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@Dav1d If you need any help beyond the videos I'd be glad to help. If anything is not clear let me know, I plan to make an updated guide soon that is a bit more to the point. Any feedback is always welcome. Yes, the connectors have blades that pierce the insulation and make contact (another benefit of this wire since the insulation is a soft material). Make sure the blades are straight up and down before clamping the connector together. If they are not straight they will be pushed down and most likely short circuit. They need to go through the wire and into the plastic channels on the opposite side of the connector. They do! I have even found a supplier on AliExpress that sells third party PF connectors. I have a guide on this as well for extenders / adapters. When I make an updated guide I may combine PF, 9v and train wires into a single video with chapters for each wire / adapter. Thanks @1963maniac for alerting me to this thread

Well I feel like an idiot . I tried again and it works as expected. I must have still had the PyBricks web interface connected when I first tried it. I'm used to the old "include program" method of loading programs. Thanks

I have a question regarding the watchdog setting. A friend of mine has a large train layout and the remote tends to disconnect unless it is placed in a central place. When I set the watchdog setting to False, the motor keeps running when disconnected. Great! The problem is I'd like to be able to reconnect the remote while it is still running without chasing the train down and restarting the program. Is this possible? I've played with the settings a bit (the last section of the program after setting the watchdog to False), but can't seem to get the desired result. Anyone more experienced with PyBricks that could help with this?

I've wanted to do this for quite some time. I've always been enamored by the control panels used in model train layouts, I wanted to try to make one out of Lego. Years ago I realized the Lego 4.5v touch sensors from the 80's had no internal resistance and functioned as momentary buttons (the internals are shown in the video). I used these in conjunction with the 9v pole reverser switches to control the switch tracks (or points for those of you across the pond). The motorized switch design is a modified version of Tom Cook's that he used for the BAP software article on the Lgauge website. Here is the mock up I made in Studio, which helped immensely with all the plates on the back for structure. Here is the front of the control panel Here is the back And it wouldn't be complete without a few trains to control! And here is the full video showing it in action. The whole project took up a lot more space than I thought, but I had just enough room to build the layout as it is shown on the control panel. If you have any questions or ideas for expanding this idea be sure to post them! Play well!

Awesome stuff! I love the idea of using a bridge rectifier on the interface A output to control an opto-coupler. I was wondering where this mysterious 4th output was coming from . The hardware I can follow pretty well, where you guys go way over my head, is in the software department. Still, a fascinating read! Maybe one day I'll get back around to playing with my Interface A's, for now it's all trains all the time... for the time being Most Lego channels I interact with have not been setting their channels / videos as made for kids. I think there was a lot of over-reacting by all parties a few years ago. Including YouTube themselves. I guess it could still be an issue for some larger creators depending on their style of content but I wouldn't worry about it in your case. If for some reason it does become a major issue again, rest assured your subscription box will be full of videos like "It's all over (again)! I'm going into hiding before they find me!"

A new video from Thorsten in my YT subscription box? What a treat! Sadly I'm on my way out for work so I haven't had time to read through the details. I'm sure you know I am a huge fan of combining new and old Lego electronics, although I tend to draw the line at the DACTA 9v serial interface. Looking forward to diving into the details! Note: I wouldn't worry about setting the video "for kids", in case anyone who does come across the video wants to comment

And here is the full video showing my remote controlled layout in action. Eventually I want to find a good de-coupling solution, but I have a few more projects in the works first. Enjoy!

I've been meaning to look into controlling trains with the BC2 app for a while now. I know I have a joystick with a throttle control that would work. Maybe I could hack up a joystick and build a box with independent throttle knobs or levers to control the trains. I did do some testing with all the controllers I could find around the house and found several that "most" of the buttons worked. I guess one question would be how many devices can the app / phone connect to at once

I've definitely gone the way of asking for partial refunds, it seems fitting since you received a "partial" set. It can be very difficult to find information about sets that were sold in LBG and light gray, I've heard it discussed on the Afool podcast here and there. I would think a highly collectable set like this would be easy to find that information if it was.

Thanks for the quick reply! This design seems to work very well. I quickly built it on my lunch break. I completely skipped the clutch gear, I've had far too many issues with them when motorizing official Lego switch tracks. No two clutch gears act the same and any added variables only compound the issue. I also added a piece that helps it to not over-rotate as much. I'll play with it some more when I get home. I for one would very much appreciate the option to control the motor strength and duration. I'm not a software guru so I don't know how much work this would be to implement but I would imagine some users would find it useful. Whether they are using different switch tracks or a different motorized switch design. (apologies for using a competing software solution , I only had a few minutes to test it)

Hoping to test this soon, I just tore down my last layout so I can make something specific for automation. What design are you using for the motorized TrixBrix switch tracks? I just got a load of them in, but haven't nailed down a solution for them yet. The double crossover is a royal pain, there is zero room to work with, I may just abandon that one. Thanks for all the hard work on this project!

