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Tunnel controllers, controller signaling, sensors, retracts, motor control, and anti-collision systems. Part of the Car Wash Industry Glossary.

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16SCW (Sonny’s Speed Display Controller)

A Sonny’s controller accessory that drives a conveyor speed display - shows current tunnel/conveyor speed, used by staff to monitor throughput and catch conveyor problems. Also known as: Sonny’s Speed Display Controller. See also: Pulse Switch; Chain Speed; Conveyor.

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AEB (Automatic Emergency Braking)

A driver-assistance feature on modern vehicles that automatically applies the brakes when it detects an imminent collision. Inside a car wash tunnel, AEB can trigger spuriously on brushes, spray, or the vehicle ahead, stopping a car mid-conveyor and causing a rear-end pileup - the specific failure mode that computer-vision anti-collision systems are marketed against. Also known as: Automatic Emergency Braking. See also: NoPileups; Pileup; Anti-Collision; E-Stop.

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AI Retract

A safety feature described by AMP as using automated vehicle/service identification to control tunnel equipment retraction - likely arm/equipment retraction tied to detected vehicle position, though AMP’s own materials do not spell out the mechanism. Named marketing term, thin technical detail. See also: Loading Stations; AI Vehicle Recognition; Retract; AMP Memberships. Unverified.

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Anti-Collision (Anti-Collision Control / Pack Detection)

The general category of systems that prevent tunnel pile-ups - a vehicle stopping or slowing and being caught by the one behind it while both are moving through wash equipment. Traditional approaches use magnetic switches, photo eyes, or progress pads spaced roughly every 20 feet through the tunnel, automatically stopping/starting the conveyor; these have been substantially displaced at the high end by continuous computer-vision tracking. Every major controls vendor now markets a named answer: DRB NoPileups, Sonny’s SmartSTOP, omniX Labs’ WoWo, Spotless Wash Solutions’ TESS; ICS and Washlink market anti-collision as a built-in controller feature rather than a separately branded product. Also known as: collision avoidance (DRB TunnelWatch’s built-in dual-exit-sensor feature); pack detection; Anti-jam switch (related conveyor-jam protection). See also: NoPileups; SmartSTOP; WoWo; Tunnel Entrance Safety System.

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Auto Data Controller

A tunnel controller brand from Auto Data, Inc., an Atlanta, Georgia company selling car wash POS and controller systems since the mid 1980s, including the CashTracker POS and the PLC based Tunnel Logic controller. An independent third party brand with no confirmed corporate link to Sonny’s; it has been absent from trade press controller vendor listings since the late 2010s, though installed units remain supported in the field. One of the controller brands (with r-TC and DRB TunnelWatch) for which the Savable Retract feature is supported on Wash Queue Page buttons. See also: Loader Terminal; r-TC; TunnelWatch.

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Auto Retracts

FlexWash’s feature that automatically applies retracts to a vehicle based on saved tags, eliminating the need to manually select them for each wash. Controlled via the tunnel tablet and settable to apply automatically or require manual override per wash. Also known as: Sticky retracts; saved retracts; tag-based retracts; automatic retract application. See also: Retract; Tag; Wash Queue; OTT.

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Black Box (Black Box event recorder)

A tunnel controller’s onboard event/error log - recording alarms, sensor faults, and equipment activity history for later diagnosis - named “Black Box” independently by more than one vendor, evoking the aviation flight recorder. Used by name by Laguna Industries (rTC “Black Box event tracking”), MacNeil (PBS-4000 “black box recorder”) and Kesseltronics (r-TC “black box recording”); functionally comparable to DRB TunnelWatch’s automatic cloud backups and alarm-history logging, though DRB does not appear to use the term. Also known as: Black box recorder; black box recording; alarm history log. See also: r-TC; PBS-4000; Tunnel Controller; TunnelWatch.

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CarWash Controls (Sonny’s CarWash Controls)

Sonny’s tunnel controller and point-of-sale product line, covering pay stations, back-office management software, site controllers, LPR, gate control, and anti-collision, sold direct through sonnysdirect.com and through its CarWash Services distribution arm. It is positioned as an all-in-one hardware and software control system for a wash site, filling the role that competitors cover with separate tunnel controller and POS products. The cloud-based POS and business management software offers real-time reporting, flexible recurring billing and club plans, multi-site management from a single interface, detailed analytics, and an online interface for selling monthly plans and managing inventory across multiple locations (as of 2016). Also known as: Sonny’s Tunnel Controller (hardware side, per trademark record); Sonny’s Autopilot Controls (earlier/alternate branding, per trademark record); Sonny’s POS; CarWash Controls Back Office; Sonny’s software solution. See also: Back Office; Sonny’s Pay Station; OneWash; GoToKiosk.

