Flexible Control
The Copperchase Aeronautical Ground Lighting Control & Monitoring System offers state of the art touch-screen and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) packages tailored to the individual needs of the airfield operation. Airfield layouts are redrawn electronically and configured to accommodate changes to layout and additional circuits. A modular PLC allows for increased numbers of Input/Outputs (I/Os) to be added quickly and easily.
The system offers the following features:
- Designed using state-of-the-art process control equipment
- Design inspired by a safety-first approach, including redundant elements ranging from power supplies and communications paths to full hot standby processors
- Modular construction makes the system suitable for any airfield, of any complexity or particular needs
- Adaptable to changes in an airfield’s physical layout without costly re-engineering
- Touch-screen technology for maximum flexibility of operation and ease of change in response to changes in airfield layout.
From Small Regional Airports to International Hubs
The Copperchase AGL Control & Monitoring System features a range of process control products from Schneider Electric. It uses the compact but very powerful Momentum range of PLCs in stand-alone systems for small to medium-sized airfield installations, or as distributed I/Os for the more powerful Quantum series on larger, more demanding AGL systems.
The Man–Machine Interface (MMI) is in the form of either an LCD screen with tactile switch panel or a resistive matrix touch-screen. Control and Mimic can be realised on one panel or on a combination of two or more screens, thus providing Control and Mimic separately.
A Solution for the Most Demanding Airport Layout
A combination of Magelis touch-screen devices in the VCR covering Control, Mimic and, where required, additional stop-bar and taxiway routing terminals in either 5.7”, 7”, 10” or 15”, high-resolution, resistive matrix touch-screens. Hot standby systems providing seamless changeover in the event of a failure. Fibre optics and dual redundant cabling are also available to enhance network reliability.
Remote I/O in B centres can be connected to the A centre by a variety of different networking solutions. Modbus over Ethernet is the current standard for easy, cost-effective networking of B centres, based on the industry standard Industrial Ethernet Hardware. It can also support an array of other commonly used standards including Interbus, I/O bus, Profibus DP and Fipio.
Installed Locations
| Newcastle International Airport | CAT 3 AGL CMS Redundant Fibre Ring, Hot Stby Processors, Ethernet and RS485 comms |
| Inverness Airport | CAT 1 AGL CMS Redundant Fibre ring & Profibus |
| Cranfield Aerodrome | Non CAT AGL CMS |
| Hawarden Aerodrome | CAT 1 AGL CMS |
| Humberside Airport | CAT 1 AGL CMS, Fibre link to VCR |
| Sierra Leone Airport | CAT 1 AGL CMS |
| Lands End Airport | CAT 1 AGL CMS, Fibre Link to VCR |
| Kerry Airport | CAT 1 AGL CMS, Redundant Fibre Ring |
| Islay Airport | CAT 1 AGL CMS |
| Wick Airport | CAT 1 AGL CMS |
| Kirkwall Airport | CAT 1 AGL CMS |
| Yeovil Aerodrome | CAT 1 AGL CMS (comms via modems) |
| Guernsey Airport | CAT 1 AGL CMS, Redundant Fibre Ring |
