Automated Suitcase - Electrical and Computer Engineering
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1. AUTOMATED TESTING TOOL FOR TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLER FUNCTIONALITIES Draft Final Report N08 10 KLK551 ITD RP180 Ul 08 02 November 2008 Prepared by National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology University of Idaho Primary Authors Ahmed Abdel Rahim Richard Wall Cody Browne Sk Monsur Ahmed Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Controller Functionality i Standard Disclaimer This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Idaho Transportation department and the United States Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange The State of Idaho and the United States Government assume no liability of its contents or use thereof The contents of this report reflect the view of the authors who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented herein The contents do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Idaho Transportation Department or the United States Department of Transportation The State of Idaho and the United States Government do not endorse products or manufacturers Trademarks or manufacturers names appear herein only because they are considered essential to the objectives of this document This report does not constitute a standard specification or regulation 1 Report No FHWA ID RD 2 Government Accession No 3 Recipient s Catalog No 4 Title and Subtitle 5 Report Date An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signa2. If a phase time includes the red clearance time when this function has been invoked then the possible cause of this failure are The manual control enable was not selected prior to using the omit all red for the particular phase or There 15 breakdown in the controller logic 3 2 10 6 Pedestrian Recycle The pedestrian recycle is used to request for a recycle of the pedestrian phase timings in the controller device for the selected ring Expected Results If pedestrian recycle function fails to perform a recycling of the phase as it should then the possible cause of this failure 1s There is no active pedestrian phase in the timing sequence for the particular ring or there is not enough time to re service it in the split 3 2 10 7 Max II Select The max function is used to manually request for maximum II timing values in the controller An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 10 device Expected results When the max II function 15 used the controller is expected to use the value of max II time for the maximum green else there 15 a failure in the controller 3 2 11 Testing Overlap The overlap feature on the suitcase tester screen Figure 6 shows the status of the communication port at any point during the operation of the CID for overlap A B C and D Overlap Figure 6 Overlap display of the communication ports on a NEMA TS1 3 3 Hardware Testin
3. Pessina Dive Moss D ERR 8 0 Preempt Delay An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 18 5 References 1 Siemens Intelligent Transportation Systems 2007 NEMA TS 2 Controller Tester http www itssiemens com en u_nav2162 html accessed 6 26 2008 2 NAZTEC Inc 2007 http www naztec com pdfs testbox pdf accessed 6 26 2008 3 Zhen Li Ahmed Abdel Rahim Brian Johnson and Michael Kyte Design of Traffic Controller Automated Testing Tool In Press Transportation Research Part C Emerging Technologies Volume 16C issue 3 Elsevier June 2008 4 National Electrical Manufacturers Association Traffic Control Systems NEMA Standards Publication No TS 1 1989 Washington DC 1989 5 National Electrical Manufacturers Association Traffic Controller Assemblies NEMA Standards Publication No TS 2 1992 Washington DC 1992 6 California Department of Transportation Caltrans Transportation Electrical Equipment Specifications TEES Sacramento CA March 1997 7 XML Tutorial 2008 at http www w3schools com xml default asp accessed 9 11 2008 An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 19
4. Signal Controller Functionalities 5 coordinated mode For the controller unit to be able to operate in a non actuated mode when this feature 1s activated the desired phases need to be selected in the controller options section on the controller unit Expected Results The call to non actuated I function 1s expected to put the phase in a non actuated mode If this function acts otherwise the following are the probable causes e The status of the phase in the controller options under the configuration menu is wrong The manual control enable is not selected The minimum green is more than the maximum green time 3 2 4 Call to NA II The call to non actuated II functions the same way as the call to non actuated I except that this feature is performed on ring two of a standard NEMA plan Expected results The call to non actuated II functions 1n the same manner as the call to non actuated I 3 2 5 External min recall When used the external minimum function causes all phases to reoccur and to serve a minimum amount of green time 3 2 6 Walk Rest Modifier When the walk rest modifier is used it makes non actuated phases remain in the rest in walk state in the absence of serviceable or conflicting calls 3 2 7 External Start External start reinitializes controller into start up like a power outage 3 2 8 Testing Phases Input and Output Channels The suitcase tester can test the input and output channels for stand
