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Found 39 results

  1. Hi everyone, I am new here and loved reading many of your posts! About a month ago, I decided to try to connect to my newly acquired Powered Up train via bluetooth on my own computer. The goal was to be able to control all of my train at once, and better, program complex behaviors. The forum was a huge source of inspiration, but if you are not a programer, just technical chat. What I set myself to achieve is to create a program that would be user-friendly and capable of connecting to any number of Powered Up & SBrick devices! 1 month later, I am happy to report that I have built a complete custom solution to achieve just that with "The Lego Train Project". Here is a video that shows you an example of how the software works: With it you can: - Control as many hubs as you own at the same time, creating a centralize solution for your trains, switches and other sensors/motors. - Read color from color sensor mounted on each trains - Create (color or distance) sensor related events that can activate actions on any other hubs of the network - Create C# sequences that compile and run dynamicly! I am building a fairly complex train automation project with it for my own layout, but would love if other would be interested to test it Edit - Source Code is out - June 27th 2020! The project has now been renamed "BAP" short for Brick Automation Project. The source code is now freely available here: https://github.com/Cosmik42/BAP Edit - V0.3.1 is out - 01/08/19 Minor update includes: - Code editor improvement - Fix Hub not showing up on certain configurations - Add 'State' variable to each hubs Edit - V0.4 is out - 01/14/19 Major update includes: - SBrick support - Global code editor Edit - V0.5 is out - 01/14/19 Major update includes: - Full support of SBrick Plus and PF Sensors. - Introducting an Anti-Collision system that works with simple distance detectors - Bug fix: Code was executed twice on sensor event - Bug fix: Better handling of faulty device connection V0.6 is out - 01/20/19 - Self-Driving Trains! - New UI - More Robust Hub Detection - Add Port Selection for Sensor Events - Bug Fixes V0.7 is out - 01/27/19 - Programming: * Plenty of new properties are now available * You can name sequences * You can customize distance/color trigger cooldown - Self-Driving module: * You can now customize clearing time and 'stop needed ahead' speed * Add capacity to wait for the next 2 sections to clear * Allow to run code when next section releases * Speed Coefficient, to slow or accelerate trains based on battery level. Edit - V7.0.1 (Hot Fix) - Programming: * Fix a bug preventing the access of custom code with events. - Self-Driving module: * Fix a bug preventing the deletion of Paths. * Fix a bug with 'Clear 2 Sections' in the Self-Driving Module V0.8 is out - 02/02/19 - Remote Control Support - LED Color Configuration - Allow to start and stop Bluetooth Scanning - Allow to disconnect single devices - Programming: * Support for Custom Trigger Events * Change the color of LEDs programmatically - Self-Driving module: * Implement Green/Red lights based on Section occupation. * Fix a bug with looped Paths V0.9 is out - 02/03/19 - WeDo 2.0 Full Support! - Fix SBrick+ Sensor Calibration - Fix Saving of Project using PUP Remotes V1.0 is officially released! - New Name: The Brick Automation Project - EV3 Support! - Fix of SBrick port (port B and C were inverted) - Add 'Released' event for PUP Remotes - Fix Battery Level Not Showing up for PUP Hubs - Introduce official terms of service V1.0.1 is out - Hot Fix - 02/11/19 ---------------------------- - Bug Fix: Remove hard-coded COM5 for EV3 connection and properly uses the COM input by the user - Improvement: Stretch the length of the Hub names to allow Battery % to show up V1.1 is out - 02/19/19 ---------------------------- - New Feature: PFx support! - Improvement: Better Section Reservation for Self-Driving System. - Bug Fix: Show proper battery level of remote controls - Bug Fix: Motor Slider now properly show negative speed. - Bug Fix: EV3 Motors properly activate on their ports. - Bug Fix: Train not stopping immediately in Self-Driving module V1.2 is out - 03/17/19 ---------------------------- - BuWizz - Implementation - Play Sound (WAV) from the Event section V1.3 is out - 05/04/19 ---------------------------- - Mandatory update to fix malfuntion of motors with the latest PUP Firmware V1.4 is out - 08/18/19 ---------------------------- - Includes a way to limit the devices capable of connecting (Devices from a project or from a global list) - Fix a bug affecting the latest Boost Hub firmware update. Port id are properly assigned base on firmware version. - Self-Driving Tutorial images have been fixed. V1.5 is out - 08/21/19----------------------------- Control+ Hub - Implementation complete, including new L + XL Technic motors- Fix a bug with EV3 preventing the use of more than one sensor at a time- Fix a UI bug related to the Section part of the Self-Driving Module. That section now properly redraws after window resize.You can download the V1.5 build here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/o3i9653vwx755ps/AABfxfpL_4SeoBS4HyCVZLT_a?dl=1 Below is a demonstration of the self-driving module! Note: The app works only under Windows 10 and requires a Bluetooth 4.0 Connection! Sorry for the current limitation!
