Hi again Yaasan,

Ok, I will try different addresses on the decoder.

Also, I will re solder the entire cable tonight according to your instructions.

I am hopeful that it will work but no matter what I will report back here in the thread.

Thank you for the tip regarding the freezes. I guess I will have to keep in mind to check that it has not crashed. I guess using the STOP/GO button will do the trick? Using a lightbulb one could simply check if there is voltage in the tracks and when it is there. As I have understood it the STOP/GO button actually stops the current in the tracks? Is this correct?

I actually do have loads of other questions as I find this project fascinating. Please let me get back to you with these after we figure the rest out and I get it to work.

Thank you for your reply and time Yaasan. I really appreciate it! .

Kind regards,
Oliver

Hi Oliver,

> I guess using the STOP/GO button will do the trick? Using a lightbulb one could simply check if there is voltage in the tracks and when it is there. As I have understood it the STOP/GO button actually stops the current in the tracks? Is this correct?

That's correct. As you know, Desktop Station's STOP/GO refers track power. This feature is similar to MS2's STOP button.

I hope you will work successfully your locomotives.

Best regards,
Yaasan

Edited by user 28 October 2013 21:12:55(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Oliver,

Thank you for reporting details.

Speed step is specified 1024 decimals in the 60113 internal specifications. Desktop Station refers this specification. Unfortunately I don't know the Delta locos speed mechanism. However Delta locomotives use very similar mechanism.

I measured that the communication delay is about 0.01-0.1 seconds per commands. Of course, this delay doesn't equal locomotive reaction. The reaction time depends on the locomotive.

>Another thing I noticed is that "EMG" stop does not seem to work at all. STOP/GO does however work. As Yaasan mentioned there is a difference between these. Maybe the "EMG" stop is currently not supported?

Sorry, EMG button means the locomotive emergency stop. EMG button doesn't mean an emergency stop for track power. If you want to stop the track power, please click a stop button.

My English is very poor. I'm sure that Desktop Station has many strange words. If you found mistakes, tell me my mistakes.
Of course I'll fix Desktop Station if you would have some ideas. Please tell me that.

Best regards,
Yaasan

It works! Yesterday night (early this morning ) I finally managed to get everything to work correctly!
I must admit I am still not 100% sure of the problem or exactly what is causing it but I have a hunch.

When I tried the setup before using the CAN cable and other things I was at my desk at home. Among other things there is a laptop, soldering iron, a couple of "wall warts" aka transformers etc on or under the desk. When trying Dekstop Station out at first I failed. See my posts above. I got strange delays etc.

However, when moving the entire setup and building a track oval at our loft on its carpeted floor it all worked! Flawlessly I might add! One of the delta locos a previously tried worked. I think the reason might be interference. Everything points to it anyway. I will probably try to identify the source.

Tonight or tomorrow evening I am going to try with more locos. I will again report the progress. I am also considering buying a couple of turnout motor/decoder/lamp kits from my dealer here to convert some of my switches to digital.

So far Dekstop Station looks promising. I am planning the following improvements:

-Shield the CAN cable
-Get an appropriate housing for the Arduino + CAN bus shield
-Maybe desolder the contacts on the CAN bus shield and solder it directly to the Arduino pins. I will never disassemble this and will dedicate this Arduino and CAN bus shield to my Märklin so I might as well save some space and get the things into a smaller housing.

That is all for now.

Kind regards,
Oliver

Hi Geroge,

Thank you for reporting.
To collect the components is a little difficult because mini DIN 10 pins connector is not popular.

As you know, Desktop Station can control DCC locomotives. You can check Arduino and Desktop Station using your DCC locomotives.

I hope your work goes well.

If you have a question etc, send me a post or e-mail.

Best regards,
Yaasan

Hi Brian,

10pin mini din connector is not popular in Japan, too.
If you have a question, please tell me.

best regards,
Yaasan

Hi billys,

The detail of Arduino is described in http://arduino.cc/en/Guide/HomePage.

The components you need are described in my site. Also I explain where to buy.

Best regards,
Yaasan

Hi all,

I finally have the din plug, and soldered cable to mini-din & D-Sub.
As I had already prepared everything else, I just had to connect all together & power on.
It worked first time without any problems. This is fantastic. I use my MS2 as well, and use the Emergency stop button on that when I need to.

Yaasan, a big thank you for all your hard work, and for sharing this great project.
I now have a great train control command station at an extremely affordable price. It completely serves my needs.
Desktop Station is a wonderful project.

Again, thanks Yaasan.

Hi billys,

Railuino and Desktop Station is corresponding to MS2. You can use Railuino and Desktop Station instead of MS2.

60113 has to generate MM2/mfx/DCC signals like a booster. Also 60113 communicates with MS2 using CAN technology. MS2 connects with 60113 via CAN cable, also Railuino too.

Desktop Station provides a user interface for train control. Desktop Station uses Railuino as a gateway between 60113 and Windows PC.

Desktop Station and Railuino send a command to 60113. The command is for example, loc addr 03 sets speed 512 (50% speed).
60113 can understand the command and generate a suitable signal to track.

Best regards,
Yaasan

Hi billys,

Exactly, that's correct.

I seem that 60113 has enough functions to control locomotives and turnouts.
Consequently, I focus to develop the user interface, which is Desktop Station.

Best regards,
Yaasan

Hi all,

I just add a new feature which supports translation file.

Try the latest Desktop Station 0.88c.

