On board: high-performance embedded hardware from duagon.
Among other things, duagon is supplying four modular CompactPCI Serial systems with enormous performance for each train. “They provide the computing power for the Onboard Multimedia Telematic Subsystem (OMTS), which simultaneously runs all passenger comfort services,” explains Robert Blankenhorn, who, as a solution architect, works with the customer to combine existing duagon products according to system requirements and adapt them as needed. The result is powerful and future-proof x86 computer platforms for the new S-Bahn trains, exactly as required by Siemens Mobility. Two of the duagon units installed are used exclusively for 5G routing and are designed to be redundant for stable operation. The other two units provide the computing power for all other comfort systems, such as passenger information. These include, for example, the LED strips that light up on the outside of the train in the respective line color, or the intelligent passenger counting system that shows people on the platform via displays on the doors how busy each section of the train currently is. Inside the train, displays show passengers the route, the stations, and which doors lead to stairs and elevators when exiting.
State-of-the-art embedded technology: performance and efficiency at a new level
The duagon systems for the 90 S-Bahn trains are among the absolute best in terms of technological performance and have been specially developed for the harsh requirements (such as shock, vibration, and extreme operating temperatures) of railway technology. The four modular CompactPCI Serial systems per train are composed of various duagon assemblies with different functionalities. The main component is the duagon CPU board G029M, which generates up to 25 percent more computing power than previous models. Among other things, it includes a 13th generation Intel Core i7 processor, soldered 96 GB DDR5 RAM, and 120 GB NVMe storage. TMP 2.0 for high cybersecurity is also included. Additional plug-in cards supplement the system with 10Gb Ethernet interfaces for high-speed data transmission (G240) and 16 TB of storage space (G504 equipped with SSDs). The systems for 5G routing also feature dual radio modem boards (G239). These provide the external interface to the 5G/LTE network. The simple and modular plug-in card principle of the four systems is particularly maintenance-friendly and future-proof. Individual cards can be efficiently replaced as needed if, after many years of use, they no longer provide sufficient performance for future applications. In addition, a slot has been deliberately left free so that a state-of-the-art GPU card can be added at any time for performance-intensive AI applications. In terms of cybersecurity, the systems meet all relevant requirements, such as the protective measures required by the European Cyber Resilience Act, throughout the entire product life cycle.
Further information on this topic can also be found in the Siemens Mobility press area.
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