  2. Hello everybody, I'm starting this topic because I want to start automating my Lego Train layout. I am new to this so I have questions you might have the answer to and with that I hope this topic will help other newbies in the future. For starting off I'm thinking of buying: 1 arduino mega 2560. To control everything. 2 L298n modules to control 4 pf motors, for as many track switches. 6 (or more) lm393 lightsensetive optical sensors for train detection. 1 HC05 bluetooth module for communication with bluetooth devices. I think I am all set for hardware. Maybe a 12v powerline to power the L298n's. I have two powered up trains, which I hope to be able to control with the arduino too, didn't find anything about it yet (didn't look hard either though). Is this the right way to go Or do I miss something? Thank for you help.
  3. When I was building the Robot Arm (see my mail thread here), I stumbled upon the ABB robot flex picker (also known as a delta robot). I was amazed about the simple construction and how fast it can work. Although I am definitely not making the first one of Lego, I wanted to build my own version of it. In this thread you can follow the work in progress. I have now build the base and the three arms that will support the grabber. The grabber will be able to pick up the candy containers and move them to a different location. Don't know yet what its place will be on the layout, but I am confident that it will have its use. Photos can be found at Flickr, click on the picture below to see some more pics and an animated gif. Please let me know that you think of it. Enjoy, Hans
  4. In case you have missed my earlier posts: the article below is part of the large, fully automated train layout called "Sioux.NET on Track". You can watch a video of our presentation of our layout at Lego World Utrecht 2016 at our Youtube channel: Replacement of a slow candy crane As you can see in the video, the loading of the four wagons is done by the so-called candy crane. A nice and eye-catching structure, but is is slow. Really slow. When the visiting parents asked me at Lego World what the layout was about, my answer was usually “for children it is a candy delivery machine but for the parents it is a Zen machine” ;-). The delivery of four candies took in total about 13 minutes; most of the time the candy crane was fetching the containers with candies and loading them into the train. When we walked around Lego World, we noticed the following robot arms at the Mindstorms stand. We all had the same idea: that robot arm would be our next building and the replacement of our crane. The robot arm would be responsible for moving the containers from the pickup position to the wagons. The robot arm on the photo is originally designed by Mike Dobson and a LDD file is available. But I don’t find it a challenge to build these things from a building instruction (although, rebuilding these large objects from an LDD file is quite a challenge in itself ;-). So I started to build a robot arm from scratch. Of course, you will see some parts that look similar and yes: I have stolen these ideas from the master ;-) Robot arm, six axis DOF (some background info) The robot arm that we are designing, is a so called six-axis DOF robot (DOF is an abbreviation for Degrees of Freedom). The six axis that it can move are shown on the following picture: This axis, located at the robot base, allows the robot to rotate from left to right. This axis allows the lower arm of the robot to extend forward and backward. The axis extends the robot's vertical reach. It allows the upper arm to raise and lower. Working in conjunction with the axis 5, this axis aids in the positioning of the end effector and manipulation of the part. Known as the wrist roll, it rotates the upper arm in a circular motion moving parts between horizontal to vertical orientations. This axis allows the wrist of the robot arm to tilt up and down. This axis is responsible for the pitch and yaw motion. The pitch, or bend, motion is up and down, much like opening and closing a box lid. Yaw moves left and right, like a door on hinges. This is the wrist of the robot arm. It is responsible for a twisting motion, allowing it to rotate freely in a circular motion, both to position end effectors and to manipulate parts. It is usually capable of more than a 360 degree rotation in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The gripper to pick-up the parts, candy containers in our case. Since this is not a movement, it is not seen as a separate axis. So, let's start building! Building of the robot arm, work in progress (first prototype) We started with the upper arm of the robot arm. For the first prototype, we used a a copy of the crane grabber for the gripper part. Three motors were placed in the upper arm (for movement 5, 6 and 7). The result can be seen below: And all worked fine, apart from one major disadvantage: to make the movement "axis 4" possible, the upper arm needed to be connected using a turntable (art. 4624645). But the weight of the upper arm was too high for the turntable. It