Admin and Publish Privileges

Admin and Publish are the two levels of access to a GRIDSMART Processor through the GRIDSMART Client that require a password. Publish or Admin level access is required to Publish. Admin level is required to change passwords and to perform Reset To Factory. The default Admin and Publish passwords are both aldis#world9. These can be changed by selecting Passwords under the Site Settings item of the Site Menu. With v19.3, Security has changed considerably. A third level of access has been added. With 19.3, there are three account-types and all three require matched usernames and passwords. The three account-types are Admin (administrator), Publish, and Aldis (for read-only access). Please see the 19.3 UserGuide for further explanation.


Alerts Module

Starting with GRIDSMART 6.0, the Alerts Module has been replaced by the Performance Plus Module.


Allow Side Entry

Option for a Vehicle Zone, available by selecting the zone in the Site Configuration Screen and clicking on Options. If either left or right side entry is enabled, the selected zone will detect vehicles that might enter the zone from the indicated side rather than just those that are traveling in the zone flow direction. You might use this if you have a zone next to a parking lot where vehicles tend to enter mid-zone from the side.


Auto Reports

A GRIDSMART Processor can be configured to automatically email reports to a group of contacts on a schedule. This functionality is included as part of the Performance Module and also as part of the historical Counts and Realtime DataModules.



Counts Module

Starting with GRIDSMART 6.0, the Counts Module has been superseded by the Performance Module. Existing Counts Modules will continue to work without upgrade, but will not be able to use any of the new report types introduced in the Performance Module. The Counts Module enables access to data recording capabilities such as volume counts and turning movements. With the Counts Module, various volume-based reports, excluding the new aggregation capabilities introduced in the Performance Module, can be generated by and exported from the GRIDSMART Client. The Counts Module also includes the Auto Reports functionality.



Data Stick or Data Drive

A USB stick or drive used for collecting and synchronizing data and site configurations between GRIDSMART Processors and the GRIDSMART Client. These must be formatted as NTFS volumes and you must make sure that there is enough available space on the drive before use, otherwise data may not be synchronized.



Delay

Option that can be set for a Vehicle Zone. No output will be sent for the zone until presence has been detected for a duration greater than the entered number of seconds. This option can be set by selecting the zone in the Site Configuration Screen and clicking Options.



Engine

The Engine refers to image processing firmware that runs on the GRIDSMART Processor. The Engine is responsible for detecting, tracking and counting objects in the scene and managing zone activations in response to those objects.



Export

The Export function, available in the Site Menu on the Site View Screen, will create a file that can be emailed and/or imported into the GRIDSMART Client on another machine.



Extension

Option that can be set for a Vehicle Zone. After all presences have left a zone, output will be sent for that zone until the number of seconds entered has passed. This option can be set by selecting the zone in the Site Configuration Screenand clicking Options.



Factory Default

This indicates a GRIDSMART Processor that is in the default state in which it ships from the factory. The Site Card for such a Processor will be labelled Factory Default on your Sites Homepage. You can return a locally-connected GRIDSMART Processor to the Factory Default state with the Reset To Factory option.



Firmware

The Firmware comprises everything that runs onboard the GRIDSMART Processor for standard operation. This includes the Engine and the Server.



Flash Alert

The intersection is suspected to be in flash if no greens are observed for 12 seconds or more.



GRIDSMART API

The GRIDSMART API (Application Programming Interface) refers to HTTP requests that can be sent to a GRIDSMART Processor to retrieve information about the site as well as live images from the connected cameras. Please refer to the GRIDSMART API documentation for more details.



GRIDSMART Client


The Client is a Windows program for viewing and configuring GRIDSMART Processors, generating reports, and/or viewing historical data.



GRIDSMART Cloud

GRIDSMART Cloud is the online support center for GRIDSMART installers and customers. If you link your Client to GRIDSMART Cloud with your user credentials, your Client will store back up copies of all your site configurations there in case your computer ever crashes and/or you need to recover all of your sites. Additionally, Cloud will take care of keeping the sites of multiple users in sync with one another in the event that more than one person edits a site.



GRIDSMART Processor

GRIDSMART hardware/housing usually located in the traffic cabinet. The GRIDSMART Processor contains all of the GRIDSMART electronics with the exception of the camera. The Processor has an LED front panel display and various ports for camera, network, and controller connections.



Hold Stationary

If this option is set to a value other than the default 0 seconds, GRIDSMART will maintain zone activations for stationary objects for at least the entered amount of time regardless of the changes in the light state. Normally, this option is unnecessary as the GRIDSMART system will, after two green cycles, stop making calls for stationary objects.



Latching

Option that can be set for a Vehicle Zone. If Latching is set to On, any call made for the zone will persist until that zone receives a green light. This option can be set by selecting the zone in the Site Configuration Screen and clicking Options.



Learning Mode

First 4-6 minutes of system operation after a reboot, restart, or adding/replacing cameras. During Learning Mode, the system will operate in recall while the GRIDSMART Engine is learning the scene.



