General Tab

When the MDT Server logs off the mobile computer, a message is sent to the MDT Center informing Dispatch that the vehicle has been logged off due to too many NAKs.

If set to Yes, Auto-arrive changes the status to A and the ActArr time is logged. When the Auto-arrive message comes in, the mobile computer calls the Schedule Server, which changes the event status to Arrive and sets the ActArrive Time. The MDT Server then sets ActArriveLat/Lon, AutoArrive Time and the ArriveType: Auto-Arrive.

If set to No, the status and ActArr time are not updated and the AutoArrive time and ArriveType are logged. When the Auto-arrive message comes in, the MDT Server updates the Auto-arrive time and type. The mobile computer does not call the Schedule Server to update the status or ActArr. In this mode, the system captures the time when the driver presses Arrive.

If a driver arrives and performs an event outside of this threshold, a message is sent to the Dispatch Center indicating that the driver arrived outside of the target area.

Set a time to limit how often the MDT Server communicates with the Schedule Server. The (ms) is for milliseconds.

This property serves as a flow control mechanism. In some larger transit sites, the MDT Server might send a high volume of requests to the Schedule Server and the dispatchers and schedulers would have to wait until the processing was completed.

This is helpful should you need to view the data at a later time.

This data is stored in the InAvl table. The MDT Server deletes the data after the specified number of days has expired.

This data (OutAvltxtCMd) is stored in the MdtMessageLog table. The MDT Server deletes the data after the specified number of days.

If the vendor also has AVL settings, they override this setting.

Default Radius (M)

(This property is used only for transit sites that have mobile computers that support Auto-arrive or the Perform Out of Order functionality.)

When the mobile computer comes within this range of the scheduled event, it triggers the associated AutoArrive or Perform Out of Order functions.

If set to No, the Schedule Server keeps the connection once it is established so that the MDT Server can continually reuse the same connection. This is more efficient than having the Schedule Server disconnect from the MDT Server after each call.

Pick-up event behavior: This function marks all of the passengers as arrived within Trapeze PASS when the first passenger is marked as arrived. Each passenger must still be marked as performed or no-show individually.

This pick-up functionality does not work for all mobile computer vendors because of restrictions in Trapeze MDC.

Drop-off event behavior: When you have several passengers at the same location, you do not need to mark an Arrive/Perform for each passenger at the drop-off. If set to Yes, you can mark an Arrive/Perform only for the first passenger. The system generates transactions to remove the other passengers from the driver’s manifest.

By default, it is set to 8 (hrs).

Depending on the robustness of the communications system that your transit site uses, the mobile computers on the service vehicles may not be receiving messages properly.

Noise in the system may cause consecutive messages to be marked as NAK. A NAK may also be generated by the communication gateway software (vendor dependent) if a response is not received from the mobile computer.

Set the number of NAK messages that are to be received before the MDT Server sends a message to the MDT Center placing the vehicle in NAK status.

The messages are placed in a holding pattern for a specified period of time. This time is set with the Delay After NAK Status property.

This setting is in seconds. When set to 0, it is Off.

For any arrive or perform times received that are higher than this threshold, the MDT Server uses the server system time instead. There is also a CDBLog and Tracker Action code stamp when this occurs.

This factor is usually left at 1 by default.

The Driver ID authentication field can be defined from the Login: Employee ID property.

If set to Yes, the system verifies a driver’s credentials after receiving the driver’s login and PIN.

If the login and PIN are valid, the driver is logged onto the system.

If the login and PIN are invalid, the system notifies the Dispatch center of an incorrect login attempt.

This property creates an MDT Center message if a driver attempts to log in to a mobile computer using a badge or Smart Card ID number that is currently in use in another mobile computer.

This property prevents drivers from logging onto multiple vehicles at the same time. If a driver logs into one vehicle successfully with or without an escort and then attempts to log in at a second vehicle, the second vehicle displays a Login failed message to the driver.

The purpose is to prevent drivers from sharing their badge numbers or Smart Card IDs with other drivers.

If a driver has to swap vehicles because of maintenance issues, the MDT Center must first log off the first vehicle. The driver should then be able to log into the second replacement vehicle.

This property is similar to the Login: Check Driver property.

In the right frame, enter the necessary information that describes the requirement and qualification mechanism.

This is set up in Trapeze PASS.

• Employee ID
• Badge Number
• Smart Card ID
• Driver License ID

The type of ID that the driver uses to log in should match the type set in the server.

In the right hand frame, enter the necessary information that describes the requirement and qualification mechanism.

This is set up in Trapeze PASS.

This property specifies the value that a driver can use as employee ID login:

This is the recommended option.

If this property is set to No, then the system does not clear the manifest.

This is used together with the Login: Trip Resend property.

This factor can be either a positive or negative value. The value by default is 1.

