HARTING features connectivity solutions for rail applications

At Railtex 2015, HARTING is featuring a comprehensive range of connectivity solutions for rail applications, including discrete heavy-duty connectors for use on board rail vehicles, intercar jumpers for transmitting high-speed signals along Ethernet backbones, rugged Ethernet switches, high-speed backplane-based systems, and a range of RFID detectors and transponders for a variety of rail uses.

A major new product is the Han® M Plus range of connectors, which incorporate effective protection against extreme environmental influences through the use of an additional polyurethane coating. This new coating not only increases the connectors’ impact resistance but also protects them from extreme mechanical and chemical influences.

As a result, this housing series is ideally suited to applications in the rail sector, where connectors are subjected to impact and shocks, as well as aggressive environmental influences, and must be effectively protected against such forces. The outstanding durability of the polyurethane cover in the Han® M Plus family ensures long-lasting protection against the effects of rock chips, icing, salt mist, UV radiation, industrial exhaust gases, oils and fuels. The coating also replaces the seal where the hood and housing fit together and the flange gasket of the bulkhead-mounted housing.

Also new is a differential current transformer capable of carrying out current measurements at up to 10 A. The differential current transformer permits the measurement of the current deviation in supply and return conductors or the monitoring of earth leakage currents in single or multi-phase power cables. The compact current transformer is designed for a maximum cable diameter of 110 mm, and is suitable for the detection of primary nominal currents of up to 10 A with a conversion ratio of 1:600. It can be used for measurements over the frequency range from 5 to 400 Hz.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems from HARTING offer an optimal solution to a number of challenging problems in the servicing and maintenance of modern railway systems. RFID systems from HARTING are robust, long-lived, maintenance free and reliable, making them ideally suited to address the challenges of rail applications such as extreme environmental demands, stone impacts, vandalism, very high speeds, and the increased demand for reliability in the face of rising cost pressure and tight maintenance schedules.

Another potential RFID application occurs in situations where a train is longer than the platform or where the platform has additional safety doors. In both cases, the train has to be positioned precisely, and only particular doors may be opened. RFID provides a very robust and simple means for stopping a train at a precise position and providing the onboard electronics with a signal showing which doors have been opened and which have not. Since the transponders can also be hidden in concrete, the solution is well protected from manipulation and vandalism.

The number of trams and buses with electric drive systems is increasing, and historic towns minimise the visual impact of overhead conductors by charging up onboard batteries to cover gaps in the overhead power lines. In this scenario, HARTING RFID systems provide a means of informing the vehicle that it is approaching a charging station, thereby avoiding the loss of charging time. In addition, the precise location can easily be determined so that the vehicle knows whether an overhead line for charging is available or whether the battery has to be used for propulsion.

RFID also allows data recording from fast-moving trains. Successful tests have been carried out on complete HARTING RFID systems involving robust, metal-housed transponders and communications software to allow the recording of data from trains travelling at over 120 km/h. Here, the transponders are mounted on the train and the RFID reader is typically housed in a switching cabinet mounted near the track in conformity with railway standards.

For further information visit www.HARTING.co.uk