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Buy a kit: [DCC Throttle](mailto:colin@elechelp.com?Subject=Buying $20.50 Dual DCC Throttle kit &Body=Please e-mail the cost of sending $20.50 Dual DCC Throttle kit by $6.50 air mail to my country:****___**** and send details of how I can pay for it. My name is:____)
$20.50 plus $6.50 post
Getting into Digital Control of two or more trains on the same layout can be fairly expensive as you need to buy an expensive COMMAND unit.
The loco’s are slightly more expensive too, but once you have them, the command module will allow you to turn on lights, change crossing points, operate boom gates and control just about anything.
But what if you are just starting out?
This project starts you out with the ability to control 2 loco’s on the same track.
THE CIRCUIT
All the operation of the project is contained in an 8 pin microcontroller.
The project will accept either 12v DC or 9v to12v AC.
The DC input is via separate terminals to avoid the loss of 0.6v + 0.6v from the diodes. DO NOT USE BOTH INPUTS at the same time. Use a 2 amp transformer to prevent a 1 amp transformer being overloaded.
DUAL DCC THROTTLE CIRCUIT
The “Find” feature is not available at the moment
CONNECTING THE DUAL DCC PROJECT to the track
The project is designed to deliver up to 2 amps to the rails and this will allow two trains to be operated at the same time.
2 THROTTLES
Throttle control knob 1 is on the main PC board. The second throttle control knob needs to be a short distance away from the main board so it can be operated by a person with a clear view of the layout.
Use any type of twin flex to join the two boards - no current flows through this.. Terminal A on the main board is wired to terminal A on the smaller PC board. The kit comes with 1.2 metres of twin flax.
POWER TO THE RAILS
The kit contains 2 alligator clips to clip onto the rails to allow you to quickly deliver current to operate the two trains.
The kit also contains a slim PC board that fits between the sleepers with two rail connectors slipped onto the rails to make a very neat connection.
Don’t forget, you are delivering 1 or 2 amps.
Here is a photo of the track connectors:
The track joiners
The track (rail) joiners and the PC board.
The voltage is supplied to the track via these rail joiners
THE POWER SUPPLY
The POWER SUPPLY is the item that connects to the project and delivers either 12v DC or 9v to 12v AC.
It is usually a transformer with a set of 4 diodes and an electrolytic (1,000u to 10,000u) contained in a box (or case) made from metal or plastic.
This item converts the “Mains” (120v AC or 240v AC) to about 12v AC and the 4 diodes are connected in a BRIDGE to change the alternating voltage to DIRECT VOLTAGE and smoothed by the electrolytic.
These items are contained in a plastic box or metal case so you cannot touch the 120v or 240v wires.
This is called insulation or isolation and makes it safe to have the “mains” connected to the project.
The current required for this project is between 1 and 2 amps. The actual current will be 1.1amps to 1.5 amps when both locos are accelerating and since power supplies are rated at 1 amp or 2 amp, we need to consider a 2 amp power supply.
A 2-amp power supply can be very expensive or very cheap.
We have written an article on producing a low-cost power supply and you can read it HERE.
OPERATION
The kit comes with a pre-programmed microcontroller with addresses 3 and 5. All loco’s are bought with address 3 and you normally have to change this address so that two loco’s do not clash.
If you are buying the Dual DCC Throttle kit and 2 Decoders, they will be addresses: 3 and 5.
You can specify any address from 1 to 99 and the Throttle and Decoders will be matched.
If you are buying 2 new loco’s from your local Model Railway shop, you will have to ask for one to be programmed to address 5. Dual DCC Throttle
PARTS LIST
$20.50 plus $6.60 post
[Order a kit](mailto:colin@elechelp.com?Subject=Buying $20.50 Dual DCC Throttle kit &Body=Please e-mail the cost of sending $20.50 Dual DCC Throttle kit by $6.50 air mail to my country:****___**** and send details of how I can pay for it. My name is:____)
1 - 10R resistor
1 - 100R
2 - 330R
2 - 2k2
1 - 4k7
2 - 100k pots (throttle)
2 - knobs to suit
5 - 100n monoblock
1 - 10u 16v electrolytic
1 - 1,000u 25v electrolytic
10 - 1N4004 power diodes
2 - BC547 transistors
1 - 78L05 5v regulator
1 - PIC12F629 micro with “DCC”
1 - SN754410 IC
2 - 3mm red LED
5 - 2-way screw terminal blocks
1 - slide switch
1 - tactile switch
2 - alligator clips (for quick connection)
2 - rail connectors
1 - 8 pin IC socket
1 - 16 pin IC socket
1 - 20cm very fine solder
1 - Power Connector PCB
2 - track connectors (U-shaped)
2 - shims for power transferring
1 - 1.2metre twin flex
1 - Dual DCC Throttle PCB
1 - Throttle 2 PCB
1 - 1.2 metre twin flex
1 - Power connector strip PCB
Extras needed:
2 amp power supply with an output of 12v DC
Or 2 amp power supply 9v AC
Or 2 amp power supply 12v AC
MORE TEST EQUIPMENT
Talking Electronics has a number of pieces of TEST EQUIPMENT to help in the design and testing of projects.
Of course you can use a multimeter for most of the testing but some of the “tricky” faults need a special piece of equipment.
You may only need a LOGIC PROBE once a month, but the project you are designing will come to a stand-still if you can’t locate a problem.
We designed all these projects because we needed them ourselves.
Add one of them to each order you place with Talking Electronics and eventually you will have the whole range.
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