Optical Block Sensor Signal Wiring

[dstephenson]

Has anyone wired a Tomar Red/Green/Amber dwarf signal to a Iowa Scale Engineering CRT-Irsense Optical Block Sensor ? 

I am wiring a main line section of track approachning a (run around) siding switch, and have no need to wire this section of main line track in series with other optical sensors connecting to the same signal as mentioned.

I have a NRC DCC system and have no insulated block sections on any section of my layout,  the detector instructions provded by the mfgr are somewhat vague, I'm not sure if a 3 light signal will be feasible basement on the wires that come with the connector board,  as compared to using a Red/Green signal, which I have installed on many of my Caboose hand throws and Tortoise controlled switchs.

This is my first attempt to install a optical block sensor (under track) and connect it to a signal, any guidance on this topic will be most appreciated. Darryl

[dstephenson]

dstephenson

Has anyone wired a Tomar Red/Green/Amber dwarf signal to a Iowa Scale Engineering CRT-Irsense Optical Block Sensor ? 

I am wiring a main line section of track approachning a (run around) siding switch, and have no need to wire this section of main line track in series with other optical sensors connecting to the same signal as mentioned.

I have a NRC DCC system and have no insulated block sections on any section of my layout,  the detector instructions provded by the mfgr are somewhat vague, I'm not sure if a 3 light signal will be feasible basement on the wires that come with the connector board,  as compared to using a Red/Green signal, which I have installed on many of my Caboose hand throws and Tortoise controlled switchs.

This is my first attempt to install a optical block sensor (under track) and connect it to a signal, any guidance on this topic will be most appreciated. Darryl

Success acheived, starting from the CK-IRSENSE detector to the Tomar signal,
Yellow to Yellow / White to Red / Blue to Green

 Red from detector to  + Positive side of DC Transformer

 Black from dectector to  - Negative side of DC Transformer

 White from signal to the + positive side of DC Transformer 

 1/2 watt resistors for the signal Led's / 1500 Ohms on Red, 560 on Yellow, 390 on Green

Without installing a timing device, the Yellow/Caution Light will always remain on, some may want to use a two light signal instead depending on what you are trying to achieve with block detection.

I'm happy with the end result of installing this inexpense Iowa Scaled Engineering sensor, for the cost of about $20 I will be installing more of these sensors on my industrial layout. Darryl     

 

 

[BigDaddy]

gmpullman has posted a lot about optical detection.  He probably never saw your post.  1/2 down on the right is a seach option.  I'm sure this has been discussed recently in several threads.

[dstephenson]

This same device can also be used for several other types of detection and triggering applications, switch signals, grade crossings, audio recordings, etc. Darryl

[RR_Mel]

I use IR optical detection for everything on my layout.  The installation a bit more involved but once installed and working it works perfect.  I only have one problem and it is an emitter hidden in a tree.  The tree is on the edge of my layout and my 3 year old great grand daughter loves to tweak the tree to make the crossing arms go down.

 

One of the best advantages of optical detection is that it doesn’t require voltage on the track, my target signals work perfect if anything blocks a beam.  Leave a tool on the track and you know it.  I use across the track beams, two of my hidden sidings have beams 13 feet long at just above coupler height and work perfectly.

 

It does take a bit of ingenuity and patience for some beams.  I hide my block occupancy emitters and receivers in all kinds of stuff from trees to structures to bushes and rocks.  I have one sensor hidden in a parked 52 Ford, another in a wheelbarrow full of gravel and several in signal cabinets.

 

They work great for locating hidden uncoupling magnets and stopping or spotting trains on hidden sidings.  

 

I like the challenge of hiding the sensors after getting them to work.

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

[BigDaddy]

I meant Mel, not Ed.  Might have to change the name of my RR from N&P or CRS RR

[RR_Mel]

BigDaddy

I meant Mel, not Ed.  Might have to change the name of my RR from N&P or CRS RR

 

Yea it’s me Henry, I’m an optical freak.

 

I find installing optical detection very fulfilling.  I get a blast out of disguising and hiding the emitters and receivers in my scenery.  After awhile you get good enough hiding them that they become hard to find.  Done right they are more reliable than current detection and optical detection doesn’t require resistors or clean wheels to detect an entire train.  Optical beams can be very selective without ever having to gap a rail.