To define cancel codes, in the PASS Workstation, click File > Ancillary Data > Para > Service > Schedule Status Codes. Click the User Defined Cancel Codes tab. Define any codes and click OK.

The system uses the information to determine which communication protocols to apply (for example, when sending messages to MDTs).

The value by default is 30.

The value by default is 30.

You can use a custom file extension.

For example, in MDTSRV.MTA the file extension is the acronym of the transit site name.

No data or the same AVL data typically means that the vehicle has not moved over a period of time.

This property is set to 0 (Off) by default.

This property is used to limit non-text messages that have been broadcast to all vehicles throughout the day from being sent to vehicles logging on later in the day (second shift).

This is used to prevent a high volume of messages from being sent upon login.

This property allows inbound No Show (NS) or Cancel at the Door (CD) messages to be displayed to Dispatch via the MDT Center.

Set NS as the default.

If NS or CD messages are not shown to Dispatch, any NS or CD message received from MDTs are processed automatically by the Schedule Server with no interaction with Dispatch.

When the drivers perform the break or lunch event, the MDT Server resumes sending all queued trips to the mobile computer.

This prevents unnecessary traffic from going through the data network.

The value is usually left at 0.

If set to Yes, the system is provide the location of the vehicle (AVL data).

On the System tab, the InfoServer > Services > Host Address and IP Port properties must likewise be defined in order for this property to be applied.

Once the dispatcher marks a client as a No Show or cancels the client’s booking, the changes are transmitted to the mobile computer and the bookings are removed from the manifest.

With version 4_461_000 and higher, this should be typically set to N/A. The Schedule Server generates the appropriate transactions to remove the event from the mobile computer.

If set to No, unperformed trips will remain on the driver's MDT.

For example, Joe is scheduled to pick up Passenger A at 10:00 A.M. and Passenger B at 10:30 A.M. The Arrive and Perform for Passenger A is at 9:59 A.M. and 10:02, respectively. For some reason, however, the driver arrives to pick up passenger B only at 11:30 A.M., an hour later than scheduled. A break is then assigned in between the 10:00 and 10:30 A.M. trips.

Set a higher priority on a manually sent trip from the Dispatch screen to a mobile computer. This higher priority overrides the priority of any other event being sent out by the MDT Server to the mobile computer. It is recommended that this property be set to Yes so that anytime a last minute trip needs to go out to a mobile computer immediately, the dispatcher can manually send the trip and override what the MDT Server is currently trying to send out.

If set to Yes, later trips sent manually are sent before earlier trips posted by Autosend.

SMS Gateway

(This set of properties is used with Trapeze SMS Gateway.)

• Data Source Name
• Data Source Password
• Data Source User Name
• SMS Message

  You can set the message that you want to appear in the SMS Message field. For example, New event in MDT.

For example, if a dispatcher were to insert trips onto drivers’ manifests, the mobile computer informs the drivers that an event or stop has been added to their schedules and they have to accept or decline. It gives drivers the ability to note if they do not think they could accomplish the inserted trip for whatever reason.

Note that this function uses the Estimated (EST) not the Scheduled time. If the time of the Arrive or Perform is greater than the time tolerance set, a message is sent to the Dispatch center informing them of the early Arrive and Perform.

For example, a driver has a pick-up with an estimated time of 8:00, the time tolerance setting is for 10 minutes, and the driver presses the Arrive key on the mobile computer at 7:45. Because the driver pressed Arrive 15 minutes early, which is greater then the 10 minute tolerance, then a message appears on the MDT Center informing the Dispatch center of the early Arrive or Perform. The trip status is updated based on the setting of the Trip Early/Late: Always Notification SchSrv property.

Set the time tolerance for a late Arrive or Perform time received from a mobile computer.

Note that this function uses the Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) not the Schedule time. If the time of the Arrive or Perform is greater than the time tolerance set, a message is sent to the Dispatch center informing them of the late Arrive and Perform.

For example, a driver has a pick-up with an estimated time of 8:00, the time tolerance setting is for 10 minutes, and the driver presses the Arrive key on the mobile computer at 8:15. Because the driver pressed Arrive 15 minutes late, which is greater than the 10 minute tolerance, a message appears on the MDT Center informing the Dispatch center of the late Arrive or Perform. The trip status is updated based on the setting of the Trip Early/Late: Always Notification SchSrv property.

If a trip is early or late and this property is set to Yes, the MDT Server sends the information to the Schedule Server, which stamps the ActArr or ActDep time of the event and updates the estimated time of arrival.

If set to No, the Schedule Server only changes the schedule status of the trip but does not stamp the ActArr or ActDep time, therefore, it does not affect the estimated time column. The latter setting allows the dispatcher to review the status of the trip and manually enter the actual arrive/perform time.

If set to Yes, the changes made by the driver update the booking activity record on future bookings on the same day of service.

(This property group is used for Trapeze Supervisor-MON.)

• Host Address
• Interval time
• IP Port
• User Name
• Password