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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
 Posted - 05/17/2011 : 07:19:23 AM
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Consider it done.
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conrailbill
Section Hand
59 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2011 : 07:24:58 AM
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Ralph, another recommendation is to flip around a couple of pins for the CTC panel output so that you would not have to build the second DIN32 card to get Laurel Run up and running. I would suggest flipping MC160 / MC153 ( pins 17 and 18 on the first DIN32 card with pins 3 and 4 on the second DIN32 card.
This would effectively move the input for Signal Lever 163 ( SGL163 ) onto the first DIN32 card. Since you are not initially hooking up the dispatcher issued local control toggles at this time, this flipping around of code would effectively move the two toggles for OS 160 and 153 ( MC160 and MC153 ) onto the second DIN32 card.
The current coding looks like this:
MC160 = IB(3) \ B0 AND W1 'SUSIC NODE 0 SLOT 3 CARD ADDRESS 1 PORT C BIT 0 PIN 17
MC153 = IB(3) \ B1 AND W1 ' BIT 1 PIN 18
SGL163 = IB(5) \ B2 AND W2 'SUSIC NODE 0 SLOT 5 CARD ADDRESS 1 PORT A BITS 2-3 PINS 3-4
The changed coding would look like below:
SGL163 = IB(3) \ B0 AND W2 'SUSIC NODE 0 SLOT 3 CARD ADDRESS 1 PORT C BITS 0-1 PINS 17-18
MC160 = IB(5) \ B2 AND W1 'SUSIC NODE 0 SLOT 5 CARD ADDRESS 3 PORT A BIT 2 PIN 3
MC153 = IB(5) \ B3 AND W1 ' BIT 3 PIN 4
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2011 : 06:01:57 AM
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I have not touched this project for the last two weeks, I had hoped to work on the next SMINI, but time was available in short blocks this weekend. Plus I am a morning person. No way I work on something this complicated after 3 PM.
I did fix a bunch of stuff on the RR, but nothing for CMRI signalling. It looks as though I will have a 4 or 5 (or worse) day weekend coming up. This will be my opportunity to kick some butt and get this SMINI built. With our son's high school graduation and my Dad visiting, next weekend is a washout. |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2011 : 07:03:57 AM
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I have 4 days off to try to make some progress here. Friday was a washout. I came down with a nasty cold on Thurs, and spent the day in bed Friday. Sat I felt somewhat better and had at the second SMINI. I might regret doing that by still feeling lousey, but my first successfull attempt at building one gave me confidence.
The only thing I can see I did wrong was to solder the IC socket for U 2 backwards. I just need to remember to put the IC in correctly. Actually, I don't rust myself on this. When I work with a PC board that has the IC pin number 1 marked I always use this reference to insert the IC's. Keeps from letting out the magic blue smoke.
I have just 24 transistors to install. Then I will be able to clean ands inspect the board and install all the IC's. Then testing. I hope it all goes well to avoid the board taking a trip to FL. Then I can get the next SMINI humming alonf and install some more signals!
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Edited by - LVRALPH on 05/29/2011 07:06:17 AM |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2011 : 4:43:56 PM
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| Well, I completed the SMINI. That's the good news. The bad news is not even the green LED will light up. I started that testing proceedure to see if power and ground were getting to the U1 microcontroller. All, was ok. At this point I really don't want to mess with it. So I contacted Don Wood of Easee Interfaces. He said ship it down. it could just be a bad crystal (cheap) or a dead microcontroller (expensive) This was the very first unit I purchased in 2003, so lets hope it's not that. I've had my fun assembling stuff. I think I'll save the extra money and time and buy completed units from here on in. I can use that added time to get things installed on the RR. |
Edited by - LVRALPH on 05/29/2011 4:44:22 PM |
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jbvb
Fireman
USA
1857 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2011 : 6:21:21 PM
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| My digital VoM has a frequency counter function which might be up to diagnosing the crystal, depending on the frequency. If I start a project like yours, I think I'll start by buying a little digital scope; there's one at several sites for $89 which is good for up to 1MHz. |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2011 : 06:43:25 AM
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| James, a good idea, but far more involved (and above my little pea brain) for me to implement. It would be cheaper to send it to Don and have him diagnose and fix it than to invest the money to buy the machine and learn how to use it. Plus I'm out of room to put things. |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 06:51:48 AM
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| The SMINI is on it's way to FL. It should arrive Friday. |
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oystein lb
New Hire
Norway
3 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2011 : 2:51:11 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by LVRALPH
I decided to do some system wiring downstairs while I wait for my boards to come back. I decided to relocate my DCCOD's that I distributed around the layout to the Crestwood node. I installed the SMINI and the DCCOD motherboard. I mounted them with rubber grommets and # 4 screws that I had bought by the bagfull.
