The development Dentith Bridges Digital Control and Accessory Control

Hi All,

Just to complete the above description, below you will see the pin outs for the Arduino Mini Pro and the "cct" diagram showing how the Mini is connected to the led pins on the MP led expansion board. Remember the expansion board is on the feedback network of the MP Multi Panel Processor board.

Hi Andrew

Been following your turntable design with some interest and the interesting method of the wiring. Not that I'm about to change my setup; it's working well now. The rest of your wiring is well organised - far removed from the "rats nest" I've managed to throw in - well impressed.

Back on 29 April you asked for suggestions about sensors for the initial indexing of the deck. Apologies for the somewhat late response, hopefully you've not moved on beyond this by now. I used a Hall Effect switch on mine (A3144E) together with a small 3mm dia magnet mounted under the deck & it seems to work very well. These switches give a clean changeover action (not all types do) and appears to be repeatable. They can run with a 5v supply so should be fine for your Arduino - don't forget the output of the switch will need a pull-up resistor to 5v.

Keep up with the good work.

Thanks Dave,

Progress will be rather slow, actually nonexistent, for a little while. I had to come down to Sydney for a family occasion and got "caught". Sydney is in a lock down and I can't get back across the border into Queensland, probably for another three weeks or so.

Upside, we are all well and I am getting lots of cuddle time with my Grandson (6 months old).

Cheers,

Andrew

Interesting. I'm just getting started and am also experimenting with Arduino's and expansion boards.

Great to see so many people interested in the technical side of the hobby. My arduino is pretty underused at the Lament as it sits controlling all the lighting on the layout but tbh is an on/off task at this time. 

Looking forwards to the next update!

Well, finally able to get on with the layout.

Technically:
I have finalised my decision re control software and I am using Rocrail.
Sticking with the Megapoints gear as already mentioned, but adding MTB1 point motors to the mix
Adopting some of GCA hardware (see the Rocrail link) for "driving" some point motors and obtaining feed back from current sense detectors for block occupancy (and some MERG detectors) - needed for RocRail
I have also adopted the StaRFIish RFID system to provide both occupancy and identity data.
I have adopted an IT support system where by I derive locomotive and rolling stock data from RocRail (RFID and block occupancy derived) and using a MQTT messgae broker and Node Red I can automatically store realtime date into a MS Access data base and develop a stand alone graphc display (Node Red dash board) to display what will be my "hidden" fiddle yard on th elowest level of the layout.

The IT scheme is in prototype status now, but it basically works. I have more to do  in refining the database scheme and sourcing real time data out of rocrail, but it is looking good.

Will post more, hopefully with some screen shots, when the system is a little more mature.

Warmest regards,

Andrew

The following picture shows the pcb I designed and had made that will hold an Arduino Pro Mini, CD74HC406 multiplexer and HC595 shift register. This combination will drive the 42 bicolour leds that will indicate the state of 21 sets of points in my control panel. This tech will take input from the Megapoints feedback system. I need the additional hardware to manage the current draw as all of the 42 leds are lit continuously.

More to come in the new Year.
 

This pic shows the Auto Reverser I put together. The aim was not to rely on a short circuit to trigger the reverser. You can see a block detector (DTC2 from MERG) connected to a PCB holding an Ardiono Pro Mini and a FET based digital switch that reverses the DCC polarity as a loco triggers the DTC2, controlled by software on the Arduino.