Example of applying Japanese.csv :



I provide you translation files which are written in English and Japanese, Swedish (using Google translation) , also German (using Google translation).
The files are including in the latest Desktop Station 0.88c. See bin/language/ folder.

If you found my mistakes, please fix it and send me. The structure of the translation file is CSV which can edit using Excel and Libre Office, also text editors. The text encoding of the CSV file must be UTF-8. Be careful.

Of course providing a new translation file is welcome. Send me it anytime.

Best regards,
Yaasan

it says "Track Controller" does not name a device

wow thanks for your fast reply Yaasan. I was just working on the troubleshooting at the arduino site. let me try this and will report back. again thanks a ton!

also when add the file it does not have .ino at the end. guess I do not have the correct drivers?

Thanks so very much Yaasan, will work on this and send you the screen shots. have to work all day ! so when I get back later.....
really appreciate it.

hope it gives you an idea. will try and work on it at work too.... thanks

I did. but I transferred the whole folder. may be should do it again and rename it. will report back.

Hi Yaasan

This is a good start. I too have written train control software (actually since 1989 starting with Turbo Pascal and Märklin 6050!)

The features you have shown - controlling functions of a loco, seeing s88 status, changing signals are all needed and are very useful for testing a layout but I think you will find that creating these virtual controllers does not lead to the ability to control a whole layout. Here is what I mean. Imagine you wish to run a train from station A to B. The track between these two stations goes through 5 turnouts and passes two signals. To do this with virtual controls, one will need to know the following:

Address of the loco.
Correct direction for each turnout and the address of each.
Address of both signals.
In addition, if you wish the train to run a a nice prototypical speed, you will need to know the scale speed for each speed step so one know how to accelerate through the speed steps etc.

When running a layout these are not things one can keep in ones head for long, and this is exactly where layout control software can be so wonderfully powerful.
One might then say we need to create a 'route' from points A to B, yes that is is easy to do too, but its has not yet made it possible to control a layout, because now one still needs to remember to use route A-B but what if other trains are using the tracks, or need to have the turnout along the way set differently....?

In other words the control of a layout starts getting very complex, and it needs the parts you have made, but also lots of other parts too, - and I encourage you to make them also.

The approach that I took and what I would also suggest to you is to think of how the user wants to run their trains. I do not want to have to play a piano concert setting signals turnout or loco speeds. I don't even want to know any addresses. I like to click on a train on my layout diagram and pick which station it is to go to. Done. I then want the computer to decide when the track is free, set the signals, set the turnouts, set the right speed steps for the loco (or perhaps multiple locos in the train) monitor its progress with s88 feedback, play the sound effects, switch of smoke when not needed etc. While that is all happening I want to send another train on a journey or do some manual shunting somewhere. This all sounds very complex and indeed it is - but that is exactly what software is for - handling such complex problems!

So I encourage you to think about adding layers of abstraction between the loco, turnouts, signals and s88 and concepts that the observer is interested in, which is stations and train names. For example: send my Intercity from Main station to my rural station.

Think of the layers of abstraction like this:

CAN BUS level command
Serial port command
Loco address and speed
Loco name
Train that the loco is part of
Location of the train
Destination of the train

The hardware controllers we can buy and virtual version of them one usually sees usually go only the first 3 levels. Speed knobs and lists of functions - but not enough to actually drive a train from A to B without being a concert pianist with the mouse or keyboard ! :-)

Select your data models carefully. I found that OOP was not always the best option, for example I sometimes need to get the station name of the track that the train is on. My 'train' structure includes the track number and an index into the list of stations, so I can quickly grab the station name, and pass that into the station announcement.

You may decide to start a new piece of software with a broader comprehensive goal and use the code you have already written to do the low level stuff as it is needed. You may in fact find that instead of giving the user a virtual loco controller (with speed steps and lists of functions) you want to give them the view from inside the cab and add the signals (and speed limit signs) one may see through the window and a speed control in km/h rather than speed steps - stuff we can't always do with the physical controllers.
For example: http://layout.mixmox.com/1/signals-in-cab-view

Keep at it !

Hello Yaasan,

It seems to be an excellent alternaive

Where can we buy Arduino?

what protocols does it use? MFX?

Thanks and best regards

CM

Hi CM,

You can buy Arduino at DIY shop. for example, http://www.watterott.com/de/Railuino-Komponenten.

Desktop Station supports MM2, mfx, DCC which are same as MS2.

Best regards,
Yaasan

Hi Khanzir,

Do you have a MM2 or DCC locomotive? To register a mfx locomotive is different from MM2 and DCC.
Because of mfx locomotive address is temporarily and assigned by command station which are MS2 and CS2.

Of course Desktop Station has a function which assigns an address for mfx locomotives. You have to wait for a few minutes to some days.
Because mfx locomotives requires to update themselves sometimes. Sometimes means a few minutes or some days. This time depends on mfx locomotives (mfx decoders).

I recommend you to use DCC or MM2 locomotives whether Desktop Station works correct or not.

Best regards,
Yaasan

Well checked the current on the tracks. did all you suggested. this is what the screen shot shows when pinging.

Hi Khanzir,

Do you have MS2? Connect MS2 and also Arduino to 60113's mini DIN port same time.
If you controlled Desktop Station, MS2 will work as same when same locomotive is shown in Desktop Station and MS2.

Best regards,
Yaasan

yes, its a PC. can you send me the pics. I followed the pin table you had. maybe the soldering was not good. I could see that while its pinging, there is no return.

Hello Yaasan.
I took some pics, please see attached. should I be re soldering? or there is something wrong with the setup.