0-16VAC for train
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Posts: 46,084
Hi Fellow Stampers.
For quite some time I have been reading the posts on this site and have been
amazed at the expertise and advise that is available. Before I go further let
me say I feel this site is essential for us Stampers when we are in need. With
that in mind I now seek out your expert advice.
My dilemma. I have used the BS2 for several months for my pet project and that
is computerizing my grandsons train layout. I use it to switch tracks, flash
the leds on the police and fire trucks, blow whistles, monitor train progress
and have added 16 input ports and 16 output ports with UNL2803 drivers. The
system works great but now I was asked for another mod that I am not able to
provide without seeking your help.
The train platform has about 60 street lights which are 16VAC and draw about
1.5A. The platform is located in an area where sunlight is prevalent. My
grandson asked if I could automatically make the lights come on when it became
dark. I did the nicest dance around the answer you ever saw because working
with AC has me at a loss. I have been in the 0's and 1 world too long. What I
would like to do with your guidance is use a photocell to detect the ambient
light and adjust the AC from 0-16VAC as the light decreases. I believe there is
a PWM command that might be used in conjunction with regulating the output
voltage but I am totally ignorant as how to build the interface.
I now ask you for any help you can give me toward making me Pop Pop #1.
Thanks
Eric Adams
[noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
For quite some time I have been reading the posts on this site and have been
amazed at the expertise and advise that is available. Before I go further let
me say I feel this site is essential for us Stampers when we are in need. With
that in mind I now seek out your expert advice.
My dilemma. I have used the BS2 for several months for my pet project and that
is computerizing my grandsons train layout. I use it to switch tracks, flash
the leds on the police and fire trucks, blow whistles, monitor train progress
and have added 16 input ports and 16 output ports with UNL2803 drivers. The
system works great but now I was asked for another mod that I am not able to
provide without seeking your help.
The train platform has about 60 street lights which are 16VAC and draw about
1.5A. The platform is located in an area where sunlight is prevalent. My
grandson asked if I could automatically make the lights come on when it became
dark. I did the nicest dance around the answer you ever saw because working
with AC has me at a loss. I have been in the 0's and 1 world too long. What I
would like to do with your guidance is use a photocell to detect the ambient
light and adjust the AC from 0-16VAC as the light decreases. I believe there is
a PWM command that might be used in conjunction with regulating the output
voltage but I am totally ignorant as how to build the interface.
I now ask you for any help you can give me toward making me Pop Pop #1.
Thanks
Eric Adams
[noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Comments
>Hi Fellow Stampers.
>
>For quite some time I have been reading the posts on this site and have
>been amazed at the expertise and advise that is available. Before I go
>further let me say I feel this site is essential for us Stampers when we
>are in need. With that in mind I now seek out your expert advice.
>
>My dilemma. I have used the BS2 for several months for my pet project and
>that is computerizing my grandsons train layout. I use it to switch
>tracks, flash the leds on the police and fire trucks, blow whistles,
>monitor train progress and have added 16 input ports and 16 output ports
>with UNL2803 drivers. The system works great but now I was asked for
>another mod that I am not able to provide without seeking your help.
>
>The train platform has about 60 street lights which are 16VAC and draw
>about 1.5A. The platform is located in an area where sunlight is
>prevalent. My grandson asked if I could automatically make the lights
>come on when it became dark. I did the nicest dance around the answer you
>ever saw because working with AC has me at a loss. I have been in the 0's
>and 1 world too long. What I would like to do with your guidance is use a
>photocell to detect the ambient light and adjust the AC from 0-16VAC as
>the light decreases. I believe there is a PWM command that might be used
>in conjunction with regulating the output voltage but I am totally
>ignorant as how to build the interface.
>
>I now ask you for any help you can give me toward making me Pop Pop #1.
I'd suggest you just use a photocell and comparator circuit to trigger a
relay to turn the lights on or off. Lights that fade in and fade out
aren't realistic; i.e., aren't the way real lights work. A web search
should turn up something pretty quickly or Radio Shack will probably have a
booklet with a circuit for this sort of thing. You could run the output of
the circuit to the Stamp and let the Stamp trigger the relay if you want to
add additional logic, or just control everything thru one point.
