Traffic is a dynamic and complex system, where traffic lights are essential elements to ensure smooth and safe traffic flow. In the ZalaZONE Smart City project, our aim is to develop a new traffic light control system that is not only reliable and efficient, but also flexible. This advanced control system and the steps we are taking to ensure it meets industry standards and safety requirements. 
 

Why PLC? 

We have chosen Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) as the basis for development. PLCs are widely used in industry and provide a high degree of reliability and flexibility. Within a PLC device, it is easy to implement control systems that can be varied according to the specifications of the application. 

Safety aspects

Traffic lights are critical elements in traffic systems and their operation can directly affect the safety of road users. Therefore, we place great emphasis on quality control and testing during development to ensure compliance with all relevant standards and safety regulations. 

Testing Processes: Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL)

One of the most exciting parts of the project is the creation of a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) testing environment. HiL allows us to run real-time tests on the PLC while simulating the operation of the signal lights. In addition, the test environment is designed to intentionally induce failures that could happen in real-world conditions – such as cable breaks. 

Visual Demonstration

We also created a demonstration video that shows the whole testing process and how the HiL test environment works. This is to illustrate how comprehensive the development process is and to what extent it focuses on the security aspect. 

Overall, in the ZalaZONE Smart City project we want to create a traffic light control system that can meet not only today’s traffic needs, but also those of the future. Throughout the development, testing and implementation process, we continuously seek to create a system that is reliable, flexible and safe.