# Railway signal and infrared device



## shael_richmond (Oct 10, 2011)

I have a 153ir driving the automatic gateman accessory. I also wanted to have a railway signal on it - normally green then switch to red when the train comes. The railway has 4 wires - black with a resistor on it, green, red, and yellow. I'm assuming the black is the positive side and the colors are the negative side. How do I hook it up to the 153ir? I'm guessing the green wire goes to the NC, the red to NO. But where does the black one go? ACC power or ACC ground? I had it working a couple of weeks ago, but it only worked for a few times and the LED's died. Unfortunately I can't remember which way I did it - been to Mardi Gras since then!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If the LED's are dying, you're probably running them on AC and the reverse voltage is killing them. Are you SURE the railway signal has diodes and resistors to properly protect the LED's?


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## shael_richmond (Oct 10, 2011)

Yes it's AC. it has resistor on it and it was working connected to my ACC bus - just having one light lit. Is the 153ir causing a problem? If I want to add a bridge rectifier to protect it(from what I read) - how do I handle the three negative wires?


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

You are just diving in aren't you!

Here is the manual for the detector.

Do you have a meter?

Are building the figure 7 scheme on page ten?


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## shael_richmond (Oct 10, 2011)

Yes, we've finished a lot of the build on the expansion so now it's on to the little things.

Yes I have a meter and even had a hard copy of the manual! Used it to hook up my automatic crossing gate today.

Maybe I'm just thinking about this wrong since the 153ir is AC based and the LED is DC. I'm just confused on how to handle the three LED's with only four lights.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

What four lights???? I am lost now.


Four wires? Well you have three colors but the 153 will only operate two. The fourth is the ground. SO guess what you want the yellow ot do? attach it with the red. That is the best you can do, To get fancy if you had a delay circuit the yeoow would light then the red. I am not sure if I could make one of those.


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## shael_richmond (Oct 10, 2011)

Sorry four wires. Red, Green, Yellow cathodes, and common black anode.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I thought so, so join the yellow with the red, That is simple. Or have yellow on all the time and use acc.

Are we geting anywhere?


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