Yes it is a VDC power supply that can handle N Scale, HO Scale and G Scale: http://www.digitrax.com/products/power-supplies/ps2012/
Here is a Getting Started With DCC++ Hardware Wiki page. https://github.com/DccPlusPlus/BaseStation/wiki/Getting-Started-With-DCC---Hardware
Thanks Greg, Glad I asked, that could have been a fubar. Please confirm the 18VAc is a no go. A few thoughts on overall design. (Security) Our Modular group had a Large public setup of 25 plus Modular units over the Holidays with crowds of 500 people on some days all with there Cell phones out and on a few days we were getting unusual responses from our CVP T5000 Radio Throttles and LENZ LZ100 Command station. We're following up to see if anyone was trying a man in the middle hack with some of these cell phone apps in the 900mhz range. Also I was thinking about the new EZ Bluetooth Bluerail product line from Bachmann and how you just start their EZ App on your phone and the Engine(cab) numbers automatically show up on your phone for you to play with. This would be a night mare at a public modular event if their system cant be isolated and secured. I secure my home network by predefining and entering only the network MAC Id cards that I want or authorize on my network. It might be a good Idea to look at the 10,000 foot level and think about securing the DCC++ components and overall system for say a Modular user group using multiple Arduinos/Wifi nodes and wireless throttles (smartphones) with large crowds of savvy young hackers playing in the crowd. Your are doing a Great and Thorough Job, and we all appreciate your Professionalism and Obvious Talent. Kevin https://sites.google.com/site/scmrrc/home
NO AC must be DC. Here is a possible fix to your power supply problem, its a multi output bridge rectifier it will give you the following using your current power supply (only changing it to DC outputs): ADJ OUT (LM317 Regulator): Max output: depend on input voltage (Up to 25V) Max Load: 1.5A 9V OUT (KA7809 Regulator): Max Load: 1A 5V OUT (KA7805 Regulator): Max Load: 1A Unregulated channel OTU: Max output: depend on input voltage (Up to 28V) Max Load: 4A here's the link http://www.ebay.com/itm/150W-AC-DC-...509440?hash=item3f556347c0:g:oPMAAOSw~gRV1UPY not bad for less than $7 us. You could even used the 5v out to power the Arduino.
Look promising, Thank you w8one. Would it be ok to use the 18.5 v of the Unregulated 4A output to power the Motor Shield or stay with the 18.5V 1.5A? Kevin
Gregg - I received another variation on the Arduino Motor Shield from a vendor on eBay yesterday - The price (with shipping) was less than $8.00. I tested it with the Uno and it works well - all you have to do is add the two jumpers and cut the VIN trace on the back. I put some notes on my web page here: http://trainelectronics.com/DCC_Arduino/DCC++/#eBay_Motor_Shield This is the least expensive option I have seen. If you get an Uno on eBay (certainly less than $10 for a clone) and this shield you can have a functional DCC++ controller for less than $20.00! dave
@David Bodnar that's the same shield that I had ordered from China and is on the slow boat here. Total cost was $5.20 (£3.49) so good to know it works. And the UNO clones from China are listing as £2.30($3.45) shipped to the UK.
Kevin, You obviously are much more advanced in DCC than I. From my beginnings I have two suggestions. Think about getting the Pololu motor shield that Scott suggests, mine works beautifully. That is a more robust supply. Second, I would take the 3.5 Amp power supply and run it through a bridge rectifier and a LM338T adjustable voltage regulator that is rated 5 amps. That would give you the power and voltage that you need. Circuits are available on line. David
Yes it would be OK (recommended) to use the unregulated 4A out for the power to your motor shield. You will see a little lower voltage out due to changing to DC probably 17.3VDC or so.
Hmm that's pretty weird I never noticed the 900mhz amateur band right in the middle of the GSM ranges. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/2003-allochrt.pdf Are you sure that's what the wireless throttle uses? most wireless devices use 2.4ghz same as wifi and Bluetooth. For DCC++ any real security at TCP level will be hard. There is significant CPU overhead to TLS\SSL. I am pretty sure even a mega could not handle that.
Maybe for public venues a small laptop or a Raspberry Pi running JMRI connected to the Base Station via serial? Let the computer handle the security Or if not JMRI it shouldn't be hard to either modify Controller or write a little server app
Excellent. I ordered the PM-3000 Rectifier as recommended, got it for $3.99 free shipping off ebay. The MRC Transformer is putting out 18.8 vac at 3.5 amps ac max, so 17 vdc + will do fine. Thanks again for for all your help, much appreciated. Kevin
FYI, I spent some more time with the clone shield today and tested it with the programming track output and that works flawlessly as well. I plan on testing it with the Mega next week. Your prices are excellent - looks like we have the total cost to about $10.00 US dave
Pretty Sure... Our Modular Club owns a Lenz LZ 100 Command station and a CVP Airwire 900 Linker with a CVP LH100 Wired and two CVP T5000 wireless Throttles. RF channel 00 is 921.37MHz and channel 01 is 919.87 MHz, per page 9 of T5000 owners manual below. I'm not a radio feq expert, but I did experience signal interruption, eradicate engine control, horns staying on, lights and speed interrupts on two different days. we saw two suspicious 20 something year old's in the corner playing on their smart phones watching the engines and smiling, they played dumb when we inquired. Did not have any other problems in the 14 days (weekends) we operated for the public when the two were not there.. Rebooting the Command and Wireless Stations didn't help. We had to disconnected the Wireless Airwire 900 Linker receiver and through the wired throttle shut off the horns reset the engines and then plugged the Airwire 900 Linker and used the wireless throttles. Not 100% positive it was the two of them. It could also be a as yet undetermined intermittent problem with both throttles dropping into the same RF channel i.e. 00 frq 921.37MHz and confusing each other.... TBD Kevin
Hi Gregg, This is a great start. I know what you mean about google site web tools as I built our original SCMRRC site utilizing them a few years back. Yes you can through "sharing & permissions" you can own, edit or view the Site and Invite persons via their email address. And by creating a second Site you can seamlessly connect to a Members only area. Within members only part of the site I built a File Cabinet for Achieve storage of club historical documents, info, pictures, a connection to google calendar etc. Due to overall web site file size limitations at Google Sites we have since moved our large Picture files off to Flickr' and seamlessly connect to it. This shouldn't be an issue for you and your web site if your Videos aren't stored in Google Sites and are just a connection to YouTube. When you get around to updated it in the next few days or weeks I have a few suggestions and tips if you'd like. example; our Stoney Creek Model Rail Road Club 'SCMRRC' google based site. https://sites.google.com/site/scmrrc/home Cheers, Kevin
I tested the 2nd shield that I got from eBay this afternoon and it did not work. Each time I turned the track power on it powered up and promptly shut down. After lots of testing and close inspection I located the problem. Can you see an error in construction here: The resistor array labeled "103" is shifted one position to the right! I removed the array and promptly lost it - fortunately I managed a repair with discreet resistors - details and more photos are here: http://trainelectronics.com/DCC_Arduino/DCC++/#The_Down_Side_to_Inexpensive_Boards! I guess you sometimes get what you pay for! dave
Dave, Excellent find and a Game Saving Play if I must say.... I have a couple of non functioning Uno's that could use your skill set.. Kevin
I have updated the WIKI and added a few pages, more to come as i get time. https://github.com/DccPlusPlus/BaseStation/wiki
Another bit of information on the eBay shield --- I tested it this morning with a Mega and it works just fine. http://www.ebay.com/itm/310787745501?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT This vendor delivered the board in 10 days - not bad! dave
