Perle IDS Managed Switches Provide Reliable Connectivity in Traffic Light Control Systems

April 13, 2022

News

Cities around the world recognize the advantages of traffic management systems that are designed to optimize traffic flow and minimize congestion. By installing a system of cameras, sensors, radios, and other equipment, telemetry data can be collected roadside and sent to a central control system that synchronizes traffic lights in real-time.

Tony Petrella, Vice President at Advanced Network Systems, comments about a recent upgrade he conducted for the City of Charlotteville, "Each intersection has a pedestal location that houses a traffic light controller. As people pull up, a sensor ascertains the direction of travel and starts a timer so the lights cycle like they are supposed to. But, the existing system was self-contained and only controlled the light at that intersection. Charlotteville wanted to expand the system to synchronize a whole line of lights. To enable multiple controllers to communicate with each other, we needed to do a system refresh."

The switches in the existing system only supported 100MB speeds. Advanced Network Systems needed something they could "scale up a little further" with faster speeds and more ports for additional comms equipment. Petrella comments, "Perle (IDS) Switches provide dependable connectivity in challenging the conditions of NEMA enclosures with no environmental controls."

Perle IDS 5-port Managed Industrial Ethernet Switches support gigabit speeds and -40°F to 167°F operating temperatures. A camera, traffic light controller, and 2 microwave radios are connected to each IDS Switch inside the NEMA enclosures. The microwave communication is then backhauled to the traffic management control center where the collected telemetry can be synchronized with other controllers on the street.

For more information, visit Perle Systems.