Local Site or Local Processor

The Local Site or Local Processor refers to a GRIDSMART Processor to which you are connected via the local port on the Processor. The site on the Processor itself will also be the Local Site if you are running the GRIDSMART Client on the Processor. The Site Card for the Local Site will always appear first and larger on your Sites Homepage.



Max Recall

Option that can be set for a Vehicle Zone. When Max Recall is On, all configured outputs for the zone will be set to Active in Learning Mode and during any failsafe operation. When Max Recall is Off, the zone will operate in a min recall mode during Learning Mode and failsafe scenarios. In this case, the configured outputs will be set to Active only when the phase they are assigned to is not green or if they are not assigned to a phase.



Modules

Modules are independently licensed sets of features that can be enabled on a GRIDSMART Processor. With 6.0, available modules include the Performance Module, the Performance Plus Module, and the Pedestrian Module.
The previous Counts Module and Realtime Data Module are no longer available, both being superseded by the Performance Module. Existing Counts Modules will continue to function, even if the Processor is upgraded, but they will not gain access to new report types. Existing Realtime Data Modules will be automatically updated to the new Performance Module.



Object Mask

Object Masks should be drawn to cover objects that block or interfere with the camera view of the ground or road. Object Masks are important to eliminate objects that may result in false calls (e.g., signal heads, mast arms) or disrupt the image contrast because they are highly reflective (e.g., luminaire heads, poles, mast arms) or emit light at night (e.g., lighted signage).



Option Card

The Option Card is the IO module on the front of a GS2 that is used to connect the Processor to the Traffic Cabinet



Pedestrian Module

The Pedestrian Module enables the GRIDSMART system to detect pedestrian moving through crosswalks for extensions and increased safety. Note that the Pedestrian Module does not support counting or actuation.



Pedestrian Zone

A Pedestrian Zone is the basic Pedestrian detection region. You usually assign an output to this so that a signal is sent to the controller when a Pedestrian is in the region. Pedestrian Zones are created in the Site Configuration Screen. You can only create Pedestrian Zones if the GRIDSMART Processor is licensed for the Pedestrian Module.



Performance Module

The Performance Module, introduced with GRIDSMART 6.0, includes all the functionality of the previous Counts and Realtime Data Modules. It additionally enables new historical reporting on performance-related data that was previously only accessible for the past hour through the API. A few new report types are available now, including multi-day aggregation by sum or average, as well as green and red occupancy reports. New report types will be added in upcoming releases. The Performance Module replaces both the Counts Module and the Realtime Data Module.



Performance Plus Module

The Performance Plus Module, introduced with GRIDSMART 6.0, includes all of the functionality of the Performance Module and adds email alert capability. With this Module, the GRIDSMART Processor can send alert emails to a user-defined set of contacts when certain events occur, including both Site Alerts and Zone Alerts. Site Alerts include All System Events (available without the Alerts Module), Loss Of Visibility, Flash, and Volume Exceeded. Zone Alerts include Volume Exceeded and Zone Activated, where Zone Activated alerts might be used for detecting wrong way travel or breakdown lane occupancy. New alert types will be added in upcoming releases.



Publish

Publishing means putting the changes you have made in the GRIDSMART Client into operation on the corresponding GRIDSMART Processor. Publish is available in the upper right corner of the Site Configuration Screen when you have unpublished changes. You are required to enter a username and password to Publish as well as a message about what changes you are publishing.



Publish History

The Publish History is visible in the Site Info panel by clicking Info on the Site View Screen. The Publish History shows a list of all changes that have ever been published to a site. The Publish History is also shown when clicking Revert in the Site Configuration Screen. You may select a configuration from the History and revert to that configuration by clicking Revert To Selected. This reverted configuration must be Published in order to take affect.



Publish To Drive


This functionality is no longer supported by sites with software version 19.3 or higher due to security changes.


This feature allows you to make changes to a site in your office or vehicle that can be put into field operation by simply connecting a USB storage device to the GRIDSMART Processor. When you have unpublished changes for a site to which you are not currently connected, clicking Publish on the Site Configuration Screen will present the Publish To Drive dialog.
Publish To Drive will take your unpublished changes and put them onto the selected drive, making that drive into a Data Stick or Drive. Your changes will be published to the corresponding Processor when the Data Stick or Drive is connected to the Processor. The changes will continue to show as unpublished in your Client until the Data Stick or Drive is once again connected to your Client machine with the Client running.
See How to make changes to a site without taking a laptop into the field for more detail.



Realtime Data Module

Starting with GRIDSMART 6.0, the Realtime Data Module has been replaced by the Performance Module. Existing Realtime Data Modules will be automatically upgraded to the Performance Module, at no charge, when the Processor is upgraded to 6.0 or later.
The Realtime Data Module, which included the Counts Module functionality, enabled access to some intersection performance metrics such as volume and percent-arrival-on-green for the last 15 minutes and last hour of operation via the API or the Realtime Data panel in the Client.



Recommission

Feature in the Client that enables an existing site configuration to be published to a locally connected Factory DefaultProcessor. Recommission makes it easy to replace a Processor without having to fully reconfigure the site. Recommission is accessed by clicking the Recommission button (recycle icon) on the Site Menu of a locally connected Factory Default Processor. See also How to replace a GRIDSMART Processor for more detail.