started to bent a bit, making the rotation (axis 4) almost impossible. So, we needed a new upper arm but much more light-weight. Building of the robot arm, work in progress (second prototype) We discussed in the team what could be improved. And if the weight of the arm is too much, it needed to go on a diet. So, we looked for a way to put the motors in the upper part of the arm and to get three axles through the turntable. That would save lots of weight: 1) because three motors are not needed in this part of the arm, and 2) because the arm could be much shorter. But is it possible to get three axles through one turntable? Yes, you can. I found a video that does the trick, you can find it here: Another solution uses non-Lego parts: Quite a nice solution but we have a restriction that we don't use non-Lego elements. If three axles is not really possible, let's step back to a two-axle solution. And so we did: we created an upper part of the robot arm with only one motor and a simple fix to get two axles through the turntable: The result of the second prototype can be seen here. We said goodbye to the grabber and made a two-finger gripper. And indeed, the second prototype was better than the first time. Take a look at a (kind of) complete upper arm: But another major disadvantage: if the arm made a movement around axis 5 or axis 6, the gripper opens or closes as well. The reason is that the gears that control the movement of the opening/closing of the gripper, are also rotating when the gripper is rotated (axis 6) or when the wrist rotates (axis 5). You can power the motor that controls the gripper to compensate, but it is not accurate enough. So... goodbye to prototype 2. Building of the robot arm, work in progress (third prototype) How can you prevent gears to turn when you don't want them to....? Remove the gears! So the next (and hopefully final) prototype uses pneumatics to control the gripper. We added two touch sensors to the upper arm to detect the position of movement 5. In the photo above, the read L shaped peaces are pressed against the touch sensor when it reaches the end position. At the other side, the same principle is used to detect the other end position. Next to build: a sensor to detect the rotation position of the gripper. And the motor(s) to control the movements 5 (wrist) and 6 (gripper rotation). If that is finished, the upper arm is ready and we can continue with the part that holds the upper arm. That's all for now, I'll keep you posted. Please let me know what you think of it. Enjoy, Hans
  5. In 2018, Sioux.NET on Track was not allowed to show the train layout at Lego World 2018. Fortunately, the Lego store Toypro in Nederweert (NL) offered us the space and opportunity to demo our layout at their place. December 28, 2018 we gave a successful demo to the visitors. You can find pictures at our Flickr page and a video on Youtube. Some facts and figures: The layout at Toypro used a space of approx. 7 x 3 meter. We use a total of 15 Lego Mindstorms EV3 bricks. The EV3 bricks are running (relatively) small programs written in the EV3 programming language. Each brick is only capable of handling the local functionality, e.g. the delta crane can load containers from the conveyor belt to one of the four wagons. It receives a command to do this from the master PC application. Some builds are controlled by two EV3 bricks in Daisy chain modus. We didn't use three bricks in daisy chain because of the buggy firmware :-(. The master PC application is written in Microsoft C# and WPF. It sends commands using the EV3 mailboxes to start a function and to receive status updates. For example, when the train arrives at the Delta crane, the train sends a message to the PC application that is has arrived at the loading area. Next, the PC application waits until the conveyor belt sends a message that a container has arrived at the loading platform. Then the PC application sends a "load wagon" message to the Delta crane. Etc. All the bricks are connected to the PC via USB. Two exceptions: 1) The train is connected using Wifi. 2) The EV3 that controls the air pump, works standalone. Enjoy, Hans
  6. We've been working on adding support to control LEGO Powered Up hubs directly from our train automation software. One of the goals is to be able to support more advanced ways to control your PU hubs in LEGO trains: Control multiple trains from one device. If you save the project as a web interface, you can control all the trains from a phone or tablets. If you have PF trains, you can use our WiFi controllers to control those from the same device as your PU trains. Link two (or more) hubs so you can create trains with multiple powered locomotives. Control locomotives that have two motors. Both motors will automatically spin at the same speed but in the opposite direction (because that's how you have to mount them in the train). The video below illustrates what we're able to do at this point. I used a little demo setup so it's easier to see what we're doing. Let us know if there is a potential application that we missed.
