Re: Hand-held Controllers

G

Gregory Procter 22 years ago

>

> >
> > "Sim> >
> > > A large number of railway modellers (myself included) nowadays use
> > > hand-held controllers for their layouts, both for home use and at
> > > exhibitions. Most seem to connect these devices to their control panels
> > > or other locations on their layout by means of DIN plugs and sockets. > > >
> > > Are there any recognised standards within railway modelling for which
> > > types of DIN plug/socket to use (eg: 5-pin, 180 degrees), and for the
> > > arrangement of the wiring to the pins?
> > >
> > > I am thinking about analogue controllers here, rather than DCC. > >
>
> The short answer is no.
>
> > 3/5(180)/7 and 8 pole Din plugs all fit the same format so the plug with
> > less pins will fit the sockets.
> >
> > I use the two outer pins for 16 volt AC and the one intermediate pin for
> > controlled output.
> > The top center pin for "common track".
> > The other intermediate pin can be used for another controller circuit. > >
> > In addition, there are hand-helds which use a baseboard mounted controller
> > - the other two pins of the seven pin plug carry the output.
> > Eight pin I use for computer games port hand-helds.
> >
> > With this set-up, there is no danger of plugging incompatible hand-helds
> > and damaging either the baseboard circuitry or the hand-held circuitry. > >
> > Regards,
> > Greg.P.
> >
>
> I have taken a different approach, in that my walk around hand piece is
> only half the controller.

That's my third variant above.

My hand pieces only contain a reverse switch, a
> variable resistor and a led. The high current part of the controller is kept
> under the layout. The advantages are the plug you use only needs to carry
> small currents, you can make the hand controller as small as you like
> without going to surface mount technology and walk around memory is easy. >
> I currently use 25 pin D connectors for my hand controllers mounted > vertically.

25 pins seems just a little over the top! :-) 15 pin connectors should be plenty for a home layout. I'd guess you are providing separate P/Ss for each controller on each connector

- you could simplify.

These allow me to use the same sockets for all my controllers,
> without the need to go to serial communications. Using the existing
> controllers I can have 5. If I had used a split power supply system, I could
> have up to 23 hand controllers in theory before needing a second plug type
> and wire bus. It is also possible to have a couple of accessory switches
> on your hand piece, though this will limit the number of controllers you
> can have if you stick to analogue control.
>
> --
> Terry Flynn
>
> For HO scale track standards go to
>
formatting link
also includes details of HO wagon weight and locomotive tractive effort
> estimates

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G

Gregory Procter 22 years ago

I'd be interested to hear more about that! I'm just working on something similar.

I'm going the other way by putting as much of the circuitry as possible into software for the PC. I went a similar to you in the past and cornered myself by making the electronics specific to the layout. It wasn't transferable to the next layout without a complete rebuild. :-(

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T

Terry Flynn 22 years ago

My test version progressive block control design will consist of a number of circuit boards, one set of boards for each block. This will significantly cut down on layout hard wiring. The wiring between each block logic board is handled be up to four Cat 5 type cables, depending on the layout track plan. The system will be flexible and not layout specific, because it is based on one set of boards for each block. As my layout already has most signals operating the test version progressive block control system only includes the detection part of the signal logic.

For each block the following will be required on my system. The progressive block logic board will contain controller selection logic, track detection, automatic train slow down and acceleration control and the walk around socket. The track power board. The indicator panel board. The indicator is a led display which shows which hand controller is connected to the block. Cat 5 cables (with Rj45 plugs) between each logic board and indicator panel board. .

2 high current cables to the track of each block from the track power board. 2 high current and a common return to the to the power board. 2 supply wires and common to the logic board

Plus Suitable power transformers. Walk around hand controllers

If it works I then the design can be refined to combine the power board and block logic board, decreasing wiring again. 3 signal light logic could also be added without much additional wiring.

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Re: Hand-held Controllers

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