Relay to reverse bi-color LED polarity?

Have you considered using a Tortoise switch machine instead? They have the contacts you desire built right in. I'm sure there's a way to do what you want with the DZ2500, but it strikes me as being rather "involved", and I'm not familiar with such things.

Elliot, I probably should have used the Tortoise machines, as I have had a few problems with the reliability of the DZ2500 machine.  I have them working OK now, and I want to stick with them as I am using the DZ2001 Data Driver to activate the switches with my Legacy system.  One other advantage of the DZ2500s is that the remotes have built-in LED indicator lights, so separate panel lights are not needed.  I have a feeling that you are right - I am getting into an "involved" situation that may not be worth it in the end. 

Isn't the DZ1008 just a latching relay with C, NO, NC contacts? If so I would think it could be made t o work in some fashion? I am not all that familiar with the Zstuff devices, but I was thinking that what you were wanting to do is what the 1008 was supposed to do?

rtr12 posted:

Isn't the DZ1008 just a latching relay with C, NO, NC contacts? If so I would think it could be made t o work in some fashion? I am not all that familiar with the Zstuff devices, but I was thinking that what you were wanting to do is what the 1008 was supposed to do?

If that's the case, you could use the 1008 to operate another relay with more contacts, or wire two of them together for the same effect.

Fair enough, you're far enough down this path that you need to continue. The LED's are cheap, maybe it would be better to use a 3 lead with the 1008, then you'd only need the one 1008, and it could flip your colors.

Baldoc posted:

I want to use a DZ2500 switch machine to control the color (polarity) of a 2 lead Red-Green bi-color LED.  The idea is to have the LED show the switch position in lieu of a switch lamp such as a Ross 50.  The 2 lead bi-color LEDs change color by reversing the polarity.  Regular DPDT relays are normally used to activate short-term conditions, such as a crossing gate, where the relay coil is activated for momentarily.  A switch, once thrown, may stay in its route for an extended time.   I would think that the coils could pit or burn out under those circumstances.  I can't use the DZ1008 relay, since that only changes the output between two wires (white and gray.)  I need a relay that will reverse polarity upon activation, and be able to stay in its last state for some time, not just momentarily.  Will a latching relay do this?  If so, will a DZ2500 switch machine be able to activate a latching relay via its green and yellow wires? 

If you really want a relay, just use a DPDT relay wired to reverse the polarity.  Any decent relay with the coil driven by it's rated voltage can stay energized forever.

the green and yellow wires (dont forget to add the diodes) trigger the dz2500 to act as non-derailing. you would need to wire directly to the 2500s LEDs, however that wont work unless the LEDs are first removed,

The addition of a transistor switch to drive the relay would allow you to tap off the signal and not have to remove the LED's.

Hey BALDOC.

I use the DZ-1008A relay along with the DZ-2500 switch machine to control my signal lights at the turnouts. It will also work to control LED's remotely, like on a control panel. RTR12 is correct. The DZ-1008A has a C, NO and NC contacts which feed power to the LED lights. 

The DZ-1008A is wired remotely, they do not connect to the switch motor like the older style DZ-1000 series.

It is not difficult to install. The green wire from the DZ-2500 triggers the relay. You should be able to hear the relay "click" when the switch motor is thrown.

I attached a pic of one of my interlocking plants. The (2) relays control (4) switches and (8) signals. Sorry about the sloppy wiring and the poor quality of the pic. I am a draftsman, not an electrician!

Hope that helps.

Donald

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

rtr12 posted:

Isn't the DZ1008 just a latching relay with C, NO, NC contacts? If so I would think it could be made t o work in some fashion? I am not all that familiar with the Zstuff devices, but I was thinking that what you were wanting to do is what the 1008 was supposed to do?

If that's the case, you could use the 1008 to operate another relay with more contacts, or wire two of them together for the same effect.

Fair enough, you're far enough down this path that you need to continue. The LED's are cheap, maybe it would be better to use a 3 lead with the 1008, then you'd only need the one 1008, and it could flip your colors.

I think you are right about the 3 lead LED. I didn't think a lot about regular LEDs, but it didn't come to me easily as to their wiring with the 1008 relay. I can see it happening with the 3 lead ones. I did look at the zstuff site and the 1008 is supposed to work with the dz2500s as well as the dz1000s. And I see below (I guess that is now above) that 3RAIL 2 is using them with his dz2500s. From what little I know about the 1008s I am guessing they are like the Atlas snap relays in operation.

Others above have offered good ideas as well. 

Remember that 3-lead LED's come in common anode and common cathode.  You need the correct polarity for the task.  Not sure if the DZ-2500 outputs a + voltage in respect to common or not for the indicator.  If so, you need a common cathode.  If the voltage is negative in respect to common, then the common anode one is what you need.

Thanks very much to everyone for all the replies.  I got some ideas that will help me on future projects in addition to this one.  For my switch lamp indicator, I have decided to go with 3 lead LEDs, since the 1008 Relay is designed to switch a voltage between to outputs.  I had wanted to use  2 lead LEDs because they fit in a smaller device, but the 3 lead ones will work.  Gunrunner, thanks for pointing out the difference between common anode and common cathode LEDs.  I checked mine, and the common wire is positive - that's a common anode, right?     

You can get 3mm 3-lead LED's, I use them all the time.

Yes, the common wire being positive is common anode.  That's the less popular style, so you have to make sure you specify that.

Three lead LED's are readily available in the 2mm post style as well.

2 mm Red/Green 3 Lead Diffused Common Anode LED

2 mm Red/Green 3 Lead Diffused Common Cathode LED