  7. This rail crossing is automated by two Arduino's. One Arduino will take care of the actual crossing (making the freight trains start/stop and the signals) the other Arduino controls the passenger trains which start/stop from two different stations. Because there's only one priority track for the passenger trains on the crossing, but both stations have two tracks, the latter Arduino also has to control the direction of the passenger trains on the crossing and also flip the switches to make sure the passenger train ends up at an empty track at the station. Both Arduino's have some low level communication between them: as soon as a passenger train is started, the crossing-Arduino is told to put the lights on red and to stop the track. The crossing-Arduino has a setting that tells it for how long the lights should be red. Oh, and there's of course also the Lego Terminator. Enjoy!
  8. As part of our fully automated train layout (see more at our blog here: siouxnetontrack.wordpress.com), I have started to build a fully automated container warehouse. The warehouse should be able to store a large number of candy containers. I want to build four rows with shelves to store the containers, served by two robots that can store and retrieve the containers. The first thing I needed is to build the vertical lift for the stacker crane. I looked at other builds and found out that there are three possible mechanisms to create the vertical movement: Gears climbing a toothed bar (element 3743), a nice example can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GToA2tOVyHg Cables pulling the lift up, an example can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCNwQVjXz60 Chain links, an example that uses the small elements 3711 can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQIAAb8x8MI And as you may have guessed, I have tried something different. I use the worm gears (element 4716) to get the vertical movement, this is the first test setup: If you stack the elements 4716 on top of each other, they should be aligned correctly to create one, long worm gear. I just finished a first prototype of the stacker crane. The crane has two forks, in order to store or retrieve a container from either the left row or the right row. The lift can move up and down, the (horizontal) movement along the row needs to be build. One EV3 M motor is used to move the forks either to the left or to the right. It uses a color sensor to determine the middle position. One EV3 L motor is used for the vertical movement. A touch sensor is used to detect the bottom position. Watch the video to see a demo: More details will be added later. Enjoy watching and please let me know what you think. Hans
  9. For those who were wondering, yes, I’m still alive! I apologize for disappearing, things have been / still are pretty hectic with 4DBrix. However, I would like to try spending more time again keeping in touch with the community again. I haven’t had that much time to work on new products but I did manage to finalize the decoupler. We made a video to show the new decoupler in action! We redesigned it because the initial decoupler had a few shortcomings: when the train wheels are in front of the ‘claw’ of the decoupler, it cannot be closed. From a distance, it’s hard to see whether the train is positioned correctly or not. Therefore, we added a 'magnetic sensor' to the decoupler. That sensor can detect the magnets of the LEGO train couplings. As such it’s easy to verify the positioning of the train. the initial design had a detachable motor comparable to our track switch motors. That was a straightforward solution but it was 8 studs wide. That meant that, when integrating the decouplers in a rail yard, the motors were touching the neighboring tracks. To avoid that, we integrated the motor into the decoupler giving it a much smaller foot print; that also allowed us to reduce the height. Some additional remarks: For the video, we replaced the PoweredUp controller and motor of the 60198 train by a PF motor and our WiFi train controller. Controlling the PoweredUp trains is work in progress... Positioning the train on the decoupler is not that easy. Therefore we implemented a small script in a generic tile that positions the train automatically based on sensor feedback. In the video, we ‘manually’ parked the train with the first car on the decoupler and then activated the auto positioning: it slowly moves the train backwards until we get a +90% reading on the magnetic sensor. That turns out to work very well. It’s also intriguing to watch because it’s the automation system driving the train autonomously... The hardware is ready and we hope to be able to make a first batch of decouplers the coming weeks and the release it… From the software side we might have to make a few extensions to the train control panel to improve the control of the train at low speeds, but the basics are there. As usual, let us know what you think!
