My eLink dont work

[paulofonseca74]

hello everybody
I bought eLink with the software missing the transformer, I installed the Software I activated it and made the updates, I connected the eLink to the transformer of my track of 15 v AC converted in DC.
The trains worked without problems, but I installed a module for control of electrical crossings, and eLink stopped working, stopped making communication with the train track, and on the computer eLink appears as unknown USB device, the green light of the eLink has started to blink, a relay-like noise comes from within eLink.
I have tried several times in several ways and eLink does not work.

What can I do:

- Buy only the eLink module?

- Buy a new board for eLink? How to order, where to order?

- to repair??? I have a problem in Portugal there is no hornby to repair this equipment nor do I know anyone?

- open eLink and replace faulty component, I have equipment to do but I do not know which components to replace?

[Chrissaf]

The eLink hardware is NOT a separate orderable piece of hardware. Although some can be bought second hand on eBay where users have upgraded to something else.

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Similarly, the internal PCB of the eLink is not an orderable part.

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For repair, you would have to contact Hornby Customer Services here in the UK, only they can repair it. See the "Contact Us" link at the very bottom of this web page.

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I hope that you used the official Hornby eLink power pack to connect to your eLink. The output of the official Hornby Power Pack is 15 volts DC not AC as you mentioned in your post.

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You wrote:

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I installed a module for control of electrical crossings, and eLink stopped working,

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Please be specific, what module did you connect?

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Was it an official Hornby R8247 Accessory Decoder or some other brand / product. Please tell us exactly what you connected (brand and model number) and how in detail it was connected as it obviously has a bearing on what caused your current issue.

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[96RAF]

What makes you think the eLink is dead as it appeared to work OK with your ‘transformer’ before you added in this crossing module (frog switcher maybe???) . If you remove this module does it work again.

 

If it is definitely broke then see here for a Teardown of eLink identifying parts if you can fault find within the kit to part level.

http://www.halton96th.org.uk/page14.html

 

Rob

[Chrissaf]

If it was a frog switcher then these typically (depending upon brand) need to detect a short circuit current in excess of 2AMPs to perform their switching function. The standard Hornby eLink power supply is only rated at 1AMP, thus it is feasible that by being regularly shorted out by the frog switcher, the Hornby power pack or eLink controller has been damaged.

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I use TamValley frog juicers (frog switchers where switching current required is 1.7AMPs) on the frogs of my scissor cross-overs, but with a Hornby 4 AMP power supply. The 1.7A switching current works absolutely fine on my 4AMP Elite controller supply as the switching current required is well within the power supply current capability.

[RDS]

Great article Rob,

[Fishmanoz]

Hi Paulo, welcome to the forums. Everyone above has gone with your assumption that your eLink is now faulty. Instead, given it still has the green light on, even if going on and off, let’s assume it is still working but has an overload problem.

 

So let’s start by disconnecting everything and turn your computer off.  Then the first step is to plug the transformer into you wall outlet.  Tell us about that, you said you bought it without transformer.  What does it say on it about the outlet volts and amps it supplies?  However, given it was running your locos ok, I’m going to continue on the basis it is correct for the eLink, but please confirm as I asked anyway. 

 

 Now plug the the eLink into the transformer with nothing else connected.  Does the green light come on and stay on?  If so, plug it into the computer using The same USB port you used previously (you should always use the same one) and switch on the computer.  Does Windows Device Manager still report unknown USB device or does it now recognise the eLink by its driver?  If it’s recognized, what com port number is it reported to be on and is the number 4 or less (it needs to be)? 

 

If all that is working, start up RM and check that the com port number in the Setup screen is the same as reported by Device Manager, changing Setup if necessary. If that is still ok, plug it into the track, without your crossing controller connected, and see if your locos work.  If they don’t work on the address you gave them, check one by one if they have gone back to default 03 address, which sometime happens when there is a short or overload fault in your system. 

 

Please report back how you go, including telling us exactly what if anything went wrong in this sequence. 

[paulofonseca74]

The eLink hardware is NOT a separate orderable piece of hardware. Although some can be bought second hand on eBay where users have upgraded to something else.

.

Similarly, the internal PCB of the eLink is not an orderable part.

.

For repair, you would have to contact Hornby Customer Services here in the UK, only they can repair it. See the "Contact Us" link at the very bottom of this web page.

.

I hope that you used the official Hornby eLink power pack to connect to your eLink. The output of the official Hornby Power Pack is 15 volts DC not AC as you mentioned in your post.

.

You wrote:

.

I installed a module for control of electrical crossings, and eLink stopped working,

.