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CDE (Cardholder Data Environment)

The PCI-standard term used throughout DRB’s internal networking material to name the segmented, secured subnet(s) carrying payment traffic at a site (e.g., “Wired CDE”, “Wireless CDE”), as distinct from non-CDE device subnets and a DMZ segment for anything third-party. Firewall rules and static assignments are documented per-CDE during Patheon conversions. See also: P2PE.

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Commander (Commander Pay Station)

A Hamilton pay-station product line (with a published installation manual for car wash applications), referenced alongside HTK and Gold Line as an alternative kiosk model. Also known as: Commander Pay Station. See also: HTK; Gold Line; CTK.

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Compuwash

A family tunnel controller business whose products and platform were sold to Sonny’s Enterprises in 2009, becoming the foundation of Sonny’s Controls. Used Sonny’s Wash Pilot push button controller boards on the secondary market still carry COMPUWASH labeling (e.g., WPL-CFIO boards), and Compuwash Commander and Diamond controller manuals still circulate for legacy installs. Also known as: CompuWash Commander (controller model); CompuWash Diamond (controller model). See also: Sonny’s Tunnel Controller; Wash Pilot; CarWash Controls; Tunnel Controller.

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Coordinator

FlexWash’s on-site network appliance that manages a location’s three network paths - the primary ISP connection, a cellular backup connection, and the peripheral (POS/tablet/camera/gate) devices - and routes traffic between them via a local UniFi-based network. Field techs interact with it through a companion tablet app to detect and configure connected hardware (e.g., RFID readers per lane), and the device’s own software is remotely fleet-managed/updated. See also: NPU; PoE Budget.

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DataTrax

A legacy/competing tunnel controller brand (associated with PECO per parts listings) used at some car washes; named in Washify help articles as an alternate controller integration target alongside ICS controllers, bridged via MOXA. See also: Tunnel Master; MOXA; PECO Car Wash Systems; Tunnel Controller. Unverified.

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Digi Box

A serial-device-server appliance (Digi brand) used to bridge a legacy serial-only device - most notably a gas-pump/C-store controller in a WashCAP install, or a legacy TCS relay station - onto the site’s Ethernet network via a “RealPort” driver, so the DRB/Washify software can address it by IP instead of a direct serial cable. See also: WashCAP; GPIC; TCS2; MOXA.

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Displayer

A Washlink Systems queue/display product; the name is confirmed but its exact function (queue display vs. menu board vs. something else) was not disambiguated from available sources. See also: Washlink Systems; All-Pay Pay Station; Virtual Queue; Menu Board. Unverified.

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Encoder

A sensor that reports conveyor movement as a pulse train, letting the tunnel controller calculate exactly how far each vehicle has traveled and time equipment activation accordingly. Used interchangeably with “pulse switch” across vendor documentation; Tommy Car Wash Systems labels its equivalent inputs “Pulse 1 and Pulse 2 … a pulsed clock input relative to conveyor speed.”. Also known as: Pulse Switch (used interchangeably); Pulse 1 / Pulse 2 (Tommy’s input labels); Auto Pulse (ICS setting). See also: Pulse Switch; Tunnel Controller; Chain Speed; 16SCW.

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Guardian Wash Command

A tunnel controller referenced by car wash operators as “Tommy/Guardian Wash Command,” offering remote configuration; forum commentary notes it is usually sold as a bundle with an MCC/controller combo, which reduces flexibility to mix-and-match components from other vendors. The corporate relationship between “Tommy” and “Guardian” branding was not confirmed. Also known as: Tommy/Guardian Wash Command. See also: TPA; Tommy Car Wash Systems; Tunnel Controller; MCC (Motor Control Center). Unverified.

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Hengstler C-56

The receipt/thermal printer model used inside Sentinel/Unitec kiosks; consists of a print mechanism with integrated controller, a paper-tray basic unit, and an eject chute, mounted on hinge pins for service access. Also known as: “C-56 Thermal Printer”. See also: Sentinel; PRP-950.

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I2C Board

The internal circuit board inside a Unitec/DRB Sentinel kiosk responsible for relaying communication between all peripheral devices and the kiosk’s CPU; a common offline/no-communication fix is reseating this board’s connections or performing a “PC reset”/“PIC reset” via buttons on the CPU board. See also: Sentinel; CarrierDiags.

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IF-17

A USB adapter/interface board, integrated by Washify, used to power and connect the NV200 unit to the kiosk’s computer over USB instead of the standard RS-232 cable - the standard connection method on Meridian kiosks, and optionally usable on X-Stations too. Also known as: “IF17 box”. See also: NV200 Spectral; Meridian; X-Station.

