Control panel with DS64 and tortoise

[markandecho]

Hi

Looking for some advice, I have my tortoise point motors wired so they work on Dcc via a DS64 and they work great, I have pins 1 and 8 wired to the ds64 pins 2 and 3 wired to the track and pin 4 wired to the frog.

So I now want to wire in a control panel with a push button switch and a LED indicator lamp red and green but not sure how to do this any help would be fantastic please

[Ron Ron Ron]

If you want control panel buttons to operate the points, then the easiest method is to buy an encoder module that all the buttons (or switches) and all the LEDs on the panel are connected to.

The encoder can sit directly underneath the panel, requiring only very short wiring between it and the buttons etc, on the panel.

The encoder acts like another throttle and connects to your throttle (cab) bus like any other handset.

Pressing buttons (or flicking switches) on the panel triggers the encoder to instruct your command station to send out signals to the DS64's, just as when selecting point operation using the handset.

 

With this arrangement, the only wiring from your control panel to the rest of the layout, will be a simple cable to connect to the DCC system and a power chord for the encoder.

 

 

[franciswilliamwebb]

For push button control see figure 4 in the DS64 manual - just the normally open switch in that diagram, not the BD4 occupancy detector.  I've got my points wired up like that and it works a treat for manual control.

 

To get a LED indication on a panel you'd have to use the spare set of switched contacts on the Tortoise motors to drive the LED(s).

[silverlink]

Hi Ron,

What you need is a Sig-na-trak DTM30 30 channel Super Tower Master.

 Layout and Accessory Control : DTM30 30 Channel Super Tower Master (signatrak.co.uk)

Have used them on a couple of layouts with Tortoise motors and Digirtrax DS64's

Make your panel add two led's per turnout and one push button.

Take a look at their website lots of info there.

Cheers

Ian