Here’s How Roadtec’s Guardian System Works with Topcon

Here’s how Roadtec’s Guardian telematics system works with Topcon’s grade and slope controls.

Roadtec’s Guardian telematics system has long enabled service technicians and equipment owners to remotely monitor pavers, mills and shuttle buggies to resolve problems as they arise. At World of Asphalt 2019, Roadtec, Chattanooga, announced Guardian would now integrate with automatic grade and slope controls from Topcon Positioning Systems, Livermore, California.

It had previously only integrated with grade and slope systems from Moba, Limburg, Germany. Here’s how Guardian and Topcon work together.

Throughout the job, Topcon’s 2D P-32 system controls grade and slope on milling machines and pavers using their machine automation control firmware. The P-32 system is constantly communicating with sensors and sharing the information with all the nodes involved in maintaining grade control. There can be thousands of messages exchanged between these nodes in one second over the controller area network.

This same information is transmitted to Guardian over the paver’s Controller Area Network (CAN bus). CAN bus is an internal network designed to allow components within the paver to communicate with one another.The Guardian hardware (GA-ES132 system) mounted inside the paver, monitors all the CAN messages transmitted across the entire machine’s CAN network, including the Topcon CAN messages.

The information Guardian collects is also transmitted over the cellular network for remote access by mechanics, fleet owners or Roadtec service technicians. Guardian is web-based, so it can be accessed via any smartphone, tablet or computer.

Guardian tracks every parameter the Topcon system uses to maintain grade, so anyone monitoring the paver sees the same information the screed operator sees. If the 2D P-32 controller is not maintaining grade properly, a technician can remotely access Topcon’s settings, diagnose the issue, and adjust Topcon’s parameters without traveling to the job. If no one within the company can solve the problem, they can contact Roadtec support to troubleshoot and correct the issue.

Throughout the shift, Guardian logs all Topcon-related faults instantly as they occur or for later review. Guardian also automatically emails fault codes, service reminders, and production reports to the owner and service department.

For more information, contact Max Peters from Roadtec at mpeters@roadtec.com or (423) 394-2615, or Kyle Grathwol from Grathwol Automation at kyle@grathwolautomation.com or (419) 503-3545. Guardian is a Grathwol Automation IntelliMatics® product written for Roadtec.