Temporary highway Maintenance

Published - July 19, 2016
Application: CCTV for Temporary Highways Maintenance
Sector: Transport: Highways
Location: Europe
AMG Product: MSES: Multi-Service Ethernet Switch range

Temporary camera deployment system for Highways maintenance

Maintenance of the Strategic Road Network is an essential part of ensuring the economic efficiency and growth of any nation. Keeping traffic flowing and workers safe during major road improvements and repairs requires effective monitoring and control with CCTV.

Customer Requirement

Before any maintenance work can be conducted, safety cameras must be positioned along the Motorway at regular intervals for the entire length of the works. The video from each camera is transmitted back to a temporary monitoring station where it is recorded. As work cannot be carried out on the Motorway unless the cameras are operational, speed of deployment and system reliability are paramount to minimise travel disruption and engineering costs.

Traditionally, analogue PTZ (pan, tilt and zoom) CCTV cameras have been used because of their low light video performance and accurate telemetry control - essential for operators working in an extremely fast moving environment where safety of the workforce and road users is the priority.

However, greater resolution images are now possible with digital IP (Internet Protocol) HD (High Definition) cameras and use of tax payers’ money demands investment in equipment that represents both good value and a wise investment for the future. The brief was to:

Utilise existing high performance analogue CCTV cameras
Provide no loss in performance of video or operator control
Provide backwards compatibility whilst providing a migration path to new IP camera technology
Provide a resilient and robust solution even in the event of equipment damage/failure
To facilitate rapid temporary deployment
Transmit 200+ cameras over distances of up to 65 kilometres
Incorporate transmission for additional signalling, alarms & display equipment
Reduce infrastructure installation and support costs by maximising the number of node connections on a single fibre loop
Provide both analogue and IP outputs at the Control Room location to interface with third party legacy systems

The challenge:

Transitioning from analogue to IP video technology is not new and is normally achieved by adding video encoders to every analogue camera. These, plus the additional new IP cameras, are then connected to Ethernet switches at each camera location which are connected to a fibre backbone/loop back to the temporary monitoring station. This was unacceptable to the client due to:

Limited number of Ethernet switches which can be connected in a single fibre loop
Latency of video and camera control telemetry
Large amount of additional equipment with multiple points of failure and potential to create over-heating issues in cabinets
Deployment and set up time
Inability to easily detect point of failure due to multiple management platforms

AMG’s solution

By contrast, the AMG approach uses Multi-Service Ethernet Switch (MSES) technology specifically designed for transmitting different types of signals over fibre. The AMG9024GM-H MSES integrates the video encoder, bi-directional RS485 & RS232, alarms i/o plus Ethernet for IP video and other devices into one ruggedised roadside unit.

AMG Systems’ Extended X-Ring protocol allows over 500 MSES units on each fibre loop and sub-loops to be added seamlessly, whilst delivering redundancy protection in the case of switch, power or fibre failure; real risks in a Highways construction environment where major engineering works frequently damage cables and roadside equipment.

With componentry designed specifically to cope with the wide ranging temperatures demanded by harsh environments, the MSES switch is a compact ruggedised unit, which is quick to deploy without the need for on-site PCs and commissioning tools. Thanks to MSES’s auto configuration and unified management system, the complete system - including video encoders - can then be remotely configured.

Why AMG Products?

Ruggedised, compact single box design
Integrates analogue and IP video, RS232, RS485, alarm i/o
Integrated video encoder, supporting ONVIF, MPEG2, MJPEG and H.264 (backward compatibility)
Unlimited cameras (IP or analogue) on a fibre loop [240 HD cameras chosen as maximum]
Low latency for video transmission and control data
Allows cost effective migration from analogue to hybrid to IP video
Rapid deployment, with no specialist installation knowledge and tools required
Loop redundancy with fast recovery time
A single management interface for product support
Extended warranty and repair support
System Design support

Products deployed

AMG9024GM-HP-H-VE Layer 2 Industrial Switch, 4x1000Tx PoE, 2xSFP + Video Encoder
AMG9024GM-HP-H-2S4C Layer 2 Industrial Switch, 4x1000Tx PoE, 2xSFP + 2 Serial, 8 Contacts
AMG2015 19” Industrial Chassis/Rack with PSU
AMG2019 120W PoE Industrial PSU