5. if the controller does not respond to the vehicle detector call there 1s a failure which can be rectified by Checking to ensure that there are detectors placed in the network and have been activated The manual control enable function 15 active Malfunctioning controller unit 3 2 9 2 Pedestrian Detector Four pedestrian detector inputs on the suitcase tester are used to send signals to the controller that a pedestrian 1s present at the intersection Expected Results When the pedestrian detector functions when activated in a simulation the controller is expected to respond to and provide service to the pedestrian phase where the call has An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 8 been placed If however the controller does not respond to the call then there 15 a failure This failure could result from any one or combination of the following The absence of pedestrian detectors in the network Inactivated pedestrian detectors Malfunctioning controller unit 3 2 10 Testing Ring Structure The suitcase tester displays the status of the controller during every signal change The status 15 displayed for each ring under status bit A status bit B or status bit C as presented in Figure 5 Ring Status Bita Red Rest Force Off Inhibit Max Stop Timing Omit All Red Ped Recycle Select Figure 5 Ring structure on a NEMA TSI suitcase teste
6. the program The tests cover all the cases that an end user would run into The completeness of the tests depends on the test developer s expertise using the application e White box testing The test developer has full knowledge of the inner workings of the An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 13 software based device The tests ensure each pathway through the source code has been exercised and is working properly Its completeness can be measured by code coverage metrics There are two general approaches to test automation e Graphical user interface testing A testing framework generates user interface events such as keystrokes and mouse clicks and observes the changes that result in the user interface to validate that the observable behavior of the device 15 correct The correctness of the device response as well as the timing of new test is controlled by the operator or person who is doing the testing e Test vector testing Commonly used in the integrated circuit design industry the test vector consists of a series of stimuli and expected device responses Each test case is called a vector because it directs the device under test to a specific observable action Elements types in the test vectors include logic levels True and False integer and floating point data types A timing control 15 also required for automated testing that determines how long to wait for a device output to be asserted
7. an interface to several components that when coupled together provide the functions required The key components are CIDControl Provides an interface with the CID API TrafficControllers Provides the framework to describe a traffic controller Communications Provides the framework to communicate with a traffic controller over serial or Ethernet The CIDControl component provides all of the necessary functions to manage one or many CIDs The CIDControl also provides events to which the Automated Tester can hook These events are the basis for testing observing and conflict monitoring Utilizing the Microsoft NET Framework s event structure allows the Automated Tester to continuously monitor the CID without taking all of the computer s resources The Traffic Controllers component provides the types by which to classify a traffic controller It is in this component where information extracted from the controller 15 formed into information to be used for testing The Communications component is the basis for all intelligent communication between the PC and a traffic controller The component implements the NTCIP protocols over both serial and Ethernet connections The flow chart and data polling flow for the automated tester are presented in Figures 12 and 13 Dewnlaad Controller Data Select Test Files Run Tests Analyze Test Results Figure 12 Automated Tester Flow diagram An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Control