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Induction Loop

An underground or embedded detection loop that senses vehicle presence for automatic gate operation and lane control. Requires proper calibration to detect different vehicle types reliably; also one of the traditional inputs used for exit-side anti-collision detection. Also known as: Loop sensor; vehicle detector; ground loop; inductive loop; progress pad (when spaced through the tunnel). See also: Gate; Loader; Treadle; Photo Eye.

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IP Relay (Denkovi)

A network-addressable relay board option for tunnel controller integration, identified on the network by the brand name “Denkovi” when scanned - an older/simpler alternative to a dedicated tunnel controller like DRB TunnelWatch. Also known as: “IP Relay”. See also: TunnelWatch; Loader Terminal; Gate Controller.

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Loading Stations

AMP’s term for in-tunnel loading-area hardware that uses AI to identify a vehicle’s purchased service and display customer/service information to the loader/attendant inside the wash tunnel. Comparable products include OTT/tunnel screen (generic), Smart Tunnel Screen (omniX Labs), and CarPics loader display (DRB). See also: AI Vehicle Recognition; OTT; Virtual Queue; Loader.

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MacNeil Omron PLC 4000

An older MacNeil tunnel-control configuration built on an Omron-brand PLC, mentioned by name in operator forum discussion of controller upgrade paths. Likely predates the MCC product line. See also: MTC; MCC (MacNeil); PLC; r-TC. Unverified.

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Magnetic Switch

A magnetically actuated sensor used in tunnel anti-collision and equipment-position detection schemes, spaced along the conveyor path to detect vehicle progress. See also: Anti-Collision; Photo Eye; Progress Pad; Induction Loop.

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MCC (MacNeil) (MacNeil Control Center / MCC Tunnel Controller)

MacNeil’s own tunnel controller product, sold in three tiers by I/O count: MCC 40 (40 outputs/20 inputs), MCC 60 (60/30), and MCC 80 (80/40). Features a 12-inch color touchscreen, remote web-based programming, and live, in-operation reprogramming. The initialism MCC also names the generic electrical-trade Motor Control Center, a power cabinet rather than a controller, and Washlink Systems’ own unrelated tunnel controller product; three different things share the initialism in this industry. Also known as: MCC Tunnel Control Center; MTC (older/alternate MacNeil naming). See also: MTC; PBS-4000; r-TC; MCC (Motor Control Center).

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MCC (Motor Control Center) (Motor Control Center)

The industrial electrical cabinet that distributes power to and switches tunnel motors (pumps, blowers, conveyor) via starters/contactors, typically with Hand-Off-Auto (HOA) switches per motor. Described in the CarWash College glossary as the wash’s operational “brain,” but distinct from the tunnel controller, the PLC or logic layer that decides when to fire each motor. The initialism MCC names three different things in this industry: this generic electrical-cabinet equipment class, MacNeil’s own tunnel controller product, and Washlink Systems’ own tunnel controller product; none of the three are the same. Also known as: Motor Control Center; smartBOX (Laguna’s version); Sgt. Sudz Motor Control Center (DRB); Sonny’s Motor Control Center. See also: MCC (MacNeil); Washlink Systems; Tunnel Controller; VFD.

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Merge Loop

An in-pavement inductive loop placed where two entrance lanes converge into one, wired into the gate controller (for example, the Washify Gate Controller’s input section, which requires the site to supply its own external relay for the connection) as a status input. While a vehicle is detected over a merge loop, the controller withholds gate-open signals for the other lane, preventing both gates from opening at once into a shared merge point. It is distinct from a lane’s own safety loop, which detects a vehicle already under a closing gate. See also: Induction Loop; Gate Controller; IA Gate Controller.

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MotorMinder

The expandable monitoring/control module built into Sonny’s Motor Control Center product line (“Our MotorMinder is expandable for future needs”), paired with VFDs to manage high-horsepower motor costs. Sonny’s marketing copy does not spell out MotorMinder’s full feature set beyond expandability, so treat as a component name rather than a fully documented standalone product. See also: Sonny’s Motor Control Center; VFD. Unverified.

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MTC

An older/alternate name MacNeil has used for its tunnel controller, per field/forum usage; the full expansion is not stated on any MacNeil source found (plausibly “MacNeil Tunnel Controller,” unconfirmed). Forum commentary treats MTC, MCC, and an upgraded r.TC as effectively the same MacNeil-lineage controller across different eras/configurations. Also known as: MCC (current MacNeil naming); r.TC (common third-party Kesseltronics upgrade path for MacNeil tunnels). See also: MCC (MacNeil); r-TC; MacNeil Omron PLC 4000; MacNeil Wash Systems.

