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MarkF
Engineer
USA
9272 Posts |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
 Posted - 06/27/2011 : 07:34:11 AM
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| Yea, Call me. I need to re-install 3 switch motors and it requires 2 people. |
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MarkF
Engineer
USA
9272 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2011 : 9:59:43 PM
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| I'm the brains of the operation. For the mechanical stuff, you need to get Steam over there! |
Mark
See my homepage at http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2011 : 05:41:56 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by MarkF
I'm the brains of the operation. For the mechanical stuff, you need to get Steam over there!
True, very true!
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2011 : 06:26:27 AM
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| I have all day to work on this. I hope to make progress. I am getting a maxtries error on node 2. This is the new SMINI. I think the problem is I have the RS 485 connection between the two SMINI's wrong. I have the pins connected the same way. That is + in to + in. That might be wrong. It might be + out on the old SMINI might have to go to + in on the next SMINI. Out to in, in to out, not in to in and out to out like I have. I send Bill an e mail to confirm this. |
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conrailbill
Section Hand
59 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2011 : 08:20:03 AM
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| Ralph, regarding the error on node 2, which node again is giving you trouble? I thought you had replaced the original node 1 SMINI with the new SMINI and configured that newest SMINI as Node 1. And then re-configured the original SMINI from address 1 to node address 2. If so, then the error is coming from the older SMINI or cabling. |
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conrailbill
Section Hand
59 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2011 : 08:32:23 AM
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Ralph, regarding the cabling, when cabling between the RS232-to-RS485 converter card and the first Node, ( which is your Node 0 - the SUSIC Node ), then:
a) the + Output pin of the converter card goes to the + Input pin of the SUSIC node 0
b) the - Output pin of the converter card goes to the - Input pin of node 0
c) the + Input pin of the converter card goes to the + Output pin of node 0
d) the - Input pin of the converter card goes to the - Output of the node
For the cabling "between" the nodes, such as from the SUSIC node 0 at the CTC panel to SMINI node 1, and from SMINI node 1 to SMINI node 2, etc., the cabling is as follows:
a) the + Output pin of a node goes to the + Output pin of the next node
b) the - Output pin of a node goes to the - Output pin of the next node
c) the + Input pin of a node goes to the + Input pin of the next node
d) the - Input pin of a node goes to the - Input pin of the next node
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2011 : 12:29:19 PM
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That's what I was looking for Bill, I messed one of the wires up.
Now it works perfectly.
I began trouble shooting OS 153. I'm sure I had this working before, but now the traffic left lamp does not work. I I also have a problem with signal 1531 head A not lighting. This OS has been my biggest problem to date. I must have had a real bad day hooking this up. I'll get back to you if I find out what ails it.
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2011 : 07:04:47 AM
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I had a lousey day yesterday on this. I worked on it all day and seemed to have made it worse.
My problem was signal 1531 downstairs. It is not displaying the proper aspect. I noticed the signal lever lamp for traffic left on the CTC machine at OS 153 was not lighting. I thought I got that working when I first installed it. But if I did not, I need to fix it.
The way the programming is designed, unless the signal lever gives the proper input reponse, the signal downstairs will not display correctly. Looking at the inputs displayed on the screen I noticed I was getting a 0 value when the OS 153 signal lever was thrown left for westbound traffic. The corresponding LED was not lighted. The correct value that should display was 1.
When the lever is left, I should get a 1, centered a 0, and right a 2. By the time I finished I was still getting a 0 in the left position, but now geting a 3 for right. I think I have the wiring all messed up here and two input connected together, so I am going to remove all the wiring between the SUSIC pins and the 153 lever rotary switch.
Why? Well, I will retest at pins 13 and 14. These are the two input pins that when gounded give you that 1 or 2 value on the display. During my testing yesterday, when i grounded these two pins I got the proper 1 for left and 2 for right values on the display. So that tells me I have messed up the wiring between the SUSIC input pins and the rotary switch lever. It's not like this is my first signal lever that I have wired. I hope to get to that this afternoon before I jump in the pool. |
Edited by - LVRALPH on 07/02/2011 07:14:06 AM |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2011 : 1:25:44 PM
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Well, I managed this weekend to fix the Signal lever on OS 153. It and it's switch lever are working perfectly. I still cannot get the turnout at OS 153 to work, even with a new board. The machine does not work and a test machine won't work either. The two pins that control this are either both connected to ground or 5 volts, thus no complete circuit. I asked Bill to consider moving this device to the second SMINI. We will see what he thinks.
I managed to get the eastbound home signal at Crestwood operating (1532) Here is a pic.
In this picture is the passing siding track (# 22) to the right of the home signal. In the middle is # 2 track, the eastbound main. On the left is the westbound main # 1 track. The turnout on the left leads into the Crestwood Industrial Park. That's Certainteed products on the right, but Hueber has other plans for this.
All tracks will converge shortly into a single track main on "the hill" I purposely made it single track in the design for operations. It makes it more challenging to get trains up and down the mountain with only one track. |
Edited by - LVRALPH on 07/05/2011 07:50:36 AM |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 07/04/2011 : 4:13:57 PM
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Well, I am officially an idiot. My friends already know this and they humor me. I got OS 153 turnout working. The reason it would not work all this time was I had two sets of orange/white bell telephone wire running into the panel. I had hooked up the wrong pair to the switch motor. If I had bell tested it when checking the circuit, I would have discovered that mistake. But I just did a visual, so that's why i am an idiot. At least I feel like one.
One thing that confused me when testing, was when I hooked a test machine up to the SMINI pins, it should have worked. The only thing I can think is that my alligator clips were not making good contact on the test switch motor.
It was a good day as shown above. Signal 1532 and turnout 153 are working. I still have some goof issues with signal 1531. But I can get through the op session with what I have working.
Now I need to get the spur off of # 1 main into crestwood industrial park hooked up, starting with the toggle for the turnout. Then I should be able to close up that panel.
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Edited by - LVRALPH on 07/05/2011 07:49:43 AM |
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AVRR-PA
Fireman
USA
4599 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 4:56:01 PM
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Ralph, your persistence and dedication to this project is awe-inspiring.
I don't know what drugs you're on, but I want some of them for my bike ride. 
Don |
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wvrr
Fireman
5015 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 5:35:52 PM
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We've all been there, Ralph. At least you found the cause of the problem. I agree with Don, this project is taking an incredible amount of patience and dedication. But, the result is paying off.
Chuck |
Wyoming Valley Railroad
http://sites.google.com/site/wvrails/ |
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LVRALPH
Fireman
5429 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 6:47:16 PM
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| Thanks for the cheerleading Don and Chuck. It helps. |
Edited by - LVRALPH on 07/07/2011 05:45:03 AM |
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nhguy
Fireman
USA
3665 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2011 : 2:32:28 PM
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| Ralph. Welcome to the TWIC or Train Wiring Idiots Club. Your now an official member by publicly stating it. Your member number is 100007072011. You are hereby granted all privileges and honors associated with membership in the club (of which there is really nothing but fixing your own wiring goofs). In addition, you are granted associate membership in the WTHDIPTT club (Where The Heck Did I Put That Tool) Club. Congratulations! |
Bill Shanaman
Superintendent, New Haven RR in the 1948 to 1952 era
PMRA President 2013-14, OpSIG Member
NCE User Since 1999
Sugar City, Colorado |
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Signaling my model railroad