8. ard NEMA eight phase operations It tests the red yellow green pedestrian don t walk pedestrian clearance and walk signal indications as presented in Figure 3 The suitcase tester also tests the hold omit and pedestrian omit functions An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 6 Phases Ried Yellow 10000 2A pas 000 5 ooo 000 Green Dont walk Fed Clear Walk Hold Omit Fm AS Ped Omit 5 Figure 3 Input and Output under the phase section of a NEMA 51 controller Cm EG L 2 L 2 D 3000 zm 3 2 8 1 Hold The hold input is used to manually put a phase on hold in the controller and thus prevent the particular phase from being serviced If the phase 15 serviced and held it will continue being served and other phases will be serviced Expected Results When the hold function 15 invoked for a phase the phase 15 expected to stay in its current signal display If the phase changes its signal indication while the hold function 15 still active then The manual enable control 15 not activated or The controller is malfunctioning 3 2 8 2 Omit The omit input is used to manually omit a phase from being serviced by the controller Expected Results When the omit function 15 activated the selected phase 15 expected not to time during the cycle timin
9. ardware Testing NEMA TS1 Controllers The following features are available under the control menu section on a suitcase tester in a NEMA TS1 controller Figure 2 Control Interval Advance Manual Control Enable So Call NA Call To NA II External Min Recall Walk Rest Modifier External Start Indicator Larnp Contral Figure 2 Control inputs on a NEMA TSI suitcase tester 3 2 1 Interval Advance The interval advance button is used for stepwise skipping of phases in a controller When the interval advance 15 used a phase which 15 initially green turns yellow With further use of the interval advance function the signal turns red and moves to the next phase Expected Results The interval advance control should be able to move the signal phase when invoked If a controller fails to response to this function then there 15 a malfunction in the controller 3 2 2 Manuaal Control Enable The manual control enable is a function that should be input before any manual input operation can be made into the controller Expected Results The manual control button should be enabled before any manual inputs can be made to the controller unit during the testing procedure If this procedure does not function as expected the controller logic needs to be checked for functionality 3 2 3 Call to NAI The call to non actuated button 15 used to prevent the controller unit from operating in a An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic
10. before declaring a fault and the time before moving on to the next test vector Test automation can be expensive and it is usually employed in combination with manual testing It can be made cost effective in the longer term though especially in regression testing Regression testing is any type of software testing which seeks to uncover software regressions Such regressions occur whenever software functionality that was previously working correctly stops working as intended Typically regressions occur as an unintended consequence of program changes Common methods of regression testing include re running previously run tests and checking whether previously fixed faults have re emerged 4 2 Traffic Controller Test Automation The automated tester developed as part of this project uses a graphical interface for manual testing The scope of the traffic controller testing 1s those operations that can be generated by placing calls from vehicles detectors pedestrian buttons and preemption inputs Only the traffic controller operations that are observable by asserting the signals of the NEMA TSI A B and C connections can be verified The automated tester can be operated in a static mode using the graphical user interface The timing of input changes 15 strictly control by the person operating the testing system Validation of traffic controller responses is the responsibility of the person testing the controller The automated testing uses XML s
11. c devices running specific firmware versions 4 3 Automated Tester Hardware Requirements Figure 11 illustrates the three hardware components requirements for the automated traffic controller testing system developed at the University of Idaho All three devices must be powered separately with a 120VAC source A PC with Windows XP or Vista operating system must have the proprietary software installed in accordance with guidelines in the user s manual The PC interface with a NIATT Controller Interface Device CID using a USB cable The CID interfaces with a traffic controller using the A B and C NEMA TS connectors Figure 11 Hardware configuration for UI automated traffic controller testing 4 4 Automated Tester Software Requirements The UI Automated Traffic Controller Tester software may be acquired by downloading the compressed file from the internet or from a memory storage media such as a CD or flash drive The PC must have net Framework version 3 0 or higher installed on the PC If net Framework version 15 not installed or the incorrect version 15 installed the PC must be connected to the Internet and the installation program will automatically download the required software provided the user has the appropriate computer access privileges An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 15 4 5 Automated Tester Components and Data Flow The Automated Tester program is