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NoPileups

DRB’s patented computer-vision anti-collision system for conveyor tunnels. It tracks actual vehicle position, not just loop sensors, throughout the tunnel, automatically stops the conveyor when a rear-end collision risk is detected, and captures 15-20 seconds of video evidence; its “Smart Exit” feature extends monitoring 10-15 feet past the tunnel exit. Marketed as a response to Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)-equipped cars braking unexpectedly inside tunnels. DRB reports NoPileups has prevented an estimated 600,000 collisions industry-wide, saving an estimated $300 million in damage claims. Field integrators treat an active NoPileups connection as business-critical and avoid disconnecting it during network changes; DRB’s own guidance is to leave the tunnel controller’s existing NoPileups link untouched and run a separate direct network connection for any third-party integration, rather than rerouting or replacing the NoPileups connection itself. Comparable products include SmartSTOP (Sonny’s), WoWo (omniX Labs), and TESS (Spotless Wash Solutions). Also known as: No pileups (lowercase field usage). See also: TunnelWatch; Pileup; Anti-Collision; SmartSTOP.

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NPU

A network component/server in DRB tunnel systems that requires specific configuration and switch connections to enable proper system access and controller communication. Abbreviation not expanded in available records. See also: DRB; TCS2; X3 Switch. Unverified.

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Photo Eye

An infrared/photoelectric sensor (through-beam or retroreflective) used at the tunnel entrance, exit, or at intervals along the conveyor to detect vehicle presence and length; breaking the beam activates the wash system, and pulse counting can measure vehicle length/width for equipment timing. Also one of the traditional (pre-computer-vision) approaches to exit anti-collision detection. Also known as: Eyes; photoelectric eye; entrance photo eye; entrance eye; Gate Sensor (Tommy Car Wash Systems’ term); Banner Eye (field/support shorthand from the Banner Engineering brand). See also: Treadle; Pulse Switch; Induction Loop; Anti-Collision.

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PLC (Programmable Logic Controller)

The programmable logic underlying a car wash’s motor control center and tunnel controller - the software/firmware layer used to make adjustments to how equipment is sequenced. Most modern tunnel controllers (r-TC, Coleman Hanna V4, MacNeil’s Omron-based legacy configuration) are PLC-based. Also known as: Programmable Logic Control. See also: MCC (Motor Control Center); Tunnel Controller; Sonny’s Tunnel Controller; MacNeil Omron PLC 4000.

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Progress Pad

A vehicle-detection loop or pad spaced at intervals (roughly every 20 feet) through a tunnel to track vehicle progress, used as one of the traditional anti-collision approaches before continuous computer-vision tracking. See also: Anti-Collision; Induction Loop; Magnetic Switch; Photo Eye.

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Pulse Switch

A proximity sensor mounted at the conveyor’s drive sprocket that emits a signal (pulse) as the conveyor moves, letting the tunnel controller calculate exactly how far each vehicle has traveled and time equipment activation accordingly. If the pulse signal fails, the controller loses track of vehicle position on the conveyor entirely. Also known as: Encoder (used interchangeably in some vendor documentation); Pulse 1 / Pulse 2 (Tommy Car Wash Systems’ input labels); Auto Pulse (ICS controller configuration setting). See also: Encoder; Treadle; Photo Eye; Tunnel Controller.

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r-TC (Remote Tunnel Controller; rTC; r.TC)

A tunnel controller name used independently by two companies. Laguna Industries (Portland, OR) sells its flagship controller as the rTC; Kesseltronics Systems (Quebec, a Dover/OPW Vehicle Wash Solutions company) sells the r-TC Remote Tunnel Controller in tiers r-TC2000 through r-TC8000. Both are cloud connected, PLC based controllers with a touchscreen HMI, remote programming, black box event recording, and multi-site monitoring; whether the two products share a lineage or only a name is unconfirmed. Often assumed to be a MacNeil product because MacNeil tunnels are commonly retrofitted with one, but MacNeil’s own controllers are the MCC, MTC, and PBS-4000. Washify’s Loader supports r-TC controllers, including its Savable Retract wash queue feature. Also known as: rTC (Laguna’s trademarked stylization); r.TC (field spelling). See also: Laguna Industries; Kesseltronics Systems; MCC (MacNeil); MTC.

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RRS (Remote Relay Station)

The relay-station hardware predating DRB’s TCS line, documented in a circa-2000 TunnelWatch manual alongside the “TunnelWatch Computer” and an “Interface Station.” Communicates with TunnelWatch over a dedicated port and reports status lines like “RRS COM INTERMITTENT” - the direct ancestor of what later documentation calls TCS/TCS1 and then TCS2. See also: TCS2; TunnelWatch; CarWatch.

