Computer Control of Model Trains
Eric Borm
We have just finished building a computer controlled model train
system for our lab and it is almost entirely custom built hardware.
As much "fun" as it was to build, if there were commercial products
for interfacing a computer to such a setup, we would be interested in
knowing about them. Currently, we can control speed of individual
trains, change switch settings and read optical sensors placed around
the track to sense the train's location. We control the system with a
68010 microprocessor.
If anyone knows of any commercial products that might
replace/enhance any of this, I'd like to hear about them.
Thanks--Eric
KevinS
Have you checked out Bruce Chubb's "Build your own universal computer
interface"? Pretty interesting, I built the setup he describes and it
works well. Was a lot of fun to do.
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Larry Desoto
>Have you checked out Bruce Chubb's "Build your own universal computer
>interface"? Pretty interesting, I built the setup he describes and it
>works well. Was a lot of fun to do.
Please post the reference...
Is it an article, book, photocopied notes???
Thanks.
--
Larry | Thunder makes all the noise;
| lightning gets the job done.
lar...@milton.washington.edu
I have my opinion; the university has its own.
Paul L. Fortman, Jr.
In a previous article, bo...@cs.ubc.ca (Eric Borm) says:
> I'm glad to see this new user group.
>
> We have just finished building a computer controlled model train
>system for our lab and it is almost entirely custom built hardware.
>As much "fun" as it was to build, if there were commercial products
>for interfacing a computer to such a setup, we would be interested in
>knowing about them. Currently, we can control speed of individual
>trains, change switch settings and read optical sensors placed around
>the track to sense the train's location. We control the system with a
>68010 microprocessor.
Possible overkill, but that's OK.
> If anyone knows of any commercial products that might
>replace/enhance any of this, I'd like to hear about them.
I don't know of any commercial products. You could check Model
Railroader or one of the other model railroading magazines. If
there aren't any commercial products, then you could always
market yours.
-Paul
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fort...@udavxb.oca.udayton.edu
Dennis H Lippert
>In a previous article, bo...@cs.ubc.ca (Eric Borm) says:
>>As much "fun" as it was to build, if there were commercial products
>>for interfacing a computer to such a setup, we would be interested in
>>knowing about them. Currently, we can control speed of individual
>>trains, change switch settings and read optical sensors placed around
>> If anyone knows of any commercial products that might
>>replace/enhance any of this, I'd like to hear about them.
As far as I know, there are no commercial products per se. However, several
years back (1983?) Model Railroader had a series (14 issues?) on building
just such a system, written by Bruce Chubb (Sunset Valley RR).
It's now been translated into a book ("Building a Universal Computer Interface
System") which devotes it's entire second half to "an application of the
interface" - Chubb's railroad.
It uses a serial interface (I think an internal card version is also
available) and tons of hardware. (I/O cards handle like 24 detectors and/or
throttles, motherboard can hanle like 10 I/O cards... etc.)
Chubb sells the cards and some of the hard-to-find parts, and provides
excellent customer support.
How do I know?
The Pittsburgh Model Railroad Historical Society (of which I'm a member)
has been using the system for 2 1/2 years now. We have a 286 25 Mhz clone
which is quite an overkill for the serial interface. It's currrently set
up to run 7 "human" cabs and up to 12 "totally unhuman" cabs. The auto-cabs
are better... they never run blocks :-). We have 3-color signals in the
hand-held throttles, and currently have about 30 mainline blocks.
The detection is by current draw, so resistance in cabooses is a must. The
cabs can handle 3-unit Athearn lashups without harm, and except for huuman
error (knocking wires off, program bugs, etc) it has been virtually
perfect.
If you need more info, just ask... I'll tell what I know (I'm *not* one of
the people working on the system...)
Hope it helps!
p.s. Although I was against the new group... I guess I'll have to make
myself a home here!
--
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Dennis Lippert - mac...@unix.cis.pitt.edu
The "Mac Maniac" operator at the Hillman Research Lab - Univ. of Pittsburgh
- all comments are mine, don't use them without proper identification.
Kevin Fitzsimons
controllers and it interfaces with IBM type computers. It is very expensive,
but the thought of only hooking up two wires if very tempting. You can convert
other brands of AC (three rail) locos to their system too.
I too am glad there is a "models" group-thanks.
Jeff Scherb - CATS
These articles were posted in Model Railroader magazine in the
following issues:
2/85, 3/85, 4/85, 5/85, 6/85, 7/85, 8/85, 10/85, 11/85, 12/85,
2/86, 3/86, 4/86, 6/86, 7/86, 8/86
Jeff
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Jeff Scherb
Vice President, Applications & Technical Support (CATS)
(215) 431-9184 - Commodore Business Machines
FAX (215) 431-9156
uucp: ...{uunet,rutgers}!cbmvax!scherb
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Steve Russell
Eric, have you ever read something like 'Model Railroader'?
-steve
KevinS
The book I was talking about is:
Build your own Universal computer interface, by Bruce Chubb, TAB books,
ISBN 0-8306-9422-4.
Great book and the Author is a great guy too. Actually called him up
in person and talked to him when I was having problems.
I wrote a pretty complete C and assembler interface library that I use
to talk to the hardware. If someone is using this setup and wants the
code, just ask. I'll send some of my code, enough to get you started.
Like all model railroads, I am still working and improving it, making
a windows version of my control console.
