MERG modules done!

Since the last post on Wednesday, I have concentrated on getting a least the Experimenter's Kit modules done and if time permitted start the solenoid driver module. Well I was able to get all of them done once I started. The CANACC4 solenoid module was certainly the most time intensive module I have built to date due to the number of components on the board, but well worth it in the end. Tonight I connected it up to the CBUS test bed and the laptop runninf FlimConfig and it was a breeze to program. I had an old test point with a Peco driver underneath so with a small bit of bodgying I was able to connect the point motor connected into the module. I then configured the two pushbuttons on the CANACE8C to activate the point motor. Perfect. I then thought why not see how a couple of LEDs in the CANACC8 would go to mimic indicators on a panel. Slight problem was that the LEDs only flashed with the pushbutton activation and didn't stay on. I knew there was some way of keeping them on but for the life of me I couldn't remember. A bit later after I had disconnected I referenced the manual I finally found and I will have to try its suggestion the next time I connect the laptop to the testbed. Hopefully this will be tomorrow as the missus is taking the kids over to a playdate for a few hours in the morning which will give me some 'alone time' on my public holiday time off .

This afternoon I spent helping Lachlan and Matthew start the small diorame baseboards for their modelling competition entries for the Club comp in December. I am specifically going to mentor Lachlan so that he can enter something. Matthew is more like being a part of the process! I cut down some ply for the base and some MDF for the backboard. The boys painted the baseboards in brown to start with for the dirt and then we start moving upwards. A small project which I think will be achieveable by Lachlan before December.

This week hopefully sort out the above LED problem, maybe put some time into the Raspberry Pi and its connectivity with the Wifi / JMRI / Engine Driver, and the UDEV rules for connecting it to the layout. The last one is a big maybe.

Then it will be back to the terrace houses.

Terrace back walls finally done

I've delayed updating this blog by a couple of days so as to have something to write about. I have finally been able to finish the rear walls which have been extremely time-consuming. Some photos below. I've elected not to put in curtains on the rear windows as you will not be able to see them on the layout.

Apart from these, nothing else has been done, because as mentioned, time was consumed with these alone last week!

Time for a change this week so I might get around to one of the MERG modules.

Minimal on terraces this week

I've been busy this week re-installing everything on a new laptop since the old one apparently fried its motherboard (according to the tech). I was able to copy most of the files off the old hard drive to an external drive so that was fortunate. My backup/restore program encountered problems with the last backup I had done so that was a pointless exercise!

No work on the MERG modules.

I got 30 minutes last night to move the terraces houses along.

I spent most of Saturday down at the Club at a working bee in between other commitments. A handful of members turned up to help, so it was fortunate that we had hired a civil contractor to do the digging for the drainage pipe ditches and to move some dirt around to where the future trailer garage is to go. So that was worth every cent as we would have been there a month of Sunday's trying to dig the tranches as the ground was rock hard due to the dry spell we are currently in.

This week I am hoping to progress with the terraces but there is a lot of cutting out work at this stage so very tedious! if I get board with that I might start the MERg modules.

As for the Raspberry Pi, that has taken a backseat over the last couple of weeks, but I am hoping to start that back up when I can.

Only terraces this week

Only thing to report this week was I progressed with the terrace housing one night this week. Apart from that I received the MERG CANACC4 and Experimenters kits on Friday. Nothing happened with the Pi. Busy week!

So this week might be more on the terraces as I do want to enter these into the Club modelling competition in December, a bit on the Pi, and maybe solder up the MERG kits.

The main problem is that my laptop has spat the dummy for some reason and a lot of my applications are on it. So I have to get someone out to have a look at it and hopefully it isn't a fatal problem!

Ciao

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!