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Send Car

The dispatch action - typically a labeled button on a loader tablet, OTT, or browser-based tunnel interface - that releases the next queued vehicle into the tunnel/conveyor. Requires a working connection between the POS/queue software and the site’s tunnel controller; when that link is down, operators fall back to manually sequencing vehicles at the controller itself. See also: Wash Queue; OTT; Loader; TCS2.

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Sgt. Sudz Motor Control Center

Equipment cabinet/panel that centralizes motor control for tunnel equipment (pumps, blowers, vacuums), providing the hardware layer that VacIQ and similar demand-based automation runs on top of. DRB’s branded instance of the generic Motor Control Center (MCC) equipment class. Also known as: MCC / Motor Control Center (generic class); smartBOX (Laguna’s equivalent); innovateIT Motor Control Center; Sonny’s Motor Control Center. See also: VacIQ; Sgt. Sudz; MCC (Motor Control Center); smartBOX.

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Site Control Optimization (SCO)

ICS term for a controller capability (on Tunnel Master models) providing enhanced operational awareness/optimization of tunnel equipment. Named on ICS’s controller page but not independently defined in detail. See also: Tunnel Master; Washnetics. Unverified.

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SiteConnect

Laguna Industries’ modular connectivity/control-unit product line, positioned alongside the rTC controller for site networking and equipment integration. Also known as: siteConnect. See also: r-TC; CentralACCESS; Laguna Industries. Unverified.

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SmartSTOP (Sonny’s SmartSTOP Anticollision)

Sonny’s anti-collision/pack-detection product, described as detecting and preventing potential tunnel collisions by analyzing video footage in real time via machine learning, Sonny’s answer to DRB’s NoPileups. Comparable products include WoWo (omniX Labs) and TESS (Spotless Wash Solutions). Also known as: Sonny’s SmartSTOP Anticollision. See also: NoPileups; WoWo; Anti-Collision; Tunnel Entrance Safety System.

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Solenoid

A control mechanism, energized by a switch or relay, that controls the movement of water, air, and/or chemical to tunnel equipment - the basic electromechanical valve behind most automated arch and applicator timing. Also known as: Dema solenoid. See also: Dema Injector; Proportioner; Backroom; Tunnel Controller.

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Sonny’s Autopilot Controls

Registered Sonny’s trademark for control hardware for automated car wash systems - brand name for Sonny’s automated tunnel-control hardware, conceptually parallel to “Sonny’s Tunnel Controller.”. Also known as: Sonny’s Tunnel Controller (related/overlapping registration); Wash Pilot (possible earlier name, unconfirmed). See also: CarWash Controls; Sonny’s Motor Control Center; Sonny’s Tunnel Controller.

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Sonny’s Fail-Safe Hot Spot

A cellular-failover appliance that plugs in between a wash’s router and its ISP modem; on detecting a primary-internet outage it automatically switches the site to cellular internet so credit-card transactions keep processing, and Sonny’s Tech Support is notified of extended outages. Also known as: Fail-Safe Hot Spot™. See also: CAGE; Sonny’s Pay Station; Back Office.

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Sonny’s Motor Control Center (SMCC)

Registered Sonny’s trademark for electronic controls for motors: Sonny’s branded version of the generic motor control center (MCC), described in the CarWash College glossary as the car wash’s operational “brain” controlling equipment. The base, built-to-spec product (marketed as the Full Tunnel Motor Control Center) uses 24V controls, a main-lug-only panel, Cutler Hammer self-protected starters, and a phase-monitor relay, offered with installation and integration for Sonny’s, DRB, or ICS controllers, and includes an expandable module called “MotorMinder.” A cloud-connected, predictive-maintenance version, the Smart Motor Control Center (Smart MCC), was developed with Schneider Electric on “TeSys Island” technology and adds real-time energy-consumption monitoring, text alerts on performance anomalies, and remote VFD/starter configuration from the Back Office or a touchscreen; in current Sonny’s marketing, “SMCC” can refer specifically to this cloud/monitoring upgrade rather than the base MCC. Also known as: MCC / Motor Control Center (generic industry term); smartBOX (Laguna); Sgt. Sudz Motor Control Center (DRB); innovateIT Motor Control Center; Smart MCC; Sonny’s MCC. See also: PLC; Sonny’s Tunnel Controller; MCC (Motor Control Center); MotorMinder.

