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THE MONITOR
April 2015
News from Eberle Design Inc. & Reno A&E
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Contents
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Reno A&E Receives Patent for
Bicycle Detection Signature Analysis
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Reno A&E, (RAE), a patent entitled, "Bicycle Detector with Improved Detection Using Signature Analysis," that covers a RAE proprietary signature analysis technology.
"The issuance of this patent furthers strengthens our intellectual property position for bicycle detection and vehicle differentiation, which is in the early stages of becoming required in several states," said Bill Russell, Reno A&E President and CEO. "It is important that we continue to develop technology for new and upgraded intersections that will provide traffic engineering professionals with the ability to detect and enable safe passage time for bicycles, without compromising operational efficiency of the intersection."
For more information on RAE's bicycle detection and differentiation system, contact RAE Sales Director,
Carl Zabel at
carlz@renoae.com
or
call
775.870.4500.
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EDI Welcomes
New VP - Engineering
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Eberle Design Inc. (EDI) and its subsidiary Reno A&E (RAE), leaders in vehicle detection, intersection safety monitoring and access control products, today announced the appointment of Joseph Dudich to the position of Vice President - Engineering. Reporting directly to EDI President & CEO, Bill Russell, and working closely with EDI Chief Technology Officer, Scott Evans, Mr. Dudich will lead EDI and RAE's engineering teams, and be responsible for engineering program delivery.
"Eberle Design's reputation is grounded in providing high quality and reliable solutions for traffic control and access professionals," Bill Russell said. "Joe's arrival further strengthens our reputation and ability to create the best strategies for delivering existing and new products to our customers."
Mr. Dudich brings a wealth of leadership and network engineering experience to EDI having spent more than 20 years in the telecommunications and financial industries. He has led the development, implementation and management of complex systems and teams globally.
"I am excited to join Eberle Design at a time when it is raising the bar to meet the growing needs of the transportation industry," said Mr. Dudich. "I am also looking forward to leveraging our shared commitment to providing excellent customer support and solutions."
Prior to joining EDI and RAE, Joe Dudich held senior management roles with companies including NationsBank/Bank of America, Global Corporate Investment Bank and Chicago Research and Trading Group. Most recently, he was a senior executive at Hewlett-Packard where he managed secured services engineering, directed resource alignment, training activities and project monitoring on more than 600 concurrent projects.
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Register Now!
Eberle Design Inc. to Host Webinar
Eberle Glance? & Data Aggregator (DA-100B) Series Field Monitoring Device
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Please join us at 8 a.m. PT on Tuesday, April 14th for a 45-minute webinar, "Eberle Glance & Data Aggregator (DA-100B) Real-time Intersection Data for Performance Measurement." It is capable of accessing real-time intersection and cabinet data from any traffic cabinet, regardless of the traffic controller or central ITS system. Matt Zinn, EDI Applications Sales and Technical Services Manager, will demonstrate how Eberle Glance? and DA-100B deliver real-time traffic cabinet activity and previously unavailable access to intersection information through cloud connectivity. To register for this webinar, click here. |
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Reduce Liability and
Maintenance Costs
through
EDI's Signal Monitor
Recertification Program
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Traffic signal cabinets continuously operate in harsh environments and should be thoroughly tested to help ensure proper operation when conditions demand it. The EDI Signal Monitor Recertification Program provides a new two-year factory warranty, gratis hardware and firmware updates, minor repairs, a test report, new warranty label, and a recertification card for any EDI signal monitor less than 12 years old.
All signal monitors undergo rigorous testing in accordance with EDI's Quality Assurance process and ISO 9001:2008 programs on a quick turn-around basis.
The signal monitor recertification program has been available for two years on EDI monitors, and will be soon expanded to include all Reno A&E signal monitors less than 12 years old. More news will be provided on the Reno A&E recertification program when a
vailable.
To learn more about our Signal Monitor Recertification Program and how it can reduce your liability risk and maintenance cost, visit
www.editraffic.com/re-certification
or contact John Muilenberg, EDI Sales Director at JMuilenberg@editraffic.com.
