Victoria Road

Aw you dancer



Just checking the specs of the arduino Nano vs the Uno, and the nano bless its cotton socks has 8 analog I/O pins against the Uno's 6, which can be used as digital outputs. Now why the excitement, well I have already made an arduino nano accessory decoder, but expecting it would noly power LED's for either lighting or signals I installed surface mount 1K resistors on digital output pins 4 to 13, they were a *** to install, so would almost be quicker to build another board from scrath than re-purpose this board.
I require 8 outputs to supply the two MERG Servo 4 units, actually I only need 6 outputs as there are only six point motors on the layout, but Murphy's law clearly applies, If I dont have them I will definitely need them. You never know, there may be operastional ground signals in the future - well at least 2 of them .

So one fully loaded Accy Decoder, capable of 18 outputs on its way.



Parts list

half a 37 x 24 strip board approx 45p
Arduino nano between £1.50 and £2
3 x 1K resistors approx 12p
1 x 1N4008 signal diode approx 5p
10 x 1K SMD resistors (on digital I/O pins for LEDs) approx 10p
6 x 4 way screw terminals £1.80
2 x 2 way screw terminals 26p

Total £4.28

Now just need to adjust the base sketch from Ruud Boer, to reflect the extra outputs.

Paul

 

it's been a month since I posted ..... and only 2 1/2 weeks till the exhibition

That's the points / servo's all working and smoooooooth

Re-assembled the track work and ran some trains - testing, only testing.

Now I'm trying hide the entrance to the fiddle yard



So I've made up some silo's using 32mm plastic drain pipe, and printed up some end caps



One end is solid the other has a hole to allow me to screw it in place.

Still to be painted, and ladders, walkways etc added.

But will look like this



Oh and if Eddie is looking all the chimneys were 3D printed.

Paul

 

Mine are for services - steam / compressed air.

Needs a pipe bridge across to the factory buildings on the other side of the track.

Started on a ModelRailwayScenery 30's low relief factory building



Still needs roof and side walls




And with the silos


Also bought in a couple of Metcalf buildings - Low Relief Department store, and the Low relief Bank (which will be a library) and shop.

Paul

 

1 week to go

Connected up the eeePC, to the layout and changed the settings for the points and route selection to reflect the change in point motors from solenoids to servo's.

His holiness is visiting tomorrow for operator training (code for he's coming for a play).

Decided something was needed at the right hand end


So an end tennement was decided on

I've used a piece of 9mm ply 200 x 137 mm



Cut to profile (all guess work ), and sanded smooth



Smart Models Beamish Random Stone Light brick paper was glued using a glue stick, then trimmed and wrapped around the rear





Needs varnishing, then capping stones, chimney's etc adding.

Also added some Scalescene low relief buildings.



More later - I hope

Paul

 

Bit more work done - installed base for the low relief buildings


Covered with scalescenes concrete brick paper


and varnished - the wrinles and purple tinge will disappear once dry - I hope. I also painted the banks railings black


Next up was the retaining wall - I used the fairpricemodels - still have the coping stones to make and fit.


Looking better now





Paul

 

Thanks guys ....... well Murphy came for a visit today (Toto by any other name), and introduced me to a new cure for constipation.

He successfully carried out train movements from each traverser road to the different platforms, then the traverser went in the huff.

Powered down, cup of coffee (very strong coffee that is) and it started to work again - five minutes later and it's in the huff again.

Tried the above cure, and even had a bacon roll and a sausage roll for good measure, but no

One week to the exhibition, and the traverser kaput.

So, putting on the methodical head (not sure how methodical it can be turbo charged with high levels of caffine )

Fault - Selecting the Accessory Number (100 to 105) and pressing 1 (ON) had no effect, and the active led did not come on.

Both the Big Eazy Driver (BED)board and arduino power led's are on, and nothing feels hot.

Supply voltage to the BED is ok and the DCC input voltage is the same as the track voltage.

Both the PC and the PowerCab handset can control the points and loco's- indicating the comms to the track bus is ok.

Loaded the traverser sketch into a spare Arduino Nano, and swapped out the arduino - no change.
Put the original arduino back in.

Did the same for the BED. - no change .

Jury rigged a usb cable from the arduino to the PC and open the serial monitor.

Entered the DCC commands to move the traverser - but no messages - this may indicate no DCC instructions being received by the arduino.

Removed the board from the layout, and did spot a dry joint near the opto-isolator - quick fix, nah didn't fix the issue. All that was left was to replace the opto-isolator. Unlike on the controller I made for Toto, the opto-isolator wasn't socketed . It is now.

Re-assembled the unit and powered it up - no puffs of magic smoke, connected the stepper motor and DCC input and



IT WORKS !!!!!!!!

So on the list for next week spare Nano (with the correct sketch pre-loaded), spare Big Easy Driver board, and a spare 6N137 opto-isolator (not too much of a panic - well not now as I have 48 of these little blighters left).

Paul

 

Well, the jury may still be out on the fix connected the PC back up to it and after the first set of moves the fault came back.

More investigations tomorrow - but will start to make another board just in case

Paul