Replay

Feature that enables playback of data (images, phases, calls) acquired from a GRIDSMART Processor by connecting a Data Stick or Drive. The Replay function (movie reel icon) is accessible on the Site Menu. See How to record and review images for more detail.



Reports Screen

The Reports screen is for generating data reports for a site. The Reports Screen is accessed by clicking the chart icon on the Site Menu from the Site View Screen for sites with the Counts Module.



Reset To Factory

Reset a locally connected GRIDSMART Processor to its factory condition, erasing all configuration and history. Reset To Factory is available on the Site Configuration Screen and requires Admin level privileges. It must be used either with the GRIDSMART Client on the Processor or on a machine that is connected directly to the Processor local port. Reset To Factory cannot be performed remotely.



Revert

The Revert feature is available in the Site Configuration Screen and permits you to reconfigure a site just as it was for any previously published configuration. Note that the top item in the list is always the current operational configuration and reverting to this will erase any currently unpublished changes. If you select an older configuration, you must Publishto put the older configuration back into operation.



Road Mask

Draw Road Masks to block out all ground regions in the image, including medians, where vehicles do not need to be detected or tracked. This is critically important to ensure that the camera optimizes contrast in the tracking regions only.



SCATS

The SCATS option is available in the Control settings for TS1 sites. When SCATS mode is On, the GRIDSMART Processor outputs will behave more like analog inductive loops, where the output pulse durations will be computed from the length of the zone and speed of the tracked vehicle. This is in contrast to normal operation, where the zone outputs are either on or off for the duration of a full image frame period, usually about 150 milliseconds. In SCATS mode, there will be additional latency of about 1 second in the outputs, which is time that is required to compute, shape, and order the output pulses.



Server

The Server refers to firmware running on a GRIDSMART Processor. The Server is responsible for managing the Engine, handling user input by interacting with the GRIDSMART Client, and providing the GRIDSMART API.



Site Card

The Site Card is the view of an individual site on the Sites Homepage. The Site Card shows various information about the site, including thumbnail images for each camera, and is titled with the site name which is determined by the cross streets defined in the configuration.



Site Configuration Screen

The Site Configuration Screen is entered by clicking Configure (pencil) on the Site Menu in the Site View Screen. The Site Configuration Screen is where you will configure a site for operation and change operational parameters.



Site Menu

The Site Menu appears on the left side of the Site View Screen when the mouse is moved there. From top-to-bottom, the Site Menu contains the following items:
•Configure (pencil icon),
•Recommission (recycle icon) if site is Factory Default,
•Info (info bubble icon),
•Diagnostics (stethoscope icon),
•Phases & Calls (traffic signal icon),
•Realtime Data (broadcast icon) if licensed for Performance Plus Module,
•Reports (chart icon) if licensed for Performance Module,
•Replay (movie reel icon),
•Export (arrow out icon).



Site View Screen

The Site View Screen is the screen you are presented with after clicking a Site Card on the Sites Homepage. The Site View Screen has the Site Menu on the left and can be viewed in single- or four-panel view arrangements. On the upper right of each image panel is the View Toolbar.



Sites Homepage

The Sites Homepage is the first screen you see when you launch the GRIDSMART Client. It contains a scrollable grid of Site Cards for all of your known sites. You can return to the Sites Homepage by clicking the Home icon in the upper left of the Site View Screen.



Software

The GRIDSMART Software is commonly used to refer to the GRIDSMART Client.



Unpublished Changes

These are changes you have made in the Client that have not yet been put into operation on the Processor by publishing. Unpublished changes are indicated with a hashmark fill pattern. In the Site View Screen, zones and masks that have unpublished changes changes will be displayed with the hashmark fill pattern. Site Cards for sites that have unpublished changes will show with the hashmark pattern on the Sites Homepage.



Update Stick

A USB stick provided by GRIDSMART or your distributor that, when plugged into the GRIDSMART Processor, will automatically upgrade and/or repair the software on the Processor. The stick should have a label indicating the contained software version and date.



Vehicle Zone

A Vehicle Zone is the basic vehicle detection region. You usually assign an output to this so that a signal is sent to the controller when a vehicle is in the region. Vehicle Zones are created in the Site Configuration Screen.



View Toolbar

The View Toolbar is shown on the upper right corner of each image view in the Site View Screen. It hides automatically if the mouse is still and reappears once the mouse is moved.
From top-to-bottom, the View Toolbar contains the following items:
•Cameras (camera bell) to switch the camera being viewed,
•Quad View (numbers 1-4) to switch between single- and four-panel views,
•Options (sliders) to set various display options,
•Fisheye (eye, for fisheye cameras only) to switch between fisheye and flattened views, and
•Zoom (in flattened view only) to change the flattened zoom level.



Visibility Detection

Visibility Detection refers to the system’s mechanism to detect if zone visibility is reduced, such as from fog or glare. If a zone is determined to have a loss of visibility, that zone will be placed in recall. Visibility Detection is on for every zone by default, but can be disabled in the Zone Options for a zone that might be exhibiting loss-of-visibility false alarms.