Jim H
want, then it is possible, expensive, but possible. The easy solution
would be to take a photocell to an input and then use a small relay
hooked to an output that switches the lights on / off at a pre-set light
level. That would be easy and cheap. I will wait to hear from you on
the more expensive version..
HTH,
Leroy
Eric Adams wrote:
>
> Hi Fellow Stampers.
>
> For quite some time I have been reading the posts on this site and have been
amazed at the expertise and advise that is available. Before I go further let
me say I feel this site is essential for us Stampers when we are in need. With
that in mind I now seek out your expert advice.
>
> My dilemma. I have used the BS2 for several months for my pet project and
that is computerizing my grandsons train layout. I use it to switch tracks,
flash the leds on the police and fire trucks, blow whistles, monitor train
progress and have added 16 input ports and 16 output ports with UNL2803 drivers.
The system works great but now I was asked for another mod that I am not able
to provide without seeking your help.
>
> The train platform has about 60 street lights which are 16VAC and draw about
1.5A. The platform is located in an area where sunlight is prevalent. My
grandson asked if I could automatically make the lights come on when it became
dark. I did the nicest dance around the answer you ever saw because working
with AC has me at a loss. I have been in the 0's and 1 world too long. What I
would like to do with your guidance is use a photocell to detect the ambient
light and adjust the AC from 0-16VAC as the light decreases. I believe there is
a PWM command that might be used in conjunction with regulating the output
voltage but I am totally ignorant as how to build the interface.
>
> I now ask you for any help you can give me toward making me Pop Pop #1.
>
> Thanks
> Eric Adams
>
> [noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and Body
of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
would allow varying the ON and OFF times in a fixed duty cycle: longer
ON time would produce more light. This would work well with LED
clulster lights, but there may be limiting time constants associated
with incandescent bulbs.
Dennis
Original Message
From: Leroy Hall [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=4tp9ZVtbbbK849L86YBs_0PuErAIr3iCaCCIk1z3yEJ1ZqP8BNjv_ZbDh9ySq_nYoiuFJlZ6]leroy@f...[/url
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2002 11:02 AM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] 0-16VAC for train
What you asking for here is phase control and if that is what you really
want, then it is possible, expensive, but possible. The easy solution
would be to take a photocell to an input and then use a small relay
hooked to an output that switches the lights on / off at a pre-set light
level. That would be easy and cheap. I will wait to hear from you on
the more expensive version..
HTH,
Leroy
Eric Adams wrote:
>
> Hi Fellow Stampers.
>
> For quite some time I have been reading the posts on this site and
> have been amazed at the expertise and advise that is available.
> Before I go further let me say I feel this site is essential for us
> Stampers when we are in need. With that in mind I now seek out your
> expert advice.
>
> My dilemma. I have used the BS2 for several months for my pet project
> and that is computerizing my grandsons train layout. I use it to
> switch tracks, flash the leds on the police and fire trucks, blow
> whistles, monitor train progress and have added 16 input ports and 16
> output ports with UNL2803 drivers. The system works great but now I
> was asked for another mod that I am not able to provide without
> seeking your help.
>
> The train platform has about 60 street lights which are 16VAC and draw
> about 1.5A. The platform is located in an area where sunlight is
> prevalent. My grandson asked if I could automatically make the lights
> come on when it became dark. I did the nicest dance around the answer
> you ever saw because working with AC has me at a loss. I have been in
> the 0's and 1 world too long. What I would like to do with your
> guidance is use a photocell to detect the ambient light and adjust the
> AC from 0-16VAC as the light decreases. I believe there is a PWM
> command that might be used in conjunction with regulating the output
> voltage but I am totally ignorant as how to build the interface.
>
> I now ask you for any help you can give me toward making me Pop Pop
> #1.