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Sonny’s Truck Bed Retract Automatic Controller

A stand-alone add-on, built into Sonny’s PLC Tunnel Controller line, that uses a sonar sensor and up to 16 programmable relays to detect open vs. covered truck beds and automatically retract top brushes, shut off applicators, and trigger dryer “Gator Gates” over an open bed - removing the need for a human attendant to do it manually. Ships with standard interface support for WashPilot, DRB Systems, or ICS controllers. Also known as: Truck Bed Concierge. See also: Gator Gates; Sonny’s Tunnel Controller; Wash Pilot; Sonar.

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Sonny’s Tunnel Controller

Registered Sonny’s trademark for control hardware for automated car wash systems: the branded name for Sonny’s site/tunnel controller, the hardware that sequences equipment such as arches, brushes, and dryers as a vehicle moves through the tunnel. A retrofit interface kit, the ISI WashSoft WashTEC Relay Interface, lets an operator keep an existing DRB Systems “Tunnel Watch” relay panel in place while wiring it to a new WashPilot controller and ProfitPilot POS, giving legacy relay-panel sites the newer system’s web-based programming and automatic point-of-sale data backup without a full relay-panel replacement. Sonny’s controller is also supported as a third-party tunnel controller option in Washify’s Loader software, listed alongside Micrologic, RTC, DRB TunnelWatch, ICS, Auto Data, MOXA, and Washify’s own controller. Also known as: Sonny’s Autopilot Controls (related/overlapping registration); ISI Retrofit Kit; Wash Pilot / WashPilot (Sonny’s tunnel-controller software, confirmed current, see Wash Pilot). See also: CarWash Controls; Sonny’s Autopilot Controls; PLC; Tunnel Controller.

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TCS2 (Tunnel Control Station 2)

The relay-station hardware that runs TunnelWatch 5 software: an enclosure with an integrated touchscreen and up to 72 relays used to physically switch tunnel equipment on and off per TunnelWatch’s commands, requiring proper network configuration and NPU server connections for full functionality. Its predecessor, TCS1, itself followed an earlier Remote Relay Station (RRS) design; installers refer to the physical TCS1 unit as “the Tunnel Watch server.” TCS1 communicated with TunnelWatch over a dedicated port monitored as a per-unit “Success percentage,” and used a physical address rotary switch plus onboard jumpers, JP1 always on and JP2 only on the last unit in the communications chain, to assign each unit a unique address on a shared bus. Because TCS1 exposes no native API for outside systems, third-party integration, such as a non-DRB POS sending “send car” commands, requires a direct physical Ethernet connection from the site’s network switch into the unit, via a USB-to-Ethernet adapter where spare ports are unavailable, rather than any network-only or wireless path. Also known as: TCS; Tunnel Controller Series; DRB TCS1 (earlier model); RRS (predecessor hardware); Tunnel Watch server (field usage); TCS (generic shorthand for either TCS1 or TCS2). See also: TunnelWatch; NPU; X3 Switch; DRB.

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TPA (Tommy Car Wash Systems tunnel controller)

Tommy Car Wash Systems’ tunnel controller, offering full independent output control per vehicle zone (front/rear/tires), up to 12 wash packages with 16 variables each, remote internet monitoring, and email/text alerts. Its inputs are labeled distinctly from other vendors’ terms for the same sensors: “Axle Prox Sensor” (treadle), “Pulse 1/Pulse 2” (encoder), and “Gate Sensor” (photo eye). The expansion of “TPA” is not stated in Tommy’s documentation. See also: Treadle; Photo Eye; Pulse Switch; Guardian Wash Command.

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Treadle

A ground-mounted mechanical, pneumatic, or proximity sensor that a vehicle’s wheels/axles roll over - at a tunnel entrance for the controller to detect vehicle presence, count axles and sometimes classify vehicle size, or in self-serve/IBA bays for position and payment sequencing. Tommy Car Wash Systems calls the same function an “Axle Prox Sensor.” Sources use “treadle,” “floor switch,” “tape switch,” “pressure pad” and “tire switch” loosely and near-interchangeably for pressure-actuated vehicle sensors. Also known as: Axle Prox Sensor (Tommy Car Wash Systems’ term); Floor switch; tape switch; pressure pad; tire switch; Virtual Treadle (the sensor-based replacement). See also: Photo Eye; Pulse Switch; Induction Loop; Virtual Treadle.

