Busy with Club Newsletter this week

This week I've been busy compiling the club newsletter / magazine 'The Semaphore' in the absence of its usual editor PK, who is off on holidays in the US. He had compiled a fair portion before he left, but I completed it with various small articles and photos from last weekends Club Show. This was distributed on Friday night.

On Wednesday night I had a spare hour so tried connecting the IR detector up to the MERG CBUS modules. It took me about a minute to work out how to do it, program what to do (turn a LED on), then test it out to perfection. Now to work out how many I need, what my intentions are for the sensor (for JMRI positioning, to do specific things, etc), and how many other modules I need. Hopefully the solenoid point motor module will arrive this week.

Other than the above, not much else occurred. The weekend was a write-off doing other things like my Father-in-Law's 75th on Saturday and Fathers' Day day trip today (Sunday).

Not sure what I want to do this week coming up. Possibly some more on the terrace houses and continue with trying to get Wifi operating on the Pi.

A multitude of things done

This week I did spend a bit of time on the Pi again trying to sort out the wireless and JMRI roster problem. I am still persisting with the wireless config. This is a bit difficult as there as quite a few different solutions being suggested that I just have to find the right one! As for the JMRI loco roster import problem, I cracked this with the help of a couple of guys online and I know have my complete roster under JMRI on Linux.

Our club (RMCQ) annual show was on the weekend and I was busy in my VP duties as the Prez was gallivanting around Europe! So I was backwards and forwards to the Community Centre and home at various times to do different things. We had a fair crowd but nothing like last year's. We're putting it down to the weather. Last year was cold and wet, this year Spring came a week early and weather was fine and mild, perfect for outside pursuits rather than inside ones! Oh well, you get that!

However Saturday I was able to spend some time at the hobby table and put together the IR detector using the IS471F chip, and the front walls of the terraces. The IR detector assembly on perf board was a bit of a dog's breakfast due to some dodgy instructions but these can be easily fixed if full scale production has to occur. I tested it and it detected something at about 4 inches. More than enough for model railroading use. Now I just have to work out how to connect it to the MERG CANAC8EC module for input switching. I had some feedback on this so will pursue this further.

The terraces are now progressing again.

I also ordered the MERG CANACC4 module  on Friday for solenoid motor operation to test this function with the other modules.

So this week might be more of the same. Pi, MERG and terrace houses. I also have to complete the Club newsletter for distribution early next week as the usual Editor is off railroading in the US of A. Next Club monthly meeting is also the AGM, and I have put my VP hat back in the ring for a second year.

Here are some pics of the things mentioned above.

IR assembly - about 2 cm long

IR detector on top, emitter below

Terrace house with front walls fitted

The Raspberry Pi on top with powered USB hub at bottom

To much Pi is no good for the modelling

This week I didn't get around to anything I thought I was going to as I was very much distracted by the Raspberry Pi computer. I've been tinkering with JMRI as well as trying to get the little computer to become a WiFi access point to allow Smartphone connectivity with Engine Driver. While my mate PK is off to the US of A on a railroading holiday he has lent me his wireless dongle to muck around with. I think I am getting closer but it would appear as though there are many ways to skin a cat (never done it myself mind you!) to get the wifi configured so it will eventually come together (I hope).

I did make a query on the MERG CBUS Yahoo forum about IR detectors and connectivity to one of their modules. WOW didn't that start a thread and a half! All good information but started to get heavy on the electronics lingo and I started to glaze over:-)

I took delivery of my Eureka NSWGR BSVs (bogie sheep vans) last week. They do look good but I haven't had a chance to try them out over the weekend on track as the family was busy and I was doing some house maintenance, so no 'shed time' :-(

Let's see what distracts me this week!

Terraces have lights

This week I was able to resume work on the terraces after the last two weeks spent working out the MERG testbed problem. As the terraces will only be seen from the front, I decided only to light up the front rooms, and then alternating between top and ground floor i.e. flats 1 and 3 are ground and 2 and 4 are top floor. I did my usual thing of using clear LEDs painted with Tamiya (transparent) Orange to give that incandescent look. Intention is hopefully to put each on its own circuit and somehow automate a on/off cycle to give the 'lived in' look. Clear plastic in for the windows and curtains in place. The doors are also in, but I've had to pait the back of the doors black for the ground floor lighted flats as the doors were mounted on clear plastic for the skylight, and as such internal lighting was showing through the whole door. This week I'll put the window ledges in and then glue the whole front walls into place.

On the MERG side of things I've been researching what various IR detector arrangements are out there. I stumbled on this one site which had a very good solution that's been used by the robotics fraternity and would equally work for model train detection. Many possible solutions entailed developing a voltage compartor circuit between the IR emitter and receiver so that it would know when something has gone over it. This robotics solution has all the necessary circuitry on one chip, an IS471F. This chip also has the ability to modulate the IR emitter's light output to the receiver circuit so that ambient light doesn't affect it. So I found a supplier in Oz and sent away for one of these chips to give it a go. If it works out, then cheaper chips can be found from Chinese electronics sites. The other thing on the MERG side was I was contemplating the AC power supply over the DC, and thought why not try the transformer for the NCE SB3a. It is 15VAC 5A (fits criteria) and I reckon I could have it supply two circuits, one for the DCC SB3a and the other for the MERG CBUS power bus as I don't think it will ever have a full 5As of consumption with my small loco fleet and the accessories to power.

