How necessary is it to provide a Loconet connection (and subsequent software) on a board, ie a booster controller? The reason I ask is because I am in the process of designing a booster controller for 5 IBT-2 boosters (including short circuit protection and reversing loop control per booster), and one of my acquaintances mentions this as a "must have". However 1. I do not really see the need for interaction between a booster and its command station, and 2. how widespread is the need ("must have") for a loconet interface on this type (or any other type) of controller board?
For a booster, not necessary at all, not even Digitrax boosters communicate back to the command station. A physical Loconet connection would certainly be handy for for Loconet users, but you would not need any additional software and the only connection you would need to the booster circuitry is the Railsync lines, which are a low current copy of the DCC signal and what gets boosted for the track output in a Loconet system.
Thank you for your reply CSX Robert. If I understand correctly then it would be useful to provide two Loconet connectors, as "throughput" connection? And would it be useful to provide the Loconet termination (ie the standard Loconet current source terminator) too? Railsync: this is on a RJ45 connector; while Loconet uses RJ12 connector: which one should I include in the design?
Yes, two connections would be handy. You would not need Loconet termination. Only one device on a Loconet network is supposed to provide termination and you wouldn't likely want that to be a booster. Railsync is on the RJ12 connector (pins 1 and 6), Loconet does not use an RJ45 (typically, it's actually connector independent, but all commercial Loconet products us RJ12).
Ah ok, Railsync is the Loconet signal, I understand. Thanks a lot for that info. When finished I will publish Eagle files and program. I take into account your earlier suggestion (different thread) for reset from overcurrent: initially retry automatic a few times, then let the user push a reset button.
To CSX Robert: regarding the booster controller you mentioned a while ago to provide resetting in case of short circuit initially automatically and after a number of attempts to switch over to manuel resetting. Now I face a programming question: suppose a short circuit, and automatic resets exceed its authorised number of times and hence manual reset kicks in. Now suppose after few attempts spread in some time, a manual reset succeeds; Now the question: how much time should pass until a short circuit again resumes to automatic resetting?
