Smart sensor data acquisition in trains

Collecting information about faults, state of surrounding environment and equipment is crucial in systems that could jeopardize human lives, such as trains. Normally, data are obtained via analog sensors which do not have any interface to allow their integration with software systems. Additionally, acquisition and transport of sensor data could suffer interferences in the train's environment due to electromagnetic noise from various sources. Taking into account these problems, this paper presents an architecture for data acquisition of analog data from a train's environment, drawn to perform data acquisition with various noise sources. Data are processed by Smart Sensors that guarantee not only the noise filtering but also a safe collection of data. Data collection requires a communication protocol that allows data transport under the influence of noise. This paper includes state of the art analysis in data communication in physically demanding environments in order to ensure an acceptable performance, considering criteria like mobility, upfront costs and flexibility.