Author

Philip Tarnoff
Center for Advanced Transportation Technology (CATT)

Description

This course provides students with a broad overview of the National ITS Architecture and the role it plays in planning, designing and implementing ITS. The course provides background (what the National ITS Architecture is, how it is defined, why it was established, and what its aims and objectives are) and introduces the concept of ITS user services. Basic concepts and models of systems engineering are addressed, as well as the physical architecture through examples of local implementations of the National ITS Architecture. Specific elements of the physical architecture, such as subsystems and terminators, are presented in detail. The course is based on the latest version of the Architecture (Version 6.1, dated January 2009).

Objectives

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the context within which the Architecture is to be applied to the ITS planning, design and implementation process
• Recall the basic systems engineering concepts and describe three systems engineering development models
• Describe the components of the physical and logical architectures
• Discuss the evolving standards and protocols being developed to support the architecture
• Explain the content and procedures associated with the National Architecture

Audience

Transportation professionals wanting to enhance their knowledge of and skills for using the National ITS Architecture.

Length

Approximately eight hours.

Course Outline

Numbers in parentheses refer to pages.

- Module Overview and Gateway (1-2)

- Lesson 1. Introduction to the National ITS Architecture (3-15)

1. Background
2. Role of National ITS Architecture
3. User Services
4. Quiz

- Lesson 2. Basic Concepts of Systems Engineering (16-26)

1. What is a System?
2. Criteria of Systems Engineering
3. Quiz

- Lesson 3. Systems Engineering Processes (27-41)

1. The VEE Representation of the Life Cycle
2. The Waterfall Model
3. The Spiral Model
4. The VEE and the Evolutionary Development Model
5. Comparision of Process Models
6. Quiz

- Lesson 4. What is Architecture? (42-49)

1. What is Architecture
2. The National ITS Architecture
3. Complexity of Transportation Systems
4. Quiz

- Lesson 5. Regional Applications (50-72)

1. Physical Architecture
2. Logical Architecture
3. Regional ITS Architecture
4. Turbo Architecture
5. Subsystems
   • Travelers Subsystems
   • Centers Subsystems
   • Vehicles Subsystems
   • Field Subsystems
6. Terminators
7. Quiz

- Lesson 6. Planning a Regional System (73-86)

1. Regional ITS Plan
2. Architecture Flows
3. Market Packages
4. Quiz

- Lesson 7. Standards (87-96)

1. A brief history
2. ITS Standards
   • Data Elements Standards: TMDD
   • Message Set Standards: TCIP
   • Communications Profile: NTCIP
3. Conclusion
4. Quiz

- Lesson 8. User Service Requirements (97-102)

1. User Service Requirements
2. Shall Statements
3. Traceability
4. Examples

- Lesson 9. Logical Architecture (103-109)

1. Characteristics
2. Role
   • From Logical Architecture Functions to Physical Architecture Subsystems
   • Data Flow Diagrams
   • Nomenclature

- Conclusion and Completion(110-111)

- Final Examination (112-113)