LED switchboard feedback. Digitrax SE8C or CML electronics DTM30?

[BrendanM]

Hi- bare with me as I still am trying to learn more about these things :) I'm trying to build lighted switchboards for turnouts. The turnouts are controlled by Digitrax DS64's and the motors are Peco PL-10's. Not the best situation to work with for what I want to all do.... I am trying to find a way to create a lit switchboard, that I can easily "copy" and put an exact copy across the layout, with position indicators and of course switch controls. Originally, I was going to just use the inputs on the DS64's setup for momentary push buttons and use one button for trown and one for closed- all without lights. Now I'm liking the look of lights and a single DPDT or momentary push button. Plus it would be nice to use the DS64 inputs for other things. So.. I was thinking of going back and adding micro switches to all the PL-10's and doing physical feedback. But then after realizing I would have to re-mount most of my switches this seems like more work than it's worth. The switches are fairly reliable (knock on wood) so physical feedback is not necessary. Then I was looking at Digitrax SE8C's and I was thinking about using those for feedback on the lights. But to my knowledge you can't control lighting without a computer if your not controlling turnouts directly from the se8c. But then I'm not sure even if the change of an input from the momentary push buttons from the ds64's will report over loconet. Basically I'm really confused as to what I can do for a switchboard using Se8c's.. So then I was looking at some digitrax help videos online and stumbled across a guy was using DTM30 Super Tower Masters from CML Electronics. I have not found much information about these, but by the looks of them, they can control the position lighting that is accurate when using either the push buttons or loconet commands. Any thoughts on these? Or has anyone even used these? Basically anyone have any ideas of how I can create switchboards with lighted feedback more or less simply and cost effectively? Thanks to anyone with ideas or suggestions!

[rrinker]

 I suppose you COULD do it with the SE8C, but the CML board is designed specifically to do control panels like that.

The programming for an SE8C might get a little complicated, but if exact feedback (from contacts) is not needed, all you really would have to do is set a given output up tot he same address as the turnout being controlled - thus when you operate switch address 100, it also operates the SE8C output 100, so other than making programming it easier (using JMRI), the computer wouldn't be needed. When they say you need a computer with the SE8C, it's because it contains no on-board logic to conditionally drive the outputs based on sensor inputs - so it has no idea what signal indication to display if, for example, block 2 is occupied, block 3 is clear, and switch 100 is normal. SE8C just toggles each output based on a closed or thrown switch command to the assigned address.

That said, the CML DTM30 is probably the better device for the application of building a control panel with input switches and display outputs. That's what it was built for. If you have any sort of DIY skills, you could also look at something like Hans DeLoof's LocoIO boards and roll your own sort of thing (if you stick with the older version with the older PIC chip that he still has a firmware download for, they can be very cheap, the single most expensive component is the PC board). There are other options from Team Digital and RR-CirKits. LOTS of choices with Loconet. Don't be afraid to use non-Digitrax components, all the commercial items you can buy are certified to work, it's part of getting a commercial license to sell a Loconet-compatible device.

The BEST thing is, no matter which way you go, the electronics should be all in the panel. That means your fancy control panel with all sorts of indications ends up plugging into the layout with just one phone cord (Loconet) and a power supply (2 wires). Can't beat that!

            --Randy

[gandydancer19]

Atlas makes a Snap relay.  This is connected in paralel with the Atlas switch mahines, which are twin coil types, to give you aux contacts for lights or Led's.  Since the Peco machines are also twin coil types, it is possible thgat you can use them as the relay or switch for your Led's.  This would be similar to adding the microswitch you mentioned earlier, but using the Snap relay is a wiring connection to the peco machine and not a mechanical one.

[da1]

Brendan,

I too used DS64s to control turnout motors.  I additionally used aux contacts on the motors for hard position feedback, but that is not necessary.  Turnout position can be inferred from the last Loconet command.

I used Team Digital SRC16 to control and display turnout position.  The SRC16 can accept pushbutton inputs and drive LED outputs.  See my reply to this post.

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My experience with Team Digital was very positive.  Their tech support replied to all email querries in less than 24h.

Good luck.
D