198911 – Cipollone – Maintenance Reliability of Processor-Based Interlockings

Relay-based interlockings have long served the railroad industry with safe and reliable operations. As hire and more computer technology-based interlocking systems are put to the real world test, system reliability forecasts are demonstrating high reliability in the railroad environment. Systems provide railroad friendly interface for applications-specific programming, which allow, the system operation to be designed and modified by qualified design engineers at the railroad design office. Integrated diagnostic, end data logging capabilities provide maintenance personnel with some basic tools ‘for pinpointing system troubles. Other tools designed specifically for these systems provide insight into these and other computer-based products. Finally, system architecture can provide enough diversity of the applications-specific software that full system re-testing in not always required for certain change6 in that software.