Dcc train control with anologue turnout control question.

[Jeepy]

2 hours ago, Dominion said:

On the OP's original question, yes you can do what you describe.

I have old cobalts, cobalt IPs and cobalt digital IPs and solenoids on my layout all co-existing happily.

Some of my turnouts are controllable from a DCC input, either from entering an accessory command on my NCE controller but more often from push buttons on an NCE mini-panel.

However these turnouts and all the other turnouts are also operable from analogue inputs.

Also yes the switched power outputs on my cobalts are completely independent from the control input circuit, so there is no problem driving the switch machine in an analogue way and running DCC track power through the separate in-built switches for frog power. 

 

Though not what you are asking, interestingly you can also do the opposite, i.e. have DC track power for the frog through the switch and DCC point motor control. That sounds a bit strange but I have one track loop that I have on a separate power bus that I can switch to DC sometimes for running in locos and for running locos I may never get around to chipping. Where that track loop runs through my scenic section over turnouts with DCC controlled slow acting point motors the track power at that time is DC and it still works fine.

 

Good luck with your project. Tom

 

Wow! That's all good to know.... A whole new world is opening up to me! , thanks Tom. 

 

Best wishes 

 

Jim. 

[Jeepy]

I've just been perusing through the Megapoints website that Dave mentioned earlier (Twice actually! Lol!) and there's some fascinating equipment there which I think will suit my needs no end! They even sell the power supply for the Servo control board...... I'm seriously considering going down that route at the moment, I've seen and heard Megapoints mentioned but never really took much notice of what they were all about until now, I just assumed oh it's technical DCC electrickery and my senses just glazed over then lol!...... Looks very interesting, I'm thinking the amount of money I would spend on motors for half a dozen turnouts then servos and control system for signalling would be the same if not more than a Megapoints system to do both tasks in one go praps! I've got some reading to do! Thanks for all your contributions to the thread so far, 

 

Best wishes, 

 

Jim. 

[Junctionmad]

Just bear in mind that dcc control of accessories is “ one way “, mimic panels for example can’t determine point position by getting feedback from a point module or motor position. 
 

if you want to consider in depth control , you might want to factor in looking at layout control busses like LocoNet or MERG CBUS etc. These are proper two way layout busses 

 

there are some ancillary advantages to separate the traction control ( DCC) bus from the layout control bus 

Edited October 30, 2019 by Junctionmad

[dasatcopthorne]

14 hours ago, Jeepy said:

I've just been perusing through the Megapoints website that Dave mentioned earlier (Twice actually! Lol!) and there's some fascinating equipment there which I think will suit my needs no end! They even sell the power supply for the Servo control board...... I'm seriously considering going down that route at the moment, I've seen and heard Megapoints mentioned but never really took much notice of what they were all about until now, I just assumed oh it's technical DCC electrickery and my senses just glazed over then lol!...... Looks very interesting, I'm thinking the amount of money I would spend on motors for half a dozen turnouts then servos and control system for signalling would be the same if not more than a Megapoints system to do both tasks in one go praps! I've got some reading to do! Thanks for all your contributions to the thread so far, 

 

Best wishes, 

 

Jim. 

 

First! Why did my post appear twice. Who knows?

 

Secondly, if you can solder components to a printed circuit board, then it may be worth the £16 to join MERG. They sell the Megapoints Board as a kit for £30 and the power supply for about £14.

 

Dave.

[Jeepy]

2 hours ago, dasatcopthorne said:

 

First! Why did my post appear twice. Who knows?

 

Secondly, if you can solder components to a printed circuit board, then it may be worth the £16 to join MERG. They sell the Megapoints Board as a kit for £30 and the power supply for about £14.

 

Dave.

Thanks for the tip about MERG Dave...…..I've just noticed one of my posts has appeared twice!?!?  

The last one on page one and the first one on page 2 lol!...….unless the last post on one page automatically gets brought forward to the next? I don't think so though, very strange! 

I do have trouble with my fingers being too big sometimes when I'm using my phone for texts, perhaps I inadvertently whacked a button I shouldn't have done with a stray digit! 

 

Best wishes,

 

Jim.

[dasatcopthorne]

5 hours ago, Jeepy said:

Thanks for the tip about MERG Dave...…..I've just noticed one of my posts has appeared twice!?!?  

The last one on page one and the first one on page 2 lol!...….unless the last post on one page automatically gets brought forward to the next? I don't think so though, very strange! 

I do have trouble with my fingers being too big sometimes when I'm using my phone for texts, perhaps I inadvertently whacked a button I shouldn't have done with a stray digit! 

 

Best wishes,

 

Jim.

 

Far as I can see, when you press send for a posting, it should dissapear and not be available to resend. So it's must be down to io.Groups.

 

Dave

[Jeepy]

Hi folks, 

 

Just to cap this off, I have been having lengthy discussions with a friend who's much more familiar with DCC than I and I seem to have been 'persuaded' to go down the DCC control route of turnouts and signals via a NCE mini panel and switch 8 board! Apparently it won't take much 'juice' from the bus and I can build my own switch panel to incorporate into it, I have purchased the mini panel and switch 8 board but have yet to purchase the Tortoise motors, I didn't realise they can be adapted to control semaphore signals too! Just spreading the cost but once I have all the gear I'll still have no idea so I'll probably be on everyone's earhole once I get around to installing it all! Lol! 

That's about the conclusion of it really for now, thanks to all who contributed to this very informative thread! 

 

Best wishes, 

 

Jim. 

Edited November 11, 2019 by Jeepy
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