Imagine being able to monitor the movement of every train on Indian rails, round the clock. Well, Innovative Embedded Systems has developed surveillance systems for trains that can do just that, and more.

Averting train accidents in India is a Herculean task as the Indian Railways runs a very large operation. It has a network of 63,332 kilometres of track, the second largest in the world. It involves the transportation of about 16 million people and 2 million tons of cargo each day. Monitoring the performance of each train on a continuous basis is necessary to reduce risks. It is with this in mind that Innovative Embedded Systems Private Limited (IESPL) has developed a train-tracking system that enables an effective way of monitoring the location, speed and direction of movement of every train within a certain geographical boundary. It involves the implementation of GPS- (global positioning system), GSM- (global system for mobile communication) and radio frequency- (RF) based instrumentation on each train, along with communication links to centralised locations. This enables the availability of real-time train running information to both travellers and authorities, who can use it in a variety of ways, such as controlling trains better and enabling an efficient passenger information system, etc.

Keeping track!

Innovative Embedded Systems' train tracking system is an embedded electronic device installed on a train to track its every movement with data related to its position and speed relayed to the server. The embedded hardware unit contains a micro-controller with a GPS receiver, GSM modem, 2.4 GHz radio frequency transceiver, flash memory, unique fixed and removable identification, and LEDs (light emitting diodes) to indicate device status. Apart from the train tracking system, the firm has also developed a mining-vehicle tracking device, which is a fully automated online tracking system based on GPS technology, low range wireless technology and geographical information system (GIS). The vehicle-mounted tracking unit includes a GPS receiver, which provides the current location (absolute latitude, longitude and altitude) along with parameters such as vehicle speed, using GPS satellite data, and transfers this information using wireless transceivers at base stations.

The central computer archives and displays the received data in a variety of ways, which include plotting points on a map and statistical analysis to determine the optimisation potential. The real-time information about vehicle position can be queried through mobile phones and the website. The system also has an alarm to wake up the operator or driver at a preset time. The tracking unit is also equipped with a system to identify the location of another vehicle in the vicinity. It sends an alarm to the driver if another vehicle is within a specified distance.

How it all works

What is common to both these products is GSM/GPRS (general packet radio service) communication. It involves interfacing the GSM engine with the micro-controller for various AT (attention) commands and to transmit information to remote servers through SMS or GPRS. GPRS enables communication over a TCP (transmission control protocol) port for immediate information delivery to the server. The mining vehicle tracking system operates differently from the usual tracking systems and can work in areas where a GSM network is not available. A 2.4 GHz ZigBee wireless is used in the mining VTS (vehicle tracking system) to transfer data collected inside the unit to data stations and then to a remote server through VSAT (very small aperture terminal).

Vehicle movement data is collected on a 1 GB (gigabyte) MMC (multimedia card) inside the unit and transferred to the server at the end of the shift. The system is capable of generating alerts when any vehicle approaches with the possibility of a collision. This has been done with the help of sonar sensors. A driver alarm is also an important part of the system, through which an alarm can be relayed wirelessly to the driver. The normal VTS system works on GPS-GSM technology. The embedded hardware unit receives positional and speed information through GPS satellites and transmits this data to a remote server through GPRS, and by SMS on a cell phone in the absence of GPRS. The information is then placed in a database and shown on a GIS (geographic information system) map in the software. The software can also generate reports using the data received from tracking devices in the field.

Very, very indigenous
Both products are indigenous and have been developed with in-house talent. The intellectual property built up in the form of APIs for wireless GSM/GPRS communication, the TCP/IP (Internet protocol suite) stack, and the FAT (file allocation table) stack is unique. It involves all error handling done for GSM network behaviour when the device moves into a different cellular network after rigorous field-testing. This imparts reliability and robustness to the system. "Products designed for better performance at a low cost, this is the main contribution of our indigenous design," states Ashish Kumar Agrawal, founder director, IESPL.

"The main areas of utility of our products are in energy, transport, insurance, and security applications. Our train-tracking device is RDSO- (the Research Design and Standards Organisation) and ERTL- (Electronics Regional Test Laboratory) tested and has been successfully installed in the Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains. A pilot project with IIT-Kanpur has been successfully executed with these devices. VTS was launched three months ago and we are receiving a lot of queries for our system. We are planning to supply 500 units per month with an annual target of 10,000 units this financial year. For VTS, we are also in discussions with a few OEMs that have plans to order more than 40,000 to 50,000 units in the next one year," reveals Agrawal.

In the beginning...
Innovative Embedded Systems was formally founded and registered at Kanpur, in June 2005, after one-and-a-half years of groundwork at IIT Kanpur. The operations of the company began on campus after renting office space in the SIDBI Innovation and Incubation Centre. The founder directors of the company are Ashish Kumar Agrawal, Sunil Jha and Shalini Jha.

"After graduating from IIT-Kanpur, we observed that India didn't have many products to its credit, with most of the products being imported from China, Taiwan or the US market. Even for small, customised designs, we looked towards these countries for help. We still depend on them for components but not for technology and IP (intellectual property). We started this company to cater to the Indian market's embedded design needs so as to deliver products with world-class quality at Indian prices and with complete back-end technical support. The commercial potential of developed embedded products and the demand for good embedded electronics design services made us think of starting this firm. The incubation centre at IIT Kanpur further motivated and provided support to start this venture," divulges Agrawal.

The team did not encounter any major technical challenge because of its strong technical background. However, it did face challenges in areas such as finding good human resources and seeking financial support for product development. As product development has a certain gestation period before it starts yielding returns, sustaining the organisation through this period was also a testing phase for the team. Then there were smaller issues, such as developing vendors to supply components on credit, and maintaining appropriate stocks for regular production. Recruiting and training people from private engineering colleges addressed the issue of getting good human resources, but like any other start-up firm, maintaining cash flow to support product development was a problem in the beginning. The team now supports product development with funds generated through its design services.

The firm has developed train-tracking hardware with triple 8-bit MCUs on board, communicating with each other for enhanced functionality. It has developed its own FAT stack to use MMC on various hardware for increased data storage capabilities in embedded systems. "We designed a single board GSM-AMR unit for 1-phase and 3- phase energy metering applications. A unique design of a GSM-based automated weather station has been developed with solenoid-based rainfall measurement. We started research and development activities in-house since our foundation and developed all products' IP ourselves," reveals Agrawal.

Reaching towards its goal

At IESPL, the term "innovation" means embedding intelligent electronics in new systems for better functionality and performance. With this aim, the team keeps exploring newer areas and opportunities to make systems intelligent and more useful. The founders keep themselves abreast of recent trends in technology across the world and conceptualise new product ideas. They promote innovation among employees by rewarding their efforts for implementing new concepts. The team is committed to building better information systems for safe and secure living through delivery of the right information at the right point in time, using innovative wireless embedded electronic products.

"We have a dedicated team of embedded engineers working individually on different products. We also have developed capability in software development to support embedded electronic product implementation. We develop most of the products as complete solutions comprising embedded hardware as well as server software. Our total R&D spend is 35 per cent of our turnover," shares Agrawal. He adds, "We prefer to collaborate for the marketing of our products and for need-based developments."

The team has started building its capabilities in digital signal processing, embedded image processing, and single board high-end computing platforms. It is also planning to enter into automotive electronics research and development two years down the line. Needless to say, the company is primed for success, if its performance so far is any indication.