Signal groups

• Choose "new" on the right list (right-click) after having selected "Signal groups" on the left list.

• Give the numbers of different signal heads. They can be modified after-wards, including adding and deleting.

• Define Name, Type, tMinGreen, tMinRed, tGR

Detectors, parallel

Parallel detectors are physical detectors connected to the controller by cables: 1 input per detector.

• Choose "new" on the right list (right-click) after having selected "Detectors, parallel" on the left list.

• Give the numbers of the next group of detectors to be created. Additional groups can be created from within the panel.

Detectors, serial

Serial detectors are logical detectors extracted from a PT detection system. This example does not use serial detectors.

Conflict matrix

• Set an "X" on each conflict by clicking on a white field.

Phase change matrix

• Set the clearing time on each conflict.

Signal timing plan

• Set cycle time (tC) first to 127 s, assign the corresponding phase change matrix
• Define the signal timing plan according to the fixed-time plan within VISSIM; add a new timing information by clicking and dragging the mouse while the control key is pressed; alternatively the numerical val-ues at the right side can be input.
• Define additional information as
  • tPON: point of time for program switch on
  • tPOFF: point of time for program switch off
  • tPCHG: point of time for best program change
• You can define the plan directly from the VISSIM ".inp file" values:

Display elements

• Define the display elements for VS-PLUS. In our example, each display element maps a signal head without exception.

Phases

Define GP phases (General Purpose – car traffic) and standard PT phases.

• Assign a display element per phase.

Detectors

Define GP detectors (General Purpose – car traffic) and standard PT detectors.

• Assign a phase per detector.
• Certain detector have no detector assignment – these detectors are not usable for VS-PLUS control.
  

Standard parameters

• Set unused detectors to INACTIVE
• Set Occ_type (detector call mode) to "impulse with occupation", i.e. the detector calls at each rising slope or in case of a continuous occupation. Impulse call only does not call when the frame signal enables calling and there is already a continuous occupation.
• Set Tocc (Occupancy time) to the time after which a continuously occupied detector calls.
• Set Gap time defining how long a detector continues calling after having been left by the car.
  • This value is in function of the distance of the detector to the stop bar: when the last car leaves the detector, the signal stays green another 3s in order to allow the car to pass the stop bar.
  • Another reason for setting this value is ignoring gaps between following cars, i.e. deciding how large a gap can be to be ignored.

PT parameters

• Assign correct functionality to the detectors (check-in or check-out)
• Set rest time to 2 seconds in order to avoid oscillations due to hangers or malfunctioning detectors
• Define when the detector can stop a conflicting phase in case of PT pri-ority (not used at the moment)
  

Conflict matrix

• Define the conflicts between VS-PLUS phases. As the VS-PLUS phases base 1:1 on the signal heads (in this example), the matrix looks like the one shown in chapter 1.4 on page 7.
  
  

• Assign signal plan and calculate initial permissive period plan:

• Modify the plan to the desired structure, taking into account the picture parameters introduced in the next chapter:

Picture control

• As there shall be no public transport priority, set the sequence number of PE 3 to 0 and the PE value of PE 3 to "INACTIVE".

Main series

• Define minor phases for each main phase; pointer delays remain 0.
• Main series for the other classes do not exist in the present example.

Minor phases without call

• Define all phases which are called automatically with another phase, e.g. when Phase 1 gets green, phases 5, 91 and 95 will also get green.
  
  

Phase change matrix

• Assign the controller phase change matrix and import its times, if desired
  
  

• Set all parameter set definitions, except for the PTmod parameters that we don't use here.

Detector parameters (DP)

Program definition

• Export CSV first, then choose
  • VCE for an export to VISSIM
  • VCB for an export to the controller

The files will be written to the intersection file directory. The name equals the intersection name in the tree, i.e. "XiaoXimen.vce".