JohnGaltLine posted:Serenska posted:How about creating a circuit that, when activated by a train entering an insulated rail section, causes two separate leads to be energized alternately, for a duration that would follow the other timing settings you've proposed above? The application I have in mind is causing the lights on an Lionel Postwar 154 Highway Signal to flash alternately.
If you can provide a device which eliminates the use of the wretched 154C contactor, and replaces it with a simple insulated rail trigger, I and a lot of other Postwar guys would beat a path to your door.
I like it and will put it on the list. Not hard at all to add in. I think I'd set it up so that one of the relays toggles back and forth which light is on, and the other remains on while triggered, rather than having one relay for each light. This way, if one wanted to also trigger a sound function, like a bell, it could be done easily.
As a side note, I'm going to take some time now to consolidate the list of functions, and figure out which ones are simple, and which are more difficult. What parts are needed as a minimum and so on. I'll report back later.
JGL
JGL:
Thanks for considering this. Please note that, while part of my living comes from the thoughtful application of software I design, I no longer program and I know NOTHING about designing a circuit (other than what I remember from assembling Heathkits when I was a teenager). When you say "if one wanted to also trigger a sound function, like a bell, it could be done easily", I don't doubt you, but such a thing wouldn't be easy for me ... at all. I (and I'm guessing a few others) are interested in a nice product with decent user instructions at price that makes all parties happy.
For me, the biggest challenge would be looking at some YouTube videos of flashing crossbuck signals to make sure I had the duration of each bulb's flash reasonably close to a prototype signal (e.g., I'd start 500 milliseconds and go up or down from there). Whether the final result is achieved via two relays, one relay, or programming an Arduino device, is beyond my implementation skills.
I'm suppose I'm saying some of these things in response to some of the comments above:
- If you create this item and say "Hey, I've got a nifty device that solve problems X, Y, and Z, is accompanied by instructions that anyone can follow, requires no additional programming on the part of the purchaser and costs $N" you'll maximize the adoption rate among your user base.
- If you say "It's also flexible so you can program it to do whatever you want, such as ring a bell or play an MP3 file", you'll attract that many more people.
- However, if you say, "it would be trivial [for the user] to add a FTDI breakout board and hook up to RS232 on a TMCC or Legacy base", you'll lose many, including me. This is anything but trivial. I have no idea what "FTDI" even stands for.
I'm not trying to pick on anyone in my comments above, but I think the best suggestion you've received so far is "decide who your market is".
If you do decide that your market is "your basic train guy", your instructions and feature set should be no more difficult to follow than the instructions that accompanied most Lionel Postwar accessories. At the end of the day, your device will accomplish tasks that are analogous to what a 132 Stop Station does. Your device will just use different technology. The instructions that accompany your technology should be equally follow-able by an average Joe or Jane as the instructions for a 132 station. If you need help proofreading/testing your instructions, I'm happy to help.
If you decide that your market is "electronics guys who happen to like trains", the instructions are less important, but your feature set will need to be customized by those who have that ability.
I hope I haven't muddied your waters. Your comments above about gathering ideas, refining lists, and thinking about your approach all tell me you're on the right track. I'm interested to see how it develops.
SJS
