Multiple lifts are coordinated and optimised by a Group Controller.
A group controller can be configured control a bank of legacy relay lift controllers as an 'overlay'. Improving the traffic handling of the building without the expense of replacing all the lift controllers.
The Alphasoft software that implements our high performance group controller is 'Despatch-32'.
Despatch 32 is a computer program that handles landing calls and optimises the traffic handling of a lift system. It can replace an existing relay or electronic group controller or common section. Optional software modules provide the handling of security or lift monitoring. An interface/controller enclosure is provided for each lift and connects back to Despatch32 through a twisted pair RS485 network.
Despatch 32 has several advantages over older relay or electronic group controllers.
- Despatch-32 performs a computationally intensive optimisation of the possible landing call assignments, chosing the best placed lift for each call.
- It takes full advantage of coincident car calls.
- It anticipates furure calls with demand pattern sensitive parking.
- Despatch 32 has the option of 'unbunching' the lifts to reduce the waiting time variance.
- It is more reliable because hundreds or even thousands of old relays can be replaced by modern electronics.
- Fire service and independent service are standard components of the interface/controllers.
- It supports all aspects of the Alphasoft lift monitoring protocol.
- It fully supports the Australian Elevator Association 'type B' security HLI protocol providing single destination floor enforcement and reporting.
- Despatch 32 runs on our ARM CPU board.
The graph below shows actual traffic data of a four lift, Despatch 32 system (blue), and the trend line of the same building's original 'Otis VIP’ relay system (black). The reduction in waiting times gained by replacing the relay group controller is substantial in light and heavy traffic.
