Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40293088›Full record

ArticleSensors (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Development and Validation of a Low-Cost External Signal Acquisition Device for Smart Rail Pads: A Comparative Performance Study.

Amparo Guillén, Fernando Moreno-Navarro, Miguel Sol-Sánchez, Guillermo R Iglesias

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Amparo GuillénLabIC-UGR, Laboratory of Construction Engineering, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.ORCID 0009-0005-1699-2838
Fernando Moreno-NavarroLabIC-UGR, Laboratory of Construction Engineering, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.
Miguel Sol-SánchezLabIC-UGR, Laboratory of Construction Engineering, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-3756-7556
Guillermo R IglesiasNanoMag Lab, Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Granada, Edificio I+D Josefina Castro, Av. de Madrid, 28, 18012 Granada, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-5623-1516

Funding

Ministry of Science, Innovation and University of Spain and by the European Union Next Genera-tion EU/PRTR PDC2022-133966-I00. (MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The development of cost-effective and reliable railway monitoring technologies is crucial for the maintenance of modern infrastructure. Embedding sensors into rail pads has emerged as a promising approach for monitoring wheel-track interactions, but the successful implementation of these systems requires a robust framework for signal data acquisition and analysis. This study validates a custom-designed External Signal Acquisition Device (ESAD) for use with smart rail pads, comparing its performance against a high-precision commercial analog module. While the commercial module delivers exceptional accuracy, its high cost, bulky size, and complex installation requirements limit its practicality for large-scale railway applications. Laboratory-scale and full-scale experiments simulating real-world railway conditions demonstrated that the custom ESAD performs comparably to the commercial module. During simulated train passages, the ESAD showed reduced signal dispersion as load and train speed increased, confirming its ability to provide reliable calibration data. Moreover, the device maintained over 95% reliability in analyzing load-to-signal linearity, ensuring consistent and dependable performance in both laboratory and field settings. However, the ESAD does have limitations, including slightly lower resolution for low frequencies and potential sensitivity to extreme environmental conditions, which may affect its performance in specific scenarios. These findings highlight the ESAD's potential to strike a balance between cost and functionality, making it a viable solution for widespread railway monitoring applications. This research contributes to the advancement of affordable and efficient railway monitoring technologies, fostering the adoption of preventive maintenance practices and enhancing overall infrastructure performance.

Indexed as

analog modulecalibrationexternal signal acquisition deviceinteractive padsmonitoringsignal acquisition

Identifiers

PMID40293088
PMCPMC11945634

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.