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Reply to "Proposed Solution to DCS Watchdog in Yard Tracks (DCS-RC WD Gerber Files Added to First Post)"

@barnun posted:

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The relays are controlled by Arduino Microcontrollers via an NRF24L01+  2.4gHz radio network, seven slave nodes controlled by a single Master.  The sidings are located on module 1 with 2 spur sidings, 1 spur siding which spans modules 4 & 5 and module 7 (with 4 yard sidings).  The Master is co-located with the TIU & WIU, more often than not multiple sidings would be powering on / off during a session.

But who/what controls the Master?  By "co-located" is this just physical location or is there any "software" interaction between the 2.4 GHz radio network and DCS... for example at the Wi-Fi level.  Note that to turn on a newly powered engine (e.g., on a siding) in the silent state and in Command mode, you don't need to generate the Watchdog packet itself.  ANY DCS activity during the first few seconds will tell a newly powered DCS engine to start up silent and in Command mode.  The Watchdog is essentially a benign placeholder command that doesn't do anything (doesn't change speed, doesn't blow horn, etc.) other than tell a newly powered engine that this is a Command control environment so be quiet and wait for further instructions.

This idea of "manually" creating DCS activity during the first few seconds of turning on a siding was discussed early on in the thread - some 5 years ago!  It just seems that with all those Arduino's there ought to be some way to "hack" into the WIU to tell the TIU to issue some benign DCS activity whenever a new siding is powered.

Another scheme discussed early on required Arduino-type smarts (which you have).  Why not have the Arduino generate the watchdog or whatever suitable DCS activity and put it on the track.  There are issues with this which you can review but I regurgitate it for the sake of completeness or potentially stimulate additional what-ifs.

But I think your Plan B is the way to go - since your Master knows when it is turning on a siding, simply add a relay to momentarily interrupt the passively applied power to Fixed 1.  Since the TIU is passively powered, the engines will not see the power interruption so they are none the wiser.  It's only if the power interruption somehow confuses the TIU such as whatever information it has about Active Engines or whatever.  But this momentary power-interruption method was what GRJ proposed in his original post so I think the most logical next step.

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