I just ran across this introduction to Arduino video on YouTube that may be of interest to those who want to know what it's all about. The presentation is fast but comprehensive. There are some good points about how to get started, downloading the software, making sure you have the appropriate drivers, different versions of the hardware, sample code and examples. It's one of the better presentations that I've seen on this topic. You can skip the ending though; it's just a commercial.
Possibly of interest for folks looking at arduino stuff - here is a related project that I did for my layout recently:
https://ogrforum.com/...c-turnout-controller
I wrote up a paper on the design as well, it's on my website here.
Eric
I'm just wondering what brand of servo do you guys use for your switch machines? Are they any special variety? Do they have metal gears or plastic? Does Tower Pro sound familiar? How much torque? What about the MG995 or MG996R versions? I need to learn about these.
And my big question..how do you pronounce Arduino?
WILLYGEE: Check out this video. Or any of a multitude of others on the topic found on YouTube. It's Italian. I don't know what it means.
Italian form of HARTWIN.
Means "brave friend" from the Germanic elements hard "brave, hardy" and win "friend".
Consolidated Leo posted:I'm just wondering what brand of servo do you guys use for your switch machines? Are they any special variety? Do they have metal gears or plastic? Does Tower Pro sound familiar? How much torque? What about the MG995 or MG996R versions? I need to learn about these.
I think you'll find a vast majority of the servos have some plastic gears.
Almost any brand of small servo will operate track switches. I've used Hi-Tec and several other brands as well. Sources are Servocity and Hobbypartzservos.
Thanks guys! I'm going to have to give them a try one of these days. My plan is to buy the FasTrack manual switches and try adding an Arduino based servo to the mix. That should reduce the cost by about half as compared to the price of the remote switches.
You don't necessarily need an Arduino to operate servos controlling track switches. A manual servo controller will work as well and is less expensive.
I can order the Arduino Nano for $2.50. You can power the servo directly off the Digital I/O pins. Add some control buttons and your in business.
A few more parts and you've got trackside signals for turnout indications.
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BOB WALKER posted:You don't necessarily need an Arduino to operate servos controlling track switches. A manual servo controller will work as well and is less expensive.
Bob: Didn't you mention somewhere that you had written some magazine articles about servos and things a while back? Can we see them? Can you post them here? Don't do anything that would get you in copyright trouble. I'm just asking.
Hi Bob; I went back & looked up the article in the Sept 2016 issue of Classic Toy Trains & all I found was a short Vid of Weekend Edition of a Workshop with a "Gas & Go with a Smart Detector". Is that what you were referring me to or is there an article about servos? If there was I didn't see it. maybe if you have the article you could post it here on the forum I know many members would love to see it.
Jerry
The Servo article is on p.52 of the September 2106 CTT. My Gas & Go article was in the February 2016 issue. Hope you can locate it. There was also an article about servo applications for model railroads in the May 2014 issue of Servo magazine.
The least expensive manual servo driver I've used was $5.00. If you can get an Arduino for $2.50, I'd say go for it!
I also live in the land of sunshine and no basements.
BOB WALKER posted:The Servo article is on p.52 of the September 2106 CTT. My Gas & Go article was in the February 2016 issue. Hope you can locate it. There was also an article about servo applications for model railroads in the May 2014 issue of Servo magazine.
The least expensive manual servo driver I've used was $5.00. If you can get an Arduino for $2.50, I'd say go for it!
Thanks, Bob! The servo testers from overseas look like this:
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I've used that servo driver in several projects and they work well.