MINUTES OF COMMITTEE MEETING

RAIL TRANSIT VEHICLE INTERFACE STANDARDS COMMITTEE

 

Meeting Date:            September 10-11, 2002

 

Meeting Location:            New Jersey Transit – Newark, NJ

 

Attendees:                 

George Achakji

Don Kane

Fred Perilstein

Bob Anderson

Jim Kemp

Aziz Rahman

Jim Dietz

Brian Ley

Alan Rumsey

Claude Gabriel

Dave Male

Tom Sullivan

Harvey Glickstein

Tom McGean

Gary Touryan

David Gregson

Kamel Mokhtech

Arun Virginkar

Jim Hoelscher

Howard Moody

Paul White

Mark Hooley

Bill Petit

Jo-li Wo

Paul Jamieson

David Phelps

 

 

Attachments:

Attachment 1 -

Agenda

Attachment 2 -

Sign-in Sheets

Attachment 3 -

List of members

Attachment 4 -

History of Meeting Locations

Attachment 5 -

RTVISC Status Report

Attachment 6 -

APTA Activity Status Report

Attachment 7 -

AAR Electronic Standards Development Plan

Attachment 8 -

Event Recorder NPRM

Attachment 9

HVAC Standard for Rail

Attachment 10

OCS Status Report

Attachment 11

WG 2 Status Report

Attachment 12

WG 3 Status Report

Attachment 13

Software Primer

Attachment 14

IEEE Std P-16/D4.1

 

Conventions used in these minutes:

 

Action items are shown in bold italics.  [Post meeting notes are show in italics, in square brackets].

 

Attachments are available electronically at www.tsd.org/rsc.  For Paper attachments, please contact Jim Dietz at jdietz@ieee.org.

Discussion:

 

Day 1

 

1.            Welcome

 

The Committee was welcomed by Mr. Mark Hooley of New Jersey Transit.  The Chair expressed the Committee’s appreciation for New Jersey Transit’s hosting of this meeting.

 

2.            Agenda

 

The agenda is included as Attachment 1.  The order of discussion generally followed the order of the Agenda.

 

3.            Attendance

 

Attendance sheets were distributed and attendees are noted earlier in these minutes.  The sign-in sheets are included as Attachment 2.  A current list of members is provided as Attachment 3.  [Members should contact Patricia Gerdon of IEEE Standards (FAX 732 562-1571 or email  p.gerdon@ieee.org) with any corrections to this list or to their conventional address, phone or fax. Please do not contact the Chair. Since we are now doing electronic balloting it is essential Tricia have your current email address.]

 

4.         Minutes of Previous Meeting

 

The Chair asked for comments on the minutes from the previous meeting.  There were none.  The minutes were accepted.

 

4.         Next Meeting

 

The Chair presented Attachment 4, showing the various meeting locations since the inception of the Committee, and suggested Portland, Oregon as a possible meeting site.  The Committee accepted the recommendation.  The Chair will initiate the arrangements for a meeting hosted by Tri-Met on January 29th and 30th.

 

5.            Progress report by Chair

 

The Chair reported that the eight original standards are complete, three standards are through ballot, two standards are in ballot comment review, twelve standards are in process, and substation standards are anticipated.  A graphic view of the progress is included in Attachment 5.  The Committee discussed the Organization Chart, also presented in Attachment 5.

 

6.         APTA Activity Status Report

 

APTA’s recent standards initiative activities were described by Dave Phelps using Attachment 6.  APTA has four committees looking at selected technical and operational standards.  Seven documents have been approved, twelve are awaiting comment and 70+ are in process (70 is a correction to the attachment).  APTA is strengthening its support of RTVISC and other standards activities.  See Attachment 6 for details, including coordination with the Rolling Stock Equipment Technical Forum.

 

7.         APTA financial support of RTVISC

 

The present funding levels do not support public sector travel and this has led to a decrease in participation.  The problem is recognized, but a near-term solution is not obvious.  APTA is trying to find a resolution to this problem, but it is probably a year off.  See Attachment 6 for further details.

 

8.            RTVISC Website Policy

 

The Committee discussed the issue of hot links from the website to individuals and organizations.  It was agreed that the website should include members names, affiliations and a link to the member’s e-mail account.  The Committee agreed that links to organization’s websites are not desired.

 

9.         APTA Procurement Task Force

 

Paul Jamieson gave a brief update of the task force’s activities.  This task force is working to streamline the procurement process through standards.  The Task Force is generally addressing items with a high payback and a short implementation cycle.  Work statements are under development.

 

10.       AAR standards development

 

The AAR Railway Electronics Task Force was described by Howard Moody.  The task force has identified standards for development.  There is some considerable overlap with RTVISC work and a need for close coordination.  Howard informed the Committee that AAR has a data dictionary for data elements.  AAR activities are described in detail in Attachment 7.

 

11.       FRA and Positive Train Control

 

Bill Petit gave an update on PTC.  Comments have been provided to the NPRM for processor-based systems (more than just PTC).  The FRA has no official position, yet.  Bill Petit informed the Committee that the University of Virginia has received a grant from the FRA for their center for rail system safety.  UVA is developing an engineering model and risk analysis of railroad operation.

 

12.       Event Recorder NPRM

 

Brian Ley presented the recent history of the FRA/RSAC development of new event recorder requirements.  See Attachment 8 for details.  Through discussion the Committee agreed that the FRA and IEEE documents are very different and there should be one standard.  The group opinion is that the FRA should use the present IEEE standards for event recorders.  The Chair will prepare a second letter to the FRA to state the Committee’s opinion.

