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F E A T U R EMajor C3 FeaturesThe major features of a C3 solutioninclude the following:User friendly and multi-functional –The C3 system integrates easy-to-useHuman Machine Interface with simpleclick-of-the-‘mouse’ and dynamicdisplay, reliable server back ends tocommunicate with, and monitor fielddevices and intelligent subsystemsdispersed over a wide geographicalarea. It also provides situationalmanagement tools that greatlysimplify the operation of the railwaywith increased level of automation.Common human machine interface(HMI) – Control room operators wouldbe faced with a ‘single’ HMI designwith common navigation principlesand animation schemes, across allthe operating positions in the controlroom. This greatly streamlines thedesign of the control room with lessconsole hardware required.Single ‘log-in’ – A single operatorsystem ‘log-in’ is sufficient for theoperator to perform its authorisedfunctions in comparison with thatof an ‘un-integrated’ control roomsolution.Common operating environment –The C3 applications are supported onthe common ‘Windows’ and ‘UNIX’operating environment.COTS hardware – Most of thehardware requirements are based oncommercially available products frommajor global hardware vendors likeHP, SUN, CISCO, IBM etc.Re-usable and scalable – Softwaremodularity was a major designrequirement of the C3 in order topromote its re-use across multipleprojects. This not only helps to reducethe costs, risks and timeline of projectimplementation, it also protects theclient’s investment offering easyenhancements and additions in thefuture.Railway safety standards ready –COM ATSPA PSDMcVOR POWEmergency ManagementPhone ESIncident ManagementNormal OperationCCTV ECSDVR TVSThe development of the C3 Systemwas certified to globally recognisedEN50128 Software for railway controland protection systems, SafetyIntegrity Level (SIL) 2 – the highest forsuch systems.Benefits of C3 SolutionAs a total integrated ‘one-stop’ controlroom solution, it offers the followingbenefits:Enhanced performance – As thetotal solution provider, it would bepossible to optimise the design fromthe top down with the view to reducethe number of processing layers thatcould impact system performancewhile ensuring that the overalloperational principles are met. Itcould also induce some cost savingsby eliminating third party automationsystems; functions typically providedby proprietary solution vendors cannow be implemented through acommon set of front-end equipmentwith the removal of the contractualboundaries.Enhanced operation-assistance – Withthe integrated platform offered by thissolution, more comprehensive crossfunctionaloperation support planscan be pre-defined and implementedin the system for all likely scenariosin support of railway operations.Radio FASClock LightAdvanced FunctionBasic FunctionsSystemSubsystemsEquipmentData PointsFigure 2STIS AFCTTS FGPumps ShutterESC MMSLIFT WILDAMS TWPSophisticated response plans couldbe designed and implemented, forinstance to automatically set upa video stream from a particularincident location, establish a trainhold zone, broadcast pre-definedmessages, establish contact withrelevant external agencies andemergency services.In addition, with the integrated C3platform, the operator has a morecomplete view of the state of therailway operation. A train controllerwith the appropriate profile wouldbe able to view the traction powerstatus along the track layout to betterco-ordinate the resolution of powerfailure incidents, etc.Common user interface – A singleHMI design and navigation principleis used for all operational andmaintenance roles on a common setof hardware. With this common userinterface and platform across allcontrol rooms in the railway system,it would be easier to train and retrainoperation and maintenance staff, andreduce the chance of human errors.It also provides more flexibility tothe supervisor in the deploymentof operators, and simplifies themaintenance process.22 ELECTRONICS REVIEW