Hardware Glossary
Wondering what all those boxes and cables and things in your buses are called? Read on to find out.
Attendant
The attendant is the brain of the Transportant system. The copilot and cameras receive power from and process data through the attendant.
Attendants come in an older version, v3, and a newer and more reliable v4. Your fleet might have one, the other, or a mix of both. For the purposes of this article, we will discuss attendants generally and not worry about the different versions. That said, to install and diagnose attendants it is useful to know which version you have. To tell them apart, see our article Attendant Versions.
Front
The front of the attendant is where the copilot, cameras, and the antenna connect to the attendant. Each Ethernet port on the faceplate of the attendant is labeled with the designated device for that port. The antenna connects to the attendant using the coaxial connectors on the right hand side of the attendant. Each coaxial connector is labeled with the designated antenna lead for that coaxial connector.
Back
The back of the attendant is featureless.
Bottom
Each attendant is assigned a hostname of the form "atd" plus a four digit number, for example atd1302. The hostname is the identifier for the attendant and is unique to each unit. The hostname is found on a sticker on the bottom of the attendant (see photo below).
You will need the hostname when you allocate an attendant to a bus.
Self Install/Replacement
To install, remove, or replace an attendant, see our Attendant Replacement Guide.
Copilot
The copilot is the touchscreen tablet that is mounted on the dashboard near the driver. This is where drivers will do pre- and post-checklists, run routes, track which students are onboard, and send an alert about any incidents.
For more information about how to use it, see the copilot section of the knowledge base.
Front
The front of the copilot has the screen that the driver interacts with. Turn by turn directions and all ridership information is displayed here.
Back
Like attendants, each copilot is assigned a unique hostname. A copilot hostname is of the form "atp" plus a four digit number, for example atp1068, and is found on a sticker on the back (see photo below).
You will need the hostname when you allocate a copilot to a bus.
Self Install/Replacement
The copilot self install package is as shown in the photo below. Aside from the copilot itself, the package comes with a copilot power module, mounting bracket, and screws.
Once physically installed, do not forget to allocate it.
Cameras
Example
Below is a Transportant camera. A camera connects to the attendant via an Ethernet cable. The camera shown is one interior model; Transportant also has other models, including weatherproof outdoor cameras.
Self Install/Replacement
The camera self install package is as shown in the photo below. Aside from the camera itself, the package comes with a mounting bracket, screws, grommet, and hex key.
Once physically installed, do not forget to allocate it.
Looms and Cables
A cable is an assembly of wires wrapped together. It might appear at first glance to be a single wire, but if you were to cut it open (please don't do this) you would find that the exterior wrapping houses a number of wires. Cables transmit signals, power, or both.
The cables we use are category 5e Ethernet, commonly called "cat 5e".
A loom, in turn, is an assembly of cables which together perform a specific function such as transmitting signals or electrical power to the attendant.
Analog Input Loom
The analog input loom connects the attendant to analog sensors such as an all clear button.
Audio Takeover Loom
The audio takeover loom connects the attendant to the bus's existing speakers and audio system in the bus to facilitate audio takeover functionality. Audio takeover works with your existing audio system; speakers are not provided by Transportant.
Power Loom
The power loom supplies 12V DC power from the bus to the attendant.
15 Meter Ethernet Cable
This is the longest Ethernet cable we provide, used for connecting one rear camera to the attendant. 15 meters is about 50 feet.
8 Meter Ethernet Cable
The 8 meter cable is used for connecting one midship camera to the attendant. 8 meters is about 25 feet.
5 Meter Ethernet Cable
The 5 meter cable is used for connecting the front camera or copilot to the attendant. 5 meters is about 15 feet.
Miscellaneous
Copilot Power Transformer
The 12V to 5V power transformer for the copilot is pictured below. The micro USB end of the transformer plugs into the micro USB splitter on the copilot. The red and black wires of the transformer terminate at the DC power connector.
Power over Ethernet (PoE) Injector
The Power over Ethernet (PoE) injector connects to the attendant via a female Ethernet port. The male Ethernet side connects directly to the female Ethernet port on the bottom of the copilot. The barrel connect side is connected to a DC power connector.
DC Power Connector, Female
Connects to the copilot power transformer via red and black wires, and connects to the PoE injector via the barrel connector.
DC Power Connector, Male
Connects to the copilot power transformer via red and black wires, and connects to PoE injector via the barrel connector.
Copilot Power Module
Put together the copilot power transformer, the PoE injector, and the male and female DC power connectors, and you get the assembled copilot power module. It connects to the copilot via micro USB, and to the attendant via the male Ethernet port on the PoE injector.
Antenna
The antenna is installed on the roof of the bus to provide cellular and GPS signals to the attendant. It connects to the attendant via coaxial connectors on the front of the attendant.
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