12. cript files to specify which inputs are activated the timing of those activations and verifying the controller response s The advantage of automated testing is that tests can be repeated exactly and results are recorded automatically Automated test can be repeated for long periods of time while subjecting the traffic controller to varying environmental conditions An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 14 The testing software provided is for a limited set of NEMA 51 controllers running specific firmware version as specified by the Idaho Transportation Department Other traffic controllers can be tested provided that the testing program has been modified to communicate with that specific controller Software modifications to the testing software are required because there is no standard communications protocol used by various traffic controller manufacturers that allow the traffic controller settings to be read from the controller A version of the automated tester has been developed and tested that interfaces with NEMA TS2 type 1 and type 2 controllers This version uses the National transportation Communications for ITS Protocol NTCIP via either the asynchronous RS232 serial port or the Ethernet port However our investigation has shown that various vendors have significant differences in the interpretation of the NTCIP standard and the automated testing software must still be verified specific traffi
13. curity Classif of this report 20 Security Classif of this page 2 No of Pages 22 Price Unclassified Unclassified P Form DOT F 1700 7 8 72 Reproduction of completed page authorized Table of Contents iuge 1 PNE Se NO TEE mM 2 5 ID Base d Tester S 3 ee ee eee ee 3 3 2 Hardware Testing NEMA R Rs esi oc 5 E Interval ACY AN CC essees menir E E EEEE SN EEES EEE 5 322 Manual C PA ADC ibas des EEE E EEEE EEEE vE e a Sc CORNA 1 6 SS TT it POC AINE TH 6 320 Wak Ret MONE TT 6 E ETT 6 3 2 8 Testing Phases Input and Output Channels esses 6 2014 9 Leste Detectors Input TS L 8 3 2 10 Rine SC ET 9 3 2 11 OCI AD mace 11 3 3 Hardware Testing NEMA TS2 Conrolerg sss sese 11 3 3 1 Additional Inputs for TS2 Controllers in Mode U 12 4 Testing Controller Functionality Automated Testers sese 13 4l J troduction and 13 4 2 Traffic Controller Test Automation 14 4 3 Automated Tester Hardware Requirements sss sese eee eee 15 4 4 Automated Tester Software Requirements esse eee eee eee eee 15 4 5 Automa
14. e to green Deterministic signal The deterministic signal begins as a zero voltage signal cycles to the high voltage signal and then returns to zero again In contrast to the random signal the user can specify the duration of the high voltage pulse and the interval between pulses This signal type will repeat the same pattern until it is stopped This signal pattern represents vehicles passing through the intersection at a constant flow rate CTR drr Lavar View Weel m Piha gt Corrode Slate 2 3 1 t v L L Voltage Monitor m 2 eoooo0 ee Perret ow 000000 o oup Aye 059 0009 0 oo Ct orm Don t Vet o o U ry intervat Acn H red viaa L L o o Status Sij Viale o o o gai r3 Manual Contro D DU dd co Re g bios E ap Te NAI Omit Lj I Cc Red mer rm o m ab To Pad Ore T rj 5 am am force RFID inhibit E Win Par al 1 4 4 r j Stan Timing Ha Valk Reo Moon venDeecor EY OST C3 E g ry pra xr ped ES p ganan pna Ped m Pead Detertor r3 Mest Detect Ci HRC wow Lamp C vr n MEMA D Connector Output D Connector L wd Figure 1 Suitcase Tester Screen of a NEMA TS1 controller An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 4 3 2 H
15. em Requirement Specification SRS System testing is an investigatory testing phase where the focus is to have almost a destructive attitude and tests not only the design but also the behavior and even the believed expectations of the user It 1s also intended to test up to and beyond the bounds defined in the software hardware requirements specification s Test automation 15 the use of software to control the execution of tests the comparison of actual outcomes to predicted outcomes the setting up of test preconditions and other test control and test reporting functions Commonly test automation involves automating a manual process already in place that uses a formalized testing process Although manual testing can find many defects in a software based application it 1s a laborious and time consuming process In addition it may not be effective in finding certain classes of defects Test automation is a process of writing a computer program to do testing that would otherwise need to be done manually Once the testing has been automated a large number of test cases can be validated quickly This 1s most cost effective for software based products and devices that will have a long shelf life because even minor patches over the lifetime of the application can cause features to break which were working at an earlier point in time There are two ways to design the tests e Black box testing The test developer has no knowledge of the inner workings of
