Electrics, Controls & Software: Pioneering Technologies

We at CE cideon engineering are your competent partner, whatever challenges you face, thanks to our extensive experience with various vehicle types and registration areas. Whether it’s about modernisation, refits, obsolescence or substitution, demonstrator and prototype development, control cabinet design or research projects – together we’ll find a solution that’s individually tailored to your needs.

We know the technologies that will be move the industry in the future. And we know how you can use them to your advantage. Benefit from our expertise in TCMS development and ETCS integration.

We work with you to develop functional vehicle concepts for new vehicles, platforms and refits. We support you in system development and electrical integration of subsystems. We specify, implement and test the software for vehicle control, diagnostics and HMI. We create type test specifications and validate them directly on the vehicle.

 

“The goal for the next few years will be to permanently and steadily expand the portfolio both within and beyond our sector. We also want to significantly strengthen the continuation or expansion of product developments,” says Andreas Aspeleiter (Head of Electric & Control Systems).

Industrial and Prototype Construction

Our expertise is applied not only in the railway industry. We are widely diversified – for each of your concerns we will find a solution individually tailored to you.

 

Since some original system components are obsolete, the construction of a chassis demonstrator was defined as the first milestone – to test and ensure functionality in advance.

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In the middle of 2022, we responded to ÜSTRA’s invitation to tender, for which two mobile drive test benches were required in order to test the functionality of various asynchronous motors for light rail vehicles.

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Are you interested in prototype production? We supply you with a turnkey system. We develop the demonstrator entirely according to your wishes. We cover every step in-house – from the concept and sourcing of components to the craftsmanship of assembly.

We also support you with control cabinet design – and everything that goes with it. From cable routes and pre-assembled cable bundles to the implementation of the concept.

Services

Other core competencies

Vehicle Concept & System Engineering

Do you want to develop subsystems for a complete rail vehicle in compliance with standards? Or maybe you need technical support with the EMC and earthing concept? Our team is here for you. Where previously only mechanical brakes and diesel-electric power supply were used, hybrid solutions consisting of dynamic brakes and traction batteries are now in operation. We have experts in all of these fields. So that we can find the best possible application for you.

You want to modernise your system? Often, new functions can’t be easily integrated into outdated systems. Where hard-wired circuits were used in the past, nowadays control software does the work. During the re-engineering process, we get an overview of your system in order to provide you with the best possible advice and choose the right starting point. Obsolete components are identified. We find the right replacement parts and offer you new possibilities for using your system sustainably in the long term.

 

We’re also here to help when it comes to substituting vehicle parts. We reprogram entire systems. Often, 60-year-old vehicles were last modernised 30 years ago. These rely on hardware, software and approval systems that no longer exist today. That’s no problem for us – we focus on retrofitting with sustainability in mind. We supply you with new hardware for your vehicle and program the new software. So you can keep getting the right parts for the next 30 years. Choose refurbishment: sustainable, simple and economical.

Functional Safety

Nothing is more important than the safety of passengers and staff. For this reason, our certified safety engineers carry out a hazard and risk analysis immediately at the start of every project. Safety Integrity Levels (SIL) are calculated, fault trees are created and finally technical safety reports are developed. We test your systems – independently of the railway industry. In our portfolio of test benches, we offer you everything from machinery directives to EU conformity and CE marking.

Electrical & Circuit Diagram

Stellenangebote

Control lines and bus lines form the nerve tracts of each train. We guide you throughout the entire process. Starting with the design and selection of electrical components and cables, through component installation and database maintenance in Zuken E3.series (schematic, cable, panel, dbe, fluid), EPLAN P8 and Engineering Base, to the entire switchboard design. We are familiar with the following Software Tools ELCAD, RUPLAN, Creo. Selectron Toolchain, TIA Portal and SISTEMA. We will support you with the cable routing in the vehicle and help you draw up terminal diagrams and cable lists.

 

Controls & Software

Brake control, multiple traction and passenger data: A train is full of software. How do you bundle and control all these subsystems to make sure they interact reliably? We will be happy to help you with this – starting with the architecture concept: centralised or decentralised? We will stay with you from the design of the digital bus systems (TRDP, CANopen, MVB, IBIS-IP) through to the integration of telemetry systems. We will specify, program and test the entire control technology system, including the configuration of Ethernet-based network switches (QoS, VLAN, DHCP, routing). In doing so, we pay particular attention to security, which we demonstrate with a process that conforms to the standards.

Testing & Validation

Systems for rail vehicles are among the most complex solutions in the world. Countless components and systems must interact smoothly in a wide variety of scenarios. This will be tested using a sophisticated strategy that we have refined over the years. First, in individual software modules, then in combinations of several modules in the customer-specific development environment. Finally, we will test the entire vehicle and its systems during commissioning – static and dynamic in single and multiple traction – both at the manufacturer’s and operator’s premises. In doing so, we will also test behaviour outside the application area (negative tests) in order to guarantee the highest level of safety. The validation of the requirements specification completes our portfolio in the entire development process based on the V-model.

Vehicle measurements

Protective measures with regard to electrical hazards in railway applications are regulated in the standard for railway applications EN 50153. The standard specifies how vehicles and their components are brought to earth potential and which measured values must be observed during an electrical test.
One specification of the standard states that the resistance between the upper part of the vehicle body and the rails must not exceed 50 mΩ for railcars and passenger coaches and 150 mΩ for freight wagons. A constant current of 50 A and a maximum measurement voltage of 50 V are assumed for the calculation of the resistance values.

Messungen am Fahrzeug

CE cideon engineering covers all the necessary requirements for a low-resistance resistance measurement on railway vehicles. We carry out the measurement for you using a high-precision measuring device so that you do not need your own measuring device. In order to fulfil all individual requirements, it is possible to adapt the test currents to up to 100 A.

The use of long test leads means that even long measuring distances can be bridged. A further benefit is the fact that our measuring system is independent of the mains due to the internal rechargeable batteries. We create a detailed measurement protocol and a comprehensive test report for you at the end of the process.

Contact partners

Leiter ECS

Andreas Aspeleiter
Head of Electrics & Control Systems


Phone: +49 371 77415-3134
Mail: ecs@cideon-engineering.com    

Tobias Günnel
Deputy Head of Electrics & Control Systems


Phone: +49 371 77415-3138
Mail: ecs@cideon-engineering.com