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TLDR: videos at the end of the post I've seen a few examples of upgrading the 9v train speed controller with a more powerful adjustable voltage regulator and wanted to try it out for myself. Like many GBC builders out there I like to use them to power my projects. I know there are many better and more efficient power sources out there, but this one is the most fun to me. I've seen them modified for use with trains, but I would think you'd need 3-5 9v train motors to justify the upgrade. I made two versions, one that is passively cooled like the original version for use with PF servo motors (short bursts of power) and an actively cooled version (sustained loads). I tried to go further than I'd seen from others, testing loads / temperatures and comparing to an unmodified regulator. The DACTA Control Lab certainly came in handy for plotting the temps on a graph. For my use cases I'm very happy with the two versions and will use them often. I wanted to share this info for anyone who likes a good electronics project and / or has a use case for an upgraded regulator. While I wouldn't recommend this as a first electronics project, it is a very simple modification. LM317 Voltage regulator replaced with LM350 Rectifier diodes replaced with 1n5406 (the leads are much bigger presenting a challenge when installing) Capacitor replaced with larger one (I'm probably going to replace mine with a 25v since the voltage after DC conversion is a bit over 16 volts) These pictures are of my "final" version of the passively cooled unit. The onboard RCX reads the temperature of the LM350 regulator (mounted externally on a heatsink) and turns on a 12v fan (running at 9v) to cool the regulator. At first the fan was powered from the DC side of the rectifier diodes (~16 volts) but was far too loud. Running the fan from the RCX at 9 volts is nice and quite, most likely drowned out by whatever device it is powering. This video details my testing / comparison of the units This (long) video shows the actual upgrade process along with a brief explanation of how the 9v train regulator works.

@vascolp Pretty sure this is the issue I had. I was only able to use my laptop or NUC PC that had an internal Intel Bluetooth radio to download firmware to the CityHub. Both of my external USB adapters had this error. It's only with the CityHub that I had issues, my TechnicHub works with either internal or USB BT

The newer electronic offerings have been moving away from me for quite some time. One reason being cost, but also because of how much I hate smart phones . It pains me to think of these products being for "a limited time only!", powered by an app that won't be supported in a few years. I say this as someone who is still using the official Lego DACTA Control Lab software from 1993 on my Windows 98 PC. I am well aware of third party software developed for these products and I use them more often than official software, but not every user of this stuff is quite as tech savvy. It's easy to forget how many years of experience some of us have with computers and electronics. It's sad news to hear for sure, it won't effect me very much but I've always wanted the Mindstorms line to live on and give similar experiences to newer generations. Much the way the NXT and EV3 did. Lego Mindstorms will never die for me, but it may never spark to life for many who are younger. I'll close with a short excerpt from a recent video, the 9v era means the absolute world to me, maybe too much

I can see the resemblance . The spear idea is very creative! In my case I want to retain the electrical switching capability of the switch track, since I use them for the yard. I do need to look through the RailBricks issues, It's been a long time since I have. I got "derailed" from my usual Mindstorms and went full steam ahead on trains lately

Controlling Lego switch tracks remotely has always been a dream of mine. I've used several methods over the years, but my favorite solution was a design by Tom Cook. I stumbled across it in his article on the Brick Automation Project software which can be found here. I made a few changes to his design, making it more compatible with a larger selection of motors (PF M and L, PU L, Wedo 2.0 and Boost motors). I created instructions to build this new version (with the help of @1963maniac ) which can be downloaded here. In addition to the new design I've uploaded a new tutorial showing many methods that can be used to control it. I tend to use the DACTA control lab + PF motors or the BAP software with PU motors (I still haven't gotten around to testing the new Brickrail project I've seen on this forum, but will soon). As always I am interested in any constructive feedback on the design or the video tutorial. This is the original video that was in this post last year. Some info is still relevant, some is outdated. Included for historical purposes

It allows for smooth controlled acceleration (two profiles with adjustable settings for each), reversing one or both motors in the programming and using any motor type. This should be possible with the Lego app, but you'd have to use a phone as an intermediary, which I try to avoid at all costs. I plan to make a video on it eventually but I'm kind of stuck with the poweroff bug in PyBricks.

