Quick question about the programing track

[Graskie]

@PJ

You said, "For a person to remove the power takes seconds, it reduces any chance of a problem."

I don't feel I have those seconds to spare.

[CornishJim]

If the DPDT is a break before make type then this would not happen, I think i'll pop into maplins tomorrow while I am in civilisation and buy an over priced rotary switch and put the 2 outputs at either end of the dial, that way there will be a pause in the swich over, I might even buy a key switch too just to be safe!!! LOL

 

I watched a video just now showing a bachman controller that has this switch built into the software, I would be more wary of a software switch than a physical one.

[dynax]

if you use a siding why not have two switches and have an illuminated buffer stop, when the said track is in normal use the light on the buffer is on use a switch to isolate power then use another switch for the programming track 

[PJ_model_trains]

@PJ

You said, "For a person to remove the power takes seconds, it reduces any chance of a problem."

I don't feel I have those seconds to spare.

 

You will be with us a long time yet Graskie.

Waiting for the comments!

[PJ_model_trains]

@PJ

You said, "For a person to remove the power takes seconds, it reduces any chance of a problem."

I don't feel I have those seconds to spare.

Stop admiring or counting your gold bars and you will have lots of time to spare ;o)

[PJ_model_trains]

if you use a siding why not have two switches and have an illuminated buffer stop, when the said track is in normal use the light on the buffer is on use a switch to isolate power then use another switch for the programming track 

 

That seems a good idea dynax

 

Train-Tech do some great sidings buffer stop lights, no wiring just simple slot between the rails.

 

I have these on all my sidings, I never forget to power down anymore, lights on I know to switch off.

 

Should a program track not have any additional items on it though?

 

PJ

[RB51]

This is my programming track - a bit long, but I made it when I didn't really know what I was doing - yesterday! There is an LED at the far buffer stop - which pulses light as RM looks at the chip. If it is on all the time, I know I have this track plugged into the wrong power outlet. Simples. I used this track to practice ballasting, seemed a good idea but I got worse from here. Ho hum. R-/media/tinymce_upload/IMG_1284.jpg

[PJ_model_trains]

Hi RogerB

 

The buffer light is a good idea

 

Your example also confirms it will work on a program track.  

 

I like the idea and that you can see the light pulse as the CV's are read/written.

 

PJ

[CornishJim]

Having 2 switches means that they both could be switched to the on position which as many of the posts have said would be bad! So a single DPDT or rotary switch would be better, no chance then of joining both feeds together. As space is at a premium in my layout room and there is not a spare cm of board Un utilised, I don't want a separate track nor could I take it downstairs as the e link is attached to the base board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tee1707818014]

 

This is from the Brian Lambert site  it's what I used for my siding it has a light when the program is on & off when in track mode. It also has an isolation section so you can't make a mistake with the programming .

However mine is connected to my elite controller & when I use my programming my digitrain sound decoders locos would start up & run away so I had to change cv29 to 2 so the dc was off to stop the motors. The sound still come on while programming but they don't run away now. Looking at the wiring diagram I can't see why this was happening as all looks ok unless there is a feed from the programming contacts in the elite which must be for low current to program the loco or  accessory.

 

/media/tinymce_upload/image22.jpg

[St1ngr4y]

As I said earlier, I cannot possibly see how a programming output can interfere with anything on the main track if you have totally separate feeds to each. If it happens, there must be a fault with the Elite, eLink or RM, surely? Can anyone give an example of this having actually happened?

I think I've mentioned this elsewhere. On a couple of occasions I have been accessing the cv's of one loco on the programming track via RM & Elite, when suddenly another loco and my turntable start off at full speed in reverse on the main layout.

Ray

[Tee1707818014]

In the final Programming track drawing above, an Isolating section of track has been placed between the main line and the programming track section.  The idea here is to prevent accidental entry onto the programming section should the selection switch be left in the Programming position. Some DCC console could be damaged by such a move!   You can only pass over the isolated section and onto the programming section rails if the switch is set for 'Normal DCC power' operation. As soon as the switch is flipped over to the 'Programming' position the isolating track is disconnected from all power and the programming rails section is connected to the programming output of the DCC console. The Programming LED is also illuminated.  Once programming is completed the switch is turned back to 'Normal' and the loco driven out under normal DCC power.

