DET-Soft is a Windows-based software developed by ADEC Technologies to facilitate the planning, commissioning and trouble-shooting of installations using TDC traffic detectors. The easy-to-use software only requires Microsoft .NET 2.0, which is pre-installed on nearly all Windows machines these days. It works smoothly with the USB-IF485 interface which links the PC to the RS 485 bus that connects one or more TDC detectors to the traffic data collector (outstation) device. DET-Soft is available at no extra charge with the purchase of a TDC detector and the USB-IF485 interface (part #12501).
Commissioning
The commissioning procedure is the key task of the DET-Soft software. It offers simple, guided process to configure all types of TDC detectors for optimal performance. Additionally, it stores each commissioned detector’s settings so they can be added to the site’s technical documentation.
Live Data
The simple logger view not only allows the installer to retrieve live traffic data of all connected detectors, it averages speed, shows graphics for each vehicle type, provides basic communication statistics to pinpoint potentially troublesome wiring and records all data to a simple text-log file that can be reviewed with every text editor. The log-file can also be used in the Log-File Visualizer, a handy software tool to visualize the statistical information of up to a week’s worth of data.
Detector Details
Further details about the detector’s inner workings can be examined through the detector’s parameter list and the graph view which displays the changes of selected signals – such as PIR sensors, ultrasonic distance measurement etc. – over time. The parameter list shows all changeable and read-only parameters, including the ultrasonic status (for TDC3 models), the snapshot-camera configuration (for TDC4 models) and the geometry to the detection zone (TDC1).
Listener
The listener is a very helpful tool to eavesdrop on the communication between the outstation and the detectors. It decodes and displays the events similar to the live data logger, the difference is that in this setup the DET-Soft only listens passively to the communication on the RS 485 bus. It is a helpful tool to diagnose data collection problems and to identify possible lost packets etc.
TMC Access
Outstations that implement ADECs remote site access protocol can permit operators and installers access to the detectors via DET-Soft as if the detector(s) were locally connected to the PC that runs DET-Soft. The connection is established using TCP/IP v4 and requires the outstation to be accessible directly or through a VPN-connected sub-net. Through this connection, parameters can be inspected, firmware uploaded to the detector(s) and other vital functions, helping to reduce maintenance costs.
Help
Installers these days are required to work with a multitude of software tools from various manufacturers without second thought. Each one of these software tools has its intrinsic usage principles and often manufacturers assume theirs is the only tool the installers will ever have to work with. We at ADEC Technologies have taken these concerns seriously and have written an extensive, context-sensitive help function right into DET-Soft. With that, at any point in the software, more information is available simply by pressing function key ‘F1’. This opens a window with well-illustrated, easy to understand information directly relating to the context.