Goodbye Suitcase, Hello Performance – NWS Testbox

Increasingly sophisticated controllers and software demand tools equal to the task. NWS Testbox is a 21st century software solution that obsoletes suitcase-style signal controller test boxes with a powerful and flexible software solution. It provides traffic engineers with everything they need to demonstrate the effects of timing values while researching timing solutions for complex, often competing, multimodal system demands. The program works with NTCIP-compliant controllers to coordinate data flows between a PC and controller. Using an Ethernet connection, NWS Testbox accesses NTCIP controller functions to control inputs, read outputs and display timers.

Each group of sent and received data is tracked and can be recorded for later playback. Recordings can be emailed to other users and NWS support for analysis. The program is scalable and sophisticated, providing much more functionality than a suitcase tester ever could. It is the right tool for configuring and evaluating modern NTCIP-compliant controller timing.

An additional advantage of using a software-based tester is flexibility. Suitcase testers cannot accommodate rapidly changing features appearing in modern controllers. For example, the 2070 controller has 20 more inputs and 8 more outputs than the 170 controllers they were designed to replace. Modifying a hardware-based tester is a major undertaking requiring much more than adding lights and switches. NWS Testbox can adapt input-output changes in seconds.