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	We looked at quite a few single-board computers and the Jackrabbit was exactly what we were looking for--it had all the features and functions we needed. Sudhir Murthy, President

In the late 1990s, Sudhir Murthy toiled on a research project for the National Academy of Sciences, spearheading efforts to develop a telemetric model for collecting information about traffic on our nation's busy highways. The pioneering system, based on wireless communication technology that interfaces with remote monitoring devices via the Internet, was designed to give transportation officials a simple and seamless way to extract important data for effective roadway planning.

"State departments of transportation have countless devices that collect information, such as the number of vehicles that cross a specific point on the highway," says Murthy. "We developed a system that allows them to extract that information remotely using wireless technology and the Internet."

When Murthy decided to bring the idea to commercial fruition--starting his own company, TRAFINFO.COM, and targeting state transportation agencies as customers--he began looking for a rugged, efficient, and affordable single-board computer to serve as the centerpiece of his system.

Maximum Exposure, Minimum Expenditure
The controlling device would have to withstand extreme temperature fluctuations, as it would be placed adjacent to traffic detectors and counters fully exposed to the elements. It would also need to operate on low power because solar-charged batteries would typically be its only source of electricity. Finally, to meet tight government budgets, the control unit would need to be cost effective to procure and develop.

"We looked at quite a few single-board computers and Z·World's Jackrabbit was exactly what we were looking for--it had all the features and functions we needed," says Murthy. "The primary criterion was extended temperature operation, because our devices are out in the cold and heat. We also needed a board where we could control power consumption--these units operate on solar-powered batteries, so they need to consume very little power. The thing that appealed to us was that there are ways you can control the amount of power the Jackrabbit uses."

Serial communications capabilities and a low price tag were equally important considerations in choosing the Jackrabbit BL1800 series. "We needed at least two serial ports [the Jackrabbit has four]--one to talk to the traffic device and the other to interface to a wireless data transfer unit," says Murthy. "And of course the low price was very attractive. State agencies are always looking for good value because they use taxpayers' money, so from a business point of view, the low price of the Jackrabbit really helps us."

Traffic Telemetry
Once the decision was made to go with the Jackrabbit, Murthy and his team integrated the BL1810 model with a wireless modem to create the "Trafmate," a wireless transceiver that serves as the heart of TRAFINFO's traffic monitoring system. The Trafmate connects to existing traffic sensors, downloads daily traffic counts, and transmits compiled data to an Internet server via digital two-way paging technology or satellite-based communications. From there, it can be downloaded at any time by transportation agency staff.

"Because our system is based on wireless technology, the cost of installation is very low as compared to telephone service," says Murthy. "And by using two types of service providers--paging networks in population centers and satellite communications in rural areas--we have seamless coverage throughout the country."

The data collected via traffic monitoring equipment is used not only to maintain existing roadways and plan additional new infrastructure but also to monitor air quality. "States need to help control the level of polluting emissions, so traffic monitoring is one key input in determining how well each state is doing in maintaining or improving their air quality," says Murthy.

TRAFINFO's telemetry system is already proving successful in its first major application for the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), which employs the new devices along the Queens-Bronx expressway and in the Long Island area. "NYSDOT has been using our system since November [of 2000], and they haven't had any problems at all," says Murthy.

A Fitting Selection
The Jackrabbit's full-featured functionality and plentiful I/O made it a perfect fit for the Trafmate design. "There are four types of I/O features on the Jackrabbit that we use: one is the standard RS-232 serial communications, another is the digital outputs for interfacing with an LCD screen, a third is used to control some digital switches for turning equipment on/off and the like, and finally we use the A/D converter to monitor battery voltages."

Because the TRAFINFO system is often deployed in remote locations, the Jackrabbit is configured to detect any equipment problems and send out immediate alarm notifications via e-mail or pager. "If the battery voltage falls below a certain value, for example, the Trafmate unit will send a warning so the customer can schedule maintenance or at least account for the absence of data," says Murthy.

Product development and integration of the Jackrabbit with different types of wireless modems were a virtual breeze with Z·World's Dynamic C® software. "Development wasn't difficult at all, with a little help from your Technical Support staff--in maybe less than a month we had a working prototype," he says. "Dynamic C is easy to learn because in most cases it looks like regular C, and since our previous development effort was all in C-language, Dynamic C made it very easy to transfer our application over to the Jackrabbit board."

Dynamic C's customized libraries, meanwhile, make it easy for TRAFINFO to implement adjustments from one application to another. "This concept of developing libraries in Dynamic C has made it very easy for us to create one application, make some minor modifications, and use it for another similar application," says Murthy.

Fetching Funds
The TRAFINFO system will help states secure much-needed federal transportation funds at a time of increasing fiscal responsibility and decreasing tax revenues. "The government distributes money based on a formula that takes into account the amount of traffic each state has," says Murthy, "So it is absolutely crucial that agencies present reliable, accurate information to receive the funds they deserve."

For this reason alone, Murthy sees a bright future for the TRAFINFO system, projecting that sales will eventually reach up to 500 units per year. So don't be surprised if the next time you're driving down the interstate you catch a glimpse of some Jackrabbits on the road!

For more information:
www.trafinfo.com

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