On the Raspberry Pi front, I've been trying to work out a problem with JMRI integration and CPU maxing out, over the weekend. No joy, so I've posted a question on the jmriusers Yahoo forum and will see what answers I get back. I took the Pi to the Club meeting on Saturday and it certainly raised the interest of the electronics buffs amongst us. One member said to investigate using VNC on the Pi to access it without a directly connected terminal but rather from your smartphone or tablet. Something to work on later but if it can it has possibilities in the Club context.

So this week more on the terraces and maybe the IR sensor made up and tested on the MERG CANACE8C.

Homer Simpson moment!

The first half of the week was spent dealing with the responses I received back to my questions posted on the MERGCBUS Yahoo Group, with many suggestions. On Wednesday were a number of other replies to a follow on set of questions. It was from this group of replies that the answer came. I had comms on the CBUS, I was able to get the input module to work and saw traffic on the CBUS via the FLIM Config Utility that I had connected up. But nothing on the output module. Answers around the LEDs were also sorted out. Then one of the replies re-explained a concept in layman's terms. The output pins are sinks NOT sources. They are -ve not +ve. I had wired in the test LED incorrectly to the output block (a document I was referring to appears to be wrong). DOH! Once re-seated, I tested the switch on the input module and the LED came on. DOUBLE DOH! Apparently it is a common misunderstanding. I will certainly be putting that nugget of info into my Hints and Tips! Now I can continue to test the various inputs and outputs I am looking at. I might have to invest in a couple of different output modules (solenoid motors and maybe servos). So while I am waiting on these to come in from MERG, I can go back to the Terraces as I have been really caught up in the above.

The other thing this week that kept me from progressing with the Terraces was that I had received my Raspberry Pi (microcomputer - look at www.raspberrypi.org) protective case from the UK on Wednesday. I put it together on Wednesday night and now that the Pi was protected I was able to concentrate on getting to know it a bit better over the rest of the week and into the weekend. After much research around how to connect it to an Internet source for software updates, I discovered it had been pre-configured to use the Ethernet conx. I connected it via a cross-over cable to my PC (which was being used as the Internet source) and voila' it connected first time. Brilliant. Last night I was able to download and install JMRI onto it. Excellent. That's where I left it. This week I will potter around a bit and see if I can transfer my current JMRI data files from the laptop to the Pi. This is why I purchased the Pi, a simple computer to run the train control software. I know for a fact that MERG TCC has just this week had a Linux version setup to run on the Pi, now I just have to make queries about FCU for CBUS having a Linux version.

Things are looking promising!

MERG problems still being sorted out

Spare time this week was spent re-reading the technical bulletins for the MERG CBUS modules in an attempt to try and get to the bottom of the problems. A fellow MERG member who lives locally (at least in Brisbane!) gave me some suggestions, which in the end didn't fix the problem. Come Friday I issued a post to the MERG CBUS Yahoo Group to see if a wider audience could nut it out. Many useful replies which furthered my education in these modules but still not working as they should. Hmmm. So last night I installed the USB driver for the CANUSB module and the FLIM Configuration Utility to see if the modules were 'seen' by the FCU on the laptop. The laptop could see the USB but nothing past this point. Hmmmm. Maybe another fault, or something actually wrong with the CBUS itself (wiring, ICs, etc?). So I will have to go back to the Group with this info and see if any bright sparks can get to the bottom of it!

The only thing I did on Illavearf was to 'formalise' the jury-rigged ammeter to a permanent location. I also took the opportunity to co-locate the short warning light.

This week hopefully some useful suggestions back re the MERG modules will get this sorted out, as well as I might be able to get back to the internal lighting of the terraces.

MERG test bed completed

This week I spent getting things finalised for the MERG test bed I've been building. Last night I screwed the USB card into place and wired it up to the CBUS. I put together some LEDs and a toggle and a push button switch to use as part of the 'learning experience'. It was getting late when I tried to 'learn an event' but it didn't work. Might be too tired. Try again in the morning. Come Sunday morning I tried again but still nothing. I referred to the Technical Bulletins and I seemed to be doing everything correctly. It was at this point I had to go and do some chores, so I will refer off to the MERG forums to see if these cast any ideas my way as to what I am doing wrong.

Another thing I did through the week was get the ammeter wired up (jury rigged!) to test on the layout. After consulting Mr Mackie about a switch problem, everything came good. It was sitting on 1/4 A just turned on. Today I put a sound loco on and nothing changed on the ammeter. So I am assuming I might have to 'zero' the meter back a bit so that 1/4A is registering when a loco is on it?

I wasn't able to get down to the Gold Coast Model Train Show this weekend so I am waiting on reported from the guys about how it went.

As the TDF finishes tonight (pity about Cadel) and I have only a few nights worth to catch up on, I am hoping that I will get back to the terraces now and sort out the MERG issue this week.