| Author |
 Topic  |
|
LVRALPH
Fireman
5431 Posts |
 Posted - 05/14/2012 : 7:17:06 PM
|
| I had a little energy to work on this project tonight. I chose to work on the CTC machine. I managed to hook up OL 163 and OL 1701 and they work fine. However when I connected OL 1702, OL 1701 came on, even when only BK 1702 was displaying a proper input on my screen. At that time I called it quits. |
 |
|
|
LVRALPH
Fireman
5431 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2012 : 7:22:06 PM
|
Tonight I did some prep work. I got a power supply hooked up and working and installed the fuses for the +12 and +5 volt lines plus the ground at the Packerton node.
All I need to do now, is run the cable I ordered from Don and I am ready to install SMINI 5. That is if the cable is long enough.
I might need to have Bill send me a new version of the program supporting the new configuration. Maybe V 306?
I won't be trouble shooting downstairs or working on the OS 90 crossovers until Sat Morning. I'm a morning guy and that is when I best do that kind of work. |
|
|
|
LVRALPH
Fireman
5431 Posts |
Posted - 05/16/2012 : 5:07:38 PM
|
Good news. I was able to string the cable from SMINI 5 at the Packerton node to SMINI 2 at the Crestwood node all by myself. It took about an hour and I got a whole bunch of ceiling tile in my long wavy hair, but it was enough. I even had 2 extra feet. I was worried it would not be long enough.
Inspection of each end revealed a broken wire on one end. I will make a new crimp an solder it in place. With that I will be able to install SMINI 5 and start hooking up a bunch of devices. |
|
|
|
LVRALPH
Fireman
5431 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2012 : 8:20:54 PM
|
Some progress. OS 90, the crossover at WK is now working and connected to the CTC machine. Man what a bugger to get this crossover to work! First I tried my standard 680 ohm resistors on the machine. Result = 1 machine works only if I disconnect the second machine. Connected, neither work.
I rebuild the machine with 560 ohm resistors, same thing.
I rebuild it with 330 ohm resistors and almost blow both machines up. Not having anything else, I go to the resistor store and by some 470 ohm resistors. Perfect! Now I know how to wire up the next four crossovers.
I then pull the motor down from for the Martin Marietta cement siding and rewire it. I wire a toggle all up, install it in the facia and the toggle does not work! Pizzed off I put it down and walk away. i said some very bad words.
With an op session tomorrow night, this waits til Sat. But I am further along with todays effort. |
|
|
|
wvrr
Fireman
5018 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2012 : 03:45:08 AM
|
I hate it when projects fight you every step of the way, Ralph. Sometimes I wonder if it is a message. I do what you do and walk away to "cool down."
Chuck |
Wyoming Valley Railroad
http://sites.google.com/site/wvrails/ |
|
|
|
LVRALPH
Fireman
5431 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2012 : 04:44:20 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by wvrr
I hate it when projects fight you every step of the way, Ralph. Sometimes I wonder if it is a message. I do what you do and walk away to "cool down."
Chuck
Chuck what really fried me was that the toggle was mechanically broken! I don't know if I was to heavy with the soldering iron, or I stepped on it while it was on the floor, but a mechanical break? I've only installed dozens of these, and I am good with a soldering iron.
Maybe I'll rewire it while I wait for steam nut for tonights op sesssion. I'm still fried. |
|
|
|
LVRALPH
Fireman
5431 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2012 : 06:27:31 AM
|
Yesterday was a day filled with lots of progress and a huge disappointment, and hopefully not a setback. With 3 months to go until the first of four op sessions, I can't afford setbacks.
Lately the project has been landing body blows on me. After a winter of great success and progress, I hit a patch where everything I touch does not work.
After "rastling" with the turnouts in crossover OS 90 (WK) I finally got that to work last Thursday.
I then used this new found resistance knowledge to wire up the crossover at OS 119. This is the Lehighton crossover, one that has never worked for more than half an op session. While I still need to test the performance of the track, I managed to rewire and re install the 2 motors that control this crossover. With the proper resistors it now works. So this is good. It runs off the CTC machine.
The next job had a lot of small things to accomplish, but the payoff when done would be huge. This is the installation of the next SMINI node at Packerton, SMINI # 5.
I stripped all the wiring from this area, no small task. I then installed and wired up the power supply using an old PC supply from my recently deceased computer. I installed the terminal blocks and fuses for the 12 and 5 volt lines. I will also intall at a later date a -12 v line so i can scrap my homemade power supply that powers all the turnouts in Packerton Yard.
I made up my first output cable and crimped all the wires in anticipation of hooking up my first device to this unit. I hooked up the +5 and ground wires and held my breath as the unit powered up. It worked!. Well, I am expecting this to work. I spent some money at Christmas and had pro Don Wood build it, so I did not have to worry about something not working.
I connected the main cable from SMINI 2 that I strung last week. I then changed the setting on the dip switch to identify this as the third SMINI even though it is number 5. I then went upstairs and changed a value in the INITRR subroutine that told the system that SMINI # 5 was now on line.
I powered up the system, initialized all the nodes and went downstairs to see if SMINI # 5 initialized and it did not. If it properly initialized (the microprocessor doing it's thing) I would get a flash rate of 1 second on and 1 second off on the green LED. NOPE!
So I started thinking. Always a dangerous thing for me, kind of like me using carpentry tools. Supposed the dip switches identifying this SMINI are not supposed to be 3 but instead 5. Well, it was worth a shot. So I changed the value on the DIP switch to a 5 and re initialized the system.
Whoo Hoo! It worked. SMINI # 5 initialized and it's microprocessor was a happy guy. I did a dance to Mombo # 5. Hey, SMINI # 5, Mombo # 5, it works.
