Alstom EPSD-0603 series Circuit board redundancy architecture

Alstom Power Grid appointed Michael Atkinson as a member of the Board of Directors of Power Grid Alliance.

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Alstom announced today that Michael Atkinson, President of Alstom North America Power Grid, has been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of Power Grid Alliance. Founded in 2003, GridWise Alliance is an industry alliance, which advocates the transformation of power system to achieve a sustainable energy future and benefit the public.

Since April 2012, Atkinson has been in charge of Alstom's power transmission and distribution technology business in the United States and Canada, and he will serve on the board of directors of the alliance for two years.

Atkinson said: "it is a fundamental challenge to modernize the way society consumes energy, which touches everyone who presses the light switch." "Such a huge undertaking requires the joint efforts of enterprises, regulators, researchers and Qi Xin, a community group. GridWise Alliance is a platform for these different groups to gather together to realize the technical commitment of smart grid, and I am honored to be a member of its board of directors. "

About Alstom-Alstom is a global leader in power generation, transmission and railway infrastructure, setting a benchmark for innovation and environmental protection technology. Alstom builds the world's fastest train and the highest capacity automated subway, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and related services for various energy sources (including hydropower, nuclear energy, natural gas, coal and wind energy), and provides a wide range of power transmission solutions, focusing on smart grids.

Alstom Power Grid has more than 100 years of professional knowledge in the field of power grid. Whether it is used in public utilities or power-intensive industries, or to promote energy transactions, Alstom Power Grid provides power for its customers' projects. Alstom power grid ranks in the top three in the field of electrical transmission, with annual sales exceeding 4 billion. It has 20,000 employees and more than 90 manufacturing and engineering sites around the world. As the core of smart grid development, Alstom Power Grid provides products, services and comprehensive energy management solutions that span the entire energy value chain-from power generation, transmission and distribution networks to large end users.

In the circuit board design of Alstom in the field of rail transit and energy, redundant architecture is the core technology to ensure high reliability and functional safety, especially suitable for key applications such as train traction control and signal system. The following is a systematic analysis of its redundant architecture:

1. Redundancy design objectives

Fault tolerance: single point failure does not affect the system operation (such as CPU, power supply, communication link redundancy).

Safety integrity: meet the requirements of SIL4(EN 50129) or ASIL D(ISO 26262)**.

Seamless switching: fault detection and switching time < 100ms (key index of train traction system).

2. Typical redundant architecture scheme

(1) dual-channel Lockstep)CPU

Implementation mode:

Two homogeneous processors (such as ARM Cortex-R52) run in parallel and compare the output results in real time.

Difference detection triggers a safe state (such as cutting off the drive or enabling the backup channel).

Application scenario:

Traction control unit (such as Alstom MITRAC TCU).

Signal system safety computer (such as ETCS vehicle-mounted equipment).

(2) Two out of Three (2oo3) voting system

Implementation mode:

Three independent calculation channels, the output results take effect by majority vote.

The correct output can still be maintained when a single channel fails.

Application scenario:

Automatic train driving system (such as Alstom Urbalis CBTC).

(3) Hot Standby redundancy

Implementation mode:

The main and standby boards synchronize data in real time, and the standby module takes over in milliseconds when the main module fails.

Support hot plugging (such as power module redundancy).

Application scenario:

Vehicle communication gateway (such as Alstom FIP Gateway).

3. Key technologies of redundancy implementation:

fault detect

-hardware watchdog timer (WDT)

-CRC check /ECC memory (detecting data errors)

State monitoring

-On-board health monitoring sensors (temperature, voltage)

-Real-time upload to predictive maintenance platform of Alstom HealthHub

Alstom's redundant architecture represents the highest reliability standard of rail transit electronic equipment, and its design concept has been extended to energy (power grid protection device) and other fields.