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In lugnet.trains, Ralph Hempel wrote:
<snip>
>
> How much interest is there in the train community for
> truly programmable operation of the train layout?
>
> Is Mark Riley's remote control sufficinet for most needs?
>
> How "pure" a solution to shortcomings like power requirements
> and switch control do you need.
>
> As some of you are aware, writing firmware and supporting it
> are very time intensive, and I'm reluctant to spend too much
> time on this if it's not going to get traction :-)
>
> I'd like to open up some discussion on what kinds of things the
> train folks really want to do now, but can't.
>
> Ralph
Now here's a thought--a truly automated layout, such as the following--
The RCX has sensors (either light or magnetic/light (as Jeff Elliot made up) to
detect the trains as they pass) connected to it...
Well, for another way of describing it--I have a layout at home and I'm using
the cross track piece. I have to constantly monitor the trains (fi there are
more than 1) at all times so they don't collide at hte crossover. Speeding up
one, slowing down the other getsw quite tedious, and accidents still happen.
If I write up a program in PBForth that basically runs the layout, and will,
under the right conditions (as sent to it via the sensors) speed up or slow down
individual trains as needed, so such collisions don't happen--a truly automated
layout.
And if, added to that, PBForth is smart enuf to allow 'user intervention', i.e.
with the remote or the wired speed regulators, so that the user can speed up or
slow down individual trains, and yet still be smart enuf to not allow collisions
(all thru programming, of course), that'd be very sweet!
Run Program Q:
Train A starts off at station
Travels to sensor A
Stops (look like it's taking on passengers)
Continues to Sensor B
Stops for more passengers
Continues on...
Train B starts at warehouse 1
Travels to sensor C
Stops, backs up, stops again.
Decoupler separates box car
Train B moves forward to sensor D
...
At crossover
If crossover = train A
and if train B approaching crossover
stop train B
Ooooh... completely automated!
I like it--press "Run" and sit back!
Dave K
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | RE: Trains, DCC, and pbForth
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| (...) Dave, don't take ALL the fun out of driving your trains :-) How about being able to focus on just one train that you control, but automate things so the OTHER trains don't hit yours? Your description was great, except that it involves MANY (...) (21 years ago, 21-Nov-03, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.robotics.rcx.pbforth)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Trains, DCC, and pbForth
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| All, As I've mentioned before, I have a version of pbForth firmware for the RCX that allows you to control trains modified with DCC controllers. The benefit of pbForth is that you can write, test, and debug your application interactively using (...) (21 years ago, 21-Nov-03, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.robotics.rcx.pbforth)
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