Serge NOEL
260 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
260 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
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<!-- Copyright Kevin Dickerson 2011 -->
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<title>JMRI: Interlocking</title>
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<h1>Entry Exit and Interlocking</h1>
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<span class="since">since 2.99.4</span>
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<p>This brief tutorial is designed to explain how the Entry Exit and Interlocking is set up
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and works within JMRI. It is based upon the Signal Mast Logic <a href=
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"https://www.jmri.org/community/clinics/UK2011/">clinic</a> held in the UK and follows on from
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that.</p>
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<p>The panel file for this tutorial was taken from the "Logix and Feathers" section of the
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Signal Mast tutorial. The only difference is that the Signal Mast Logic has been removed from
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all the Signal Masts apart from the "up outer mast" and the "down platform mast" as these are
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used to represent signals in automatically controlled areas.</p>
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<p>In addition the file has been modified to use Internal Sensors and Turnouts only, thus
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allowing it to be opened with any system connection configured in the JMRI Preferences.</p>
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<p>As a prerequisite the <a href="https://www.jmri.org/community/clinics/UK2011/">clinic</a>
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on Signal Mast Logic should be followed before attempting this one as it provides the
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foundation on how to build your panel ready for use with the Signal Mast Logic and also
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Interlocking.</p>
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<p>The track plan for this is the same as in the Signal Mast Logic clinic and could be
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considered a typical scenario where the Down Approach, Up Platform and Bay Signals would be
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under the control of the SignalMan, while the Up Outer and Down Platform would be
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automatically controlled.</p>
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<p><img src="images/interlocklayoutoverview.png" width="830" height="278" alt=
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"layout overview">
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</p>
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<p>The panel file for this tutorial can be found <a href=
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"Interlock%20Demo%201.xml">here</a></p>
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<p>The NX buttons all work in pairs and must be selected in the correct order. Also it is not
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possible to leap-frog an NX button to set a Route between two non-adjacent buttons. I.e. if
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you have buttons A-B-C it is not possible to set a route from A to C, the order of selection
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must be A-B B-C.</p>
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<h2>Setting up the layout editor</h2>
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<p>In the Signal Mast Logic tutorial, each block was configured with a different color to
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show Occupied and Unoccupied states (<a href=
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"https://www.jmri.org/community/clinics/UK2011/layout_editor.shtml">Building a Layout</a>). In
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addition it is possible to assign an alternative color to each Block on the panel. When using
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Full Interlocking, this alternative color is used to highlight routes that have been set.
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When a Block is using the alternative color it also prevents another route from being set
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using that Block.</p>
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<p>The eNtry eXit (NX) utilises Sensors for each NX location, typically associated with a
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signal or an End Bumper/Buffer Stop. These Sensors would act in the same way as a button on a
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physical panel, setting the button active to start the selection with the setting Active of a
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second Sensor completing the route or path selection. If a matching Sensor is not activated
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within 10 seconds then the initial Sensor will be reset back to Inactive.</p>
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<p>A sensor needs to be configured for each NX location. As a suggestion to help keep track
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of things, prefix the User Name with "NX" followed by the associated signal. So for example
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if the NX Sensor will be associated with the "Down Appr" signal, then make the Sensor User
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Name "NX Down Appr".</p>
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<p>Once the Sensors have been created they can be associated and positioned with locations on
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the Layout Editor Panel, in the same way that the Signal Masts were done in part 6 of the
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Signal Mast Logic clinic. Bring up the context menu (right click) on the Block boundary and
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select "Set Sensors" from the list.</p>
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<p><img src="images/assignsensors.png" width="331" height="539" alt="assign sensors">
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</p>
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<p>Remember that the Block which the Sensor is assigned to will determine the direction of
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travel; if the Sensor is assigned to the incorrect Block then it will not get picked up and
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the interlocks will not work.<br>
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The panel file with the Sensors already assigned can be found <a href=
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"Interlock%20Demo%202.xml">here</a></p>
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<h2>Creating the NX Rules</h2>
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<p>Open up the Entry Exit window, which can be found in the Tools menu of the Layout Editor.
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This will bring up a window like the following:</p>
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<p><img src="images/emptyentryexitwindow.png" width="790" height="244" alt=
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"entry exit window">
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</p>
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<p>This window allows you to see which NX pairs have been created and the state of each pair.