16. es come with certain limitations The length of a detector call cannot be specified less than a time step the pulse detector signal cannot be generated The number of traffic controllers that they can test simultaneously 15 also limited The suitcase tester emulator used in this project utilizes the CID suitcase tester emulator software 9 developed at the University of Idaho s National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology NIATT The software is a computerized version of the traditional suitcase tester Just like the traditional suitcase tester the suitcase tester emulator can verify that the controller has been programmed correctly and it can also troubleshoot problems with the controller It goes beyond traditional suitcase testers 1n that it can test the most commonly used functions of any NEMA or type 170 controller rather than those of just one specific model It can also test multiple controllers at the same time The suitcase tester emulator implements three user interfaces for use with three different controller types 51 NEMA TS2 type 2 and type 170 59 Bach interface includes two basic functions input and output The input functions are used to activate the controller s input functions The output indications are used to monitor the traffic controller s outputs Two types of buttons are implemented in the user interface The output buttons are used to monitor the traffic controller output functions suc
17. g NEMA TS2 Controllers The following features are available under the control menu section on a suitcase tester in a NEMA TS1 controller Figure 7 Tum EI 1 CTR KTS Kerhad we Weekes ep FP Cm NEMA TS lt COO Phases fud Yalow eoo eoo 900 200 eoo 600 920 Latran Dont Vw Ped Clear Sinus Di A Simus Ht Wal Status Ge Oetectate e 1 2 3 5 6 F B veh Detector Es Force inthe Ped Detector Stop Timing Onl All Red Prompts Simus Ped 0 N HEBBBBSES 0060 Masi Select NEMA TS Mode tt Phese Control Faw L3 ETT D 2 3 ves ELE DB EL G or vow E CI BD EL CT CL 02 Preamps Ton 7 Faw 1 Dea ds rfa U sp LC mirei K n 2 1 4 4 ow EZ E E ED EA C2 C2 Cartraler Situs Fimhing Lage Out 24 VDC lmr dar Voltage Montor Faut Montor o LC eno Adare e m Manus Con Enable c to cat Ta Enema Mir Bec ul TE wor m Stan dr airn Lamp Contr 17 mm m 7 8 Figure 7 Suitcase tester screen of a NEMA TS2 controller in mode 0 An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 11 3 3 1 Additional Inputs for TS2 Controllers in Mode 0 The NEMA TS 2 controller has a
18. g sequence However if the selected phase runs while the omit function is still activated then either The manual enable control 15 not activated or A malfunction in the controller 3 2 8 3 Pedestrian Omit The pedestrian omit ped omit button is used to manually omit pedestrian phases from being serviced by the controller An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 7 Expected Results When the ped omit function 1s activated the selected pedestrian phase is supposed to be exempted from timing during the cycle If the selected pedestrian phase runs during the cycle whiles the pedestrian omit function has been activated the probable causes are either The manual enable control 1s not activated or A malfunction in the controller 3 2 9 Testing Detectors Input Channels There are two sets of detector inputs on the suitcase tester vehicle detector and the pedestrian detector Figure 4 Detectors 1 2 3 4 5 it H veh Detector Ct Ped Detector Figure 4 Detector inputs NEMA TS 1 controller 3 2 9 1 Vehicle Detector The eight vehicle detector inputs on the suitcase tester are used to manually simulate the presence of a vehicle at the intersection Expected Results When a vehicle detector input 1s activated the controller is expected to respond to the call and serve the phase in the earliest possible sequence according to the sequence of phases and timing plan However
19. h as phases These output buttons emulate the traditional suitcase tester device s LEDs Figure 1 shows suitcase tester screen of NEMA 51 controller An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 3 The input buttons are used to activate traffic controller input functions such as activating detector calls The input buttons emulate the traditional suitcase tester device s mechanical switches but with more functions than the mechanical switches are able to provide In addition the input buttons in the NIATT CID suitcase tester emulator generate a variety of possible types of signal patterns that could occur in the field The three possible signal types are random presence and deterministic Random signal The random signal begins at a high voltage 24 V for a NEMA controller or 12 V for a type 170 controller signal then cycles to a zero voltage signal then returns to the high voltage signal and so on The duration of each high voltage signal and each zero voltage signal 15 random as are the intervals between signals This signal pattern represents vehicles arriving at an intersection randomly Presence signal The presence signal begins as the high voltage signal cycles to a zero voltage signal and remains there until the user deactivates it There are no variations in this type of signal This signal pattern represents the vehicles stopping at intersection waiting for the traffic signal to chang