  10. The Delivery Station unloads the train, separates the candies from the containers and delivers the candies to the visitors. The 2017 consisted of four parts: Push mechanism: pushes the containers-with-candies from the train Roller mechanism: rolles the containers-with-candies to the lifts Lift mechanism: lifts the containers to separate the candies from the containers Locker mechanism: candies are stored in lockers, to be opened with the ticket reader The order of the candies needed to be kept, so every visitor received the candy in the color he requested. You can watch the 2017 here (starts at timestamp 2m39s): For 2018, we keep the Push mechanism and the lockers. The part that will take care of separating the candies from the containers, is completely redesigned. The push mechanism however, was rather slow and - as you can see in the video - it needed quite some space due to the slider. So, that needed a redesign as well. You can see the new version here (click on the photo to go to our Flickr page): And of course a video: Enjoy, Hans
  11. Hey everyone, I just finished my third automated level crossing: the 7835. Since I had also already automated the 7866 and the 10128 it was time to put them "in series". The 7835 is automated with the parts that are also used in the 7866. Enjoy :)
  12. Hi everyone! Few years ago I started thinking about a system to control my LEGO diorama because I did't find any "official" system (I found Mindstorms very expensive for my budget and limiting); so I create a system that allows me to control all the diorama and roll out automations when I show my diorama in fairs and exibitions. These are the features of ArduTrain WiFi: Control up to 8 Power Functions trains (but also 9v old trains with relays) Control up to 6 motorized LEGO switches Control the LED lighting and the Power Functions motors on your diorama thanks to the 4 relay output Roll out automations: detect passage of the trains by triggering up to 6 sensors on the tracks Watch realtime video streaming of your diorama thanks to webcam streaming (remote control of all diorama, I play with mine from smartphone when I'm in the bathroom ) Is multi-device and works on browsers without installing anything Easy to implement, does not require any specific expertise After a while I decided to share ArduTrain WiFi for free, so I made an easy guide (in english / italian) and I made software (in english) available on my website at this address: http://www.lucabellan.it/ardutrain/ There is also a Facebook page to follow all the updates: https://www.facebook.com/ardutrainwifi Here you can see ArduTrain WiFi in action: This is not a commercial product but it's licensed; the project can be supported through donations from the website: in this way it will be kept free for everyone and there will be new developments. I hope you enjoy!
