Wheel sensor or Axle counter

Hi!

I have to build a train detection system which is apart of my 2nd year project.My supervisors advised me to check about wheel sensors or axle counters. When I went through the NET i couldn't make a fine decision. Those systems shown in the NET was huge and complicated. Give me some clear Ideas about those sensors. Is it feasible to build a system using those sensors and counters? Some references etc please.

Thank you
T.Bavananth

Check on gear tooth and transmission sensors based on Hall effect transistors. John

Looks Nice! Thank you sir! I'll try with them!

More Ideas are welcome.

Precisely what do you mean by "train detector"? Do you want to know if a train is sitting on a particular piece of track, at a particular point on a track, and to what level of precision (e.g. down to 1cm or 1m?)

Is this for real trains or model trains? Do you need to detect just the locomotive, or the loco as well as all the wagons/carriages?

Your request is way too broad to make specific recommendations.

Paul

Hi! thanks a lot for the replies!

I'll make it clear

In our country "traditional track circuit system" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_circuit) is used to detect trains. This detection is used to block the (Island/Intersection/) Railway crossings to avoid accidents. But failure rate is high. So we have to change this detection mechanism. Detection points and Crossings will be connected by RF Links(replacing the wire transmission). Now we have to find a new idea for train detection.

When I went through a beeeg search I found that American Federal Railway cooperation has done a similar project. They have tested Sonar detectors, Vibration detectors, Magnetic anomaly detectors, Image processing, Force sensors, Wheel sensors etc. Now I can test few of them which were deduced as reliable in that project. But I don't know where to start. I have finished my RF part and wandering here and there for information about those sensors.

IR is not possible. Because there are lot of tracks in one place. It's a mess.
Sonar was rejected by supervisors. Now I have to test Force sensors, Vibration sensors, Magnetic anomaly detector,Wheel sensor and axle counter(**broken link removed**.

I can test first three of them.But It seems that we can calculate speed of the train using those latter two. So my supervisors are very keen about them. So my success depends on you all.Help me.

Thank you

Bavananth

Why can't you do the speed calculation with the magnetic anomaly sensor? It would seem that the initial speed could be calculated (e.g., have two sensors a known distance apart). If the train slows subsequently, then I can see that might be a bit harder to determine. John

Problem

Hi thanks jpanhalt.

Using two or more would increase the cost make the system a mess. Thats why I wanted to try a sigle sensor. Anyway thankyou! I will use this one for testing.


BAvananth