20. l Controller Functionalities November 2008 6 Performing Organization Code KLK551 5 Author s 5 Performing Organization Report No Ahmed Abdel Rahim Richard Wall Sk Monsur Ahmed Cody Browne N08 10 9 Performing Organization Name and Address 10 Work Unit No TRAIS National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology University of Idaho PO Box 440901 115 Engineering Physics Building 11 Contract or Grant No Moscow ID 838440901 RP180 UI 08 02 12 Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13 Type of Report and Period Covered Idaho Transportation Department Draft Final Report PO Box 7129 January 2008 October 2008 Boise ID 83707 7129 14 Sponsoring Agency Code USDOT RSPA DIR 1 Supplementary Notes 16 Abstract Traffic engineers and technicians are faced with the challenge of testing traffic controllers to ensure that they comply with different software and hardware requirements prior to deployment Currently most of the testing is done manually using traditional suitcase testers which is time consuming and have many limitations such as the inability to document the test results or conduct multiple tests This project presents a traffic controller automated testing tool that implements and facilitates automated testing of traffic controller functionality using the controller interface device CID technology 17 Key Words 18 Distribution Statement Unrestricted Copies available from NTIS and online at 19 Se
21. ler Functionalities 16 Polling Status CIO Poling Engine Manual Manual Tester View Input Control Programming BLD ted Data Test Files VINA Testing Test Results a VIEN NTCIP Data Other Data Sources Figure 13 Automated tester data polling flow 4 6 Automated Tester Predefined Tests Several important functions are covered in different tests presented here A total of 14 tests were developed to test controller s ring parameters phase parameters and preempt parameters Table 1 shows the tests and their corresponding functions 4 7 Automated Tester User s Manual The automated tester User s Manual is a WEB based publication that consists of seven chapters Chapterl and chapter 2 describe the automated tester installation and configuration Chapter 3 shows how to add a controller Chapters 4 through chapter 6 describe test files management running a test and writing a test file respectively Chapter 7 provides reference for different test files The contents of the User s Manual can be viewed using a WEB browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer IE or Mozilla Firefox The automated tester user s manual contains instructions for installing the code on the PC All test vector files are written using a text based XML Extensible Markup Language Although Chapter 6 contains sufficient information necessary for developing new test vector files tutorials for devel
22. lish technical description in technical and professional society proceedings An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 2 3 CID Based Suitcase Tester Emulator 3 1 Overview Traffic engineers have traditionally used a suitcase tester to test and evaluate the operation of a traffic controller A suitcase tester is a suitcase like device containing switches and LEDs that when linked to a traffic controller activates functions on the controller and monitors outputs from the controller A suitcase tester provides a controlled environment for verifying that the controller behaves as expected when individual functions are programmed However traditional suitcase tester usage can be time consuming and inefficient particularly when it 1s necessary to verify the operation of all of the controller s functions In addition each type of traffic controller on the market requires its own suitcase tester In recent years with the emergence of CID technology in the traffic industry suitcase tester emulator software was developed to supplement shortcomings of the traditional suitcase tester for example the Siemens Intelligent Transportation Systems and the NAZTEC NEMA TS2 testers These NEMA TS2 testers consist of two main parts the tester device and the emulator software They use the SDLC port to communicate with the traffic controller and the COM port to connect with the host computer However these test box