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Tunnel Controller

The PLC/computer that manages an automated tunnel wash cycle: it receives a service/controller code (from a pay station, POS, or membership plan), tracks each vehicle’s position down the tunnel via pulse/encoder and sensor inputs, and fires the corresponding equipment sequence for that wash package - arches, brushes, wraps, dryers - plus gate operation and equipment coordination. Distinct from the Motor Control Center (MCC), which is the power/switching cabinet the controller commands. Also known as: TunnelWatch (DRB, with TCS2 hardware); Tunnel Master WBC / Jr. (ICS); r-TC / rTC (Laguna, Kesseltronics); MCC / MTC (MacNeil); WashPac v5 (Washlink Systems); Sonny’s Tunnel Controller / Autopilot Controls; V4 Tunnel Equipment Controller (Coleman Hanna); TPA (Tommy Car Wash Systems); washIT (innovateIT); DataTrax (legacy, PECO-associated); Guardian Wash Command (Tommy/Guardian); CleanTrak; wash controller; main controller; site controller. See also: MCC (Motor Control Center); PLC; Pulse Switch; Photo Eye.

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Tunnel Entrance Safety System (TESS)

Spotless Wash Solutions’ computer-vision-based entrance safety product (cameras plus AI logic) that watches vehicles loading at the tunnel entrance for unsafe conditions (open doors, wrong position, cargo overhang) and signals the tunnel controller to trigger the e-stop before damage occurs. Comparable products include NoPileups (DRB), SmartSTOP (Sonny’s), and WoWo (omniX Labs). Also known as: Entrance anti-collision system. See also: E-Stop; Photo Eye; Loader; NoPileups.

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Tunnel Master (Tunnel Master WBC / Tunnel Master Jr.)

ICS’s tunnel controller line: not a DRB product, despite that attribution circulating in the industry (DRB’s tunnel controller is TunnelWatch). Tunnel Master WBC is the advanced, expandable embedded model: web-based, up to 192 outputs (10 profiles each) and 48 programmable inputs, with remote tablet/mobile access for timing adjustments. Tunnel Master Jr. is the entry-level embedded model, first released in 1998, which can run with or without a PC, stores 16 service options internally (expandable to 32), and offers onboard keypad configuration and internal relay/car-count logging. “WBC” most plausibly expands to “Web-Based Controller” from ICS’s own description, but ICS does not spell it out. The CarWash College glossary refers to “Tunnel Master Jr.” and “Tunnel Master Sr.” as ICS POS systems, Jr. standard and Sr. advanced, but ICS’s own materials document only WBC and Jr., so “Sr.” should be treated as unconfirmed glossary usage; no product called “Tunnel Master XT” or “Tunnel Commander” was found to exist. Two related third-party tunnel controller options are also supported by Washify’s Loader software: “ICS Controller/Raspberry Pi” and a separate “ICS PBS Controller” variant, each with distinct port defaults in Loader settings. Comparable products include TunnelWatch (DRB), r-TC (Laguna/Kesseltronics), MCC (MacNeil), and WashPac v5 (Washlink Systems). Also known as: Tunnel Master(R) WBC; Tunnel Master(R) Jr.; Tunnel Master jr (lowercase in some listings); “the Tunnel Master” / just “ICS” (operator shorthand); Tunnel Master Sr. (unconfirmed glossary usage). See also: ICS; TunnelWatch; Washnetics; Site Control Optimization.

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TunnelWatch

DRB’s cloud-connected tunnel controller software: the layer that sequences and activates tunnel equipment such as arches, blowers, and applicators based on vehicle position, and gives operators remote monitoring and configuration (“Live Invoke”), real-time visibility into wash progress, gate status and equipment alerts, and cloud backup of tunnel settings. It includes a built-in dual-exit-sensor collision-avoidance feature distinct from the full NoPileups product, and runs on TCS2 relay-station hardware. Washify’s kiosk/Loader software can integrate with TunnelWatch directly over TCP/IP, superseding an older setup that required a separate IP Relay board; integration is configured through a “SiteWatch Interface” page that maps DRB’s internal “SiteWatch service IDs”/“Service Output #” codes to Washify’s own wash services, and this mapped number becomes the “controller code” used elsewhere in Washify, for example on Loader buttons. Comparable products include Tunnel Master WBC/Jr. (ICS), r-TC (Laguna/Kesseltronics), MCC (MacNeil), WashPac v5 (Washlink Systems), Sonny’s Tunnel Controller, V4 Tunnel Equipment Controller (Coleman Hanna), TPA (Tommy), and washIT (innovateIT). Also known as: TW (field shorthand); “Tunnel Watch,” “TunnelWatch Controller,” integration referred to as “SiteWatch”. See also: TCS2; CarPics; NoPileups; Touch Queuing.

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V4 Tunnel Equipment Controller

Coleman Hanna’s PLC-based tunnel controller, handling conveyor and roller control with programmable start/stop functions and pulse/roller-detect inputs. See also: Pulse Switch; Tunnel Controller; Coleman Hanna Carwash Systems; PLC.

