pulz8Airlink

The need for high-speed connectivity between moving vehicles and the wayside infrastructure is continuously increasing. Whether with automatic train control (ATC), closed-circuit television (CCTV), multimedia passenger infotainment, internet on board, fleet management (eFleet), diagnostics or maintenance support, rail traffic becomes more efficient, powerful and attractive for both rail operators and passengers – thanks to the reliable broadband radio communication system pulz8Airlink. Platform concept pulz8Airlink is a powerful and flexible hardware and software platform with the ability to support a variety of applications concurrently. The system provides completely transparent IP-based communication, regardless of the number and kind of applications it is carrying. It comes fully integrated, with outstanding communication performance in terms of both bandwidth and quality of service. pulz8Airlink is designed for use in demanding railway environments, whether mainline transport on open lines, highly automated metro systems in tunnels, or mixed operation. Multiple radio devices and technologies To provide the necessary bandwidth for multiple applications, a single radio link is often insufficient. pulz8Airlink can exploit the combined bandwidth of multiple radios. The available bandwidth is scalable through the degree of radio coverage and number and type of integrated radios. The system can manage several radios on different channels at once, making use of different communication technologies simultaneously, such as WLAN (WiFi) and GPRS or dedicated technologies. System overview From the train-borne unit, multiple wireless connections are established via antennas to various access points along the track. The train-borne units roam seamlessly between the different access points, providing uninterrupted service. All radio components can be implemented with full redundancy to offer maximum availability. The access points along the track are then connected alternately to two independent fi bre optic networks and provide 100% overlapping coverage. This way, seamless radio coverage is maintained even if single access points fail. The servers controlling communication are connected with mutual redundancy and serve, for example, a complete line of a metro system, including depot areas.