23. ll the features of NEMA TS1 controller and the following additions Input output mode Preempts Pedestrian Phase Control and Vehicle Phase Control 3 3 1 1 1 0 mode The I O mode is used to switch between the different modes operations of NEMA TS 2 controller The NEMA TS 2 controller can operate in mode 0 mode 1 and mode 2 as shown in Figure 8 O Mode EE Figure 8 I O mode of a NEMA TS2 controller in mode 0 3 3 1 2 Additional Inputs for TS2 Controllers in Mode 1 Additional input for this mode include Preempts offset timing plan detectors alternative sequence control as well as general controls Figure 9 152 Mode 1 Preempis Offset Timing Plan Controls 1 a 2 1 2 3 A B cC D a DEZZEBE gee Ze Detectors Alt Seq Er Auto Flash 9 W 1 1 13 14 15 1b Detector E Ed EH ES E E cx png Bp Figure 9 Additional inputs on A NEMA TS2 controller in mode 1 3 3 1 3 Additional Inputs for TS2 Controllers in Mode 2 Additional input for this mode include preempts alarm address bit detectors controls and flash status These additional inputs are shown in Figure 10 NEMA 52 Mode 2 Pre m pan Address Eit Controls 1 3 4 5 J D 1 2 3 4 Dimming Enable EE HB HBEBE Flash Status Mm 10 1 T7 1 4 15 i 7 1B B A wo D 9889029 8998 nas B Figure 10 Additional inputs on A NEMA TS2 controller in mode 2 An Automa
24. ntelligent Transportation System ITS strategic plan identifies several traffic signal improvement projects as short term high priority projects Updating traffic controllers is a major component of these signal improvement projects Idaho Transportation Department ITD District traffic engineers and technicians are faced with the challenge of testing these new controllers to ensure that they comply with the state requirements prior to deployment Currently the test 1s being done manually using suitcase testers This manual testing can be both tedious and time consuming besides having limitations 1 e the inability to document the results The purpose of this research project was to develop and test an automated testing tool for traffic signal controller functionality Automation can be used to replace or supplement manual testing Benefits to traffic engineers include increased test quality reduced testing time repeatable and consistent test procedures reduced testing costs and improved testing quality and productivity An automated testing tool will also allow ITD to implement a unified testing procedure for the traffic sections in all districts The traditional suitcase tester and emulator require the user to input commands manually The information related to any specific test cannot be automatically recorded for future playback The operator 1s required to manually record the commands and input the sequence of instructions each time the te
25. oping XML programs is available on the Internet An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 17 Table 1 Controller Functions Covered in Different Tests Functions Test Number Test Number _ _ __ _________ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 s 9 1o 12 13 14 Ring Phase In Use Enable x j j Parameters Phase Sequence Phase Omit Control jx J J j _ Phase Phase Concurrency Parameters Phase Min Green x x J j PasePasage x Phase Max Green x j j j j _ Lees Sello test e E e Min Recall Veh Cal x x jx j _ ven eee NENNEN EN EN MaxGreen2 x j j j j j RedRest Dynamic Maxgreen _ _ DyamcStep Phase Walk j _ Phase Ped Clearnace x PedReall j PseTimetoreduee Phase time before J fx Phase Minimum Gap x Preempt Preempt Minimum Parameters PreemptTrackGreen k Preempt Track Phase fx
26. oup will consist of producers users and researchers to direct the focus and implementation for the tester Characterize traffic controller operating parameters a Classify controller operations to rank performance b Develop assessment metrics for performance and capability of traffic controllers c Identify common failure modes from the experiences of users Develop excitation models and operational characteristics of traffic controller a Develop mapping algorithms for translating common descriptions of signal operations to computer executable instructions b Develop a strategy for accessing the traffic controller operations database Test models for degree of fault coverage and degree of fault observation or differentiation a Classify failure modes b Develop fault tree for hardware failures c Develop signal timing windows and tolerances Develop specifications for practices procedures and interfaces to complete traffic controller validation Implement preliminary hardware for proof of concept verification a Integrate PC with CID and traffic controller b Run beta testing with a standard signal timing plan developed by the project team c Induce specific failures and document results as part of the development validation d Review automated tester performance with advisory group Conduct training workshop for ITD traffic engineers and technicians Publish results a Report on system performance to ITD b Publish a user s manual c Pub
