Package jmri

Interface Section

All Superinterfaces:
Comparable<NamedBean>, NamedBean, PropertyChangeProvider
All Known Implementing Classes:
DefaultSection
public interface Section extends NamedBean
Sections represent a group of one or more connected Blocks that may be allocated to a train traveling in a given direction.

A Block may be in multiple Sections. All Blocks contained in a given section must be unique. Blocks are kept in order--the first block is connected to the second, the second is connected to the third, etc.

A Block in a Section must be connected to the Block before it (if there is one) and to the Block after it (if there is one), but may not be connected to any other Block in the Section. This restriction is enforced when a Section is created, and checked when a Section is loaded from disk.

A Section has a "direction" defined by the sequence in which Blocks are added to the Section. A train may run through a Section in either the forward direction (from first block to last block) or reverse direction (from last block to first block).

A Section has one or more EntryPoints. Each EntryPoint is a Path of one of the Blocks in the Section that defines a connection to a Block outside of the Section. EntryPoints are grouped into two lists: "forwardEntryPoints" - entry through which will result in a train traveling in the "forward" direction "reverseEntryPoints" - entry through which will result in a train traveling in the "reverse" direction Note that "forwardEntryPoints" are also reverse exit points, and vice versa.

A Section has one of the following states" FREE - available for allocation by a dispatcher FORWARD - allocated for travel in the forward direction REVERSE - allocated for travel in the reverse direction

A Section has an occupancy. A Section is OCCUPIED if any of its Blocks is OCCUPIED. A Section is UNOCCUPIED if all of its Blocks are UNOCCUPIED

A Section of may be allocated to only one train at a time, even if the trains are travelling in the same direction. If a Section has sufficient space for multiple trains travelling in the same direction it should be broken up into multiple Sections so the trains can follow each other through the original Section.

A Section may not contain any reverse loops. The track that is reversed in a reverse loop must be in a separate Section.

Each Section optionally carries two direction sensors, one for the forward direction and one for the reverse direction. These sensors force signals for travel in their respective directions to "RED" when they are active. When the Section is free, both the sensors are Active. These internal sensors follow the state of the Section, permitting signals to function normally in the direction of allocation.

Each Section optionally carries two stopping sensors, one for the forward direction and one for the reverse direction. These sensors change to active when a train traversing the Section triggers its sensing device. Stopping sensors are physical layout sensors, and may be either point sensors or occupancy sensors for short blocks at the end of the Section. A stopping sensor is used during automatic running to stop a train that has reached the end of its allocated Section. This is needed, for example, to allow a train to enter a passing siding and clear the track behind it. When not running automatically, these sensors may be used to light panel lights to notify the dispatcher that the train has reached the end of the Section.

This Section implementation provides for delayed initialization of blocks and direction sensors to be independent of order of items in panel files.