I wanted to hit the 'Like' button in recognition of you posting that update but felt it might be taken in the wrong way . Thanks for posting that even though the news doesn't sound good. Luckily I don't need one at the moment and not into the foreseeable future, Sumner
Fortunately, don't need one either but wouldn't mind getting another for fun. Plus, with the incredible progress of DCC EX and now EX-Rail, it may eliminate the need for a Pi for a small layout such as mine. Quite honestly, might not have not gotten a Pi if turnouts, accessory decoders and throttle function labels were an option last year when spec'ing things out. Happy to hear the Elegoo issue is resolved. Typically, Windows will assign a different COM port for each different board plugged into same computer. If memory serves correctly, both install methods require confirming serial (COM) port and board type. When JMRI starts up, it looks at connection settings (includes COM port) and will error if not found. Curious, was that the problem?
No and the problem was one I ran into some time ago and again yesterday. I put the install files for the auto-installer in a folder that was too far down the tree from C:. Once I extracted them to a folder right under C: things worked fine. Dumb mistake on my part. So one doesn't want to extract the files to a folder with a location with a long path like this--- C:/Trains/Electronics/Arduino/Mega/install. Last night I went back to putting DCC++EX on the mega that I have that also has wifi on the board so you don't need a wifi shield on the mega if you want the base station to broadcast its own wifi hotspot. The mega/wifi combo is only about $23 so thought I'd try it. They document the board ( HERE ) but there are a number of steps to pull it off as you have to flash the ESP8266 chip and you need to do all of them. Not real hard but don't mess up any of the steps. Made it the second try. It creates a wifi hotspot on the Mega so you don't need a computer or a home router or Pi for a wifi hotspot. I can connect to it with the phone running EngineDriver and call up a loco but something is not right as I can't then turn the track power on to the loco. I put it off to the side for a bit. I don't need that wifi with the Pi but just wanted to try it out. One will still want a computer to manage the roster, program decoders and anything that you would want JMRI for but......................... this is an interesting setup for guys taking modules and such to shows or other venues. You mount a Mega with wifi and a motorshield under the layout. Hook up a power supply for the motor shield/track power and put a buck converter on it for the Arduino power and you would be all set. About $70-$75 total. Plug it in and run trains off your phone, no computer or other wifi needed. Sumner
Oh yeah, liked that board with built in wifi. Think the DCC EX team just started with support Mega w wifi when spec'ing. Have the non-shield 8266 as the 8266 shield added too much height. Never wanted to put on my network so only use either Base with 8266 or Command Pi for wireless access point.
Are you using EngineDriver? My phone sees and connects to the network (new one on mega) and EngineDriver sees and connects to it. I can select an engine that has always worked with EngineDriver on the Pi network but it is selected but none of the screen buttons light up. No option to turn track power on, engine direction and speed are all dark on the screen and non-selectable. I haven't spent much time with it, any thoughts? I'll stay with the Pi network though since then I'm connected to JMRI and can select a loco via the rooster option which is easy to do vs. trying to remember the road number or looking at the engine for it. I would still like to get the mega wifi up though just so that I learn more about that option. Thanks, Sumner
Yes, Engine Driver is primarily used however when running with just DCC EX without Pi, also used SCRP Throttle and i-Throttle. Experienced similar issue when first started without Pi in late 2020. The wi-throttle(s) would connect but thats it. However, when same Arduino branded Mega + motor shield connected to PC via USB and using the DCC EX browser based DCC EX Web Throttle --no issue thus suspecting either bad wifi or software issue. As it turned out, appeared to have gotten a bad wifi shield since no other changes were made. plugged in replacement, and presto... all worked fine. Not as a permanent solution but would love to know the outcome if you can attempt to control via the DCC EX browser based Web Throttle. https://dcc-ex.com/throttles/ex-webthrottle.html Having a small "panel-free" layout, think some would say, are all the bells and whistles and Pi necessary?? I love having the Pi under the hood and now after adding the Digitrax DS64 last week for turnout control with JMRI pushing out the turnout labels, its the best!!
I found the perfect Luddite power pack, it don't get more simple that the Aurora Buzz Master Gold! Listen to that classic humm, as it should be:
LOL, my older brother had an Aurora HO slot car track setup with that same transformer! We had a ton of fun with that setup. My dad built a wall mounted shelf/fold-up layout board for it, so we could leave it set up, but simply fold it up against the wall when not using it (IOW, when sleeping). Somebody here has posted pictures of an HCD layout mounted/hinged to the wall similarly. Thanks for tickling that memory!
I absolutely love it. Had an aurora too. Believe internally may use older selenium rectifiers and only god knows the condition of the dielectric of the aged and no doubt "leaky" capacitors (and high ripple).