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VFD (Variable Frequency Drive)

An electrical device that varies the frequency (and thus speed) of power delivered to an AC motor, used in car wash tunnels to run conveyors, blowers, and pumps at variable rather than fixed speeds - e.g., ramping conveyor speed smoothly, or slowing equipment during an anti-collision event rather than a hard stop. Listed as a standard output/feature on multiple tunnel and entrance controllers (MacNeil PBS-4000, Tommy’s controller line, innovateIT equipment). Also known as: Variable Speed Drive (used interchangeably, e.g. by Tommy Car Wash Systems). See also: MCC (Motor Control Center); Pulse Switch; Conveyor; Dryer.

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Virtual Treadle

Sound-wave/sensor-based vehicle-profiling technology that maps a vehicle’s shape and position without a physical in-ground treadle (the mechanical plate/switch a car used to have to drive over), used to trigger and time equipment automatically. See also: Treadle; Photo Eye; Tunnel Controller.

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VPD (Vehicle Presence Detector) (Vehicle Presence Detector)

In DRB’s TunnelWatch/tunnel-entrance hardware documentation, VPD names a physical sensor mounted at the tunnel entrance (the “VPD Sensor”) that connects via RS422 to a “VPD Interface Assembly,” with distinct male and female connector part numbers, to detect vehicle presence for tunnel-entrance logic. This is a completely different meaning from the separate glossary entry “VPD (Vehicles Per Day),” a traffic-count/site-selection metric, so the two should not be confused when the acronym appears in DRB technical material versus business or real-estate material. Also known as: VPD Sensor; VPD Interface Assembly. See also: TunnelWatch; RRS; Merge Loop; Induction Loop.

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Wash Pilot

Sonny’s tunnel-controller software: the control layer that sits between a point-of-sale system and a Sonny’s-controlled tunnel. Each wash package or service configured on the POS is matched by exact name and price to an entry in Wash Pilot, which assigns each one a “Profit Pilot ID” that becomes the controller code the POS sends to trigger that wash; any POS, Washify included, integrates with a Sonny’s tunnel through this mapping. It is marketed as one of the three controller interface options operators choose between, WashPilot, DRB Systems, and ICS controllers, on current Sonny’s product pages, and is named as the controller a site upgrades to when retrofitting a legacy DRB relay panel via Sonny’s ISI WashSoft interface kit, paired with ProfitPilot, Sonny’s POS product, in that retrofit offer. Its exact relationship to the “Sonny’s Tunnel Controller” storefront name is not spelled out by Sonny’s own marketing copy. Also known as: WashPilot (one-word spelling used on sonnysdirect.com); Profit Pilot / ProfitPilot (the paired POS, and the per-wash “Profit Pilot ID” system within Wash Pilot); Sonny’s Tunnel Controller (probable current storefront name for the same/related product line). See also: Sonny’s Tunnel Controller; ProfitPilot; Sonny’s Motor Control Center; Sonny’s Autopilot Controls.

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WASHGuard

A Laguna Industries safety/monitoring product referenced alongside the rTC controller in Laguna’s product catalog; exact function (equipment safety interlock vs. surveillance) not confirmed from available source text. See also: r-TC; CentralACCESS; Laguna Industries. Unverified.

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Washify Controller

A legacy Washify-branded tunnel-automation controller (explicitly flagged in its own KB articles as “no longer supported”) that turns tunnel equipment (retracts, rollers, conveyors, lights) on/off during a wash cycle based on relay-board wiring, configurable per-device behavior (Sequential vs. Programmed), Interlocks, and a Sonar-based vehicle-position sensor. See also: TunnelWatch; MOXA; Sonar; Wash Queue.

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WashPac v5

Washlink Systems’ tunnel controller, supporting up to 500 functions and 256 outputs. Comparable products include TunnelWatch (DRB), Tunnel Master (ICS), r-TC (Laguna/Kesseltronics), and MCC (MacNeil). See also: Washlink Systems; Tunnel Controller; Voyager II; All-Pay Pay Station.

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WashPad (Vehicle Positioning System)

ICS product described two different ways across ICS’s own sources, both recorded here. (1) An ultrasonic vehicle-detection system that helps position a vehicle correctly on the tunnel conveyor, reducing prep time and improving throughput. (2) An entrance terminal used by ICS in three software modes on the same hardware: “Presell Terminal” (sales/greeter mode), “Tunnel Entrance Terminal” (entry-control mode accepting manual ticket-number entry or ticket scanning), and “Time Clock” (staff time tracking). Comparable products include XPT (DRB), Sonny’s Pay Station, and DriveClean Teller (Kesseltronics). Also known as: Presell Terminal / Tunnel Entrance Terminal / Time Clock (ICS’s three modes). See also: Tunnel Master; Auto Passport RFID; Entrance Terminal; Wash Code.