Underground » Health and Safety
ACARP Project C22012, also known as the LASC Interoperability Specification for Collision Avoidance (LISCA), aims to develop and introduce an open communication specification to integrate Collision Avoidance Systems by interoperability between Plant and Proximity Detection Systems. Collision Avoidance Systems provide an additional level of protection to reduce the risk of unwanted interactions between equipment and either personnel or other equipment. The current level of uptake is low, due mainly to the difficulty of implementing customised solutions for every implementation.
WHAT IS LISCA?
LISCA is an abbreviation for the LASC Interoperability Specification for Collision Avoidance. This specification has been developed by CSIRO for the underground coal industry.
This open communication specification is designed allow interoperability between OEMs of plant and OEMs of Collision Avoidance Systems (CAS) or Proximity Detection Systems (PDS). This specification does not propose any technical method for detection, nor specify rules for behaviour to be undertaken if an unwanted interaction is imminent, however it does provide the enabling capability for these systems to be implemented.
A generic Collision Avoidance System has been modelled as a process with 3 components:
· Detect objects in proximity (PDS);
· Decides whether an unwanted interaction is imminent (CADMS);
· Acts to avoid the unwanted interaction (CS).
Some systems may implement more than one of these components.
WHY HAS IT BEEN DEVELOPED?
One of the major problems in getting proximity detection and collision avoidance systems integrated and tested has been the requirement to custom‐build every implementation. This specification will remove much of this burden of customised implementation, and has wide support from all sectors of the industry, including Plant manufacturers, Proximity Detection System manufacturers, and mine sites.
This specification outlines the method for Proximity Detection Systems and Plant Equipment to communicate in a standard, pre-defined manner, as well as specifying basic data items that will be accessible for higher level functionality (such as traffic management).
This does not specify a standard detection technology that must be used by all systems, nor preclude the use of additional proprietary communications between systems or subsystems.
WHAT IS LISCA LEVEL 1?
Level 1 is simply an agreed set of 12 connections between any Proximity Detection System, and the Control System of mobile equipment (The CADMS component is not involved in this level). These signals indicate critical data transfer between the subsystems, as well as a level of verification that the devices are in working condition. It should be noted that the Control System of the plant has the final responsibility for the actions being undertaken by the plant, so the signals generated by the Proximity Detection System are to be interpreted as recommendations, and implemented by the Control System as such.
WHAT IS LISCA LEVEL 2?
Level 2 defines a soft communications protocol to allow for detailed information to be passed between the subsystems. This will allow more intelligent decision making and ensure extensibility of the system into the future. At this level there can be a greater role for decision making, taking more complex data and allowing more complex actions, rather than just go/slow/stop. The Control System of the plant has the final responsibility for the actions being undertaken by the plant, so the signals generated by the Proximity Detection System and the CADMS are to be interpreted as recommendations, and implemented by the Control System as such.
The Level 2 specification is based on Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) which is implemented as EtherNet/IP over Ethernet hardware or DeviceNet on CANbus. Each component acts as both a producer and consumer of data, allowing the base set of data to be available to all other components, while also notifying of events.
These specifications should improve industry safety through promoting the uptake of Proximity Detection and Collision Avoidance systems, identify technology gaps in Proximity Detection Systems and encouraging investment in collision avoidance technologies.
A website has been created to access this open system specification at www.proximitydetection.com.