Traffic Signal Firmware Conversion and Software Integration for an Existing Signal Network in Pasadena, California

The City of Pasadena’s traffic management center currently monitors and operates over two hundred and fifty signals throughout the City. The operation and maintenance of existing traffic signals and traffic communication network is facilitated from the Traffic Management Center (TMC) through use of three different traffic management systems: Series2000, QuickNet Pro, and Siemens i2. The City is transitioning to newer traffic signal controllers, standard traffic signal firmware, and a more centralized advanced traffic management system (ATMS). The purpose of the conversion is to provide a more technologically advanced and specialized traffic signal control means to address the most challenging traffic conditions. This paper will describe the thorough process of converting the base timing parameters for over one hundred and twenty signals to a new firmware, inputting and uploading the converted firmware into the existing central system software (i2), preparing intersection graphics, and re-allocating data channels of the existing links to accommodate the maximum number of controllers per channel. The paper will also describe the limitations brought on by this transition, and the difficulty of deploying and implementing new firmware and software using older communication infrastructure.