Walthers Advanced Control Module and Relays to Power Roundhouse Tracks

[Bill Stackhouse]

I am the author of the PDF. I offer it only as an aid to anyone using the ACM to control a Walthers turntable and having problems with:  DCC for the ACM, power to roundhouse tracks, or JMRI. When I started the project I found I was as lost as many people that have posted about the ACM in the past. I wish I had had this. Regarding JMRI, the support for the ACM is not there and I provide 2 different JMRI scripts to control the ACM.

[RR_Mel]

I’m not an expert on Walthers ACM but the PDF looks like they covered pretty much everything.  If you have more than 4 tracks you can get a 8 relay module off eBay.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/8-Channel-5V-Relay-Shield-Module-Board-for-Arduino-Raspberry-Pi-ARM-AVR-CN/231682185473?hash=item35f1559901:g:3w4AAOSwKJRZiSzF:sc:ShippingMethodStandard!93308!US!-1

 

I’m not apposed to using relay control but I’m not into using my computer to run my trains, it seems to me that it would take the fun out of model railroading.

 

I automated my turntable indexing with IR sensors and a rotary switch but manually controlled the five finger way.

 

I’ve seen many post on the forum about problems with the Wathers ACM that would have created a negative influence on me without adding more possible problems with the above JMRI control.

 

If you have a good working ACM give it a shot.

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

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

 

[Bill Stackhouse]

If you already have the ACM for DCC operation of the turntable, then the relays are less than $10. Again, it depends on your goals for operating the turntable and layout. For me mine are total control though JMRI without a physical control panel.

[Onewolf]

MisterBeasley

I think it's too much cost and effort to replace a single SPST for each track.

 

Ditto.

I used SPST for my turntable tracks....

 

[Bill Stackhouse]

MisterBeasley

I think it's too much cost and effort to replace a single SPST for each track.

Depends on what your goals are. Mine is to do everything though JMRI on my iPad or iMac. I also know quite a few posts are scattered around the web about how to use the ACM so I wanted to provide what I had learned.

 

[MisterBeasley]

I think it's too much cost and effort to replace a single SPST for each track.

[Bill Stackhouse]

The Advanced Control Module (ACM) manual is missing details of how to use relays to power the aligned roundhouse tracks as the turntable moves to a track position. The link is to a PDF that is an attempt to fill in some blanks. Feel free to let me know of issues you might find and I will update the document. 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wzyv80yieb9yp69/ACM%20Details.pdf?dl=0