Step 2 - Set Up the Coordination Modes

When you have completed setting the coordination modes, please return to the example on coordination.

Coordination Modes+

The coordination mode settings (MM->2->1) are provided on three separate controller screens (below).  The "adjacent" screens are accessed using the arrow keys to toggle or "window" between screens. 

       Coordination Modes     ->

Test OpMode  0   Force-Off FIXED

Correction SHORT/LONG    

Maximum MAX_INH

<-         Coordination Modes+

Force-Off+ XXXX     Easy Float  XXXX

Closed Loop OFF   Auto Err Reset ON

External OFF  

                       -- Leave Walk --

Stop-in-Walk ON         Before TIMED

Walk Recycle NO_RECYCLE After TIMED

 

 

Test OpMode

You will become very familiar with   Test OpMode   and the sequence MM->2->1 because you will use this mode to manually force the controller to run all of the timing patterns in this example.

Whenever, the  Test OpMode  is set to zero (0), the controller is in  TBC  (Time Base Coordination) mode. Under  TBC   the controller runs the time-of-day schedule for the current date and time.  Go ahead and set the test mode to 0 and look at the first line in the Coordination Status Display (MM ->7->2). You will see  TBC   displayed on the first line after OpModes, Src letting you know that the controller is running under time-base coordination.

Setting the  Test OpMode  to 1 - 48 allows you manually test the 48 timing patterns in the Naztec controller.  Change  Test OpMode  to 22 and look for  TEST  on the first line in the coordination status display (MM ->7->2).  You will manually run the various patterns developed for this TecNote by changing  Test OpMode  to the pattern number you want to observe running in the controller.

Setting the  Test OpMode  to 254 forces the controller into free operation (a handy way to over-ride a timing pattern running under TBC).  Setting the  Test OpMode  to 255 forces the controller to manual flash.

Just remember that in these examples, you will be asked to set the "Test Mode" to a certain value.  This implies changing the   Test OpMode  value to the pattern you want to observe.

Force-Off

The force-off settings are  FIXED FLOAT  and  OTHER

These examples only discuss the NTCIP modes which use  FIXED  and  FLOAT ing force-offs.  The additional nine coordination modes are accessed setting the Force-off  value  OTHER  and also setting the  Force-off+  value on the adjacent screen.  The screen example above shows "XXX" for   Force-off+  and  Easy Float  to emphasize that these values are not needed for NTCIP coordination.

 

Correction

The correction or "transition" settings are  SHORT/LONG  or  LONG .

If your controller version is earlier than version 50.30, you will notice that SHORTWAY and ADD_ONLY have been changed to SHORT/LONG and LONG in this documentation.  The original syntax from the NTCIP specification (TS 3.5, section 2.5.2) is confusing because SHORTWAY in this specification implies that the controller may use short-way or long-way offset correction.  Also, the Naztec terms "Fast" and "Slow" have been replaced with "Short" and "Long" to keep the terminology consistent.

 SHORT/LONG  implies that short-way and long-way correction is used to bring the controller into step during pattern transitions.  If you do not want the controller to shorten the cycle length to make a correction, then specify  LONG  for this value.  

Section 2.5.2 of TS3.5 also calls for a "DWELL" mode option.  Naztec chose to implement DWELL when   SHORT/LONG  is programmed and the short-way and long-way values (next table) are set to zero.  This allows you to run short-way and long-way for some patterns and dwell for others.  This feature is useful if you want to dwell for patterns at lower cycle lengths and use short-way and long-way for patterns with longer cycle lengths.

For SHORT/LONG transition to work,  you MUST provide times (in percent) for short-way and long-way values for each pattern (MM->2->5).  This is a common pitfall, because the controller initializes with zero defaults as shown for Pat #4 in the table below.  This will be covered later in the TecNote under Concept 5.  Just remember:

1) If you want SHORT/LONG  to work, always provide a "Short" or "Long" value for the pattern in the table below.

2) If you want "Dwell" correction to apply, enter zero in the "Short" and  "Long" columns and specify a value (in seconds) in the "Dwell column below.