Russell Day
Both Marklin and Fleischmann supply computer control systems. Marklin
at least has a serial interface and demonstration disks for various
PCs. Both have quite good documentation available separately (about
$10 in Australia) which is worthwhile reading just to see how it
works. There is only one drawback - it is expensive.
Both systems support sensors, control of devices like switches and
signals, and control of locomotive features like lights etc.
Both send all information through the rails, so that signal/switch
drivers just tap into the track at the nearest point.
Marklin will/has release/d a new onboard logic module which includes
inertia and maximum speed control to add a little realism. The
original system was very clunky. (I think it has only 16 speeds.)
The price of this stuff seems high until you compare it to the price
of their other stuff (There is a reproduction of a royal train in the
latest Marklin catalog which has actual gold plate on the fittings -
$A2500 for the engine and 3 (different) carriages.)
The Marklin equipment is 3 rail AC and the Fleischman is 2 rail dc.
The Marklin stuff has an Infrared remote control which is a pretty
neat feature - until you lose it, of course!.
Matthew Geier
>system for our lab and it is almost entirely custom built hardware.
> We control the system with a 68010 microprocessor.
Id be interested in details of this , as at some stage I intend to build
a computer controled model railway , and the processor is quite likely to
by a 68000 micro-controller board. ( I suspect ill have to buy my own
house before such a railway eventuates ! ).
My plan was to have 1 or more 68k CPU board actually control the blocks
and provide signals and interlocking and loco power control , and have
this talk back to by 68k based main computer which would run ( along
with all my normal computing stuff ) a CTC panel.
The controller would drive the 'robot' trains along with people operating
'cabs' and the CTC emulator would be used to set points and routes.
Id expect that much of the time , all trains would be 'robot' and id sit
there being 'control' ( seems to be what we here call the dispatcher ) and
signalman.
Matthew Geier,
mat...@cs.su.oz.au
RC Steele - Computing Services
Both Marklin and Fleishmann have such a system avaiable for purchase over the counter. While the price
Is quite hefty the products are both exceptionally made. The fleishmann is a 2-Rail system and the Marklin is a 3-Rail system. Both can control speed of individual trains, lights, switches, and other optionall components. The marklin system also allows true overhead (cantelever??) operation of its trains.
Rob.
Daniel J. Hazekamp
Will the system designed by Chubbs work with AC current as well as DC.
I collect and operate Lionel O gauge and would like to use my computer if
at all possible.
Dan
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Dan Hazekamp uupsi!cci632!djh
Computer Consoles Inc. (CCI) uunet!ccicpg!cci632!djh
Rochester, NY Internet: d...@cci.com
KevinS
Daniel J. Hazekamp writes:
Will the system designed by Chubbs work with AC current as well as DC.
I collect and operate Lionel O gauge and would like to use my computer if
at all possible.
Dan
Yes it will. You build your own stuff from scratch so you can pretty
much run whatever you want. All told, it will end up costing $600 or
so for a decent setup. But you can buy one part at a time.
Tilman Spokert
> Id be interested in details of this , as at some stage I intend to build
>a computer controled model railway , and the processor is quite likely to
>by a 68000 micro-controller board. ( I suspect ill have to buy my own
>house before such a railway eventuates ! ).
> Id expect that much of the time , all trains would be 'robot' and id sit
>there being 'control' ( seems to be what we here call the dispatcher ) and
>signalman.
>
>Matthew Geier,
>mat...@cs.su.oz.au
This is kind of opposite to what I did - I don't want to have any "robotic"
mode, but like to get help with dispatching operations.
I have a decent size N-scale layout with all "peripherals" (i.e. throttles,
block control, turnouts, detectors, signals, keypads) controlled by modules
connect through a simple serial bus. This bus is managed by a 68010-based
single-board computer which takes commands through a generic RS-232 port. This
connects to a host, which does most of the dispatch work.
Operation is performed through a small hand-held keypad. I punch in something
like "22-126" which means "I want to run a train from block 22 to 126", and
the software will try to locate a free path (i.e. all blocks free) that
connects 22 with 126, connect all these blocks to a throttle, throw the
turnouts, turn the signals green etc. I still do all the driving from the
keypad.
Obviously there is nothing that would stop me from making this a fully
automatic operation (except that I have sensors only in underground staging
yards), but I'm not really interested in such a mode. That would take all
the fun out of it...
This approach gives me lots of flexibility. For example, I keep track of
the location of every engine. Now if I store characteristics of each engine
(throttle setting to get it rolling, throttle setting for maximum speed,
etc.) I can get a really nice throttle behaviour. Or I could keep track of
how far each engine has travelled and automatically generate requests for
depot stops (re-fueling, periodic maintenance).
--
Tilman Sporkert til...@netcom.com
- I don't need a Nintendo. I got a SparcStation... -
martin.mcgowan
The first articles I ever saw on computer control were about
Lorell Joiner's O-guage "Great Southern" in Texas. The layout
was described in June '80 and June '83 issues of Model Railroder.
The April '83 issue featured his computer control.
He had a hardware designer and software developer help him with
his cab control. He took the point of view of the cab controller,
automating nothing more than block control based on train detection
and switch position. The article is high-level; it makes an
excellent case for the Forth language.
-- Marty McGowan AT&T BL
201.386.2495 att!whamg!mcg