  13. Since 2011, our large fully automated train layout will be displayed at Lego World 2017. In several subtopics, you could have read about the building of the delta crane, the train controlled by a Mindstorms EV3 and much more. A video of our layout in 2016 has been watched almost 30.000 times. For 2017, the train layout consists of 12 Mindstorms EV3 bricks and 1 Mindstorms NXT: 1x Train (EV3) 1x Delta Crane (EV3) 1x Wheel of Fortune (EV3) 1x Ticket Dispenser (EV3) 4x Delivery station (EV3) 1x Ticket reader (EV3) 1x Delta crane (EV3) 2x Container and Candy dispenser (EV3) 1x Air compressor (NXT) All the EV3 bricks are controlled by a Microsoft .NET application, written in C#. We are now in the phase of integrating the Lego builds and fine-tuning the software. Click on the picture below to surf to our Flickr page and you can watch a video on Youtube to see a full test run. The layout will be displayed at Lego World 2017 in Utrecht, the Netherlands from Wednesday 18 - Saturday 21 October 2017. Regards, Hans
  14. Hi all, In January 2014 I build a small 9v LEGO train layout. I use Mindstorms nxt 2.0 to control the trains and switches. Now I’ve found this video, I’ve uploaded to my YouTube Channel. The layout works like this: 1. Both trains are running on the outer track. The nxt motor controls the big yellow button on the Speed Regulator. 2. Due to small differences in the train motor and the weight of the trains, the come closer to each other. 3. If the distance between the two trains is to small (less than 3 seconds, seen by the ultrasonic sensor), the last train drives to the inner track and stops over there for 10 seconds. A nxt motor switches the switch. 4. The train on the outer track keeps driving. 5. After 10 seconds the train on the inner track moves to the color sensor, just before the switch and stops. 6. If the train on the outer track passes the other switch (ultrasonic switch), the train on the inner track starts moving to the outer track. 7. Then it all starts over again. Let me know what you think about this layout! I’m also curious how you guys control your trains and switches. Any automation with Mindstorms?? ?
  15. To all LEGO train automation enthusiasts, This is a short clip of the final version of our LEGO compatible track switch motor. It has a digital servo embedded in a 3D printed housing. This is a 'plug & play' solution: the motor is strong enough that it doesn't require any modification of the switch (you don't need to open the switch and remove the notch to reduce the force needed to flip it). I also added a picture of the back side so you can see how it can fit onto a LEGO® switch. The housing is made in a custom dark bluish gray ABS filament that matches the LEGO® tracks. The motor has a 6 by 6 stud footprint and it's 2 bricks + 2 plates high. We'll be making controllers for these motors as well, so you can connect them to your PC. However, the motors are fully Arduino compatible, so you can integrate them in you own DIY control system. What do you think ? We're working on a full range of automation gadgets for LEGO trains. What other automation challenges would you like to see solved ?
  16. We just finalized our button control for train traffic lights. It’s part of a range of buttons we're developing to control your LEGO train layout with a physical control panel. The outside is identical to the track switch motor button control we presented a while ago but inside it has a driver for traffic lights. It’s more than a simple light switch, this button control also supports a number of blinking effects. The two indicator LEDs on the button control mimic the behavior of the traffic light so you can see the current state of your layout on your control panel. The button control can also be reconfigured to be used as crossing barrier light controller: right button = lights off, left button = both LEDs blinking. The next step are button controls for boom barrier and the decoupler track. Let us know what you think!
  17. Both BrickTsar and DunksterBricks seem to have had a lot of fun making a review of our automation system! BrickTsar focuses on how to get the system up and running while DunksterBricks shows what it looks like in a real layout. Now that the switch motors, traffic lights and sensors are out, what do you think we should focus on getting out next ?
  18. We have been making good progress with the development of the 12V style control buttons to automate LEGO train layouts. We redesigned the buttons using the great suggestions of @CaL: we lowered the back part, moved the LEDs and added additional studs so you can customize the back with tiles to indicate what the buttons do. The first button control is powered by a power brick; the buttons are interconnected and can power each other so you only need one power brick. The power brick connects to a wall socket with a standard 9V power supply. Besides powering the automation button controls it also has 2 PF power outlets that can power PF motors and IR receivers. So you can power a ferris wheel or carousel from a wall outlet instead of using battery power.... Let us know what you think!
