodiment of the diagnostic system according to the invention and 
         FIGS. 5 to 7  show various views of a current sensor of the diagnostic system according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     According to  FIG. 1 —as already mentioned in the introduction—level crossing safeguarding systems EBÜT80 known from the prior art have a diagnostic system  30 . Additionally, the relay circuit of said known level crossing safeguarding systems EBÜT80 has electrical connection cables  1 - 21 , of which at least a plurality are guided in a cable duct  40 , at least in sections, of which the access longitudinal side is provided with a detachable covering  41 . 
     In the level crossing safeguarding system EBÜT80 shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , which has a first embodiment  130  of the diagnostic system according to the invention, and in the level crossing safeguarding system EBÜT80 shown in  FIG. 4 , which has a second embodiment  230  of the diagnostic system according to the invention, the respective covering  141  is suitably embodied for accommodating a plurality of current sensors  161 - 164  of the diagnostic system  130  or  230 . The current sensors  161 - 164 , together with the covering  141 , form a current sensor facility  160  or  260 . 
     The current sensors  161 - 164  are, for example, Hall effect sensors that have a sensor core SK (see  FIG. 7 ) in a known manner. However, the invention is not restricted to Hall effect sensors. In particular, it is also possible for sensors to be used which are not based on the Hall effect, but rather on other operating principles. 
     According to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the plurality of current sensors  161 - 164  are arranged adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction R 1  of the covering  141  in said covering  141  in both embodiments  130  and  230 . 
     The two embodiments  130  and  230  of the diagnostic system according to the invention differ only in that the current sensors  161 - 164  are all oriented in the same way in the first embodiment  130 , while they are alternately rotated by 180° in the second embodiment  230 . 
     The current sensors  161 - 164  are preferably adhesively bonded to the bottom of the covering  141  by means of double-sided adhesive strips K or alternatively are fastened by means of screw connections (or connections comparable thereto; for example, plug-in or latching connections), which engage through retaining webs H of the current sensors  161 - 164 . 
     The width B of the covering  141  corresponds to the width b of the cable duct  140 . In the embodiments shown, it amounts to 50 mm. 
     The depth T of the covering is less than or equal to the depth t of the cable duct. 
     The diagnostic system  130  or  230  comprises a data collection facility  171 . 
     The current sensors  161 - 164  each have a first connection A 1  embodied as a socket and a second connection A 2  embodied as a plug. The first connection A 1  is embodied as a Micro USB socket at one cable end of a first cable K 1  (USB cable), which in particular is at least 15 cm long. The second connection A 2  is embodied as a Micro USB plug at one cable end of a second cable K 2  (USB cable), which in particular is at least 15 cm long. 
     The plurality of current sensors  161 - 164 , forming a communication bus  180 , are connected to the data collection facility  171  and output their measurement data to the data collection facility  171  via the communication bus  180 . To this end, they are interconnected in series. 
     The data collection facility  171  is embodied as an Internet of Things box (IoT box), which is embodied as part of a data collection arrangement  170 . The data collection arrangement  170  also includes a current supply facility  172 , which supplies the Internet of Things box  171  and, via the connected USB cables, also supplies the plurality of current sensors  161 - 164 . 
     The data collection facility  171  (Internet of Things box) has a Micro USB interface A 3 —here in the form of a Micro USB socket. It additionally has a communication interface A 4 , in particular an antenna, for communicating with a higher-level information technology infrastructure W, which here is formed by what is known as a cloud. 
     As shown, the Micro USB plug A 2  of the first current sensor  161  is plugged into a Micro USB socket A 5  of a USB connection cable VK. A Micro USB plug A 6  of the USB connection cable VK is plugged into the Micro USB socket A 3  of the Internet of Things box  171 . 
     The Micro USB plug A 2  of the second current sensor  162  is plugged into the Micro USB socket A 1  of the first current sensor  161 . The Micro USB plug A 2  of the third current sensor  163  is plugged into the Micro USB socket A 1  of the second current sensor  162 . The Micro USB plug A 2  of the fourth current sensor  164  is plugged into the Micro USB socket A 1  of the third current sensor  163 . And the Micro USB plug of the final current sensor (not shown here) is plugged into the Micro USB socket of the penultimate current sensor (also not shown here). 
     The plurality of current sensors  161 - 164  are in each case suitably embodied to transfer the measurement data to the data collection facility  171  by means of a Modbus transfer protocol via the communication bus  180  (Modbus RTU). 
     As the figures show, a section  161   a - 164   a  of a respective one of the current sensors  161 - 164  can be opened in order to encompass one of the electrical connection cables  1 - 4  that is assigned to it in the manner of a clamp. 
     The part  161   a - 164   a  of the respective current sensor  161 - 164 , which is embodied in the manner of a clamp, together with a further part of the current sensor  161   b - 164   b,  forms a sensor core to be closed. The respective part  161   a - 164   a  of the current sensors protrude, at least partially, into the cable duct (see in particular  FIGS. 2 and 5 to 7 ). 
     Each of the current sensors  161 - 164  is at most 50 mm wide, at most 50 mm deep and at most 70 mm long. The embodiment of the current sensor shown is 45 mm wide, 37.5 mm deep. Its section between the retaining webs is 44 mm long. 
     Each of the current sensors is embodied as a direct current sensor with a measurement range from 10 to 200 mA. 
     In a further embodiment, not shown here, of the diagnostic system according to the invention, the sensors are divided into at least two sensor groups and assigned to separate cable ducts. A plurality of current sensors therefore form a first sensor group and a plurality of further current sensors form at least one further sensor group. In this context, the one sensor group is arranged in a covering of a cable duct, as in the two first embodiments of the diagnostic system according to the invention, and the at least one further sensor group is arranged in a further covering of a further cable duct. The plurality of current sensors and the further plurality of current sensors—here also forming a communication bus—are connected to a data collection facility and output their measurement data to the data collection facility via the communication bus. In this context, the current sensors each also have a first connection embodied as a USB socket and a second connection embodied as a USB plug. By way of the plug/socket combination used, it is possible to bridge larger distances between the spatially offset sensor groups using standard Micro USB cables, which have a USB socket at one end and a USB plug at the other end. 
     For installing the current sensors, the covering  141  is provided, which is suitably embodied for accommodating the plurality of current sensors  161 - 164  of the diagnostic system. The part  161   a - 164   a  of a respective one of the current sensors  161 - 164  is opened in order to encompass one of the electrical connection cables  1 - 4  that is assigned to it in the manner of a clamp, and is closed again once the respective connection cable  1 - 4  has been inserted. The plurality of current sensors  161 - 164  are arranged adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction R 1  of the covering  141  in said covering  141  and are fastened by means of the adhesive strips K. The plurality of current sensors  161 - 164  output their measurement data to the data collection facility  171  via the communication bus  180 .