I then launched the program. Uh Oh! I am getting an error that the program is calling SMINI # 5 and asking for an answer, and it is not receiving one. My heart sank. I then remembered that I had to fix a broken pin on the cable. Maybe I did not do a good job of fixing it. So, I checked to see what pin it was and sure enough it was an input pin I fixed.
Well, I needed to test all the pins on this cable I said. I reached for my VOM, and promptly knocked it off the layout to the floor. I picked it up, and it was dead. Great, now I need a new VOM. For laughs and giggles I took the back cover off, and noticed a wire coming from the battery was cut. I must have pinched this wire when I last changed the battery, and it was cut. Holding my breath, I re-stripped the wire, soldered it it and it worked! Phew, but that took some time. I don't need to waste time, Did I tell you I have my next OP session in August!
So I continue, my testing of the cable and all checks out. Now my heart sinks. I have done all I can do, and this means another series of calls an e mails to Bill on getting past this. Not that I mind talking to Bill. he is a nice guy, but I need to move this project forward. So Bill sent me some test steps. I hope to get to them today, but I have Mass this AM, breakfast with the wifey, and a full day of yard work. After I do that, I usually end up in a chair saying various things hurt. Wine helps, and is not good for model railroad electronics.
The day was not a total loss.I decided to pull down the four switch machines in the Packerton area and re wire and re install them. They power the crossover at OS 121 (between # 1 and # 2 tracks) and the OS 120 crossover (between # 2 track and the arrival departure track in the yard) They are all ready to hook up to the system, when that happens. Very soon I hope.
Sorry about being long winded, but I had a lot to say today. |
|
|
|
nhguy
Fireman
USA
3689 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2012 : 11:37:33 AM
|
| Does the computer think that SMIMI5 is SMIMI3 in the program? |
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 |
|
|
|
conrailbill
Section Hand
59 Posts |
Posted - 05/20/2012 : 12:19:38 PM
|
No, The program was set up with a series of SMINIn$ = "Y" or SMINIn$ = "N" statements, and then a set of IF statement tests were performed inside the INITRR, READRR, and WRITERR subroutine to determine whether or not to initialize and read and write to any given SMINI node.
This was done so that I could write the entire program 2 years ago, and then Ralph could install over time the various SMINI nodes and simply change one of those SMINIn$ settings from "N" to "Y".
He did the correct thing of changing SMINI5$ = "N" to SMINI5$ = "Y", but simply forgot initially to change the DIP switch pack setting on his SMINI that is now SMINI Node 5.
However, doing so, did get the SMINI initialized. I sent Ralph a new set of TEST programs to test his INPUTs and OUTPUTs pins by using this small program to see if it is an issue with the big CTC program, or his hardware.
Bill Carr
|
|
|
|
nhguy
Fireman
USA
3689 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2012 : 12:48:09 PM
|
Well, that is good Bill. I was wondering if it might have been as simple as changing the DIP switches to the correct Node 'address'. I've done similar stuff just setting up addresses for my MACROS turnout control and pulled my hair out trying to figure out why. One time I forgot to pull the programming 'jumper' off the programming pins to the 'run' pins. I spent some time looking and trying to figure out that one. I know have a written check list I go through every time I do something like that instead of trying to rely on my memory. Less hair pulling now.
Glad Ralph got it operating. |
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 |
|
|
|
conrailbill
Section Hand
59 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2012 : 1:36:13 PM
|
Bill, we're not out of the woods yet on this one. Although Ralph did a continuity test on the RS485 node-to-node cable, and he can initialize the node, he still can't read inputs. So, since this SMINI has not deviced connected to it yet, I'm going to have Ralph dismount the SMINI # 5 and move it upstairs next to his computer and RS232/RS485 converter card, disconnect the SUSIC node, and reconnect short cable to the SMINI, move over the power cables from the SUSIC motherboard to the SMINI, and run a series of input and output tests using the standard ground the input pins, and the "LED + RESISTOR hooked to +5v with other end touching output pins" testing with a program I just sent to Ralph. We need to get back to a good known state of running on this node before moving it back downstairs. This series of steps will help us isolate whether it is a cabling issue, a node issue, or possibly an issue at Node 2's RS485 header where the cable comes out and goes to Node 5. I'm simply trying all the basic tests before any more intrusive work that might need to be done. We also need to perform a "short" test on the node to node cable as well.
Bill Carr
|
|
|
|
LVRALPH
Fireman
5431 Posts |
Posted - 05/21/2012 : 7:34:36 PM
|
A long phone call to Bill hopefully isolated the issue. Bill, thinks the problem might be a bad transceiver/receiver chip U-7. We could run an output test and get it to work. But if we switch the pair of chips the output test no longer works.
These chips are the only ones I do not have spares, nor an unbuilt SMINI to pirate the parts. So I placed an order with Jameco and hopefully they will be here by Friday. This may not solve the problem as there could always be something else wrong, like something making the chip go bad, but its a start.
There is plenty of other things I can do to move this forward. |
|
|
|
LVRALPH
Fireman
5431 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 6:37:34 PM
|
| I had some time today to move the project forward. I built another signal and asembled another DCCOD. A little progress, but progress none the less. And that was a good two hours of fun. Are my chips here yet? |
|
|
|
LandNnut
Fireman
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 9:25:51 PM
|
Slow and steady wins the race.
L&N nut
Jon |
 |
|
|
|
MarkF
Engineer
USA
9329 Posts |
Posted - 05/22/2012 : 11:07:18 PM
|
| Ralph, you know the project I am faced with. Like your, overwhelming at times. Sometimes I only get an hour here or there, and while it may not seem like much progress, every little bit is a step foward and it all adds up over time. |
Mark
See my homepage at http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/
|
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Signaling my model railroad