Please be specific, what module did you connect?

.

Was it an official Hornby R8247 Accessory Decoder or some other brand / product. Please tell us exactly what you connected (brand and model number) and how in detail it was connected as it obviously has a bearing on what caused your current issue.

.

 A receiver module decoder from Arnold

I connected it to my train track and the eLink cut off it's power supplier to the track, then in the computer show up a message from Windows showing an unknown USB device found, but the green led from the eLink holds the light.

when i turn off the eLink and turn on again the gren led light start blinking and a sound looks like a relay switching on and off come from inside of eLink.

The eLink before it failed, when a short circuit happened on the track it turn off the track power supplier and a message appear in the Railmaster saying that there is a short circuit in the track.

I programmed the trains and everything seemed to go well, they answered without problems, I have a touch screen that is very useful to use the Railmaster.

 

[96RAF]

Great article Rob,

Thanks RDS

There is a link at page bottom which takes you back to the Teardown Index of those units I have done so far with more to come. e.g. Booster, analogue controllers, etc.

I have to fix a link on the original Downloads page to provide a direct feed to the Teardown page, ...when I get back home.

Rob

[2e0dtoeric]

That didn't answer any of Fishy's questions!

Paulo  please do not use the blue button with the white arrow for replying. That just repeats all the previous message!

Scroll down to the empty white space below the title where t says reply to - - , and type your words there, sending it with the GREEN button marked REPLY. Thanks.

[Chrissaf]

Without the Model number for the Arnold decoder we can't research the product details online. But it does sound as if this Arnold decoder, whatever it is, is causing the problem and you should remove it and replace it with something different.

[96RAF]

I think the Arnold device is an accessory decoder to operate point motors which if I have gone for the correct model 86077 should have its own power supply.

 

I wonder if Paul is trying to run it from the eLink track supply and overloading the eLink.

 

There is no mechanical relay in the eLink to produce the noise described.

 

 

 The eLink overloads are self resetting fuses (flat yellow/orange things like big suppression capacitors) Which I would think are silent in operation.

 

Rob

[Chrissaf]

If this Arnold 86077 module is indeed the Arnold device that you have connected. Then replace it with a modern compatible product. According to the text in this image (yellow highlighted) it made a brief appearance in the 1990s and soon become obsolete to be replaced by other products. It almost certainly won't be compatible with modern current DCC command systems.

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[paulofonseca74]

Hello everyone

Thank you in advance for your help trying to identify the eLink problem.The power supply I use is 15 volts AC but I converted AC to DC for that reason the eLlink worked fine, until I connected to the track the Arnold Decoder.I unplugged Arnold's decoder and I did not use it anymore, as was recommended here in the Forum.I turned everything off including the PC, removed the eLink connection to the track and the USB to  the computer, tried everything that was recommended here to do, reconnected everything again and thereafter, but when I turn on the eLink again the gren led light start blinking and a sound looks like a relay switching on and off come from inside of eLink and on computer show up a message from Windows showing an unknown USB device found, also there is still no power to the track.

I also have another 15V DC transformer but it has 400 mA, which is very weak for the entire train track, and the eLink reacts in the same way connected to the other transformer.

It also happens when nothing is connected to eLink, when I turn on the power it does the same thing, the gren led light start blinking and a sound looks like a relay switching on and off come from inside of eLink.

[Chrissaf]

It does seem as if your Arnold device you connected has damaged the eLink. The only options open to you is replace or repair. You may find a cheaper second hand replacement via eBay. Else you will need to contact Hornby Customer Services to arrange a repair.

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Since Rob's link to his eLink tear down article does not show any relays or other moving parts inside an eLink. Could the clicking you can hear sound more like a regular spark arc. I'm thinking that an Electrolytic Capacitor inside the eLink has blown and the insulation dielectric layers are arcing when the internal capacitor charge reaches a spark trigger point to arc through the dielectrics. It is hard to tell without actually hearing what you can hear.

[Fishmanoz]

You didn’t tell us how many amps are supplied by the transformer you usually use, as opposed to the 400mA one.  ELink comes supplied with a 1 Amp supply and is also designed to work with the Hornby 4 Amp one.  You should not use any transformer of more than 4 Amps else you may damage the eLink (is this what happened?). 

 

If if you buy another from eBay, it should come with the supplied plugpak of 1 Amp.

[zeroOneman]

Just a little info - think i know what the relay click sound was. I managed to short my rails out today & when the elink light flashed, i too heard a clicking - but it was coming from my usb speakers. short cleared & all working ok again.

My speakers are nowhere near the elink so it was easy to spot where the click came from.