Adam Kadolph EE451 Bradley University Advisors: Dr. Irwin, Dr. Schertz Webtrain Decoupling Adam Kadolph EE451 Bradley University Advisors: Dr. Irwin, Dr. Schertz Week 1-6 Monday 11/27

Outline Project Goals Introduction System Operation Week 1-6 Progress Weekly Timeline Sensors Review Where is the Project Going?

Project Goals The goal of the project is to design a system to automatically decouple cars from the webtrain. The system will be able to decouple a specific car upon request. A sensor is used to detect train position

Introduction The Webtrain is an N-gauge scale model train. 1 cm wide track Each locomotive has a special receiver circuit built in The locomotive can decode DCC Signal sent Several trains running at various speeds in different direction at once

Introduction The train is controlled through the Digital Command Control (DCC) System Packets of data sent to train Data is differential Packet Structure 14 bits Preamble 8 bits Address Data 8 bits Instruction Data 8 bits Error detection Transition bits: Packet Start, Data Start, Data Start, Packet End 11111111111111 0 0AAAAAAA 0 01DCSSSS 0 EEEEEEEE 1

Introduction The Webtrain Decoupling System is a 4th Generation project for the webtrain. Webtrain History 2003 Webtrain Built 2004 Web Interface 2006 DCC System and Current Sensing 2007 Decoupling System

2006 DCC System and Current Sensing Introduction 2006 DCC System and Current Sensing

Decouple magnet dimensions – 48 mm x 5 mm x 2 mm (l x w x h) Introduction 2007 Webtrain Decoupling Decouple magnet dimensions – 48 mm x 5 mm x 2 mm (l x w x h)

System Operation Two modes of decoupling Manual Mode Automatic Mode User Commands: Forward Backward Stop Automatic Mode Car select for decoupling

System Operation

Week 1-3 Progress Learned Webtrain System Wrote functional description DCC System Decoupling Wrote functional description Started Website

Timeline – Week 1-3

Week 4 Progress Spent Morning understanding previous years code Added plenty of comments in code Afternoon spent working on my own coding Implemented new menus Added corresponding function to menus

Timeline – Week 4

Week 5-6 Progress Remounted decoupling magnet on bypass lane Finished coding of manual decoupling aspect of project Accomplished several decoupling runs Added 0.5 oz weights to trains to improve control

Timeline – Week 5-6

Sensors Placement of Sensor Limitation in size Below track From sides From above Limitation in size Height can not exceed 2 mm Width can not exceed 10 mm Interfaced to a microcontroller

Sensors Ambient Light Photosensor Reflective Photosensor Detection of three levels of ambient light Analog adjustable gain for levels Digital Output Dimensions (4.0mm x 3.2mm x 1.1mm) Reflective Photosensor Emitter and Detector in one package Dimensions (3.4mm x 2.7mm x 1.5mm) Phototransistor Fall back sensor Mounted below track

Where is the project going? Decoupling System RFID tags Collision Avoidance

Timeline – Semester 1

Timeline – Semester 2

Bill of Parts Part Quantity Price Total Vendor Decoupler with track 8 $8.00 $64.00 Mike's Scale Rail Train Cars 5 $15.00 $75.00 Train Wheels 1 $7.95 GP-40 DCC Decoder $40.00 Atlas Parts Cabinet $0.00 Ambient Light Photosensor $1.75 $8.75 Digikey Reflective Photosensor $0.95 $4.75 Phototransistor $2.38 $11.90 $212.35

Questions? Comments. END