@CCSG Question, does your City Hub have issues turning off after installing PyBricks (Takes multiple attempts, blue light keeps blinking)? I think I've narrowed it down to having a train motor on port B. I'm using a workaround but it involves a custom firmware and Linux. I have 5 hubs and I've tested several, so I'm fairly certain I'm not crazy Also while I'm here I'm working on trying to figure out the best way to use this program to control a single motor, but allow for the other output to be used for lights, decoupler etc. This program is a bit over my head to reverse engineer and I keep getting distracted by other projects

Not exactly an update to the layout, but I did make an updated video. It took me over a month to edit and I'm very glad to have it done. This video tells the story of how this project came about, and all the issues I had along the way. Shout out to members of this forum helping me with various issues and a huge thanks to @evank for archiving Lego DACTA software and guides!

This is my RCX controlled Code Pilot truck from the Lego Technic 8479 Barcode Multi-set. I don't remember if I made a post 5 years ago for the original but this version is better in every way. The code pilot didn't really stand out too much to me as a kid looking at catalogs. When I got my first "somewhat smart" phone I was reading through the entire Technicopedia site and after seeing all the features of the set I had to build it. It's really quite something. I tried to stay as faithful to the original model as I could, while making it remote controlled. I debated on upgrading the drive-train to something with a bit more torque / speed but ended up keeping it "mostly" stock for now, using the stock 9v geared motor with a slight gearing change. The Power Functions IR receiver is powered from two ports on the RCX using a special jumper to make the necessary electrical connections. In theory this gives the IR receiver about an amp of current to work with. The RCX having 3 inputs helped as well, being able to have the two touch sensors on separate ports allowed for independent "timing" of the functions. Rather than using a specified length of time to control the motor like the original I used a rotation sensor. So what next? Maybe I'll try to do some of the alt models from this set, or find another old Technic set to modify with newer components. Play well!

Hi @Lok24 I've said it before but thanks for sharing this program! I use it for as many of my Lego trains as I can. When you have time could you post or edit the original post with an updated link to the latest version here? I've seen at least one YouTube video that links to this thread but none of the links here seem to work.

Thanks for the recommendation! Initially I had the same issue but after manually downloading the latest driver from ASUS it works like a charm. Unfortunately Plugable does not offer any driver updates besides what Windows update provides due to some conflict with another windows update, so it's a no-go for use with Cityhubs. Glad to have answers and a good recommendation for anyone that needs it. Spoke too soon, I got one good firmware download but it hasn't worked since then. I'll keep testing for science I set up an Intel NUC with LInux and Windows and added an internal wireless card that has BT 4.0 LE and that works fine, just like my laptop. I would like to get to the bottom of it so I can have a good USB BT adapter recommendation to give others who don't have any devices with compatible internal BT. Also was able to help solve the power off issue over on the Pybricks github

Done and done, thank @Pybricks I rarely submit bugs since I always just assume I'm doing something wrong In the mean time does anyone have a recommendation of a known working BT adapter to use with Cityhubs? After more testing it seems my "plugable" BT adapter will program Technic hubs but not Cityhubs. I'd rather not use my laptop since it usually stays in my car for use at work and has a really small screen.

Yes I am stopping the program from running before trying to turn off the hub. I either hold down the button too long or not long enough, it just starts blinking again. I'm not sure if I should be counting for how long I press the button and ignore the LED or start counting after the LED goes out. Again thanks for the help, problems seem to follow me around everywhere I go, but I always share my experiences for others that are cursed Edit: If the video fails to play you can click "view on YouTube" in the bottom right. I've shared unlisted YouTube several times before with no issues but this one refuses to play for me.

