Re: configuration- inductive loops -

[snipped from subject line]
mixed traffic ( indian road conditions )- microcontrollers

"bluesky" <saradhi.ananth@xxxxxxxxx> writes:
In the context of a microcontroller based traffic light controller that
uses inductive loop to detect presence/speed etc of vehicles on the
indian roads, I am curious to know if a configuration of inductive
loop in the verical plane has been used for traffic monitoring/control
applications?, If not, how can it be used? Such an application can
potentially alleviate the installation/maintenance problems with buried
inductive loop based detectors.
I am considering using an 8/16 bit AVR based microcontroller for this
project.
Also, the traffic flow is expected to be heavily mixed, with scarce
lane discipline (perhaps even absent:P). Considering using the
inductive signature of vehicles to identify them (may need 32 bit ARM
then? )

(overhead) cable
____________________
| |
| |
vehicle passes | <--- (vertically mounted side) cable
| through the loop |
|__________________|
EARTH ( part of loop )

Where do you plan to place the vertical components of the loops?
If you put them on both sides of the road, you'll get a very
non-specific indication of vehicle passage. If you put one in
the center of the road, you'll still get non-specific info about
vehicles going one way. If you put one between lanes, you're
creating a traffic hazard and a source of outages when someone
runs into it.

All things considered, it doesn't seem to be a very good idea.

google did not help with the configuration question. only provided info
on buried detectors.

There are other kinds of detectors -- optical, radar, etc.

Locally, there's been a problem of wiring rotting on the
underground sensors. It seems to be a defective original
installation, but is leading to failures nonetheless.
.

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