 

Now, go to MM->2->5 and enter the following data on this screen:

 Pat#   Trans:  Short  Long  Dwell  No.Short. ø ->
   1             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   
   2             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   
   3             12    12      0     0  0  0  0   
   4              0     0      0     0  0  0  0   
   5             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   
   6             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   
   7             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   
   8             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   
   9             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   
  10             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   
  11             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   
  12             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   
  13             12    22      0     0  0  0  0   

Using  SHORT/LONG  with  Stop-in-Walk  set to ON allows the controller to recover quickly (often within one cycle) if a pedestrian service (walk + ped clearance) extends past the force-off point of a phase.  With   LONG  transitions, the controller may take 3-5 cycles to get back in step if a pedestrian service fails the coordinator.

Maximum

The  MAX_INH  (maximum inhibit) setting overrides the Max Times in the controller during coordination.   If  MAX_1  is set, then the Max 1 settings in the controller will apply during coordination.  If  MAX_2 is set, the Max 2 setting will apply during coordination.

One of the pitfalls in using  MAX_1 and  MAX_2 is that your phase max times can terminate a phase before the force-off is applied and terminate your phase before the split has completed timing.  For this reason, it is better to set Maximum to  MAX_INH  and let your split time terminate the phase rather than the max time.

 

Auto Err Reset

Set   Auto Err Reset  to ON if you want the controller to go back to coordination during the next pattern change if a timing plan should fail for some reason.

Stop-in-Walk

Set   Stop-in-Walk  to ON if you want your WALK + Ped Clearance times to be able to exceed your split time.  Set   Stop-in-Walk  to ON and use SHORT/LONG correction if you want the controller to recover quickly from an occasional pedestrian call that throws the controller out of coordination.

If this value is set to OFF, then the Naztec diagnostics will fail the plan when WALK + Ped Clearance exceeds the split.  Set this value OFF for at locations where peds are serviced every cycle and insure that your adequate time is provided in your split to satisfy your pedestrian WALK + Ped Clearance.

Misc Settings

Set  Closed Loop  ON if you want the traffic responsive features of an on-street master to over-ride a controller's time-of-day operation.

Set  External  ON if you want to use external coordination through the D-connector to select timing plans in the controller.

Walk Recycle and the  Leave Walk  timings only affect the service and re-service of pedestrian phases and do not have a major impact on coordination.  Please refer to the controller manual to understand more about these options.

 

Transition Coord Phase Parameters

Go to MM->2->5 and use your right arrow key to toggle to the screen to the right:

 <-Pat#  Coor.P: EarlyYld  Offset   RetHold
     1               0     BegGRN      X   
     2               0     BegGRN      X   
     3               0     BegGRN      X   
     4               0     BegGRN      X   
     5               0     BegGRN      X   
     6               0     BegGRN      X   
     7               0     EndGRN      X   
     8               0     EndGRN      X   
     9               0     EndGRN      X   
    10               0     BegGRN      .   
    11               0     BegGRN      .   
    12               0     EndGRN      X   
    13               0     BegGRN      X   

Coord Phase - Early Yield

EarlyYld (Early Yield) is an NTCIP coordination parameter that allows you to control the point where the coordinated phase can yield.  The Early Yield value (0-25 seconds) begins timing at the beginning of the coordinated phase and acts like a minimum green which insures the coord phase will not leave for the specified period.  None of the examples in this TecNote use Early Yield.

Coord Phase - Offset

This parameter controls the offset reference for each timing pattern.  Be sure to program Pattern 7, 8, 9 and 12 as EndGRN to obtain the same results as the examples.  Many of the examples in this TecNote were devised to illustrate the differences between BegGRN and EndGRN.

Coord Phase - RetHold

RetHold (Return Hold) is an NTCIP parameter that insures the controller will  not leave the coord phase until the coord phase is forced off.  This TecNote will explain the advantages of using MAX calls rather than RetHold to keep the main street (or progression phases from gapping out).  However, to avoid problems when the controller reverses a lead/lag sequence always set the RetHold value.  This pitfall will be discussed in Concept 7 for patterns 10 and 11 which do not have the RetHold set.

Remember, always set the RetHold for any pattern running coordination!

When you have completed setting the coordination modes, please return to the example on coordination.