Masterswitch v2 problems

[packetlos]

I am having more than a few problems with this product and seep point motors and was wondering if you guys could spot where I am going wrong!

 

I have the masterswitch (v2) wired to a maplin laptop switched mode power supply (DC) set at 20v, the PSU will do up to 6A on the output side. The A and B connections of the seep motor to the left and right solenoid outputs, the C seep connection to the common on the MS terminals, the switch is a DPDT ON-ON miniature toggle switch supplied with the masterswitch, common to the centre tag.

 

I wired it all up, threw the point motor a few times successfully then it latched on permanently and cooked the solenoid, the common wire on the switch had come loose so I thought it had shorted and it was my fault, fixed the switch now it will only fire one way, one of the transistors looked like it has cooked itself, replaced the part wired it up again then it latches on the other way and burns out the other transistor.

 

Give up on this unit and figure it's damaged, try the next one, wire it all up, fire the point motor successfully a few times then the masterswitch catches fire and burns itself out! The instructions mention putting in an additional diode to stop back EMF for some brands damaging the 8bit processor but does not mention seep and it don??™t have particularly long wire runs do I didn??™t bother.

 

I have tested the PSU and it's giving out 20.1v.

 

 

Any ideas?

[BromsMods]

I am having more than a few problems with this product and seep point motors and was wondering if you guys could spot where I am going wrong!

 

I have the masterswitch (v2) wired to a maplin laptop switched mode power supply (DC) set at 20v, the PSU will do up to 6A on the output side. The A and B connections of the seep motor to the left and right solenoid outputs, the C seep connection to the common on the MS terminals, the switch is a DPDT ON-ON miniature toggle switch supplied with the masterswitch, common to the centre tag.

 

I wired it all up, threw the point motor a few times successfully then it latched on permanently and cooked the solenoid, the common wire on the switch had come loose so I thought it had shorted and it was my fault, fixed the switch now it will only fire one way, one of the transistors looked like it has cooked itself, replaced the part wired it up again then it latches on the other way and burns out the other transistor.

 

Give up on this unit and figure it's damaged, try the next one, wire it all up, fire the point motor successfully a few times then the masterswitch catches fire and burns itself out! The instructions mention putting in an additional diode to stop back EMF for some brands damaging the 8bit processor but does not mention seep and it don??™t have particularly long wire runs do I didn??™t bother.

 

I have tested the PSU and it's giving out 20.1v.

 

 

Any ideas?

 

Did you consult the info on Seep point motors at http://www.bromsgrov...erswitchfaq.htm before wiring it up?

[packetlos]

Did you consult the info on Seep point motors at http://www.bromsgrov...erswitchfaq.htm before wiring it up?

 

Hi John,

 

No I didn't but from the diagram at the bottom of the page it looks like I have wired it correctly, I take it that the order of the A and B connections will detirmine which direction the motor will throw in relation to the switch? I am using the PM2 motor so there is only 3 connections to the 'motor'.

[BromsMods]

Mmmmm....... I'm wondering if the problem is your power supply. Recommended voltage is 18 volts at 3 to 3.5 amps, even though I know the max stated is 20 volts (though your unit is putting out just over that). Is this used in conjunction with DC or DCC control? If the latter you should have been supplied with 2 x opto-isolator boards.

[Butler Henderson]

I had little success with the Masterswitch, as the ones I tried kept on throwing the point continuously in one diection. At the end of the day as they are limited in the number of Peco point motors they will throw I used some good old relays (no electronic parts to go wrong)- the relays are activated by the accessory module and the relay contacts switch on/off a CDU supply to throw as many points as I need in one go. Does seem to me that the Masterswitch is simply an electronic relay with limited load capabilities together with a built in mini CDU.

[Richard Johnson]

*** With thousands sold and many raving about them its a durable and succefful product that works well. Its very easy easy to blame the product but did either of you ask for help when you had a problem?

 

The only way they will throw one side only electronically is if the power supply or wiring is inadequate so the MS is unable to do what you ask of it (a very common problem as like it or not seep & Peco PL10 point motors need over 4 amps EACH to throw) and as a result if its left like this for a while then the the processor is overheated and damaged, and the only other ways to do that are overvoltage - or not using the opto boards we supply basically free of charge for DCCconnection.

 

BH - if you had more than one with a failed processor then you repeated the cause and created the repeated failure. every single MS is tested prior to dispatch to us and again by us before packing to be sure. we rarely ever find any faults and I am dead certain that they ALL work when they leave us.

 

The ONLY way a power darlington will fail is if the processor is first damaged so it remains turned on.. If that has happenned then replacing it will NOT fix the problem.

 

Overvoltage will cook them as it will any product - they are tolerant but not indestructable.

 

20v is acceptable as a supply voltage. The MS has its own onboard power conditioning and is voltage regulated - going slightly over spec will simply make the heatsink of the regulator a wee bit warmer. It really sounds to me that the power supply is not accyrately set if you are getting extreme failures - that takes a LOT of overvoltage.

 

Sometimes (most often actually) the problems are either inadequate power of bad mounting of the point motors. If either seep or peco motors are not mounted squarely they are very sticky in one direction - they have always been like this so its not a masterswitch issue.

 

Usually reworking the install and lubricating the point motor fixes the problem.

 

Additionally, MS does have a good proof warranty which we are happy to offer and honour as problems are very rare indeed - so if you have a faulty unit, write and ask for a replacement...

 

Richard

DCCconcepts

 

I had little success with the Masterswitch, as the ones I tried kept on throwing the point continuously in one diection. At the end of the day as they are limited in the number of Peco point motors they will throw I used some good old relays (no electronic parts to go wrong)- the relays are activated by the accessory module and the relay contacts switch on/off a CDU supply to throw as many points as I need in one go. Does seem to me that the Masterswitch is simply an electronic relay with limited load capabilities together with a built in mini CDU.

[Butler Henderson]

Aware of the warrenty - mine were swopped by the supplier for some decoders.

[Lady_Ava_Hay]

All this seems to add weight to my (old) argument that DCC control of points is more fraught and less productive than any other aspect of DCC based micro electronics. In my case, it was the lack of bullet proof instructions and those that were supplied were a bit lacking in basic do's and dont's as to the installation that I was attempting. It turned out after a lot of headaches and not a little expense that it was basically impossible to acheive without extra cost and a great deal of electronic expertise.

 

In the area of point control, I do earnestly believe that a fully integrated approach is necessary rather than this adapt the old DC stuff approach.