IEEE Rail Transit Vehicle Interface Standards Committee

WG9 TRANSIT COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACE PROFILES FOR RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEMS

Second Meeting, May 29, 1998

Metro-North Training Department

Grand Central Terminal

7^th Floor Hall B, Class 2

Meeting called to order at 10:00 a.m.

1. Introduction
2. 1. Welcome
   2. Russ Kology welcomed the WG9 attendees and explained Metro-North’s requirements for integrated communications. Rob McHugh introduced himself and introductions continued around the table. A list of attendees is attached.
   3. Agenda

   The agenda was reviewed and accepted as attached. with the correction to the spelling of Mr. Phelps.

3. IEEE–TCIP Co-ordination
4. According to Tom McGean, Chair of the IEEE-RTVISC, there are two possible combinations of working arrangements between the IEEE–RTVISC WG9 and the ITE–TCIP. The advantages and disadvantages of various combinations were presented and discussed. The group agreed that the arrangement must include balloting by the Rail Community. The ITE, NTCIP balloting procedure will be reviewed to determine if adequate rail representation can be obtained.
5. TCIP Overview and Report
6. The TCIP effort initiated by the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Standards for Intelligent Transit Systems Power Point presentation is available on the website: http://www.tcip.org/tsc/documentation.html. The TCIP Framework Document was distributed The purpose of this document is to define the Framework for Transit Business Area objects that are supported by the Transit Communication Interface Profiles (TCIP). These objects constitute the "transit" component of the National Transportation Communication for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) effort. This document introduces the background, basic concepts and conformance requirements that apply to all TCIP business area requirements. The end application profile, top-down approach, used the NEMA hierarchical addressing convention and ASN.1 data types to create data and message object databases. The on-board object sets were of particular interest to the IEEE-RTVISC WG9 since they have rail object set placeholders. WG members are asked to review the other business areas to determine if rail was appropriately represented. The web site is www.TCIP.org.
7. Internet Issues
8. 1. Attachments
   2. The consensus in the group was that Word 6.0 or Rich Text Format (RTF) would be suitable formats for e-mail attachments. Multiple attachments had not created problems for anyone in the group. Large files should be posted on the TSD website.
   3. Database Programs

   A Windows 95 version of Access or above can read TCIP databases. A web version will be available in Word 6.0. A typical TCIP Access data entry form was reviewed. Russ Cology distributed Metro North’s extensive fault list for the M2 & M4 vehicles. With the use of Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) modems there were some concerns on how to transmit this fault data. Treating each fault as a data element or categorizing the faults by subsystem, then fault code would depend on the available bandwidth.

9. Railway Open System Interconnection Network (ROSIN)
10. The document "ROSIN Data Representations and Notations" was distributed in hard copy and can be e-mailed by Pierre Zuber to any interested party requesting it. Similar to TCIP, the ROSIN standard uses Abstract Syntax Notation (ASN.1) to formally define data to be represented on a communication network.

    To save bandwidth, specifying encoding rules for real-time networks can reduce some of the overhead associated with a hierarchical system. ROSIN also uses floating-point representation of binary numbers (as in IEEE Standard 754).

11. Sponsorship of the WG9 Standard
12. The issue of whether the rail TCIP standard should be ITE or IEEE was not resolved, but Rob McHugh and Tom McGean prepared a comparison matrix that was discussed. The full committee should decide the assignment of a sponsor.
13. Entering IEEE WG Data into a Database
14. Rob McHugh agreed to e-mail the database entry form (TCIP modified) to WG Chairs for entry of their working groups data elements. The data can be entered at this time, to the level of detail covered in each WGs’ standard
15. ASN.1 Primer
16. Rob McHugh is to try and arrange an ASN.1 Primer with Open Systems who could arrange a primer on the East Coast
17. Next Meeting
18. It is proposed that the next meeting should be tied in with the ASN.1 Primer. Rob is to contact OSS and suggest venues and dates.
19. Any Other Business

Prepared by:

R.E. McHugh, P.Eng.

Chair, WG9

Attachments: Participants List

Agenda2

I:\IEEE Minutes02.doc

IEEE Rail Transit Vehicle Interface Standards Committee

WG9 TRANSIT COMMUNICATIONS INTERFACE PROFILES FOR RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEMS

Second Meeting, May 29, 1998

Metro-North Training Department

Grand Central Terminal

7^th Floor Hall B, Class 2

Agenda

10:00 -10:10 AM

Introductions, Meeting Purpose

10:10 - 11:00 AM

Housekeeping

Meeting Time and Place, next meeting

TCIP Program & RTVISC liaison

Discussion of Balloting Issues-

Internet issues

11:00 - Noon

TCIP & Abstract Syntax Notation (ASN.1) Overview

Database Integration & Integrity

Noon - 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 - 3:00 PM

Proposed data base format

Input from Working Groups

Review of Action Items

3:00 PM

Meeting Adjourns