 

13.       ASME – Rail Standards

 

Tom McGean updated the group on the activities of the structural requirements working groups.  A crash test has been done to compare to the light rail crash model.  Another crash test will be performed on a de-commissioned MUNI car.  The group is methodically addressing issues.  The next meeting of the group is scheduled in November at the Pueblo, CO.

 

14.              HVAC Standard for Rail

 

Jim Dietz gave a brief status report on the Rail HVAC standards.  The working group is expected to form after the ASHRAE winter meeting.  See Attachment 9 for details.

 

15.       ITS APTS Committee

 

Dave Phelps (substituting for Lou Sanders) updated the group on ITS APTS and the technical forum. Over the last year, much work has been done to develop TCIP communication profiles.  Independent assessments of whether these profiles are implementable and whether they meet the business cases are nearly complete.  The focus is on busses, but there is close coordination with WG9.

 

16.            LONMark Interoperability Association

 

The interoperability association is working closely with WG9 with regard to profiles.  The profiles developed for NYCT and NJT will be drawn upon for the development of standard profiles.

 

17.              Tom Sullivan discussed RVISC website and the request to include an area for discussion groups.  This concept is currently under review.

 

18.              Gary Touryan reported on the Traction Substation Subcommittee.  An organizational meeting is planned for September 23 at AREMA, in Washington D.C.  Sub-Committee participants are being solicited.  The plan is to start with existing standards and decide if they need to be updated, replaced, or if additional standards are needed.  The first working meeting will be on October 9th.

 

19.              OCS Subcommittee Report

 

Paul White reported on the OCS Subcommittee activity.  The five proposed standards have been approved by IEEE.  The next meeting is October 7 & 8 at new Hudson Bergen LRV facility.  Of particular concern is the coordination of maintenance documents between IEEE and APTA, so as not to duplicate effort.  The OCS status report is included as Attachment 10.  In honor of PAR approval, Paul was presented with a gavel for use in the subcommittee.

 

20.              Working Group reports

 

WG2: The working group is working on two standards.  P1474.2 is the user interface for CBTC, and is nearing completion.  IEEE Std 1474.1-1999 is the CBTC performance and functionality standard, and is due for updating in 2003.  The latter update will be coordinated with the ASCE Automated People Mover Committee, with hopes of achieving harmonized requirements.  See the full report in Attachment 11.  Next meeting November 1, 2002, hosted by Bart (tentative).

 

WG2b is developing the CBTC Wayside Environmental Standard.  A revised draft from Feb. 2002 is available for review.

 

WG3, Monitoring and Diagnostics, will need a PAR extension.  There have been four recent meetings.  Transit Authorities aren’t attending due to finances.  Only 4-6 participants typically are at the meetings.  Cross reference for signal definition tables added for WG coordination.  Recommendations – hold combined meetings with WG9, find funds for TAs (the Chair suggested conference calls, web meetings etc.), establish east/west WG3 chair designates, Issue draft 4 in a month.

 

WG9: The next meeting will be on Wed, October 9 in Quebec.  They will have definition of data elements by early next year.  The balloting group needs more agency support.  A PAR extension will be necessary.  Due to professional commitments, Fred Woolsey is struggling to keep up with demands of the group.  The Chair suggests that all working groups appoint an assistant or secretary to help over-taxed group leaders.

Jim Dietz will jump into the gateway project work, to attempt to get it back on track.

 

WG10, Battery Physical:  A recirculation ballot is complete.

 

WG 11.  IEEE-Std 16 will continue in line-by-line review.

 

WG12, Software Documentation:  This draft standard is nearing the point of line-by-line review with the full Committee.  The next working group meeting is October 22 & 23.

 

WG13, NiCad Battery:  The working group is addressing the ballot comments and will present the results at the next meeting.

 

WG 14, HRI Standards:  The ballot results are going to IEEE RevCom for final approval.

 

WG15, Communication to and from a train: Jim Dietz reported for Jerry Graham.  Jerry may need to step down as a result of work overload.  We’ll know more by the end of the month.  The Chair asked the committee for help.  :  The first meeting is pending.  Some 18 people have expressed interest so far.

 

21.              Paul Jamieson gave Software Primer Presentation.  This primer was to introduce the Committee to the various issues that the working group addressed in developing a standard, and is intended to be preparatory to the line-by-line review.  Committee discussions acknowledged issues of software updates, extinction of commercial software, proprietary property in regard to software and similar.  This standard will focus on documentation.  See Attachment 13.

 

22.              Open forum: Issues, concerns, and questions, etc. 

 

The Committee discussed the possibility of changing the name of the committee, inasmuch as the activities of the committee are extending beyond the boundaries suggested by the name.  A review of the RTVISC Policies and Procedures showed that the authorized scope of the committee is consistent with our activities, even if the name sounds restrictive.

 

 

Day 2

 

23.              Line by line review of IEEE Std P-16/D4.3

 

In the last meeting, the Committee reviewed through 4.12.3.  Line-by line review proceeded from there through the end.  Changes are annotated in D4.4, included as Attachment 14.  The working group will address the items raised by the Committee and will changes will be reviewed at the winter meeting.

 

 

Meeting Adjourned

 

 

Minutes prepared by Jim Dietz & Brian Ley