The advantages of using single- and multi-element controllers

摘要

This article presents the current solutions for using controller technology to connect classic field elements to the existing interlocking infrastructure. In doing so, it addresses the various hardware and software requirements. With its DCA controller technology (DCA = distributed controller architecture), Thales has presented a scalable, industrialised solution that is custom-made for application cases. This applies to both the hardware configuration and the software. The DCA controller technology can be set up in a standardised cabinet variant with a power supply and network components to actuate one field element (a so-called SEC: single-element controller) or optimised (the mSEC: multi-single-element controller, which is to say, the physical integration of several independent single-element controllers into one location). It can also be set up centrally in the interlocking's technical room (which is referred to as an MEC: multi-element controller). This article sets out the individual configurations, along with their advantages and disadvantages.