Page 7 of the PM42 manual Example A clearly shows you how to wire thePM42. Make a copy of it, cut it out, paste it to the right of the one in the manual and continue to rail A and rail B lines across until they connect.
THAT is how you connect two (or more). They all connect the same way.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Ok, I'll try again.
I assume that your first PM42 is already wired and working.
Look at the rail A and Rail B wires coming from your DB150. At some point there must be 4 wires connected to each of those rail A and B wires. Those 4 wires are connected to the Rail terminals of your PM42. To connect another PM42, you need to attach 4 more wires to each of the Rail A and Rail B wires coming from the DB150. Now there will be 8 wires connected to each of those rail wires. It's basic one wire branches off to more than one wire. The connection is called a splice. Connecting those extra wires to the original DB150 rail wire is your choice of method. Personally, I solder. but there are other mechanical ways including bus bars, terminal strips, wire nuts...
Do the same for the Ground wire. One wire connected to the booster ground terminal. Strip the insulation off the open end and connect all of your ground wires to that wire.
Loconet daisy chains through the PM42's. Loconet cable from the DB150 to the first pm42 loconet socket. there vare two, pick one because they are the same. Now plug another loconet cfable into the second PM42 locnet jack and run it to the next PM42. Have more loconet stuff? just continue running loconet cables from one to the next. That's why Digitrax puts 2 jacks on there devices.
Martin Myers
Just curious. Into how many power districts are you breaking this layout, and why? Is it that complex?
I have always subscribed to the KISS principle. Increased complexity is just more things that can fail. I always weigh that possibility against the advantage that the new complexity will bring.
Really, it's just repeating what you've done before, but in a different place in the wiring chain. I'm assuming each output of the PM42 that is currently in place goes to more than one feeder - at least, from the track diagrams you posted before. If so, how did you connect the single pair of wires coming out of the PM42 to the multiple feeders? Basically, you do the same thing with the output of the nooster to drop it to each PM42 section.
And then drop in the BDL168's - the output of a given PM42 section goes to one or more BDL168 input connections. One rail is common between all sections on a given group of BDL168 outputs - that means no insualted joiners, but definitely more than one feeder. The other rail is the one you gap for each BDL168 detection output.
If there are two BDL168 sections in one PM42 zone, you just connect the two BDL168 inputs to the same PM42 output. In some cases it may be 1 for 1, in other palces you may have a higher detection density and all 16 BDL168 sections might be in one PM42 zone. Since you said you have the multipelk input BDL168 breakout boards, it should be fairly easy to run a wire from a PM42 output on that breakout board to one or more of the inputs for the BDL168. When you need multiple wires connect to one, you can splice and solder them, or use terminal strips. If you use terminal strips with the jumpers so that all screws on it are electrically connected, you can then have a wire run from the screw terminal of the PM42 breakout board to a screw terminal on the terminal strip, and then run as many wires as needed, one from each screw, to one of the BDL168 inputs on those breakout boards. This will keep the wiring pretty obvious and uncluttered. I would recommend at least tinning the ends of wires before wrapping them around terminal strip screws, or even better, get some of the crimp on spade or circle lug terminals. They key is to not have a rat's nest of wires, or you will quickly become lost.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I need more than four.
alloboard I guess it's true, I condemn myself for tyring to build a complex system too fast.
I guess it's true, I condemn myself for tyring to build a complex system too fast.
OK so take a deep breath and make a resolution to not add any more complexity until you have mastered what you already have. You may find that you do need to add anything more and can be quite happy with what you have if you concentrate on getting it to perform reliably. You should go over the instructions for the equipment you have and experiment with the equipment until you are sure of what the instructions really mean. Knowing what they say is different than what they mean.
Joe
Diagrams are overrated.................
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Jim
I'm done...
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
You also have to learn to tie your responses to the comment that you are replying to. It took me some time to trace back all four of your most recent replies to the comments that you were responding to.
