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Controlling Turnouts with a PC: The cheapest solution?
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me? a tease? no really......dude you are thinking of controlling turnouts individually. Try to think of individual routes instead. Here's how.......... <br /> <br />For a train to get from point A to point B, it has to pass through say 5 turnouts. These, in order to clear the route A-B would have to be set in a particular fashion. If you think individual turnouts you need 10 outputs for twin coil motors. <br /> <br />But...... <br /> <br />If you wire all the turnout coils which are required to be set for route A-B together, then all it takes is a single switch.... CLICK..... the route is set!!! GEDDIT? <br /> <br />In order to prevent interference from one route selection to another, diodes are employed as electrical one way valves. <br /> <br />Google "diode matrix", be patient and eventually you'll see. <br /> <br />Here's an exercise for you...... <br /> <br />take your layout and clump your turnouts into routes as described above. eg.... <br /> <br />route 1 = turnout 1- stright, turnout 2 - tangent, turnout 3 - tangent.........and so on, and see if you can bring down the route list to 8. If you can, we're in the money. <br /> <br />Fufther teasements.......(MUAHAHAHAHA) <br /> <br />If you can narrow it further to 7 routes, you can even save on buying a Points Capacitor Discharge Unit. <br /> <br />If you use block detection, you could also throw away the computer for a simple activity triggered automatic route selection. If you retain the computer, you'll get a system so sophisticated that it will impress even the highest priced hooker currently residing in Beverly Hills. <br /> <br />Shall I take out the fur lined handcuffs too, now? <br /> <br />BTW, I HAVE a ZX81, but I do not have a printer interface for it, otherwise it will be sufficient for the task in hand.
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