>
> Thanks
> Eric Adams
>
> [noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject
> and Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject
and Body of the message will be ignored.
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
is there a particular reason that the lights have to
be 16VAC powered? That will be the hardest part.
Modulating the ouput voltage using a PWM will create a
psuedo AC to the lights as you mentioned sounds to be
the better idea. From there use a transistor or
transistors (ULN2803) to (rapidly) switch 12VDC to the
lights. Alternative is to use a DAC (Digital to Analog
Converter) to program a constant DC voltage between
0-12VDC (also using the 12VDC and transistor drivers)
to the lights.
Using the photocell to detect the ambient light level
idea is no problem by using it as a potentiometer
going into an ADC.
Kevin K Asato
KC6POB
--- Eric Adams <hugs102@b...> wrote:
> Hi Fellow Stampers.
>
> For quite some time I have been reading the posts on
> this site and have been amazed at the expertise and
> advise that is available. Before I go further let
> me say I feel this site is essential for us Stampers
> when we are in need. With that in mind I now seek
> out your expert advice.
>
> My dilemma. I have used the BS2 for several months
> for my pet project and that is computerizing my
> grandsons train layout. I use it to switch tracks,
> flash the leds on the police and fire trucks, blow
> whistles, monitor train progress and have added 16
> input ports and 16 output ports with UNL2803
> drivers. The system works great but now I was asked
> for another mod that I am not able to provide
> without seeking your help.
>
> The train platform has about 60 street lights which
> are 16VAC and draw about 1.5A. The platform is
> located in an area where sunlight is prevalent. My
> grandson asked if I could automatically make the
> lights come on when it became dark. I did the
> nicest dance around the answer you ever saw because
> working with AC has me at a loss. I have been in
> the 0's and 1 world too long. What I would like to
> do with your guidance is use a photocell to detect
> the ambient light and adjust the AC from 0-16VAC as
> the light decreases. I believe there is a PWM
> command that might be used in conjunction with
> regulating the output voltage but I am totally
> ignorant as how to build the interface.
>
> I now ask you for any help you can give me toward
> making me Pop Pop #1.
>
> Thanks
> Eric Adams
>
>
> [noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed.
> Text in the Subject and Body of the message will be
> ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
__________________________________________________
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ideas this week and will let you know what works.
Eric Adams
Original Message
From: "kevin asato" <kc6pob@y...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 5:35 PM
Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] 0-16VAC for train
> Eric,
>
> is there a particular reason that the lights have to
> be 16VAC powered? That will be the hardest part.
> Modulating the ouput voltage using a PWM will create a
> psuedo AC to the lights as you mentioned sounds to be
> the better idea. From there use a transistor or
> transistors (ULN2803) to (rapidly) switch 12VDC to the
> lights. Alternative is to use a DAC (Digital to Analog
> Converter) to program a constant DC voltage between
> 0-12VDC (also using the 12VDC and transistor drivers)
> to the lights.
>
> Using the photocell to detect the ambient light level
> idea is no problem by using it as a potentiometer
> going into an ADC.
>
> Kevin K Asato
> KC6POB
> --- Eric Adams <hugs102@b...> wrote:
> > Hi Fellow Stampers.
> >
> > For quite some time I have been reading the posts on
> > this site and have been amazed at the expertise and
> > advise that is available. Before I go further let
> > me say I feel this site is essential for us Stampers
> > when we are in need. With that in mind I now seek
> > out your expert advice.
> >
> > My dilemma. I have used the BS2 for several months
> > for my pet project and that is computerizing my
> > grandsons train layout. I use it to switch tracks,
> > flash the leds on the police and fire trucks, blow
> > whistles, monitor train progress and have added 16
> > input ports and 16 output ports with UNL2803
> > drivers. The system works great but now I was asked
> > for another mod that I am not able to provide
> > without seeking your help.