This exact method does not work for me. The second hub must be blinking before being held down. Again that's my major gripe with Lego that the procedure isn't a little more intuitive and has to be exact. At least have some feedback like color coded errors with the LED would be nice and not require any additional hardware. Beyond that I'm having trouble even getting the initial connection sometimes, which has me completely baffled, but it is not an issue for this thread since it is using official firmware. Also either I am completely blind or Lego has recently added the procedure for connecting multiple hubs directly on their help page. I feel I checked it recently and didn't see it but I could be wrong. As for Pybricks and Lok24's motor control program everything is working great. I have two engines running two motors each. But I do have one more question, I'm having issues turning hubs off when running Pybricks firmware and trying to figure out the exact procedure. Sometimes it takes me 5 to 10 tries holding down the button before it turns off, and every once in a while it just turns off first try. I've tried a range of 6-10 seconds, counting from how long the button is pressed or counting from when the light stops flashing. But I can't figure it out. Also curious if it is possible to turn the hub off when the remote is disconnected for a specified time. That would make it easier for me when I'm done with the layout. When using official firmware I just turn off the remote and the hubs timeout and shutdown after 10 seconds or so.

I may be misunderstanding, I meant two hubs on the same channel. I use the buttons on one side of a single remote to control motors on two hubs simultaneously (I physically reversed the motor on one end of the train). I'm also able to pair a third hub for an entirely separate train with the buttons on the other side of the remote. I never have to change channels to control them. I haven't been able to find any documentation from Lego on this, that is why I described it as "unofficial". I found the info buried in various YouTube videos, it's a series of button presses on the remote and hubs to get them to pair like this. If there is an easier method I'd be very interested

I'm using the official PU train motors, I don't have any train mocs that use other PU motors atm. I prefer to use the PU remote to control my trains until hub to hub communication is implemented in Pybricks. I don't do any programming with the Powered Up app, I just use it to load the official firmware. I run multiple trains at once, which is another reason I don't use the app at all. My passenger train is made up of three 60197 sets minus one locomotive so it would be quite long to extend the wires through 6 coaches to the other end. It's doable, the wire I use to repair 9v connectors would be great for it, but not something I'm interested in doing. For now the Lego firmware unofficially supports connecting multiple hubs to a single remote, it's just the initial pairing that is a pain. I make videos / tutorials of most of my projects so I try to keep the cutting / modifying to a minimum so anyone can follow along.

Ah bummer, back to official firmware for my passenger train until I can find something better. Thanks for the link to the program I'll check it out!

I love the Galaxy Explorer! Nice job on the build and thanks for sharing

Update It seems my bluetooth adapter is to blame, works fine with my laptop. Odd that it worked dozens of times before and then stopped working (again on multiple PC's). My goal is to use Pybricks exclusively with my Lego trains. I dislike the official Lego app and I use my phone for recording video, phone calls, work etc. I do not want it tied up in my trains. My dual motor train is now working thanks to @Lok24. My next project is to convert my dual hub passenger train to Pybricks, Is it possible to connect multiple hubs to a single controller using Pybricks currently? Again if there is any website / resource out there with example programs for use with trains I'd love to find it. I'm hardly the person suited for this task but will do it if no one else will. I'm also interested in a better power curve than adding 20 for each button press if anyone has any ideas there as well.

This answers my question, but only because I had already found an example train control code on rebrickable. That worked in a quick test so I tried to include the program in a firmware download. I've been trying for over an hour to load the firmware and keep getting errors ``` GATT operation failed for unknown reason. ``` ``` GATT Server is disconnected. Cannot retrieve services. (Re)connect first with `device.gatt.connect`. ``` After several attempts I tried loading official Lego firmware and it downloads just fine. Try again with Pybricks and keep getting errors. I've tried two different PC's. I'm using a "Plugable USB Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy Micro Adapter" which has worked fine in the past. I can try my Laptop later which has integrated low power bluetooth and see if that works. I must warn you I am a "hardware guy", software has always had it out for me. I have very simple demands for programs I use but always end up having the craziest issues. When first testing the program with the play button it kept failing and citing line 21 and an error 21 remote = Remote(timeout=10000) and the remote would not connect. After including the program in a firmware download and not changing anything else it worked just fine. Please send help or an exorcist

Forgive me if the answer is somewhere staring me in the face. I've spent hours trying to find out how to use Pybricks to control two train motors (in opposite directions) simultaneously for the same locomotive using the official remote. I would think this would be a popular use case, but I haven't been able to find anything.