The output of the detectors gets fed to an input pin on the SMINI or SUSIC if your using it. So I wired up my motherboard and and connected all twelve of output terminals to the SMINI input pins. That will send the output of the DCCOD to the input of the SMINI. The white things are wire markers to keep track of things. I am also making a 3 ring binder with wiring diagrams to help remember and troubleshoot in the future, You can also see cable clamps attached to the backplane to define were my cable groups will be.
What definitions do I use to mark the wires? I use actual RR mileposts just like my prototype. So for ex: I use OS 137 for the turnout at Rockport. BK 1311 and BK 1312 for the double track blocks to the right of Rockport. Why those numbers. That's what the LV did.Number 1311 means milepost 131 track 1 (westbound main) 1312 means track milepost 131 track 2 (eastbound main). That is how I identify everything on my RR BK stands for block. These names will be used in the programming too. Use whatever makes sense to you.
Crimping all these wires is time consuming. There is a device called a breakout board that can really simplify this. It converts this to a screw terminal connection. But that will cost 8 bucks or so adding to the cost of the input/outputs by a dollar or so. I'm on a budget so I went with the crimp pins. I also had the crimp tool from prior electronic projects, so if you don't have that you will need to purchase that. It's about 15 dollars or so. Don't try to skip buying the tool if you go with the crimp pins. You will not get a good joint. Here is a picture
Also per a gentleman who just completed a sucessfull CMRI installation, he is soldering all connections. So I am soldering the pins, plus the spade connectors before I install them. He spent a lot of time chasing down problems that were related to crimped joints that were not good to the naked eye.
Hello from the other side of the northsea!
We in Trondheim modelljernbane klubb(http://blog.tmjk.no/)
are building a CMRI system for the club layout.
where can you bay the cards for the screw terminal board?
And the crimping tool, where? |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2011 : 07:12:14 AM
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Oystein lb
Here is a link to the company that mfg's the breakout board.
http://www.winford.com/products/brkch308.php
However Bruce does NOT recommend them. First is a cost issue. Excluding shipping and tax the board cost is 8 dollars per board adding 1 dollar of cost per pin. Now, I know our dollar has been hammered, so it might be cheaper than that for you.
The second reason is the board adds another layer of connection points, which are the weakest link in the system.
The crimping tool is available from Digikey part # WM9903. I hope this helps. Good luck with the installation.
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Edited by - LVRALPH on 06/02/2011 07:17:53 AM |
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BandONut
New Hire
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2011 : 7:10:57 PM
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| You're going to have a problem if you try and do your wiring for the LV through New Mexico as in the diagrams on the wall above. |
Chip Stevens |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2011 : 7:26:37 PM
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Have another glass of Jack Mr. nut! |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2011 : 7:28:19 PM
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| Don Wood of Eassee Interfaces performed his magic and the SMINI is on the way back while a check heads to Fl. That was a quick turnaround, but then Don's service is top notch. |
Edited by - LVRALPH on 06/05/2011 3:22:44 PM |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2011 : 05:38:27 AM
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Been away too long from this. I came down with a bug before Memorial day and the Dr. finally had to put me on antibiotics. Between opening the pool, our Son's high school graduation, being sick, and a non operating SMINI, things came to a grinding halt.
The outdoor weather is supposed to be nasty on Wed/Thurs with very hot conditions. It looks like I will be off Thurs and Fri so with my SMINI expected back I should be able to get something done.
I will have to make a cable to connect the new SMINI to the first one, and install the proper version of Bill's program that recognizes the new SMINI in the initialization section. Plus the new SMINI needs to be told how many seachlight signals will be connected to it so as to give the proper yellow indication. |
Edited by - LVRALPH on 06/07/2011 05:39:17 AM |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 06/17/2011 : 6:41:36 PM
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Things are not going well. I shipped the new SMINI to Don. He fixed it, sent it back, and it does not work. Seems when I hook it up in place of the existing SMINI, it blows the crystal and associated caps.
So I sent it back to Don and I await it's return. But I can't hook it up where I want it. I don't know why the ist one I built works perfectly, but this does not. The input voltage is fine 5.14 v which is less that the 5.25 max.
So I'm dead in the water on this until we solve this vexing problem. |
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Signaling my model railroad
