IRIS

Intelligent Roadway Information System

Beacons

Select View ➔ Message Signs ➔ Beacons menu item

A beacon is a light or set of lights that flashes toward oncoming traffic. Sometimes called flashers or wig-wags, their purpose is to draw attention to a static sign or DMS.

Beacons can be connected to controllers using one of these protocols:

API Resources 🕵️

iris/beacon_state (lookup table)
iris/api/beacon (primary)
iris/api/beacon/{name}

Access	Primary	Secondary
👁️ View	name, location	geo_loc
👉 Operate	state
💡 Manage	message, notes	preset
🔧 Configure	controller	pin, verify_pin, ext_mode

Setup

Message is a static text message on the sign.

Notes can be any extra information about the beacon.

Pin is the controller output pin to activate beacon.

Verify Pin is a digital input to sense whether the lights are activated, for beacons which have verify circuitry. For the CBW protocol, it is also an output to energize the verify circuit. Pin and Verify Pin can be the same.

Ext Mode determines the state reported when a verify is detected without being commanded:

false: Fault: Stuck On
true: Flashing: External (use when an external system can control the beacon)

State is one of the following values:

State	Description
Unknown	State not known due to communication error
Dark	Not flashing
Flashing	Lights flashing, commanded by IRIS
Flashing: External	Lights flashing, commanded by external system
Fault: Stuck On	Lights flashing, but not commanded
Fault: No Verify	Flashing commanded, but not verified

Beacons can be controlled in a few ways:

Changing state manually through the user interface
Deploying or blanking DMS with a remote beacon
Activating a ramp meter with an advance warning beacon
With action plans containing beacon actions

Events

Whenever a beacon's state changes, a time-stamped record is added to the beacon_event table. These records are purged automatically when older than the value of the beacon_event_purge_days system attribute.