Has anyone had experience with Rob Paisley's 2011 crossing control circuit? I am in the process of installing one and have been using a test circuit published by Rob to test the board, lights and gate control as well as a bell circuit from ITT. When I mocked up the system using switches to simulate the photo transistors all seemed to function fine using momentary actuation of the start and stop switches to simulate the transistors. However when I inserted the photo transistors the stop control did not operate as I expected. Circuit starts fine by covering the START transistor momentarily. I would then sequentially cover the Disable tranistor to simulate train passage. Then upon covering and uncovering the STOP tranisitor the gates would rise for a short time and then drop again and continue to operate. In most cases I had to use the manual stop switch to kill the circuit and it would take a long depress of the momentary switch. Can't figure this out and don't want to invest a long time in installing everything under the layout until I get this understood. Help appreciated.
jrs182p Circuit starts fine by covering the START transistor momentarily. I would then sequentially cover the Disable tranistor to simulate train passage. Then upon covering and uncovering the STOP tranisitor the gates would rise for a short time and then drop again and continue to operate.
Circuit starts fine by covering the START transistor momentarily. I would then sequentially cover the Disable tranistor to simulate train passage. Then upon covering and uncovering the STOP tranisitor the gates would rise for a short time and then drop again and continue to operate.
What I read from this is that you are not simulating a train passing. The train does not "sequentially cover the Disable". And THEN: Cover and uncover the STOP. Perhaps you need to be tagging both of them at the same time, sort of. The train "flickers" over the Disable, then almost immediately "flickers" over the STOP. Then uncovers the Disable. Then uncovers the STOP.
So, I think you should affirm that you are properly simulating a train. Of course, I may be misinterpreting your description. BUT. That's what I picked out. And, if I'm right, you'll be wasting a whole lot of time looking over the hardware.
Really, though, just a suggestion.
But I DID have a similar problem because I didn't understand how a sensor worked in a system. And I WAS in a tizzy until I accidentally figured out that was the problem.
Ed
jrs182p Has anyone had experience with Rob Paisley's 2011 crossing control circuit? I am in the process of installing one and have been using a test circuit published by Rob to test the board, lights and gate control as well as a bell circuit from ITT. When I mocked up the system using switches to simulate the photo transistors all seemed to function fine using momentary actuation of the start and stop switches to simulate the transistors. However when I inserted the photo transistors the stop control did not operate as I expected. Circuit starts fine by covering the START transistor momentarily. I would then sequentially cover the Disable tranistor to simulate train passage. Then upon covering and uncovering the STOP tranisitor the gates would rise for a short time and then drop again and continue to operate. In most cases I had to use the manual stop switch to kill the circuit and it would take a long depress of the momentary switch. Can't figure this out and don't want to invest a long time in installing everything under the layout until I get this understood. Help appreciated.
Have you tried emailing Rob? He did answer me in a question a couple of years ago.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
I think Ed has it - the way the logic is configured it expects the start sensor to be covered, and then while still covered, the second sensor to be covered. After that the start sensor can be uncovered and the gates should stay down until the second sensor is uncovered. It's good enough for most situations but doesn't voer all possible actions like the Logic Rail Grade Crossing Pro - but then it also doesn;t cost as much as the GCP.
The neatest one I've seen is a DIY Arduino one by Geoff Bunza, each sensor is actually 2 sensors - one outside the rails as a control and one between the rails that gets covered by the train. It works on the differential between the two sensors - so you can dim the lights for night operation or somethign and the sensors still work since when the ambient light changes, both sensors change identically, when a train covers a sensor, that one changes in respect to the one sitting right ouside the rails and that difference triggers the circuit.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.