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From this window we can get the system to automatically generate the pairs or we can manually
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define them.</p>
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<ol>
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<li>Select the Layout Editor panel file that you wish to create the NX on.</li>
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<li>If you are going to create the pair manually, select the Entry and Exit Points from the
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respective drop down lists, or leave them as is.</li>
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<li>Select the type of interlocking that we are going to use.</li>
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<li style="list-style: none">
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<ul>
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<li><strong>Set Turnout Only</strong> - This will only set the turnouts to the correct
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state between the NX sensors.</li>
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<li><strong>Set Turnouts and Signal Masts</strong> - This will do as above, but also
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generate the Signal Mast Logic at the same time.</li>
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<li><strong>Full Interlock</strong> - This will do all of the above and also lock the
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path and prevent another clashing one from being selected.</li>
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</ul>
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</li>
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</ol>
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<h2>Set Turnout Only</h2>
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<p>If to start with you select "Set Turnout Only" and press "Auto generate Entry Exit Pairs",
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it will end up generating a list with four pairs like in the following illustration:</p>
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<p><img src="images/populatedentryexitwindow.png" width="790" height="315" alt=
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"use turnout option">
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</p>
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<p>The four paths generated are all valid NX pairs based upon the direction of travel. For
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the NX to be set you must first select the Entry sensor, followed by the Exit sensor. If they
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are selected in the reverse order the path will not be set.</p>
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<p>You can see that if you were to set a Route from the "down appr" to the bay buffer stop,
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the Turnouts get automatically set. The Sensors will also flash while the Route is being set
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up:</p>
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<p><img src="images/interlockturnout.png" width="498" height="229" alt="set turnouts">
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</p>
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<p>If you then set a Route from the "Bay Mast" to the "Up Appr", again the Turnouts will
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automatically be set:</p>
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<p><img src="images/interlockturnout2.png" width="498" height="229" alt="set route">
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</p>
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<p>With the <strong>Turnout Only</strong> interlock type, as no further logic or interlocking
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is done, it is possible to allow the interlock to be set up no matter which way round the NX
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buttons are selected. This can be done by selecting the "Both Way" flag in the table against
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an entry. You can then set the path in reverse, eg "NX Up Outer" to "NX Bay Mast".</p>
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<p>In addition to this, with a "Turnout Only" set you can also create NX pairs that go
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against the normal direction of travel, for example from "Bay Mast" to "Down Appr"</p>
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<h2>Turnouts and Signal Masts</h2>
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<p>If "Set Turnouts and Signal Masts" is selected and then the "Auto Generate" button is
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pressed, the same four interlocks will be generate, with the NX type set to "Signal
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Mast".</p>
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<p>This time when you set the Route between two NX sensors, it will set the Turnouts and if
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Signal Masts are placed at the same location it also configures the logic from the Signal
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Mast at the source.</p>
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<p><img src="images/interlocksigmast.png" width="498" height="229" alt="add signal masts">
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</p>
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<p>The Signal Mast Logic will appear in the Signal Mast Logic Table. This logic is not saved
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when the panel file is saved.</p>
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<p>If you set a Route from "Down Appr" into the bay buffer stop, you will see that the
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Turnouts get set and the Signal changes to the correct Aspect. If you then change the state
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of the Turnout or Block on the path, you will see that the source Signal Mast will change
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Aspect appropriately.</p>
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<h2>Full Interlock</h2>
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<p>If "Full Interlock" is selected and then the "Auto Generate" button is pressed, again you
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would end up with the four interlocks as before.</p>
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<h3>With Signalmasts</h3>
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<p>When a full interlock is configured and there are Signal Masts placed at the NX locations,
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Interlocking will place the Signal Mast at the source location into a Held state until a path
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has been set, which will in turn release the signal. This is working on the basis that these
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signals are now under the control of a SignalMan who has to set the appropriate Route before
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releasing the signal.</p>
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<p><img src="images/interlockmasttable.png" width="650" height="347" alt="set masts held">
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</p>
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<p>The full interlock will also set the state of the layout Blocks to use the alternative
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color, and the NX sensor buttons will remain in a solid active state.</p>
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<p><img src="images/interlockfull.png" width="498" height="229" alt=
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"show one signal not held">
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</p>
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<p>If you try and set a conflicting path, then an error message will be displayed and the
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path will not be set.</p>
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<p>As the Route gets cleared down by a train occupying the Blocks, so does the interlock.</p>
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<p><img src="images/interlockfull2.png" width="498" height="229" alt="route occupied">
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</p>
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<p>If you re-select an active interlock, the NX sensors will start to flash, and you get the
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option to either "Cancel" the route, "Clear Down" or "Exit".</p>
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<p><img src="images/interlockcancelclear.png" width="318" height="116" alt="cancel route">
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>"Cancel" will de-activate the Route</li>
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<li>"Clear Down" will manually simulate a train traveling over the blocks and move any
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values assigned against the block to the end block.</li>
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<li>"Exit" will just put this message on the screen and do nothing else.</li>
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</ul>
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<h3>Without Signal Masts</h3>
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<p>If no Signal Masts are configured between the two points the interlock will work in very
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much the same way as it would with Signal Masts, it just doesn't set up or release any
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signals.</p>
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<h2>Further Details</h2>
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<p>With all the Entry Exit methods the system will try to set the route with the lowest cost.
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Each layout Block has a cost assigned. It is the sum of all the block costs in a route that
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determine the overall route cost. By default, a Main Track is assigned a value of 50, while a
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side track has a value of 200. These values can be changed by the user, by editing the layout
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Block. If the route with the lowest cost has either another entry/exit point in the same
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direction, or a Block that is already set Occupied or Reserved, then it will try and find an
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alternative route if one is available.</p>
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<p><img src="images/editblock.png" width="368" height="579" alt="edit block">
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</p>
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<p>Uni-directional Blocks - It is possible to set the relationship between adjacent Blocks,
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to prevent routes from being set up from one block to another or vice-versa. This is set when
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editing the layout Block; you have the option for Both Way, to Only Send or Only Receive.</p>
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<p>To view how a particular Block connects to other Blocks, with costs and valid Paths, right
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click on a track segment or turnout circle and select "View Block Routing".</p>
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<p><img src="images/blockrouting.png" width="542" height="460" alt="show block routing">
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</p>
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