Train America Studio -- TAS 1308 Whistle Controller

I suspect that other than a simple power supply issue, there's no fix to it.  It has a custom microprocessor on it, if that's dead, the board is toast.

That's what i was worried might be the case. How can the power supply be tested with a volt ohm meter, or can't it?

Sure, the power supply is on the processor.  The 8 pin PIC parts have power and ground on the top two pins, that's the end with the notch.  I'm guessing it should be 5V, typical for most of them from the era when this was designed.  Just measure between VDD and VSS, should be 5VDC.

John,

Christmas kept me busy with my other hobby, cooking. Namely:13 fruitcakes, 120+ Italian lemon cookies, 4 - 5 dozen maple gingersnaps, 3 dozen Linzer cookies, many double chocolate bourbon balls, 5 dozen kolachki (apricot, raspberry, prune & poppy seed filled), a mince pie, a cranberry pear pie. Then did my annual Xmas Eve dinner  for friends (vichysoisse, grilled porterhouse, roasted red potatoes, green beans,and cranberry relish).

Finally got back into the train room today and ran that simple test putting 15 VAC in and getting nothing on the voltmeter between VDD and VSS. The question is now what?

I see from the installation instructions that it actually uses the 5V from the R2LC, so if that's not connected, you'd have no voltage on the uP.  I'd make sure it's all wired correctly first.  Looks like a broken wire to me.

Here's the instruction manual.

TAS 1308 TMCC Whistle Controller Installation Instructions.pdf

OK, so now i'm confused. So far i've bench tested the 1308. Can adding the +5VDC be also done on the bench? Thanks, i already have the installation instructions for the controller itself. At this point i have no place to actually install it - I'm thinking of using it a WBB 44 ton switcher that i've already installed a Cruise Lite in. I just want to make sure the TAS1308 is working before opening up the 44 tonner again. As you know there's not a lot of room inside it. Not enough for an ERR Sound Commander which i also have new in stock.

For a bench check of the TAS 1308, you'll need track power, a source of 5VDC, and the serial data from the R2LC to trigger it.  The picture I posted previously is what you need.

FWIW, I installed the ERR RailSounds Commander and the Cruise-Lite in the WBB 44-Ton locomotive.  This is the one I even built electrocouplers for, that was the major part of the job!

John, i was aware you had done this. I wanted to keep the WBB sound rather than substitutung a Railsounds Commander. I've already added the Cruise Lite and electrocouplers. In fact for me the coupler installation was the easy part, but squeezing in the electronics with my fat fingers and shaking hands becomes the hard part. I may just be content in running it without any sound at all. I do appreciate all your help. Trust you had a Merry Xmas.

Well, keeping the WBB sound is going to be problematic.  Since the TAS whistle controller only handles the whistle, you'll have full track power on the sound module all the time.  This will give you a screaming prime mover at maximum RPM all the time.  In addition, of course, you lose the bell capability.

The TAS whistle controller was really designed to strictly handle the whistle of a simple whistle board.  This is a clip from the TAS instructions.  All it does is add a DC offset to the track voltage coming out that's feeding the conventional whistle board.

The Whistle Controller is designed to receive and decode the serial data stream from the R2LC command receiver and generates a positive DC offset to activate a conventional whistle or horn soundboard.  This board only activates the whistle or horn, not the bell.

Right, but about 15 years ago i was able to to use a TAS1308 on MTH Locosound boards to give me only the horn by cutting away the power to other things those boards did - was hoping to do the same here. Oh well - perhaps it's time to learn my own limits and give up on this project.

As I recall, the 44-ton sound board has a uP that has all the sounds, so I don't see it being easy to cut away the prime mover.  Besides, if you "cut away" all the other sounds, you end up with a simple horn, you loose all the 44-Ton sounds anyway.

If you want a plain horn/bell board for command, drop me a line, I have a couple that work with conventional or TMCC and they're the RS-Lite footprint, so I know they fit into the 44-Tonner.

Thanks for the offer -- will do in an email later -- have to run right now.