  19. Addendum to “Electrify your train switches” Dear all, much has been said and shown about ways to electrify LEGO 9V/PF train switches. Along with the EB electrify your train switches thread and some other posts on EB and elsewhere there hardly is anything interesting to add. But then … as said before, I am just wrapping up more than a decade of years of fun with my train layout. My switch electrification approach is far less driven by achieving “to scale modeling” or “most elegant solutions”, it is governed by “using as many diverse LEGO motors as possible” on a more or less standardized and simple drive base design “using as little parts as possible”. I simply like to make efficient use of the stuff in my LEGO boxes – since there are about 30 switch points on my layout. There are a couple of my personal design lines: Since some areas of the layout are rather “dense”, the footprint of the drive mechanism should be as small as possible A clearance that is a little greater as compared to the original configuration with the manual switch stand installed. The reason is that some of my rolling stock MODs/MOCs have a fairly large “overhang” in curves and thus need some additional clearance when passing switch points The switch drive should not fall apart even after prolonged operation as almost half of my tracks are hidden behind bookshelves and other furniture. No modification of the switch – this means that the force required to throw the switch is often considerable. The rendering below shows one very simple base design for my switch drives. It consists of a couple of Technic as well as plain bricks and plates. The rendering is already 5 years old – time is flying. This particular drive mechanism has one serious disadvantage: Operated with the full torque of the PF motors (e.g. with the PF bang-bang remote #8885) it falls apart after five or so cycles. This issue is rather easily overcome, when the torque of the driving motor is adjusted via power control and pulse timing using a programmable brick as for example an RCX or Scout. It took me ages to figure out how to accomplish that: Adjust the length (e.g. 0.3 s) and the power (on LEGO’s 0 – 7 range) for the motor “on” state. This LDraw file contains all the above varieties; the individual sub models combine to any of the drives shown. (Note that you may need to install the unofficial LDraw library as of 2016 to correctly load the files). Alternatively, paying more careful attention to the original EB switch point electrification thread entry (https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/44821-electify-your-train-switches/&page=3) would have told me that Jonathan uses his NXT to do exactly that – and for long! The switch is thrown by a lever, which fits into the space between the two mounts for the manual switch stand. By small variations of the actual gear configuration, almost all typical LEGO motors can be attached. The geared varieties [e.g., PF M motor (#8883), Technic mini motor (#71427, #43362), Technic motor geared (#47154), or even the Mindstorms MicroScout PBrick (#32344] are driving the lever with none or low additional gearing ratios; the ungeared Technic motor (#2838) requires higher gear ratios to work properly. The advantage of this drive design is the footprint (as measured on the floor, not height!), which is 3(x6) studs for clearance and 5(x6) studs for the base = 8(x6) studs. The picture below shows two MicroScouts on the bridge operating the two switch points on the right. There are light fibers plugged into the MicroScout’s light sensors; these do transmit the VLL code generated by a Scout PBrick (not visible) to control them. MicroScouts operating as “intelligent motors” for switch drives are fun. The “forward/reverse” “switch” is somewhat unique: When the MicroScout is put into “P” mode it pays careful attention to its built-in light sensor. In this mode, the MicroScout understands some VLL (LEGO’s Visible Light Link protocol) commands such as “motor on forward” etc. In other words you can operate the switch using optical signals from a VLL source. The rendering below shows a Scout controller operating 4 MicroScout switch drives. This version of a switch drive has the smallest depth I could come up with to securely operate unmodified switch points: I used that one on my layout here: Here is the link to the LDraw file. In the mean time I have slightly modified the “RailBricks #9 challenge” drive (a number of ingenious train experts have contributed to this one – see the "Challenge reveal" article by Benn Coifman in RailBricks #12, page 37) and reduced the size to 5-wide at the base. This drive never falls apart, regardless how much torque is exerted on the driving axle. The design is simply amazing! I have retrofitted almost all of my switch points with this version. When a MicroScout is operating the drive, it should be oriented such that you can easily get access to the buttons (on/off, select, run). There are several drive versions to attach the MicroScout in such way that is does not interfere with the required clearance on the point and good access to the buttons. Here are some real world examples: This folder contains all LDraw files Best regards, Thorsten
  20. This is an early prototype of a 12V style button to control our track switch motors. The button has all the hardware it needs to control the motors, it just needs a 5V power supply (from a brick we're still working on). It has 2 LEDs to indicate the state of the button (the LED on the left is not positioned properly in the prototype and doesn't show in the video). The LEDs are in a hollow stud so you can customize the color by adding a transparent brick. There are 4 studs in between the LEDs so you can add a tile with a label to mark the button so you know what it controls. There are power connectors on the side of the buttons, so if you connect them side by side they can power each other. We're planning on making similar button for the traffic lights, decouplers, etc. For those of you who prefer not to use a computer or want to build a control panel in bricks, is this an approach that would work for you ?
