Re: My turn to ask for advice

On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 23:03:52 -0000, "Trev" <trevbowdenATdsl.pipev.COM>
wrote:


<unclewobbly@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:vgie129uqks5slblng9d0ai03oplpvai2a@xxxxxxxxxx
On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 21:36:55 +0000, Ken Parkes
<cbuffer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 15:14:51 +0000, Chris Wilson wrote:

Controllers ...

I'm currently using a couple of old H&M controllers with an even older
Triang one on "standby duty" for a yard area.

I would like to replace them with a modern PWM controller - with (as I
have
a few tight bends) feedback. I am considering building my own - I do
have
prior experiance of electronics and have some good curcuit diagrams but
having PCBs made up is making me think twice ...

I've been looking at the various adverts for Guagemaster, KPC etc and
they
are all quite loud on the subject of whether they provide feedback,
inertia
and all that but none of the adverts state if the controllers are PWM or
not.

Any guidence folks?

Buy a copy of Roger Penfold's book Practical Electronic Model Railway
Projects, published by Bernard Babani in paperback. He answers your
questions and uses veroboard layouts. Printed circuit boards are a waste
of time other than for bulk production or complex circuit designs, neither
of which apply to your project. And they are less easy to modify.

Ken.

if you are doing the board manually I tend to agree with you, but if
you get some PCVB design software (there are some that are free to use
below a certain component count) they can make a much better job of
it.

Problem with strip board is remebering to make sure you put your cuts
in the right places otherwise you can get allsorts of nasties happen.
A computer designed PCB eliminates this.

horse for courses - I use both depending on how lazy I feel and how
big the project is.


Should not be big for a transistor controller just a Darlington pair and a
large power transistor output


yep, but if you are doing it for fun and a one or two off, you might
as well have room to manoeuver :o)
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Embedded Product ESD failure questions for the list
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  • Re: RS232/485 impromptu survey.
    ... > to wireless, USB, etc., but what percentage of your new designs are using ... The group I work with has done about 8 controllers over the last 3 years. ... These all include RS422 async single and/or multi-drop. ... These async interfaces are the primary interfaces to these controllers. ...
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  • Re: My turn to ask for advice
    ... I'm currently using a couple of old H&M controllers with an even older ... and all that but none of the adverts state if the controllers are PWM or ... Printed circuit boards are a waste ... of time other than for bulk production or complex circuit designs, ...
    (uk.rec.models.rail)
  • Re: My turn to ask for advice
    ... I'm currently using a couple of old H&M controllers with an even older ... Printed circuit boards are a waste ... of time other than for bulk production or complex circuit designs, ... large power transistor output ...
    (uk.rec.models.rail)
  • Re: My turn to ask for advice
    ... I'm currently using a couple of old H&M controllers with an even older ... a few tight bends) feedback. ... and all that but none of the adverts state if the controllers are PWM or ... Printed circuit boards are a waste ...
    (uk.rec.models.rail)