> >
> > The train platform has about 60 street lights which
> > are 16VAC and draw about 1.5A. The platform is
> > located in an area where sunlight is prevalent. My
> > grandson asked if I could automatically make the
> > lights come on when it became dark. I did the
> > nicest dance around the answer you ever saw because
> > working with AC has me at a loss. I have been in
> > the 0's and 1 world too long. What I would like to
> > do with your guidance is use a photocell to detect
> > the ambient light and adjust the AC from 0-16VAC as
> > the light decreases. I believe there is a PWM
> > command that might be used in conjunction with
> > regulating the output voltage but I am totally
> > ignorant as how to build the interface.
> >
> > I now ask you for any help you can give me toward
> > making me Pop Pop #1.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Eric Adams
> >
> >
> > [noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been
> > removed]
> >
> >
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > from the same email address that you subscribed.
> > Text in the Subject and Body of the message will be
> > ignored.
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
>
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax
> http://taxes.yahoo.com/
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
If you go with the PWM control and photocell monitoring approach, you
might consider dedicating a BS1 for this task. This would not tie up
your BS2 with delivering the PWM signal.
Dennis
Original Message
From: Eric Adams [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=YOdbZ-b19JcJHnJoryPreRX9gKLwET0lkPbvv8mJ83_71dqgHnLqA89tqUff-p9J8RXezxYByRAYrmkVs-bRCQ]hugs102@b...[/url
Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 4:57 PM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] 0-16VAC for train
Thanks for all the input I have received. I will be trying some of the
ideas this week and will let you know what works.
Eric Adams
Original Message
From: "kevin asato" <kc6pob@y...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 5:35 PM
Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] 0-16VAC for train
> Eric,
>
> is there a particular reason that the lights have to
> be 16VAC powered? That will be the hardest part.
> Modulating the ouput voltage using a PWM will create a
> psuedo AC to the lights as you mentioned sounds to be
> the better idea. From there use a transistor or
> transistors (ULN2803) to (rapidly) switch 12VDC to the lights.
> Alternative is to use a DAC (Digital to Analog
> Converter) to program a constant DC voltage between
> 0-12VDC (also using the 12VDC and transistor drivers)
> to the lights.
>
> Using the photocell to detect the ambient light level
> idea is no problem by using it as a potentiometer
> going into an ADC.
>
<deleted>
Thanks for the advice. The lack of interrupts has caused me to build some
individual circuits and bypass the stamp. Yes even something as nice as the
stamp has drawbacks which must be sidestepped..
Original Message
From: "Dennis P. O'Leary" <doleary@h...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, April 15, 2002 8:22 PM
Subject: RE: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] 0-16VAC for train
> Eric,
>
> If you go with the PWM control and photocell monitoring approach, you
> might consider dedicating a BS1 for this task. This would not tie up
> your BS2 with delivering the PWM signal.
>
> Dennis
>
>
Original Message
> From: Eric Adams [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=fO82pxgOO1dVgfErUBum2g5vVW9PntnTFWWkFbbeoWkgikg3KNAwEiRSnJuuhzpfSTdDeZyKpo3fSuuqGZFoZ3n59g]hugs102@b...[/url
> Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 4:57 PM
> To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] 0-16VAC for train
>
>
> Thanks for all the input I have received. I will be trying some of the
> ideas this week and will let you know what works.
>
> Eric Adams
>
>
Original Message
> From: "kevin asato" <kc6pob@y...>
> To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 5:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] 0-16VAC for train
>
>
> > Eric,
> >
> > is there a particular reason that the lights have to
> > be 16VAC powered? That will be the hardest part.
> > Modulating the ouput voltage using a PWM will create a
> > psuedo AC to the lights as you mentioned sounds to be
> > the better idea. From there use a transistor or
> > transistors (ULN2803) to (rapidly) switch 12VDC to the lights.
> > Alternative is to use a DAC (Digital to Analog
> > Converter) to program a constant DC voltage between
> > 0-12VDC (also using the 12VDC and transistor drivers)
> > to the lights.
> >
> > Using the photocell to detect the ambient light level
> > idea is no problem by using it as a potentiometer
> > going into an ADC.
> >
> <deleted>
>
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>