Rather than create a new topic, I have updated the original post above. After having issues over the past year with the two main designs I used in the original video, I started using a modified version of Tom Cook's design and have created instructions for it.

This is a video talking about my experience with Akiyuki's pneumatic module. It took me a bit to get it working well but I eventually got there. I did make a few changes, some were suggestions from others. I adjusted the A frame geometry slightly, used only 3L beams on the sides of the basket to reduce friction and used Technic panels on the side to help stabilize the model. I wanted to use my external air compressor from my GBC Control Center but had issues with the arm rotating way too fast. The solution was using a simple adjustable air pressure regulator, just on that cylinder. This works well and allows for more air pressure to raise and lower the arm, without overdoing it on the rotation. Also after running it for a few hours total, the turntable was not turning so well. I did end up taking it apart, cleaning it and adding a small amount of lubrication. It's one of my favorite modules to run, a huge thanks to @Blakbird and @jesuskyr for their efforts in reverse engineering and providing instructions!

Are these planned changes? Is it an issue with non-train motors? I just tried the latest and beta version of Pybricks and everything worked fine. Even if future versions broke compatibility I have an older version of the firmware I can still use, downloaded via linux. This is the best solution I've found to control trains with the remote, I won't let it go away

I may eventually dip my toes into the Star Wars expanded universe again at some point. I remember liking the Jedi Academy Trilogy and the X-Wing series (don't think I finished them, I think there is like 14). For now I've been re-reading all my favorite "hacker" books. I do mean the old school definition of hacker. Steve Wozniak's iWoz is something I go back to every few years. He's much more of an idol to me than Steve Jobs would ever be. Just someone who enjoys life and has done so much with the time given to him. Co-founding Apple, leaving to start other companies, putting on two huge concerts, playing countless pranks and helping with computer education. Kevin Mitnick's "ghost in the wires" keeps me on the edge of my seat even though I've read it a few times before, it's just such a unique story. I would have ran from the FBI too if I had been put in solitary confinement for 8 months without ever hurting anyone or depriving any person of property. People just didn't understand technology back then. I would recommend either of these to anyone, even to non-technical people.

I started a series of videos a little while back doing GBC Module reviews. I'm fairly new to GBC but I think this is a good thing. I don't take my knowledge for granted, I learn a little more with each module I build and make sure to include the lessons learned in each video. I also point out any discrepancies I find in the instructions or modifications I made. I hope these videos will be helpful and encouraging to other GBC newcomers. I don't edit out mistakes, I feel it is important to include them. Some modules were more troublesome than others to get working reliably but troubleshooting is a valuable skill when getting started in GBC. If you click the "watch on YouTube" link it should bring up the playlist which will be updated over time. I currently have four episodes with two modules each but have a few more videos planned as more parts come in.

Hello good sir, a viewer let me know the download links are not working again. In the mean time I've shared a google drive link to the motor control program but I know I'm not the only person linking there. Also I've mentioned in this thread that PyBricks had a bug that wouldn't allow a city hub to turn off when a train motor was connected on port B but it has been fixed in later versions

Well I'm at it again... In addition to my normal modification (upgrade bridge diodes and voltage regulator), this mod replaced a few of the resistors to allow the train regulator to provide more voltage . Providing ~9.6v and ~12v at the two highest settings. As pointed out to me by Tom Atkinson (not to be confused with Bill Atkinson like I did in the video) this is a 77% increase in power (remember power = wattage not voltage). So far I've been using the 9.6v setting for more power hungry pneumatic pumps and it works a lot better than the stock 9v. I'm also happy to have the 12v option if I ever need it. I've often heard that TLG used 12v cores for its PF motors but I've never seen this actually confirmed. I do know the BuWizz motors will be fine at 12v so that is an option as well. I am always open to constructive criticism or pointing out inaccuracies (I can't even get people's names right so I'm sure there are a few). Another topic in the video is the two different internal revisions of the train speed regulator, I'd be curious if anyone has identified more than that.

