ATC Surveys with remote diagnostics

UTILISING THE BEST EQUIPMENT FOR TRAFFIC SURVEYS...

Remote Access to short-term traffic surveys is now available thanks to the MetroCount Remote Access Link. This technology transmits system diagnostics and traffic data from MetroCount tube classifiers, through a secure server to Tracsis. This means you can say goodbye to delays in diagnosing tube issues and having to extend your traffic surveys. With the Remote Access Link, you can rest assured you’ll receive the most accurate and robust data set. Tracsis are the largest user of the MetroCount Remote Access Link in the UK

Remote Automatic Traffic Counters (ATCs) work on the same data collection principle as standard ATCs with the added feature of live data checks. Within the ATC box there is a modem that can be connected 24/7 to our office based control room and the data can be downloaded remotely. This gives us the opportunity to check the sites daily without physically going to site as well as proactively responding to issues on site. 

The setup of the equipment is done in the office, the equipment is allocated to site and technicians install it out in the field as usual. 

Once operational checks can be done in two ways: Site scan or download. 

Site Scan Checks

Site scan gives us the basic unit information such as the sensor balance as well as battery and memory levels shown below:

This is a very quick overview of the sites that would give us a basic idea of the data collected. 

Site Download 

The other way to check the site equipment is to connect to each unit and download the data as if an engineer were on site. This process produces an Ec0 file. We connect to the unit, stop it, download the data and restart it. 

This process takes a little longer (several minutes per site) however it gives us a detailed picture of the data quality and of course we don’t have to send engineers to site, reducing costs, increasing up time and improving safety.

Sites can be scanned daily and a full download performed once a week. If a site has any issues it would be downloaded more often to ensure problems don’t repeat. 

Utilising the best technology for your traffic data collection project is key to providing a robust data set and saving time and money.