How to Add Sound and Command Control to SMR Trains....?

Perhaps a little more information.  I've added sound and command control to a lot of things, what exactly are you "controlling" in a boxcar?

John,

A private message has been sent to you.

Norm

I suspect GRJ will get Norm squared away on this, but is there any general interest in this application? 

That is, I've always marveled at the arguably steep cost to add command-control to a caboose (or boxcar, or whatever) to simply turn a single function on/off...whether it be a lamp, smoke unit, sound module, whatever.  For years the go-to solution was the ERR Mini Commander ACC kit which I see is now $69.95 MSRP.   And if the rolling stock does not already have powered trucks...

I figure someone will eventually marry a $5 Wi-Fi module to smartphone app, but what about guys using old-school Lionel/DCS handheld remotes?

Stan,

I doubt that there will be much interest in this application since so few of these beauties were made.  Many participants here may not even know about SMR Trains.

The solution may in fact be a simple plug in.

Thanks for your reply.

Norm

Stan, the many RC remote controls available on eBay is probably the best bet.  Surely you remember my sound modules that I've been forever wanting to actually get into production...

I've hand made some of these for my use, but I'd like to do a bit more volume.  The tricky situation of Chinese manufacturing and tariffs has slowed down any progress until there's more clarity.

Here's a module that responds to local triggers to play different sound clips.  Two inputs are opto-isolated and I use coupler outputs to fire them from the TMCC/Legacy command system.  Other inputs are simple switch closures, in one application I have reed switches near the track and magnets automatically trigger the sound clips.  I used a small speaker from a laptop for surprisingly good volume and clarity.

The MP3 player with 4-button RF Receiver, plays four sound clips on command from the 4-button remote.

Both styles run from track power with DCS compatibility.

Here's a similar module that I made to interface with the Mini Commander for command controlled sounds, I put then in several boxcars.

@Norm posted:

I doubt that there will be much interest in this application since so few of these beauties were made.  Many participants here may not even know about SMR Trains.

The solution may in fact be a simple plug in.

I'm 99.99% sure it's not a simple plug-in if you want TMCC compatibility.

Yes, I remember that!  The question is what is the value of user control integrated into the Lionel/MTH handheld remote...rather than having to press the 4-button garage-door remote fob (or whatever)?

It sure seemed like the ERR ACC module was closer to $30 just a few years back but my memory is what it is.  As you know the eBay 4-channel wireless link is less than $5 and that includes the transmitter fob and receiver module!

Anyway, now that the JC Studio O gauge archive site seems back online, I did post a demonstration of using the MTH AIU to control the 4-button garage-door fob.    Thus, you could use the MTH DCS handheld to activate a piece of rolling stock anywhere on the layout rather than only on a special UCS track section or whatever.  Here's a photo that shows the general concept.  Obviously this could be adapted to a Lionel accessory controller ASC.

Stan, a simple extension of the fob project would be to have an Arduino reading the Legacy/TMCC serial line, and then activating the contacts on the fob in response to a Legacy command. The hardware integration would be very easy, and with that approach you could program arbitrarily complex control of the fobs.

A more complex solution I built to the proof-of-concept stage is to have an HC-12 wireless serial module connected to the Legacy serial line and rebroadcasting the commands wirelessly. An HC-12 in the rolling stock (or accessory) would pick up the wireless TMCC commands, and an Arduino module in the rolling stock would take whatever action you wanted. Parts would be less than $10 per car and would give you the function of a Mini-Commander and more.

The HC-12 approach allows you to do relatively complex things like control voltage in the rolling stock with triacs, but if all you're doing is on/off control the fob approach might be simpler.

@Professor Chaos posted:

Stan, a simple extension of the fob project would be to have an Arduino reading the Legacy/TMCC serial line, and then activating the contacts on the fob in response to a Legacy command. The hardware integration would be very easy, and with that approach you could program arbitrarily complex control of the fobs...

Agreed.  If one is up to messing with the Arduino, for $2 shipped you can get a 4-channel TX and RX pair.  The Arduino would decode the Legacy/TMCC serial line and activate one of four pins on the TX module...no need to mess with a 4-button fob.  So Arduino UART decodes serial commands and drives (up to) 4 digital outputs.

In the rolling stock, the RX module has 4 outputs that can turn on/off up to 4 functions.  No Arduino or other "smarts" needed.

Or, if 4 functions are not enough, the transmitting Arduino could use SPI to send out addressing and data by directly modulating the dumb TX module.  This would allow control of thousands of devices or functions.  The dumb TX module is less than $1 shipped.  In any case, the track-side Arduino and wireless TX module would be less than $10.

I think there's value to getting the rolling-stock electronics to, say, $5 or so per car.  The <$1 RX modules with digital outputs can only drive an LED.  There are RX modules with relays on them to switch Amps of current...such as firing a coupler or a dump car solenoid.  The point being, the rolling stock side does not require an Arduino.  I believe this makes this approach attractive to a wider audience.

There's an Arduino library for 433 modules here - looks pretty simple to use; just read out the buttons for your device and you're off.

It could be done with DCS as well, using Mark DiVecchio's system, but receiving the commands from the remote would require extra hardware and the decoding would be more of a PITA.

You could also handle multiple devices from one serial stream if you hack the transmitter to change the device selection code that's usually hard-wired.,

Well, I've got a selection of 433 modules coming on the slow boat from China now, so I'll let you know in a couple of months.