I've had the same experience. I have a Pixel 4a as well but I mostly use a Samsung a10e with Brick Controller since the Pixel has a better camera. I converted the App-Controlled Top Gear Rally car to buwizz and it was way too fast with the amount of lag I was getting. I'm using an RC controller connected to the phone via USB-C and even that doesn't help much with latency. I've done side by side comparisons of the PS4 controller with wired and BT connection and the lag is virtually the same. I'll still use BC2, BuWizz and SBrick with RC models but if I make any that are over a certain speed I plan to use off the shelf RC components combined with Lego / Lego compatible components.

I probably will on the compressor using the XL motors (I'll make a short jumper that will reverse polarity instead of modifying the connectors on the motor), for now it uses the polarity switch for one of the motors. The compressor using the L motors are connected on opposing axles so the gearing accomplishes the reversing needed.

Thanks! In true BPB fashion I posted a thread and forgot to follow it . The Control Center can lose connection to the PC causing the software to hang, in this case the GBC layout would run as normal but couldn't be shut off until the software was reset. All the programming and control is done by the PC, there is no need to re-code unless there are unsaved changes made before a crash. The DACTA Control Lab is really just a glorified serial interface. Much like my power supply is just a glorified distribution box. It is just a large 12VAC (5 amp max) transformer in an enclosure with a fuse, switch and several barrel jacks. I have heard of damaged RCX units running off DC, which is why I've always preferred to use AC power and not overload two of the diodes in the bridge rectifier. The train regulators are probably fine, but I power many different Lego devices with this supply (Technic Control Center, NXT rechargeable batteries, the Control Lab itself etc.) so I'd rather be safe than sorry. There is only one Lego convention in my city and it is fairly small and only on its second year. There was no GBC when I went last year. I also need to be somewhat available for work most of the time and have mobility issues due to back problems / sciatica. So my creations being "show ready" aren't really a concern. I just like to have fun and share them in videos. If you haven't seen @diegobaca's GBC Tower it used the Control Lab (or multiples in version 2) to control each of the motors individually (and even at varying power levels). I've made a video showing some of the third party software options with the Control Lab including two of his. Personally I really love the first party Lego software and I'm sure many are seeing it for the first time in my videos. I first saw the Control Lab as a kid in the 90's but didn't get a chance to use the actual software until last year, thanks to members of this forum.

That's pretty cool! I haven't messed with in many years but I have an Allen-Bradley SLC500 PLC. I had planned to use it more with Lego but never really got around to it. These days I like to do things with Lego devices anyway. I had never considered building one out of Lego

I've been working on this project far longer than I'd like to admit, I'm bad about getting distracted by shiny objects . This is my Ultimate GBC Control Center v1. Using the DACTA Control Lab and official software (because of course I did). TLDR video at the end of the post showing the control center and GBC layout. The DACTA Control Lab controls mechanical "relays" that control the air and power supply to the layout. Complete with an E stop function that turns everything off in a fraction of a second (soon to have a physical button as well as the button on the interface). Each train regulator (two of which are modified with the LM350 regulator to supply more power) has a temperature sensor that is read by the Control Center and presented on-screen. There is also a simple ball counter using a light sensor. For many reasons I doubt I'd ever take my creations to a Lego Convention. This is just for use at home. I'll admit it's a bit of a strange project but it was an absolute blast to build. I'm still on version 1, I have several ideas for the future moving forward. This is the GBC layout so far, featuring builds from Akiyuki, Fernando Q, KINbricks, Pinwheel and Nonsense Wars (Both Pikohan and 4barLinkage). I'm still fairly new to building GBC but this has been a great introduction to starting to build my own modules. In the beginning of this project I was just going to make a marble machine employing some GBC concepts but I've truly fallen in love with the standard. Anything I build in the future will stick to it. Maybe I'll even try my hand at making instructions if I create anything that is good enough to justify it . A huge thanks to all the builders featured here as well as any GBC builder that uploads their instructions for free. This is such a cool community. It has to be a cool feeling to see their builds all over the world. If you have any suggestions or questions feel free to comment below! Play well!

Thanks for the kind words! Well 2022 technically, but the DACTA Control Lab still makes it's way into most of my projects. Bit of a spoiler alert but my video that releases tomorrow will feature a GBC layout controlled with the DACTA Control Lab It's always been so much fun to me to combine old and new Lego electronics in creative ways. I stood on the shoulders of geniuses to be able to make something like this. Decades of Lego fans reverse engineering and tinkering with these devices and sharing their exploits online. Not to mention the third party sensor developers. Glad to be part of a community that plays so well

Thanks, I was glad to finally find a transmitter that worked. The main downside is cost, and the additional buttons still don't work with BrickController. Still, it is my preferred method for controlling Lego RC vehicles