Tools and Services

ERTMS Equipments Validation

Our laboratory respects the architecture the UNISIG Subset – 094 and allows the validation of industrial onboard equipments (EVC/ATP) in accordance with the SRS 2.3.0d (including the CR of the version 1.2.0 of the Subset-108). And Multitel is the first laboratory to test a baseline 3 EVC equipment following SRS 3.4.0 and SRS 3.6.0.

Our Test Services are:

EVC Test (Subset-076 & Subset-094 ) MRL-EVC-TC-BL2, MRL-EVC-TC-BL3
RBC Test (Subset-RBC) MRL-RBC-TC
EVC & RBC & IXL System Level Tests: MRL-SLT-TC
Eurobalise/BTM (Subset-085 and Subset-116): MRL-EBL-TC, MRL-BTM-TC, MRL-INT-SS116.

In our laboratory, we simulate and/or emulate the functioning of multiple trains and complex tracks in complete test sequences. Our ERTMS experts have solid experience in EVC/ATP level 1 and 2 validation. We can edit new sequences tailored for current standard test as well create new tests, such as performance tests and the inclusion of level 3 tests.

Multitel has developed several simulations of ERTMS systems and subsystems for baseline 2 and 3. An ETCS Level 2 Trackside Simulator is used to generate the signals for the communications between the EVC and the RBC.

Maintenance Tools

It is not enough to have acquired certified ERTMS components. With time or for lack of complementary specifications, the systems might start presenting fault operations or start showing availability issues after some time. As Multitel provides full test for certification for a number of ERTMS components, Multitel was requested to investigate for quite a few years the cause of failures (non compliancy, origin: track side, onboard, environment…). The fact to have performed a large number of analyses led Multitel to the development of a set of maintenance tools.

The maintenance tools provided by Multitel can be divided in two groups:

Acceptance/Production tests:
- Eurobalise Acceptance/Production Tests Environment (MRL-EPT)
- BTM Acceptance/Production Test Environment (MRL-BPT)
Eurobalise tests:
- Eurobalise Predictive Maintenance (MRL-OBA)
- Eurobalise Long term tests (Sporadic Failures) (MRL-OTA)
- Eurobalise Programming (MRL-EPG).

Beyond Standards: The Multitel Maintenance Tools provide support to Eurobalises following Subset-036 and Subset-085 for some tests, the most relevant ones, supposing that the device design was once fully certified but not only. In many cases, the tests performed are outside the scope of Subset-085 tests and indeed need extra test procedures that check the compliancy with additional requirements developed by Multitel, together with Infrastructure Managers across many countries, as a result of availability issues found during operations.

Track Validation

Multitel can convert project data (including gradients, signaling and others) into a laboratory track representation where simulated or industrial onboard units can be used to validate the track implementations, operational rules and SRS conformity. This service is very useful to reduce the cost of track validation, as most of the problems can be detected in the much cheaper laboratory environment. Moreover, it is necessary to mention that some tests that can be performed in the laboratory are simply not possible to perform in the real track.

Laboratory's tools

For several years, Multitel has been offering its services to the railway sector under various forms. However development might take a lot of time and suppliers are not always close to Multitel. Therefore, Multitel provides the availability of its Tests Bench for purchase, what allows supplier, Infrastructure Managers and Universities to use the test environments for validating their internal development as well as innovations.

Modularity: The Multitel’s test benches are modular that allows from simple tests up to the complete tests. But it also allows the integration of additional tests and third party new tools. An example of modularity is the extension of the current tools to standards beyond ERTMS (e.g. CTCS and KRTCS).

Versions Supported: Our test benches support ERTMS for baseline 2, SRS 2.3.0d including the Change Request (CR) of the version 1.2.0 of the Subset-108 and for Baseline 3 SRS 3.4.0 and SRS 3.6.0. It also supports CTCS L2 and L3 and KRTCS (with support to LTE communications).

Multitel’s test benchs are:

MRL-EVC-T B (Subset-076 & Subset-094, Subset-EVC and more)
MRL-RBC-TB (Subset-RBC)
MRL-SILAB (Combines MRL-EVC-TB with MRL-RBC-TB and includes TMS, KMC, TSR…)
MRL-EBT-TB (Eurobalise/BTM Lab supporting Subset-085, Subset-116 and EBL-XX Tests: Eurobalise only MRL-EBL-TB and BTM only MRL-BTM-TB).

Operational Tests: With the above test benches, one can design, test and validate operational test cases (typical additional restrictions to put in service for a specific country). The tools provided will allow the traceability of the tests to the SRS requirements level (discussing compliancy at the SRS level is the easiest way to exchange information with NoBo, DeBo, NSA, ISA authorities). Multitel has already a set of operational test cases for a number of countries (availability is subject to authorization from the national authority that provided us the database).

All-in-one Solution: With the test bench of Multitel, one can develop products for multiple standards (ERTMS, CTCS and KRTCS). The additional investment for extending the test environment from one standard to a second one is minimal.

Safety Services

We develop and optimize information fusion methods in direct response to industry needs in terms of safety, precision and availability. Our algorithms are especially designed to meet the strict safety requirements demanded by critical applications such as train positioning and railway navigation. Their objective is then to determine accurately the speeds and positions of the trains, and to quantify and minimize the risk of accidents. In particular, they exploit the robustness of interval arithmetic to fuse the information provided by the different odometric sensors (e.g. wheel sensors, radars, accelerometers, GPS receivers).

Our Approach (an extra advantage):

Extensive Detailed Reporting: our laboratory provides direct hardware interface to onboard units, allowing fast integration of ERTMS constituents equipment. All interfaces are recorded and decoded. These include (ODO) odometry, (TIU) Train Interface Unit, GSM-R, BTM (Eurobalise air gap sniffing and Eurobalise message signal reproduction), LTM (Euroloop interface), DMI (Driver Machine Interface), JRU (Juridical Recording Unit) data and maintenance interfaces (non standard interfaces). All these interfaces are decoded and analyzed. The communication interaction and protocol stack that produced the error is identified and a detailed error report is produced.
Event Only Database: all the data recorded in simulations, involving or not real ERTMS constituents are transformed into data base entries. This is also applicable to DMI (Driver Machine Interface) events that are extracted by 3D cameras and automatically recognized by DEM (DMI Event Manager) tool. The image recognition performed by the DEM tool of the MultiRailLab helps the ERTMS experts to save the time consuming needed to search for events in DMI video recordings.
ERTMS Common Format: all ERTMS interfaces constituent logs are converted to a common format. This reduces the cost of analysis tools, but also allows the simulation and validation of infrastructures with tracks provided by multiple industries in a single and consistent way. This is valid for the track side as well as for the onboard side, where for example the DMI and JRU data are converted to a common format prior to the SRS conformity analysis.