[2e0dtoeric]

Working on the premis - if it ain't broke, don't fix it - I've never had a problem with my Elite, so I've not had a look inside.

Perhaps one of the feeds to the main out, and programming out, are commoned inside the box? This could explain the random 'runaways' for those who have not physically disconnected the main track whilst programming.

Regarding the LED warning/buffer light not affecting the programming, well - it wouldn't! Some of the loco's have LED lights in them, especially the diesel outline ones.

[jimmydick]

I have had an idea that some of you might of done already. Instead of having a seperate piece of track for programing, I thought about isolating a siding with the plastic fishplates and wiring up 2 feeds to it via a switch, one for normal track power and one for the programing feed , I cant see any reason why it wouldn't work but I thought i'd ask the question anyway.

 

[Graskie]

As I said earlier, I cannot possibly see how a programming output can interfere with anything on the main track if you have totally separate feeds to each. If it happens, there must be a fault with the Elite, eLink or RM, surely? Can anyone give an example of this having actually happened?

I think I've mentioned this elsewhere. On a couple of occasions I have been accessing the cv's of one loco on the programming track via RM & Elite, when suddenly another loco and my turntable start off at full speed in reverse on the main layout.

Ray

I assume you're talking about reading CVs on RM via your Elite, Ray. If so, I am still programming direct from my Elite and haven't got round to using the RM facility for that yet. Could there be something in that? Sounds to me more of a glitch in RM, because I've not had that trouble.

[96RAF]

I have a on-off-on dpdt switch wired thus:

power from elite track terminals to one pair of switch outer terminals, power from elite prog terminals to the other pair of outer terminals, and the switch middle pair wired to my rolling road.

 Switch one way is programming, the other way is the equivalent of main track and middle is isolated.

[CornishJim]

Well i've been shopping in Maplin today and bought the bits I need to wire this up, I will let you all know what goes on over the next few days!

 

Now where did I put all my physics school books with resister values and colour codes etc in them?

[Howbi]

I use the Hornby Rolling Road for testing and running in new locos prior to fitting decoders. Use address "000" for DC testing first. Then, after fitting a decoder, you can allocate the required new address to the loco in Programming Mode then test run in DCC. Adjust the CV's for acceleration, deceleration, sound volume etc then transfer to layout and open the throttle. Simples!!!

[96RAF]

I use the Hornby Rolling Road for testing and running in new locos prior to fitting decoders. Use address "000" for DC testing first. Then, after fitting a decoder, you can allocate the required new address to the loco in Programming Mode then test run in DCC. Adjust the CV's for acceleration, deceleration, sound volume etc then transfer to layout and open the throttle. Simples!!!

My rolling road doubles as a programming track and test track via a DPDT switch wired to my elite.

with a second switch I could slave in a dc controller.

[CornishJim]

Well the switch is now wired in and it works!! No problems with it interfering with any of the other locos either, I have added some LED's, green for normal track power and yellow for progamming, now I don't have to take any locos off the layout to mess around with the CV programming.

[CornishJim]

Hmmmm had to take the LED's off, they were interfering with the programming.

[choralc]

Hmmmm had to take the LED's off, they were interfering with the programming.

Was about to say wow then saw the above.

 

Could you leave one LED for track on and when in programming it would be off?

 

Pics with notes are always more beneficial to me :)

[CornishJim]

I tried leaving one on, but It still interferes , I noticed when I had 2 LEDs on that it sends a pulse of power with the pulse of 'data'. Shame as it looked great on my sub switch panel!! I might try it with a bigger resister but I doubt it will work.

[Rog RJ]

I have an LED on my programming track and it works without any problems. I think I used a 5k resistor, still bright enough to be seen easily.

[CornishJim]

Ah cool I'll try a 5k and see what happens then, cheers rog