# trackside accessories



## JoeinRI (Apr 17, 2012)

Hello all,
I got my 154 signal light flashing nicely with the information provided! Thanks T-Man, great info. I simply isolated a block of 3 sections of track and applied the flasher circuit using two 3055 transistors...worked like a charm!

A question for anyone that may have some insight..... I'd like to activate trackside accessories, but not on every loop around the track. I'm thinking about every 3 or 4 times around having something happen. My layout is small, and don't want TOO much activity. Every loop around the small oval (inside and lower than large oval) would be overkill on the activity.

I was pondering the use of digital logic gates....maybe like an "exclusive OR" gate....but would need some kind of "reset " after the third or fourth loop and the activation of the accessory. 

Anyone with an idea out there? 
Thanks for listening to my rambles!
Joe


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

JoeinRI said:


> I was pondering the use of digital logic gates....maybe like an "exclusive OR" gate....but would need some kind of "reset " after the third or fourth loop and the activation of the accessory.
> 
> Joe


Hi Joe.....sounds like a cool next-step to the project.

I haven't done component-up builds in decades, but i'm pretty sure there are counter devices you could set up.....then you could use a signal from another block to issue the reset in sort of the same way.

Sorry I'm not intimate with component electronics....but maybe the idea will be of help. 

Jim


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## JoeinRI (Apr 17, 2012)

Thanks Jim! I'll ponder some more...but your idea of a reset sounds like a good one.
Where in Northern Va. are you? Just got back on Sunday from visiting my step-daughter and her husband and the baby. Our grandaughter is just 9 months old and we got to baby sit for her last Thursday night! Drove down from RI leaving at 5 AM and arriving at Tysons Corner around 2 PM. (hit traffic jam in Ct.  )
We'll be regular visitors to Tysons Corner from now on....and who knows, may even end up there eventually.

Joe


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

JoeinRI said:


> Thanks Jim! I'll ponder some more...but your idea of a reset sounds like a good one.
> Where in Northern Va. are you? Just got back on Sunday from visiting my step-daughter and her husband and the baby. Our grandaughter is just 9 months old and we got to baby sit for her last Thursday night! Drove down from RI leaving at 5 AM and arriving at Tysons Corner around 2 PM. (hit traffic jam in Ct.  )
> We'll be regular visitors to Tysons Corner from now on....and who knows, may even end up there eventually.
> 
> Joe


Joe,

We're in the same D.C. area....just a little south. The town is called Stafford. Oddly, we just moved down a couple of months ago from NH 

Our kids, and grandkids are spread out over a wide area....My daughter is in Tennessee with one boy, my son is at Ft Bragg with 1 of each (boy and girl) my youngest stepson is stationed in this area, he has 2, and finally the oldest stepson, still in MA is expecting.....! That will give us a total of 6 Grand Kids!   (Why do I feel so old when I say that!)

Jim


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Glad it worked out. I would like to see it, the electronics especially. Maybe you can look here to find what you need/


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

A simple digital counter would solve the problem of only activating the signal every few trips. I'd probably use a binary counter a couple of and gates.


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## JoeinRI (Apr 17, 2012)

Thanks to all for the responses!
John - Thanks, yeah, I had been pondering that one myself - using a binary counter and and gates. I think I'll set something up on the bench this weekend and play around with it.
Joe


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Another way would be with a ripple counter, you could then just tap off any one of the outputs to have it at any count you desired. If you put a DIP switch pack on it, you could program the frequency of activations to be not always the same interval.


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

JoeinRI said:


> Thanks to all for the responses!
> John - Thanks, yeah, I had been pondering that one myself - using a binary counter and and gates. I think I'll set something up on the bench this weekend and play around with it.
> Joe





gunrunnerjohn said:


> Another way would be with a ripple counter, you could then just tap off any one of the outputs to have it at any count you desired. If you put a DIP switch pack on it, you could program the frequency of activations to be not always the same interval.


Dawggonnit!! You guys are making me THINK again!! :lol_hitting: I haven't thought about component level design in probably 15 years!

Ok....hope you know that was kidding....I'm actually enjoying thinking about it!

Jim


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

manchesterjim said:


> Hi Joe.....sounds like a cool next-step to the project.
> 
> I haven't done component-up builds in decades, but i'm pretty sure there are counter devices you could set up.....then you could use a signal from another block to issue the reset in sort of the same way.
> 
> ...


that or have some sort of push button/flip switch to either trigger the reset OR use a flip switch to "turn off" (break) the path to the 555 (i think this would work) type timer so that way when you don't want it you just turn the switch to off, train runs as normal, and when you want the timer to start/activate you flip the switch to "on" so when the train goes over the section of track or trips the "circuit" it begins the timer and activates the action...


never really did much like this tho, so that may be over kill I don't know, I personially prefer to have my layouts hooked up to my own custom built computer so I can control every thing from that VIA touch screen...


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I just ordered a PIC development board, I'm thinking of fooling around with the PIC processor and seeing if I can come up with some custom modules to do fancy stuff like this and more.


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## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

would this PIC processor allow hook ups to a computer system or is it a bit different?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, the PIC will allow just about anything you program it for. I believe the PIC24 includes a USB interface capability, so you could write a program for the PC and interface it.


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## waltr (Aug 15, 2011)

There are the PIC18 family of which some have USB built in.
Many PICs have a UART which is what I use to interface to a PC (with an RS232 chip and either to the PC's Comm port or to a USB to COMM adapter cable).

There are a number of companies that sell circuits for trains that use PIC processors.

John,
I have been using PICs for years. If you need some help or at less where to find info let me know.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have a friend that has done lots of development with the PIC18, but this is the new PIC24. It'll be interesting to see, the development board was only $10 on a special deal, so I figured it was worth a look. Since the development tools are a free download, what's not to like?

I've developed embedded systems for more years than I care to admit with all sorts of single chip devices, just never used the PIC before. Now that I'm retired, I figured I might have time to get up to speed and do some fun stuff with these.

If I have any questions that Doug can't answer, I'll let you know.


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## JoeinRI (Apr 17, 2012)

Great ideas I'm hearing! I like the "old fashioned" ideas and will concentrate on them (such as the binary counter, a reset, AND gates and maybe the DIP switch to allow the count to be changed) My problem now is getting the time to work on the bench with some of these ideas! I AM out of work - on disability with MS and other issues....but frequently do not feel "up" to the task to work on things  ...but I WILL get to it - all in good time.
Thanks for all the great ideas...keep em coming! Especially the simple "old fashioned" ideas!
Joe


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