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Hi,
I am currently investing time into the possibility of automating my 12V
lego train via the I2C bus. My goal is to use a less as possible (relative
expensive) relays, which means that I want to put current into the 12V devices
myself. I searched the train FAQ, but I didn't find any "internals" on the 12V
devices (stop/go sign, automated switch etc.)
So is there someone who knows about the inside of the 12V devices?
Guido
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In lugnet.trains, Guido Heunen writes:
> Hi,
>
> I am currently investing time into the possibility of automating my 12V
> lego train via the I2C bus. My goal is to use a less as possible (relative
> expensive) relays, which means that I want to put current into the 12V • devices
> myself. I searched the train FAQ, but I didn't find any "internals" on the • 12V
> devices (stop/go sign, automated switch etc.)
>
> So is there someone who knows about the inside of the 12V devices?
Know about what exactely?
A picture about the inside of the 12V remote control point-motor is to be
found here:
http://www.fgltc.org/bwoabs/9v_12v/pi463.jpg
Same is used in the automated level crossing and the decoupling station.
The switches are only switches, the transformer has been opened by one of the
guys around some time ago:
http://news.lugnet.com/trains/?n=18548
No idea if someone took pictures about that.
Kind Regards,
Ben
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Hi Guido,
I'm currently working on "automating" a 12v layout as well (although I'm
going the conventional analog way at the moment. so no computers involved yet).
What exactly do you want to know? the 12v electronics arent real complex
thingies.
by the way, by "putting current into 12v devices" do you mean you want to
power them from the I2C? Although I dont know much about the I2C spec, my
guess would be that wouldnt be that good an idea.
Esger
PS. If someone is interested in pictures of an opened transformer? it's
still open atm ...
In lugnet.trains, Reinhard "Ben" Beneke writes:
> In lugnet.trains, Guido Heunen writes:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I am currently investing time into the possibility of automating my 12V
> > lego train via the I2C bus. My goal is to use a less as possible (relative
> > expensive) relays, which means that I want to put current into the 12V • devices
> > myself. I searched the train FAQ, but I didn't find any "internals" on the • 12V
> > devices (stop/go sign, automated switch etc.)
> >
> > So is there someone who knows about the inside of the 12V devices?
>
> Know about what exactely?
> A picture about the inside of the 12V remote control point-motor is to be
> found here:
> http://www.fgltc.org/bwoabs/9v_12v/pi463.jpg
> Same is used in the automated level crossing and the decoupling station.
>
> The switches are only switches, the transformer has been opened by one of the
> guys around some time ago:
> http://news.lugnet.com/trains/?n=18548
>
> No idea if someone took pictures about that.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
> Ben
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In lugnet.trains, Reinhard "Ben" Beneke writes:
> In lugnet.trains, Guido Heunen writes:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I am currently investing time into the possibility of automating my 12V
> > lego train via the I2C bus. My goal is to use a less as possible (relative
> > expensive) relays, which means that I want to put current into the 12V • devices
> > myself. I searched the train FAQ, but I didn't find any "internals" on the • 12V
> > devices (stop/go sign, automated switch etc.)
> >
> > So is there someone who knows about the inside of the 12V devices?
>
> Know about what exactely?
Maybe he needs to know how much current the devices draw? That determines
what sort of relays are feasible to use, I think... I dunno.
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Hi Ben,
Thank you for the link to the opened 12V switch control device. It is very
informative. I measured, without openening, the resistance of the coil (if I
remember correctly it was about 55Ohms) but I couldn't really conclude if there
was a diode built-in to protect the circuitry of being baked when the current
to the coils is stopped. It seems that there is no diode in the switch device.
(It might be than in the control unit for the switch... or just LEGO skipped
it at all).
Do you know if the led's in the stop/go 2x3 brick contain a current limitting
resistor. I didn't have time to check this my self...
Guido
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Hi Esger,
The I2C bus is just a way to talk to electronic circuits (IC's in fact) in
easy way. There are only a few commands that you need to know in order to
talk to the IC's.
These IC's (made by philips and some others) have this I2C protocol already
baked in. There are device that do:
8 input/output
16 input/output
ad/da converters
ledddrives
etc.
which of all can be used to make a automated train layout. I want to make
some analog devices controling the actual train layout, but they are interfaced
to my computer via this I2C bus protocol.
I found some circuits capable of giving a short current pulse to a coil of a
switch device. With this I don't need to use relays.
Guido
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Larry,
You hit the right spot!
> Maybe he needs to know how much current the devices draw? That determines
> what sort of relays are feasible to use, I think... I dunno.
Current, diodes, resistors etc. values for all possible 12V devices.
I want to put current into these devices myself by using analog circuits
found in some model railroad books....
Guido
PS. There is no FAQ on this, so maybe the time has come to start one myself...
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In lugnet.trains, Guido Heunen writes:
> Hi Ben,
>
> Thank you for the link to the opened 12V switch control device. It is very
> informative. I measured, without openening, the resistance of the coil (if I
> remember correctly it was about 55Ohms) but I couldn't really conclude if there
> was a diode built-in to protect the circuitry of being baked when the current
> to the coils is stopped. It seems that there is no diode in the switch device.
> (It might be than in the control unit for the switch... or just LEGO skipped
> it at all).
>
> Do you know if the led's in the stop/go 2x3 brick contain a current limitting
> resistor. I didn't have time to check this my self...
>
> Guido
from looking through the plug holes it looks like a resistor is in there.
It's definately not just two led's in any case.
Esger
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