Basic Portal Signal for DCC system

[Spaceman Spiff]

G'day Gang,

 

I'm looking to adding a basic signal for entry into portals. I have gone past the point where I can install block detection. Does anyone have any suggestions on installing a basic system where it detects the train go by and change the signal? I know kato and tomix both make a signal but I'm not sure if it can used with DCC.

 

 

Spiff

[HantuBlauLOL]

Here you go.

 

http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/CircuitIndex.html

 

There is too many of them, I dunno where to start lol.

[kvp]

The only problem of using Tomix signals with DCC is that the train will be detected regardless of the direction and that they are not block occupancy based but just drop to red for a set time and then gradually settle back to green. If you want a signal to display stop when a train is on a block, then you need a DCC occupancy detector.

 

This can be as little as a few diodes and optocouplers. The digital output can be amplified with a power transistor to drive anything, like block signals or crossing gate signals. The open collector nature of the circuit means you can connect multiple detectors together. A pull up resistor is needed for the open collector to work, this is often provided by the main circuit. The Tomix TCS system uses the same output format, except each optocoupler has its own output for direction detection (left-ground-right), but in DCC, this doesn't matter. (also the Tomix sensor is a threadle like point sensor, while this is a block detector.)

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Thanks for the replies. Getting to be too technical for me. Lol

 

I'll have to research it abit more. It would have been too easy to do this prior to the scenery.

 

Spiff

Edited July 13, 2015 by Spaceman Spiff

[kvp]

In short, if you can't install block occupancy detection (because you don't have blocks), then you can pretty much only add the off the shelf signals which do change, but are mostly decorational. But they have to be installed with their own rail, so you might as well add proper block detection. You might add a 3rd party signal and switch it manually or with an IR gate or reed switch. IR gates are fiddly to get right and reeds need magnets under each train. Your best option seems to be to add blocks and block detection.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Thanks KVP.

 

 

Spiff