  21. We have been working on expanding our train automation system. The video below provides a glimpse of the (near) future. In this video we control everything from a tablet: switches, traffic lights, train head lights and the train itself... The layout automation system is connected to a PC that runs nControl, the tablet interfaces with the PC using a remote desktop app like TeamViewer. The train uses a prototype of our WiFi based train controller. The train communicates with nControl using nControl's internal MQTT server. The track switch motors and controllers are available; the traffic lights should become available the first weeks of April. The train controller is in development: the goal is to be able to control the direction, speed, head lights, check the battery power, and use a position sensor so nControl can track the position of the train on the layout. Let us know what you think!
  22. Hey, A few years back I set up a layout which consisted of one big loop with a couple of side tracks where trains can be parked. So multiple trains were running on the same loop. This system had a central controller and the downside of this was that a lot of times the system had to wait for a train to come in or there were only two trains at the maximum running around. This time I've made a system with six side tracks and every side track has its own controller. So the choice wether to park a train on the side track or not is done locally based on a few variables like distance with the previous train and how long the side track was not occupied. A video says more than words so enjoy :)
  23. McWaffel

    Lego Railway Signaling

    Hey guys! After a few weeks of break I'm back and working on my test-setup for train signaling. As some of you know, I've built a small test track on my desk and wired up a lot of sensors and LEDs to program and develop a signaling system for trains. I'm finally at a point where I can drive trains over a layout that has block signaling fully working and completely automated too. Here's a video: When the train passes over the block sensor, a flag is set and it's only when the flag is removed (i.e. the train has fully passed over the signal and an additional time of 1 second has passed), that the signal switches to red and vice versa. The code only makes the block-section check it's sensors and flags get set and removed automatically meaning I have minimal code maintenance to do if I want to change anything. I have a lot more signals planned for the future including switch track signals, crossings and station signals. If you're interested, I can provide a PDF with all the signals I came up with. Let me know what you think. All feedback is appreciated.
  24. Hey guys! As some of you know, I recently got back to Lego trains after 15 years of neglect. A close friend of mine thought it was a good idea to document my progress, thoughts and plans on a personal blog, so others would be able to one day build their own big layouts and see what I struggled with and how they can do it better. I'd like you guys to check it out and use this forum to comment on my posts and maybe give me suggestions (I love ideas) on things you would want to hear about or see of. This blog is entirely dedicated to my Lego trains project. So far there are 4 blog entries (The latest one is being uploaded right this moment). If you wish to comment on something, let me know which post you're referring to, so I know what the topic is. http://wafa-sadri.de/pages/blog.html Thanks for checking it out! //Edit: By the way, I try to post once a week, every Monday.
  25. AlmightyArjen

    Rail crossing automated by Arduino

    Hey all, I'm working on a big automation project and I needed some automated rail crossings for that. This was already a project on itself which I like to share with you. I work with the 9V system and make trains stop by disabling isolated segments in the rails. That princicple is also used in the automated rail crossing. The crossing is controlled by a printed circuit board which I have designed myself. The PCB is multifunctional and can control two single crossings or one double crossing. This means that the board has two connections for sensors, two connections for signals and two connections for isolated track segments. Printed Circuit Board The heart of the system is stand alone Arduino chip. When the sensor is triggered by a train that is passing by, the non-priority track is disabled and the concerning signal is put to red. As long as the train triggers the sensor, the non-priority track remains disabled. When the train has cleared the sensor, a timer is started to make sure the train has left the crossing before the non-priority track is enabled again. This timer is adjustable by means of an adjustable resistor. Since the PCB can control two crossings, it contains also two adjustable resistors. The value of the delays is displayed on a 4-digit display. This way the system is flexible and can cope with slower or faster trains. Sensor Ofcourse you want to see the thing in action, so I also made a video. In this layout a double crossing is controlled by the PCB.