Full Steam Ahead for Avalue VMS-EHLR Railway Transportation System

Avalue, Taipei, Taiwan, 07.02.2023 - Avalue Technology Inc. (TAIEX: 3479-TW), a global industrial PC solution provider and a Titanium member of the Intel® Internet of Things Solutions Alliance, endeavors to provide a complete range of smart retail, smart healthcare, smart manufacturing, smart transportation and embedded solutions. Following the declaration by 136 countries worldwide to achieve net zero emission by 2050, the infrastructure for, and transformation to, intelligent transportation is critical in achieving such a global vision. Backed by years of extensive experience in industrial automation and accumulated strength in information and communication technology, Avalue Technology is not only heeding the call for net zero emission, it is also continuously building smart transportation platforms in the digital transformation to achieve net zero emission. On track toward building a sustainable city with a smart transportation network, Avalue has recently launched VMS-EHLR embedded system for railway transportation with EPM-1721 power brick. Especially designed for public transportation system, including light rail, subway and mass rapid transit, they utilize modern 5G network to provide a safe, smooth and highly efficient solution with low power consumption and seamless shareable mobility for green urban transportation. 

Monitoring key hubs for real-time, precision transportation operation and management

Distributed control system for rail application VMS-EHLR, powered by Intel® Elkhart Lake Atom™ x6425E high-performance processor, is the cross-system/interface coordinating and monitoring gateway. VMS-EHLR retrieves data from different transmitters and equipment via various protocols, uses cloud, IoT and AI monitoring to achieve smart detection, integrates recommended operations strategies and alerts, such as first/last-stop information, ad push, train status, personnel overstay control, preventive maintenance/ inspection, rail intrusion in danger zone and slope detection, and transmits the data back to operations control center. Faster and more accurate than human judgment, it elevates the integrated services of the railway system and its security level. Supporting 4G/LTE/5G wireless communication, it is able to transmit massive data at high speed with low latency. In an emergency situation, its low latency enables rapid response through real-time monitoring of train control system. Not only can the public access train-related information at any time, the train control center can also monitor train status synchronously.

Intelligent power management increases application flexibility

Avalue VMS-EHLR railway system’s power management effectively manages power and boosts energy utilization. Especially designed for the railway, EPM-1721 power brick provides versatile power management for VMS-EHLR. It is applicable to all modes of power supply in different transportation environments, including Ignition on/off, power mode selection, 12V/24V setting selection, and power on/off delay timer. There are two power modes to choose from, i.e. AT automatic start or ATX manual start. There is also an option to turn on/off system once 12V or 24V is reached (9V-36V may be set up in BIOS). Wide voltage input from 9-36Vdc with 1.5kV isolation protects the system from unstable vehicle power sources. VMS-EHLR power management also supports eight levels power delay timer (10s, 30s, 1min…1hr), once ignition turns on/off, system will automatically power on/off if the delay time ends up, increasing application flexibility and versatility. 

Highly expandable for flexible allocation

VMS-EHLR railway system is the hub for a diverse range of equipment interfaces and the operations control center. Highly expandable in data retrieval, it provides a wide array of I/O interfaces: 2 COM ports, 3 display ports (DP1.4/ HDMI 2.0/VGA), one set of CAN bus interface, 4 M12 connectors (DC-Input, USB 2.0, 2-LAN Port), external SIM card slot, and programmable GPIO connector. It also has 1 miniPCIe slot and M.2 key B/E slot for expansion; M.2 slot and 2.5-inch external HDD for storage, making it a high-performance railway system gateway for seamless collaboration.

Military industrial-grade platform boosts security and stability of railway system 

Rugged embedded railway system VMS-EHLR and railway power brick EPM-1721 are both in compliance with stringent EN50155 and EN50121 standards for railway applications, and EN45545-2 railway standard for fire resistance and smoke toxicity of materials used on railway vehicles, conforming to general specifications for railway equipment internationally. VMS-EHLR has also passed the US Department of Defense shock compliance test (MIL-STD-810G), and can withstand a wide range of operating temperatures from as lows as -40℃ up to 70℃. To prevent vibration from disrupting system operation during high-speed movement, lockable M12 and D-Sub connectors are used to ensure reliable connection, meeting the requirements of applications in railway transportation. Furthermore, VMS-EHLR provides optional cable kit for flexible connection, e.g. it can adapt M12-X to RJ45 or M12-A to USB type A, accelerating customers’ application development time.

Smart transportation is essential to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Avalue’s fanless embedded smart railway system VMS-EHLR improves service quality and operating efficiency, integrates information system, and strengthens train system safety management, creating a new approach to mobility in sustainable urban transportation.