Hi folks! I was unable to find an R3 shield, but, locally, found one of these annoying fundumotos for a DCC++ setup. It appears that these have been a mixed bag for everyone who has crossed paths with them. I'm new to DCC and, so I couldn't have chosen an easier way to start.. I'm trying to troubleshoot several things at once. I'm really not getting any behavior from the motor board that indicates that things are OK. Jumpers: I see a couple of discussions on this. I am using: UNO + FunduPain board Jumpers from 10-->12, 5-->13 MOTORA connected to track. MotorB disconnected. MOTORA is starting at 6V. If I issue a track on, goes to 12V MOTORB always 0V/floating With a loco on, 6V it'll think about moving right away, turn track power on, the loco runs away. I have no control/ability to read CV's. So. If I had the *correct* shield, what would I expect to see? I'm a bit surprised the loco runs straight away, and I haven't put a scope on the output of the motora yet to see if there is a DCC sig. Other posts in the forums there appears to be maybe one person who has gotten this to do anything? Many thanks, Joe
Hmm; I missed this when I was searching around: http://rc.mired.org/2017/09/the-fundumoto-motor-shield.html I'm going to keep probing around the fundu board. I re-checked the DCC functionality based on the debug sequence on the dcc++ github docs, and the Uno is functioning. It's pretty clear that the motor board is the evil in this situation. If I make any meaningful headway, I'll post here for others. A bit more searching and I did discover a source for an R3 board, so that is also good. They have gotten scarce and I expect other folks have or will fall into the same trap and buy one of these cheap motor boards. J
Hi, Read also the note at the top if the sketch (is about half of the sketch) if you have missed it. As is, you can only read & write CV on the programming track and to run a train, that happens on the mainline/ ops track. To make things easier maybe user DecoderPro (programing CVs) and PanelPro (controlling trains) from JMRI and is free. If you run HO your power input on the shield should be 14 to 18V DC and about 2A (output is only 2A per channel). If you look at the pin mapping doc that is on the DCC++ site there are 2 traces that need to be cut. For the Vin you can always bend the pin out or find how to do disable it on the shield as I don't see the pads for it on the bottom of this shields as in the other makes.
Hi Pieter, Thanks; I did notice the particulars of CV. The more I compare this with the R3 shield, and experiment a bit I see some issues. This shield uses D10,D11 as PWM for speed and D12/D13 for the A/B direction. The only change from the Rev3 is the switch of MotorA being 10 instead of 3. It seems that the programming track/MotorB should work out of the box, but, I don't see that it does. Based on the DCC++ videos on how this was implemented on the Arduino, I can't simply swap DCC_SIGNAL_PIN_MAIN from 10 to another pin... so it appears that only the PROG track should work. With track power off, should I still be able to communicate with the DCC decoder in the loco? Once I initiate track power, the loco takes off. It's an inexpensive bachmann "DCC equipped" model I got for experimentation.. More experimenting.
Have a look a the pdf if you have missed it. http://www.mantech.co.za/Datasheets/Products/EX029.pdf Looks like you might have to move a pin or two. If the track is switch off, there should be no power on the train - lights off/ out.
OK, so after some messing; I can get main (motorA) to operate the loco if I use a Mega. Obviously I can't read any CV. Need to fuss with getting PROG to run so I can read in all the CV's. I can't turn on lighting or anything, but I can forward/revers + throttle the loco. What I've done to get this far: First: Stock DCC++ code from github. Jumpers from 4 --> 13 as indicated in the DCC++ video on using the Mega. Loco will take off as soon as it is on the prog track, and track power is turned on in JMRI/serial console <1>. Main Track power LED indicators will not activate. Second: Stock DCC++ code from github. Jumpers from 2-13 as indicated in the DCC++ documentation when using Mega. Prog Track: power indicators on, but, no track power that is "AC". Main Track: no power indicators, no voltage present. Stock DCC++ code from repo, with a single modification as indicated in this thread: Modify Mega #define SIGNAL_ENABLE_PIN_PROG 11 to #define SIGNAL_ENABLE_PIN_PROG 10 http://www.trainboard.com/highball/...ing-dcc-with-a-keyes-fundumoto-shield.103803/ *NO JUMPERS PRESENT* Prog Track: power, no power indicators, no AC/DC present on prog track. Main Track: track powers on. I can address and run loco, however, I do not believe this is proper function, since Main track runs and this is supposed to be prog track. More in a bit Plan is to doc this to the point that the next unfortunate has something to start with. J
I may be wrong here, but looking at the pdf on the keyes fundumoto bd, I can't see any reference to current sense pinouts or circuitry? If that is true it means that you won't be able to read cv's and the over current protection won't work. You may be able to add the necessary current sense resistors (as I had to on my driver bd) but I don't know how easy that is to do on the fundumoto
Agreed; I don't think the current sense works. Tho the link to the TB above I think that author was able to read CV's. Somewhere in my searches, I may have stumbled across somebody jumpering this by hand off the L298.. Here: http://www.trainboard.com/highball/...sp32-base-station.112634/page-15#post-1049155 At the moment I have slightly more going, but not everything. With a Mega: shield SIGNAL_ENABLE_PIN_MAIN = 10, PROG =11 (MAIN changes from 3 --> 10) DCC_SIGNAL_PIN_MAIN = 12, PROG = 2 On the FunPain shield D10 is the PWM that controls MOTORA, on the R3/Arduino shield, it is D3, this is why the change. Jump from 2--> 13. Now, I see AC 12V on both MotorA/MotorB when track power is ON, however, I do not believe there is a DCC signal on MOTORB, as I cannot control loco, however, I can control with MAIN track.
Reading briefly the thread you linked to, although the poster at first thought he was reading cv's he in a later post confirmed that he couldn't. I suspect he was getting random 'noise' readings that looked like cv values. I believe you would have to cut traces on the bd and solder a couple of resistors on in order for current sense to work.
You'reright; he says a few times he was reading CV's, but, at his summary, he says he found he actually wasn't. I think his sswap of pin 10, just made the prog track work. I think my swap 3-->10 is how it should work. I'm not quite sure why I can't get the prog track to work, but I need to go rewatch the timer portion of the DCC++ vids; there is a reason that the pins resting on particular timers were chosen. Either way, I think that this is about as good as this board gets for making things go. I did find an R3 board and ordered it, but at least I got to play a bit. JMRI + dcc++ base is a good combo. I need to start figuring the other bits out, now. I don't know that there is enough functionality with this board to be able to get anything trustworthy going with arduino decoders. Sure has changed from when I was a kid with my layout. That was all above board selenoid points... Block detection! Wow! Thanks to everyone that posted; what a nice community. Joe