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"Tom's Tips"
Best Practices for Inductive Loop Installation
By Tom Sutula
Technical and Applications Sales, Reno A&E
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While new vehicle detection technologies have been developed and introduced during the last 25 years, inductive loops continue to be the "benchmark of detection accuracy and comparison for all other detection technologies." When properly installed and maintained, inductive loops offer the very best presence and count detection accuracy available, and the best overall lifecycle cost. The use of prefabricated loops provides a critical part of the overall detection system to optimize detection and performance. There is often a knowledge gap in how to properly install an inductive loop to optimize overall detection accuracy and reliability.
How many turns of wire should be in the loop?
Loop inductance depends on the total length of wire used to make up the loop. Two things determine the length of wire, loop perimeter and the number of turns in the loop. Once the loop geometry has been established, the number of turns in the loop must be determined in order to obtain a loop with the proper inductance level needed to maintain a stable system. To ensure stable operation in most applications, loop inductance should be in the range of 50 to 150 ?H.
Use the following table as a preliminary guide to determining the number of turns in a loop.
Loop Perimeter (P) |
Number of Turns |
10 feet - 13 feet |
5 |
14 feet - 26 feet |
4 |
27 feet - 45 feet |
3 |
46 feet - 100 feet |
2 |
101 feet and up |
1 |
Notes: Reliable detection height of a loop is 2/3 of the short side of the loop.
Increasing turns in the loop does not increase sensitivity of the loop or the detection height of the loop.
What is the most critical element when installing a loop?
Because the inductive loop in the road surface is critical to the performance and operation of the detector, it is important to use the best materials possible. It is recommended that any wire used for a loop has cross-linked polyethylene insulation (XLPE). The loop wire insulation resistance to earth ground can be tested using an insulation tester (Megohmmeter) rated for 500 VDC. Disconnect the loop from the detector. Attach one test lead of the insulation tester to the loop, and the other test lead to earth ground. A new loop should have at least 100 megohms to earth ground. If the reading is below 50 megohms, the loop may be suspect. If the loop is below 20 megohms, the loop should be replaced. The lower the loop resistance to earth ground the more prone the detector will be to intermittent operation. Multiple shorts to ground can short part of the loop inductance and appear as if a vehicle is over the loop. The detector will hold the "call" for as long as the short exists. Reno A&E offers special XLPE loop wires and prefabricated loops, which have been specifically manufactured to provide reliable detector operation. The quality of the loop wire and installation techniques are just as important as the quality of the loop amplifier, as this is an integrated detection system, not just isolated elements of vehicle detection.
What is the most common loop problem?
A very high percentage of loop problems result from poor connections. Solder all loop splices and crimp type connections. As soon as the insulation is removed from the wire the copper conductors begin to oxidize, i.e. corrode. Over a period of time the corrosion will increase resistance in the connection. Since a loop detector uses very low power to energize the inductive loop, the slightest series resistance in a connection can cause intermittent detector operation. Note: All Reno A&E loop wires and prefabricated loops have tinned copper conductors to minimize oxidation. Environmentally seal all splices to prevent moisture from contacting the conductors. Moisture can provide an electrical path that may result in leakage current between the loop and ground. Moisture can also increase the connection resistance (corrosion). Both can cause intermittent detector operation.
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Upcoming Industry Conferences
Eberle Design Inc. and Reno A&E
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Dates
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Conference
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Location
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Booth #
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Conference Website
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June 1 - 3,
2015
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ITS America Annual Meeting
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Pittsburgh, PA
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423
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June 29 - July 1, 2015
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IPI Conference & Expo |
Las Vegas, NV
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547
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Aug 22- 25, 2015 |
IMSA 120th Annual National Conference |
New Orleans, LA |
600 |
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Educational Webinars
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Date
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Time
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Webinar Topic
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April 14, 2015
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8:00 a.m. PT
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Eberle Glance & Data Aggregator (DA-100B)
Real-time Intersection Data for Performance Measurement
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May 12, 2015
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8:00 a.m. PT
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RAE Bicycle Detection & Vehicle Differentiation Using Prefabricated Loops
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June 9, 2015
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8:00 a.m. PT
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Advanced Traffic Controller Cabinet Overview
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Stay Informed with Our Products, Webinars and Tradeshows.
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We value the confidence and trust of our customers and industry partners. We appreciate any feedback you wish to provide to enhance our product suite, service, technical support or training.
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