Q&A

Q : How does SCATS work?

A : Scats works very well in a wide variety of conditions from the road network in Sydney to the somewhat more chaotic traffic such as can be found in many cities in Asia. Each installation works a little differently, primarily because of the way the system is utilised and intersection personalities are prepared. The ultimate efficacy of any system depends upon the skill level of the operators and their understanding of traffic management issues. Another critical factor is on-going support, which is where we pride ourselves in-as-much as we consider ourselves to be partners to our clients and provide solid support and a willingness to share our knowledge and expertise.

Q : Can SCATS operate with a reduced number of detectors?

A : Yes, but just like a car driving on 3 wheels, it will not provide optimal performance. The more sophisticated the performance requirements are, the more it is critical for ALL parts of the system to be fully operational. In order to extract the best possible performance, and thereby, benefit, from the system, it's implementation should adhere strictly to the SCATS installation requirements.

Q : Can we use SCATS and a count down timers on the street?

A : No, you can not. SCATS is a fully adaptive system, and as such it can make decisions to terminate or extend green phases based on demand, hence the duration of the phase is not predictable. If the duration of the phase is fixed, then SCATS will be running in fixed time mode, thus losing the benefit of it's adaptive capabilities. In this mode of operation it is very difficult to achieve best performance.

Q : Can we connect non-SCATS controller to SCATS?

A : No, you can’t.

Q : How far can intersections be located from the SCATS computer?

A : There is no real limit. In today's wired world it is possible to control intersections from anaywhere in the world. At QTC we have a variety of communications solutions available. Please contact us for a full assessment of your requirements.

Q : We are using very old SCATS controllers; will they be compatible to a new version of SCATS?

A : Yes, SCATS will support old controllers, however you may not be able to utilise all the power of the SCATS while those controllers are in operation. Newer generations of controllers have much more functionality.

Q : What are the advantages of a SCATS detector loop configuration?

A : There are many, it offers better noise immunity then a plain rectangular loop; it offers much better discrimination of vehicles located in the lane were it is installed vs. the neighbouring lane.