Regarding Martin's comment on DPDT switches, he wasn't suggesting that you use them. He was equating the wiring of multiple PM42s to the wiring of DPDTs in a DC block system.
Rich
Alton Junction
Just one example instruction.
It may be true, but I'll improve on that.
I'm not used to DPDT switches. The question is how would I splice them?
...
JoeinPA It sounds like the OP is trying to do too much too fast without mastering what went before. From his previous posts I appears that he has or is trying to build a rather complex system without fully understanding the required background or the need. He is going to need all the help that the forum members can give. Joe
It sounds like the OP is trying to do too much too fast without mastering what went before. From his previous posts I appears that he has or is trying to build a rather complex system without fully understanding the required background or the need. He is going to need all the help that the forum members can give.
I think we all agree with that. Unfortunately, the interaction with the OP is severely limited, since he rarely responds substantively to the questions and comments raised by those of us trying to help him.
Soo Line fan Documentation, critical thinking and a good DMM beats intuition any day.
Documentation, critical thinking and a good DMM beats intuition any day.
I agree. It sounds like the OP is trying to do too much too fast without mastering what went before. From his previous posts I appears that he has or is trying to build a rather complex system without fully understanding the required background or the need. He is going to need all the help that the forum members can give.
alloboard I have one PM42 wired to my layout with the Digitrax DB150 command station. The PM42 manual does not show how to wire and additional PM42. These manuals are no good! My intuition tells me that I should of course, without anyone telling me, to wire the Loconet cable from my PM42 to the second PM42 being added. However I don't know what should be done about the rail A and B and ground wires from my first PM42 and weather the wires should or should not be spliced to the second PM42.
I have one PM42 wired to my layout with the Digitrax DB150 command station. The PM42 manual does not show how to wire and additional PM42. These manuals are no good! My intuition tells me that I should of course, without anyone telling me, to wire the Loconet cable from my PM42 to the second PM42 being added. However I don't know what should be done about the rail A and B and ground wires from my first PM42 and weather the wires should or should not be spliced to the second PM42.
Are you sure you REALLY need a 2nd PM42? One PM42 will do up to "4 power sub-districts".
Since you're big on diagrams, alloboard, why not post a diagram of your layout with dimensions. That would help give the rest of us some knowledge base to help you more thoroughly.
Tom
alloboard I have one PM42 wired to my layout with the Digitrax DB150 command station. The PM42 manual does not show how to wire and additional PM42. These manuals are no good!
I have one PM42 wired to my layout with the Digitrax DB150 command station. The PM42 manual does not show how to wire and additional PM42. These manuals are no good!
I don't use the PM42 on my layout, but I don't know how you can say that the manual is "no good".
Here is a link to the PM42 manual for those who are interested in this issue. It is 16 pages long, and it is one of the most comprehensive manuals that I have come across for a layout circuit board.
http://www.digitrax.com/static/apps/products/power-management/pm42/documents/PM42.pdf
There is no need for separate instructions for installing multiple PM42s. Each one installs the same way. It goes between the track bus and the isolated sections of track. Loconet daisy chains from device to device.
You would connect them the same way you would wire the track. Rail A goes to the Rail A input on both units, Rail B does the same. Adding a third unit would require jumpers connecting to a Rail A and B source.
Whether you do it from a common point, or from one PM42's A and B input connections to the next is up to you.
Splicing them is exactly how to do it. The track outputs from your DB150 split into as many PM42 sections as you need. It was 4 sections. Now it will be 8 sections. Same goes for the ground connections from each PM42. Connect them all together then run a single wire from the connection to the ground terminal of your DB150 booster.
No this isn't in the manual because splicing wires shouldn't be. Case in point, I have 7 PM42's. How many drawings should be included? That would make a huge manual to illustrate splicing wires together. Think of each PM42 section as a DPDT switch on a DC block system. the wire comes from your power pack to one side of each DPDT switch. How does that single pair of wires connected to the power pack connect to all 8 block switches?