Toll Road Management: 4 Solutions for an Innovative Automated Toll Collection System

LeftRS-485 Communication | 3 Ladder Logic Controllers Left

Date: 2015-06-09

Toll Road Management: 4 Solutions for an Innovative Automated Toll Collection System

Toll Roads are public or private roadways that charge drivers a fee for access or passage.  Some toll roads have an operator that collects payment from drivers, issues a receipt and manually raises a barrier granting passage.  Automated toll booth payment systems allow drivers to insert payment into a machine that prints a receipt and raises a barrier automatically upon receipt of required payment.  Some automated systems have open roads without barriers and involve wireless transponders where drivers have prepaid accounts or payments are billed and collected.  Cameras on toll roads capture images of vehicles and license plate information as they pass toll areas.  Bills are automatically sent to drivers based on address information from the Department of Motor Vehicles if payment is not provided.  Since toll roads are located in outdoor locations with varying temperatures and humidity levels, industrial grade equipment is necessary for Automated Toll Road Systems.  ICP DAS USA provides flexible software, data acquisition, communication, and wireless equipment for Automated Toll Road Systems.  

  1. Manned Tollbooth Systems:  Tollbooth lanes on a highway are marked as open or closed to show when toll road operators are working in the booths.  Toll prices vary at different times of day and are usually more expensive during times with high traffic congestion.  Tollbooth operators collect cash payments from drivers at the booth.  Upon receipt of payment, an operator presses a button on a touch screen controller and a barrier is lifted granting drivers passage.  When an operator presses a button on the TPD-280 touch screen PLC, it triggers a relay output from M-7060 which lifts up the barrier allowing the vehicle to pass.  Cash registers are used to collect and calculate the revenue from the toll booths.  The tDS-715 converts the data from RS-485 / serial to Ethernet so the data can get back to a PC running Indusoft SCADA software.  Manual systems often slow down traffic and are more expensive to operate with tollbooth operators, cash collection couriers and maintenance personnel.
     
  2. Unmanned Self-Service Automated Tollbooth Collection Systems:   In unmanned, self-service type automated toll booth systems, lanes on a highway are marked for toll collection so drivers can pay by cash or credit card payments.  Fee amounts are pre-programmed into the system based on times of day and are displayed on a VPD-143N Touch Screen Controller.  The fee amounts are updated as needed through Indusoft SCADA software on a Windows 7 PC that is connected to VPD-143N over Ethernet cabling with an NS-205 Industrial Ethernet switch.  After payment is rendered by a driver, the VPD-143N triggers a relay output from M-7060 which lifts up the barrier allowing the vehicle to pass.  Cash registers are used to collect and calculate the revenue from the toll booths.  The tDS-715 serial to Ethernet device server converts the data from RS-485 / serial to Ethernet so the data can get back to a PC running Indusoft SCADA software on a PC for control and monitoring.  Self-service systems often increase traffic as vehicles must wait in line to submit payment, are more expensive to operate.  They require tollbooth operators, cash collection couriers and maintenance personnel.
     
  3. Unmanned Automated Toll Booth Collection Systems:
    In unmanned automated tollbooth systems, lanes on a highway are marked for toll collection for drivers that are set up with wireless transponders and accounts for payment collection by credit card or debit payments. As drivers pass through the open road, they pass by counter sensors connected to M-7053D data acquisition modules that detect the vehicles presence. When a vehicle is detected, M-7053D based Modbus based digital input type data acquisition modules are used with motion sensors, cameras, tGW-715 Modbus RTU to Modbus TCP gateways, NS-205 Industrial Ethernet switch and Indusoft SCADA software on a PC. When vehicles are detected by motion detectors, M-7053D digital input type data acquisition modules trigger pictures to get taken of vehicles as they pass.  Vision Analysis Software is used to extract the vehicles license plate information and the numbers are put in a database along with the date, time and picture of the vehicle. The tGW-715 Modbus RTU to Modbus TCP gateway allows the M-7053D to communicate back to a computer running SCADA software over Ethernet cabling. An NS-205 is used to network together the computer and the rest of the system.
     
  4. Unmanned Wireless Automated Toll Booth Collection Systems:
    In wireless tollbooth systems, ZT-2052 ZigBee wireless Modbus based digital input type data acquisition modules are used with motion sensors, cameras, ZT-2570 and Indusoft SCADA software on a PC.  When vehicles are detected by motion detectors, ZT-2052 zigbee wireless digital input data acquisition modules trigger pictures to get taken of vehicles as they pass. Vision Analysis Software is used to extract the vehicles license plate information and the numbers are put in a database along with the date, time and picture of the vehicle. The ZT-2570 ZigBee host allows the ZT-2052 to communicate back to a computer running Indusoft SCADA software over Ethernet cabling.  An NS-205 Industrial Ethernet switch that operates in extended operating temperatures is used to network together the computer to the ZT-2570 zigbee wireless host. Lanes on a highway are marked for toll collection for drivers that are set up with wireless transponders and accounts for payment collection by credit card or debit payments.


Maria Santella
Sales Manager, ICP DAS USA, Inc.
Ph.   (310) 517-9888  x105   |  Fax. (310) 517-0998
Email:  marias@icpdas-usa.com      

ICP DAS USA is a provider of Industrial Data Communication, Automation Control and Test and Measurement products.  We specialize in PLC hardware, Ethernet controllers, distributed I/O modules, Industrial Ethernet Switches and protocol converters.  We provide programming services, training classes and free technical support.

LeftRS-485 Communicationl | 3 Ladder Logic Controllers Left

ICP DAS USA,Inc.