 

By using IR receiver chips special circuits are eliminated, a typical IR receiver chip is smaller than a postage stamp (about a fourth the size) with three leads, cheap too 40¢ each.  +5 volts, -5 volts/common and a switched low out.  The switched output is limited to 5ma but that can easily drive an Arduino or a TTL circuit.  You can lower the sensitivity by placing the IR receiver lens behind a mask with small hole, paint over the lens can also be used to reduce the sensitivity.  A 50ma 38k IR emitter will easily reach 30’.

 

When I test a new beam I bounce it off the wall in our hobby room, workbench to wall and back is 25’.  If needed a modulated IR beam will also handle data.   

 

 

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

[jlehnert]

Mel, 

Got any pictures of your optical detection installation? Looked at your blog but didn't see anything 

[RR_Mel]

jlehnert

Mel, 

Got any pictures of your optical detection installation? Looked at your blog but didn't see anything 

 

 

 

The only pictures I have at this time are early on in the process between design and installation.  I have taken about 100 pictures in the process and I intend to make up a post for my blog when the project is totally finished.  The pictures below are of my early design and construction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The picture above probably looks scary, it was my preliminary drawing to see if Optical Detection was doable on my layout.  It has really been easy to so far.  Many paths needed tweaking as I experimented along my marry way.  I will say it has been very time consuming.  After adding or modifying a path it was necessary to run a full length train through the entire mainline to make sure everything was working correctly.

 

My IR optical detection system is in and working but far from finished.  I still have one area to cover (outer helix) and I haven’t worked out the paths for that yet.  I have to finish the track side scenery before I can continue.  I still have to flock several trees and hide a couple IR receivers.

 

It looks complex and maybe it is but it was simple experimenting on the fly.  To me the installation is very simple to work on and each of the multiple IR receivers in each block simply has a diode (1N914) in series with each one and feed the detector inputs on my Arduino MEGA, not one problem so far.

 

Keep in mind that the cost of parts is very low. The average path cost is about $2 not counting the cost of hiding the sensors (scenery) and wire, I use ribbon cable.  A single Arduino MEGA clone is $7 and the expansion shields with components run about $8 so a total of about $70 for the entire IR system that controls 16 blocks with 16 three color single target signals.  The average signal cost is about $5 each, I build all of my single mast single head signals from castings and K&S brass myself.  I bought two four head Cantilever bridge kits for my double track main line from TrainCat.

 

http://www.traincat2.com/

 

 

 

 

There are two sensors hidden in the rocks behind the signal, it’s tough to find them without getting very close.

 

 

Edit:

Actually I was mistaken, I have taken over 200 pictures, I couldn’t find the pictures of the 52 Ford before I installed it showing the IR emitter inside.  

 

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

[jlehnert]

Sneaky. Very sneaky! 

And nice! 

The hamster in my head is running his wheel so fast thinking about this that the bearings are heating up and setting off the smoke detector. 

Looking forward to further installments. 

[RR_Mel]

My grand kids love to screw around with the beams, they get a blast of blocking the beams with their hands making crossing gates go up and down and change the color of the signals.  I finally got the youngest to stop tweaking the tree that controls the crossing gates.

 

Mel

 

Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

[Capt. Grimek]

Speaking of all this...has anyone here used Z-stuff brand optical sensored block signals? I think when I asked a few years ago only one club member had used them. I'm asking about the HO versions in particular.

If you've used them do you like them? Are they much simpler alternative to (some of) the above?

Thanks, Jim

[dstephenson]

I have considered installing Z Stuff signals with optical sensors but I found them to be a bit bulky in certain areas of my layout, somewhat unprototypical, not to mention the cost, so I can't comment on the installation process.

 Iowa Scalled Engineering sensors are inexpensive, simple to install, and are located under the tracking. They also have an adjustable delay for longer time between signal changes depending on the length of the track block and what you are trying to achieve with signal detection.

Tomar dwarf signals are inexpensive and work fine with the optical sensor mentioned in this thread, I recommend giving one a try and then making a decision to purchase additional under track sensors and signals. Darryl

[Capt. Grimek]

thanks D. for your reply. They did look a bit bulky online but seemed like an easy beginner install. I think it was Cacole who had some experience with these at his club? I'll see if I can find that old thread...