Me too I pretty much used every bit of monorail track I had on hand, I think my next layout I'll go back to trains due to cost concerns. In order to expand I'd also need to figure out a more robust solution for the Control Lab to interface with the NXTs, only so much can be done with 8 on and off states. I went with the Dacta serial interface just for the software itself, I think it's underutilized and something many haven't seen before. I don't know of a good way to control the Mindstorms devices directly besides a bunch of touch sensors. I like that the software has some visual feedback too, when a switch track is straight the switch icon is green and when it's switched the icon is red and different icons can be used for different functions. I also like to keep things as close to 100% Lego software / hardware as I can. The wheels are always turning for new ideas, I'm open to suggestions on how to expand / improve this control system for monorails or trains.

This project took months to make, with much help from this forum. I had issues with the Bluetooth communication between two pairs of NXT units, trouble finding the right HiTechnic IR commands for the Power Functions Servos and hadn't found the official Control Lab software until it was posted here. So hats off to the all of the great members here for the help along the way! TLDR there is a video below I wanted to make a computer controlled Lego monorail layout (ok, ok *automated* Lego monorail layout but I need to rethink how the system works before I get that far). Each switch / button on the Control Lab page corresponds to a "mechanical relay" that uses a motor to press or release an NXT touch sensor. The two Primary NXT units then send bluetooth commands to the secondary units which control the switch tracks and direction switches. The direction switches are changed by third party "Lego compatible" PF servos (I needed 5 of them and I'm not paying $100 each for official ones). The PF commands are sent from HiTechnic sensors on each secondary NXT. The Power Functions IR receivers are powered from 9v train regulators with custom adapters. The PF IR receivers are powered by the outer two wires, so an official 9v to PF wire will not work. I purchased cheap third party PF extension cables online and cut them, then I used reclaimed 9v wire connectors to finish them, making sure to use the outer wires and that the POLARITY WAS CORRECT. The 4 NXT units have the older version of the rechargeable battery which used the same 9-12V AC input as the train regulators and the Lego Dacta Serial Interface. Which means... Another appearance from my Lego Power Supply, and boy does it shine here! Ok, It's really not much more than a distribution box and a 12VAC transformer but give the guy some credit. Instead of 7 AC adapters or transformers all piled onto surge protectors, I'm using one 110v plug and then run low voltage wires to each device with custom length cables. I look forward to automating the layout if I find the time and my back doesn't give me too much trouble. Carting all of this stuff out of my Lego room for a weekend really did a number on me, but no pain no gain, right? Thanks again to everyone who assisted in this project! Play Well!

Thanks @legoROBOLAB Here is the test file I used in the video. It's pretty basic, programming was never a first language for me but I get by (Sometimes with the help of my friends). I've taken a peek at your blog before but I need to make time to look it over more thoroughly. It looks like there is some really cool stuff on there! Cheers! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1t1Pp5VxW0fyfWHYIRMyg-eVRoZ84hzOR?usp=sharing

I thought I'd drop this here for anyone curious as to how the original Dacta Control Lab software operated (I'm using the Windows 95 version). Again, it wouldn't be possible without many of you in this thread for sharing information. I'd be glad to hear any constructive criticism, I'm sure I made my fair share of mistakes in the video. It was quite a challenge for me to sync up voice-over, screen-capture, the video of the test pad and it's associated audio together into something cohesive. But I can say with some confidence it's quite possibly the best video on YouTube on the subject (if not the only)! I am intensely curious about any and all information on the Control Lab and it's use in schools. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have anything you'd like to share. Here's a picture of the full test pad, some of the light reflections on the tiles make it look like a render