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Subject: 
Re: Grade Crossing Signal Thingy...
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.trains
Date: 
Thu, 16 Dec 2004 21:27:19 GMT
Viewed: 
1430 times
  
need more than a program, you'll need to make sensors of some sort, as
sensors that detect magnets are not on offer from LEGO. Chris Phillips made some
(reedswitch based, I think) sensors, and documented what he did. it requires
some surgery.

Here's a post to get you started searching on how to construct magnetic sensors:
http://news.lugnet.com/org/ca/rtltoronto/?n=7337 (Chris's writeup)

I know Lego doesn't make those sensors.  The first post in that thread though is
exactly what I was looking for!  Thanks!  I'm not too crazy about modding Lego
so I'll go with the pure version.

Once you have the sensors though, the program that you would need to create is
similar to that used to detect touch sensors as I understand it. you probably
will need debounce logic for best results, although maybe not. What you really
want is for the gate to stay up some seconds after the last time you saw a touch
(or magnet reed switch closure), and then go down, till the next time you see a
touch sensor.

For bidirectional operation, you will need two sensors, one for each direction
of travel (so the gate has time to go down BEFORE the train hits the crossing!)

Right, I'd think you'd need a lead time of around two baseplates or more, lest
those poor minifigs wander across the tracks...  :^)

Xposted to lugnet.robotics as there are a lot of resources there as well.

Hope that helps.

Thanks again!

-Stefan-



Message has 2 Replies:
  Re: Grade Crossing Signal Thingy...
 
(...) In fact for realistic operation (if you really want that!) you'd need 4 sensors, because the "exit" sensor is much closer to the crossing than the "entry" sensor in real life. But who wants realistic? This is LEGO! ROSCO (20 years ago, 16-Dec-04, to lugnet.trains)
  Re: Grade Crossing Signal Thingy...
 
(...) Yeah, I am not too crazy about modding LEGO either, but there are some mods that are fine by me. Chris's read switches are just such a mod. His crossing gates are awesome, and the read switches that control them work very well. I just I (...) (20 years ago, 28-Dec-04, to lugnet.trains)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Grade Crossing Signal Thingy...
 
(...) You'll need more than a program, you'll need to make sensors of some sort, as sensors that detect magnets are not on offer from LEGO. Chris Phillips made some (reedswitch based, I think) sensors, and documented what he did. it requires some (...) (20 years ago, 16-Dec-04, to lugnet.trains, lugnet.robotics)

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