The Train Control and Management System (TCMS), as the “brain” and “nerve center” of rail transit vehicles, undertakes the transmission of core commands such as train traction, braking, monitoring, and dispatching. Its operational stability directly determines train operation safety and operational efficiency. During train operation, it faces complex and harsh environments such as vibration, impact, extreme temperatures, sand and dust, and salt spray. Meanwhile, the TCMS system has extremely high requirements for low loss, high reliability, and fast response of optical signal transmission, which traditional fiber optic connectors often struggle to meet for long-term stable operation. Ankeno, deeply engaged in the field of high-end precision connectors, has independently developed the J599E6 Series expanded beam fiber optic connectors. With excellent harsh environment resistance and precise optical signal transmission capability, it has been successfully applied to the rail transit TCMS system, providing reliable connection support for the safe and efficient operation of trains.

A rail transit operation enterprise is responsible for the operation of multiple intercity lines. The TCMS system of its in-service trains previously used ordinary fiber optic connectors, which frequently experienced problems such as signal interruption and excessive insertion loss during long-term operation. Especially in special sections such as gobi and coastal areas, sand and dust erosion and salt spray corrosion led to end face wear and poor contact of connectors, which repeatedly affected the transmission of train dispatching commands. This not only increased operation and maintenance costs but also posed potential hidden dangers to train operation safety. To solve this pain point, after extensive research and testing, the enterprise finally selected Ankeno J599E6 Series expanded beam fiber optic connectors to upgrade and transform the existing TCMS system.

Combined with the application scenarios and core needs of the TCMS system, Ankeno provided a customized solution for this project, giving full play to the core advantages of the J599E6 Series products. The product adopts a five-key positioning design, with blind mating and anti-mismating functions, adapting to the narrow installation space of the TCMS system. It can quickly complete connection and assembly, greatly improving the efficiency of train inspection and maintenance, and solving the problems of cumbersome insertion and extraction and easy misinsertion of traditional connectors. At the same time, the bayonet-type structure design realizes quick connection, meeting the efficient operation needs during emergency handling of train faults.

In response to the harsh environment during train operation, the J599E6 Series connectors show strong adaptability. The outer shell is made of customized materials and platings, which can resist salt spray erosion in coastal sections and sand and dust wear in gobi sections. The longest salt spray test can reach 500 hours, fully complying with the environmental requirements for outdoor operation of rail transit. The temperature adaptation range covers -55℃ to +85℃, which can cope with extreme temperature differences in different regions and ensure stable signal transmission in severe cold and extreme heat environments. The contacts adopt collimating lenses, and the non-contact connection design avoids end face wear. The mechanical life can reach 2000 cycles of insertion and extraction, and the outgoing light spot is large, which is not sensitive to dust, effectively solving the problem of signal attenuation caused by end face pollution and wear of traditional connectors.

In terms of optical performance, the insertion loss of this series of connectors is ≤0.6dB@850nm, ≤1.2dB@1310nm, and the return loss is >20dB@850nm, ≥45dB@1310nm. It can realize low-loss and high-fidelity transmission of multiple optical signals in the TCMS system, ensuring millisecond-level response of key commands such as traction and braking, which meets the stringent requirements of rail transit for signal transmission. In addition, the product supports multi-channel optical communication, which can integrate various monitoring data of the TCMS system, realize real-time monitoring and data interaction of train operation status, and help the operation enterprise achieve intelligent operation and maintenance.

After the completion of the project upgrade and transformation, long-term field operation verification has shown that the Ankeno J599E6 Series expanded beam fiber optic connectors operate stably without any problems such as signal interruption and excessive loss. The reliability of the TCMS system has been greatly improved, and the frequency and cost of operation and maintenance have been significantly reduced. This application case fully proves that the J599E6 Series products can perfectly meet the high requirements of the TCMS system. With the advantages of high reliability, harsh environment resistance, and easy operation and maintenance, it provides an efficient and stable fiber optic connection solution for the rail transit field, and also demonstrates Ankeno’s technical strength and innovation capability in the field of high-end precision connectors.