27. r 3 2 10 1 Red Rest The red rest input button 15 used to manually request for a red rest in the controller unit and in the selected ring 3 2 10 2 Force Off The force off function 1s used to manually terminate a phase in the controller unit and in the particular ring Expected Results If the force off function does not terminate a phase as expected then there is a failure in the controller 3 2 10 3 Inhibit Max The inhibit max function is used to manually request for the maximum timing in the controller An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 9 device to be inhibited Expected Results The inhibit max function is expected to prevent maximum timing in the controller unit If however this function does not prevent the maximum timing then there 15 a failure in the controller This failure 15 due to either The manual control enable not activated or A malfunctioning controller unit 3 2 10 4 Stop Timing The stop timing feature 1s used to manually request the timing of a phase to stop Expected results The stop timing function when invoked 15 expected to stop the controller from proceeding with its timing sequence 3 2 10 5 Omit All Red The omit all red feature is used to manually omit the red clearance interval for a particular phase in the selected ring Expected results The omit all red feature 15 expected to make a phase time without the red clearance interval
28. st 1s to be repeated This process is vulnerable to human error in either recording the test or in repeating the sequence The automated testing tool utilizes the University of Idaho National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology s Controller Interface Device CID As a result of a recent ITD research project all six ITD districts have a CID that can be utilized as part of the testing tool ITD District traffic engineers are familiar with the CID operation and capabilities which will make it easier to integrate it within the automated testing procedure Our plan is to generate computer models that are trained to recognize traffic controllers that meet performance expectations using fuzzy logic system identification techniques The research had the following four objectives 1 Develop and validate an automated testing tool for traffic signal controller functionality 2 Develop guidelines and training materials that will assist ITD traffic engineers and technicians in using the automated testing tool 3 Automate the testing processes and standardize the test observations to reduce operator involvement 4 Improve the quality of testing without increasing expense An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 1 2 Project Description The project had eight major tasks Investigators were to 1 Identify advisory group and technical oversight committee for the project The advisory gr
29. ted Tester Components and Data 16 4 6 Automated Tester Predefined Tests sss 17 4 7 Automated Tester User s Manual sese 17 25 19 An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities i List of Figures Figure Suitcase Tester Screen of a NEMA 51 controller sese 4 Figure 2 Control inputs on a NEMA TSI suitcase tester eee J Figure 3 Input and Output under the phase section of a NEMA 51 controller 7 Figure 4 Detector inputs on a NEMA TS 1 conmroller sss eee 8 Figure 5 Ring structure on NEMA 51 suitcase tester eee 9 Figure 6 Overlap display of the communication ports on a NEMA 51 11 Figure 7 Suitcase tester screen of NEMA TS2 controller in mode 0 11 Figure 8 I O mode of a NEMA 52 controller in mode U 12 Figure 9 Additional inputs on A NEMA TS2 controller in mode 12 Figure 10 Additional inputs on A NEMA TS2 controller in mode 2 12 Figure 11 Hardware configuration for UI automated traffic controller testing 15 Figure 12 Automated Tester Flow diagram sss sese 16 Figure 13 Automated tester data polling flow sss sees 17 List of Tables Table 1 Controller Functions Covered in Different Tests 18 An Automated Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities li 1 Overview The state of Idaho I
30. ted Testing Tool for Traffic Signal Controller Functionalities 12 4 Testing Controller Functionality Automated Tester 4 1 Introduction and Overview Traffic controllers control the intersection to provide safe movement of vehicle and pedestrian traffic To ensure safety the controller eliminates the conflict points between vehicular and pedestrian movements Properly operating controllers are loaded with many functions and failure of any of these functions could cause the operation unsafe for the users Operation of controller functions should be tested and monitored frequently System testing of software and or hardware 15 testing conducted on a complete integrated system to evaluate the system s compliance with its specified requirements As rule system testing takes as its input all of the integrated software components that have successfully passed integration testing and also the software system itself integrated with any applicable hardware system s The purpose of integration testing 15 to detect any inconsistencies between the software units that are integrated together called assemblages or between any of the assemblages and the hardware System testing is a more limiting type of testing it seeks to detect defects both within the inter assemblages and also within the system as a whole System testing 1s performed on the entire system in the context of a Functional Requirement Specification s FRS and or a Syst
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