IvoP Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Are there any available sensors which can detect train on track. I'm trying to build automated train system and I need to know which part of track is occupied with train. It would be nice if I could detect which train is on which part of track. Is this possible, cause I didn't see any sensors in shop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernie03 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 This firm specialises in model train electronics and have their train detectors called IRDOT1, under train detection. See http://www.heathcote-electronics.co.uk/index.htm for details.I cannot see that a particular train can be identified but it certainly detects that something is on the track at a particular location. Small pcb is mounted under board with a small hole for the emitter/detector to pop through. Cost of 10-15 quid per detector depending upon type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Google "irdot-3d". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rog RJ Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Hornby don't have any in their range at the moment but some sort of detector is on its way for use with DCC and Railmaster, although I doubt that it will be able to tell you which train it is.Are you using dc or DCC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernie03 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Gosh, some very fast responses flying in. I was not aware that Hornby was in the process of developing such a product. I will watch this space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_G Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 The new train id that hornby are developing is to work with The Elite and Railmasterthey state that it not only detects trains but will report witch train and direction it is traveling,, i think it will be expencive but at the moment there are no details availableapart from that there are variouse systems that will do it available on the marketbut they are also expencivegoogle around for model train detection systemscant mention trade names here the post will be supressedrgdsMike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecamden Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Hornby did release some info on their sensor system and from what I can remember each loco will have the option to be 'tagged' so that potentially some quite nice and powerful control ( through Railmaster) should be possible. We wait with bated breath.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecamden Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Hornby did release some info on their sensor system and from what I can remember each loco will have the option to be 'tagged' so that potentially some quite nice and powerful control ( through Railmaster) should be possible. We wait with bated breath.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The son of Triangman Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Don't know about DCC detection but there is a simple DC detection I have been using for years. A small micro switch arm is placed directly below a sleeper and hidden in underlay and ballast. When a train enters section the track is always moved downwards slightly with the weight of a model and the switch arm is depressed making a circuit causing an LED to light up in the layout mimic panel. Several switches can be used in a track section giving a moving pattern of LED's on the mimic panel. A simple, very cheap and effective method. The switches, LED's cost than a quid per unit.Other alternatives are Infra-Red sensors, reed switches and magents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashbang Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 HiFor the DCC user there are already many manufactures of DCC Block Detection units available - Google... DCC Block detectors.Whether the layout is dc (analogue) or DCC you can still use Infra Red detection as mentioned previously - One such manufacture is Heathcote Electronics. I believe Hornby are looking at using RFID (Radio Frequency Identity Device) for their Railmaster. But AFAIK its a long way off. Each loco or other item of stock as required will have a tiny RF readable device fitted and Transmitter/receivers will be placed track side to read the data form the loco and pass it back to the PC/Railmaster software. This technology is widely used in industry already, and also now on animal farms for sorting the cattle, especially on dairy farms for semi automated milking parlours etc. I believe Heathrow T5 baggage handling is all sorted by RFID too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevecamden Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I know that a lot of people seem to think that RFID would be expensive, but from what I can see the cost is getting cheaper all the time as the technology evolves. I hope Hornby go this way as it would make all the other options look very 'old fashioned' and the capability would be very powerful. I just keep my fingers crossed that you don't have to uproot the track to get the reader device to work and that the transmitter has a wireless option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregd99 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 there are two parts to occupancy detection... one is to know that a train is at a certain point; teh other is to knwo that a section of track is occupied by a train.IR detection, which I use, with detect a train at a point. some software and knowledge of track topolgy is needed to determin which section of track is occupied. point detection is fine for operating sounds, signals, crosings. ie actions triggered bya train passing a point. automated operation needs to know which section of tarck is occupied and also which train is occupying that section.the way I do this is by understanding the track topology and knowing the starting location of each train.the hornby (mooted) so9lution sounds like RFID which handles the "which train" part although i thought it was an expensive approach (not really sure on this). Railmastre would need to be enhanced to do the "train ata point" to "section of track occupied" mapping.it all sounds a bi complicated but is good but time consuming fun - ask my wife! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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