Elevate Controls offers full-cycle development of embedded controllers. Our consistent development process adapts to the unique requirements of your project and ensures a quality outcome every time. We use industry standard tool chains that ensure efficient use of resources, and design protect to allow for future variation and scalability.
Background
Rail operators require reliable, high-resolution data logging to improve performance, diagnostics, and operational efficiency. This project describes the development of a custom locomotive data logger engineered for harsh rail environments, combining modern data acquisition with full compatibility with legacy systems.
The Challenge
Designing a data logger for in-locomotive deployment required balancing modern performance requirements with legacy system constraints.
Key challenges included:
- Integration with existing signal connectivity standards
- Compatibility with rail-approved mechanical housings and mounting systems
- Operation in a harsh environment (temperature, vibration, EMI)
- Minimising system footprint while supporting specialised connectors and interfaces
- Delivering a solution that could be deployed with minimal disruption to existing workflows
The Solution
Leveraging a Proven Platform
To reduce development risk and accelerate deployment, Elevate Controls adapted our existing Train Line Interfacedesign that provided:
- A mechanically validated housing suitable for harsh rail environments
- Compliance with established mounting and racking standards
- Reduced engineering time and cost
System Architecture
The data logger was built around a National Instruments (NI) sbRIO embedded controller, combined with custom-designed PCBs for signal conditioning and routing.
Key capabilities include:
- Multi-channel data acquisition with configurable inputs
- Custom signal conditioning for specialised locomotive signals
- User-configurable logging parameters via software interface
- Hot-pluggable system design for ease of deployment
Data Management and Access
All data is recorded in TDMS (Technical Data Management Streaming) format, enabling:
- Reliable high-speed data logging
- Structured storage of mixed signal data
- Rich, extensible metadata for analysis and traceability
This ensures long-term compatibility with modern engineering workflows and analytics tools. Data can be easily exported to other legacy formats if required.
Data can be downloaded directly over Ethernet or via a removeable SD Card.
Integrated Position and Motion Tracking
To enhance data context and usability, the system includes:
- GPS for precise geo-location of events
- IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) for motion and orientation tracking
This enables accurate correlation between operational events and physical location.
Key Features
Key Features
- NI sbRIO-based embedded architecture
- Custom signal conditioning and routing PCBs
- TDMS data logging with rich metadata support
- GPS and IMU integration for event tracking
- Hot-pluggable design
- Ruggedised housing for harsh rail environments
- Compatibility with existing locomotive interfaces and standards
The Outcome
By adapting an existing Train Line Interface design Elevate Controls was able to deliver a cost-effective custom fit-for-purpose data logger with shortened time-to-deployment. The logger was easy to use and deploy for staff familiar with the existing Train Line Interface. The user-configurable logging interface and support for the modern TDMS data file format, ensures the logger can be adapted to any future change in logging requirements.
