Stanton drive caps?

[TheGamp]

Hi all, 
Moving forward on my subway car build I've noticed that my NWSL Stanton drives have solder pads on the pc board labeled for an optional capacitor for DCC use.

Is this for filtering interference? If so, what kind of range of capacitance values have people found to be appropriate? I haven't been able to find documentation about it and am assuming it's not for keep-alive functionality due to size constraints.

Thanks,

Bob

[richg1998]

I do not know of anyone adding caps to a drive.

I do remember removing 0.1 ufd caps from Bachmann locos some years ago but they worked with two 4.7uhry inductors, a UK and EU requirement.

Email Dave at NWSL. I just did.

Rich

[rrinker]

 Caps are for EMI suppression. I've never had a problem with my trains interfering with TV and radio, even back in the days of antenna TV and the layout being right next to the TV. You definitely do NOT want to install these caps for DCC, they will interfere with the BEMF and high frequency motor drive.

                     --Randy

 

[richg1998]

From the source.

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Rich

When the drive was developed years ago, there was talk at the time that Europe was going require a cap between motor leads and so we set up the drive for that just in case. Next run of circuit boards, we're going to remove those entirely. The European DCC thing never happened.

 

Dave Rygmyr

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Rich

[TheGamp]

Thanks, Randy. I saw more written about removing them than installing them. I'll be sure to leave them off.

[TheGamp]

Rich, I didn't see your post before my last reply, so thank you for that. Clears everything up.