malc-c
Member
- Joined
- 1 Dec 2017
- Messages
- 990
like most people in their 60's we all started our interest in model railways with an oval of track and controlling the locomotive using a rheostat type controller. Then Hornby brings out their zero 1 system where the track remained powered so lighting remained lit even when the train was in the station. I can't recall the date, but must have been around 10 or 15 years back when I looked at getting my first DCC system, but being on a tight budget couldn't afford most of the systems on offer. It was also confusing as it seems every system worked by selecting a loco, set it running and then select another and set that running etc etc, so need to remember the IDs etc to take back direct control. For me I was used to controllers such as the gaugemaster such as the twin and quad controllers so I was really excited when I discovered the MiniDCC project.
This was a small PCB with a PIC microcontroller at its heart and allowed up to four locos to be operated simultaneously through the use of a keypad or via 4 control knobs. It was like a Gaugemaster Q unit only with the advantages of DCC so coach and loco lighting remains lit. It was just what I wanted so purchased one ready built. It has served me well over the years but one thing that I found frustrating was that all the potentiometers, switches and LCD display needed to be mounted into the case and connected via wires, which made for a messy installation.
Over the years I've stayed in contact with the developer via emails and was disappointed when he closed his shop as he thought it had run its course. The main H-Bridge component that he used was now becoming hard and expensive to source genuine parts which was also one of the reasons he called it a day. However through the course of discussions I proposed using a current and cheaper option, but that needed the PCB to be redesigned as the pin outs were different between the two H-Bridge devices. I also thought that it would be nice to try and combine the option to mount all the parts on the PCB, but also have headers for anyone wanting to mount them off board, so I opened up diptrace and started replicating the schematic and producing a new board. In the mean time I had obtained a L6203 device and breadboarded this with links form the original miniDCC PCB so I could test the functionality.
The developer is based in Canada, and I'm in the UK, so most of the correspondence happened in the UK evenings. He re-wrote the code to work with both the original H-Bridge and the new item, and through my enthusiasm has hinted that he may look at reopening his shop to make parts available once more. Anyway, a second version of the PCB was drawn to incorporate a couple of other features added and the files sent off to JLCPCB (fantastic service) and a week later I had five boards ready to build. I had a friend who had done me a few favours over the years so the first board was going to be sent to him. He runs an exhibition N gauge layout that is DC and he's not making the switch to DCC, but he repairs and services locos so needed a DCC controller for testing any DCC loco sent to him. I documented the build in this video
I also sent a bare board to the developer in Canada as he had previously sent me a copy of the code, which might as well be in Kilingon as I don't understand assembly language. I'm hoping that he will reopen the shop and we can strike an agreement to provide this new revision of the MiniDCC to anyone interested.
This was a small PCB with a PIC microcontroller at its heart and allowed up to four locos to be operated simultaneously through the use of a keypad or via 4 control knobs. It was like a Gaugemaster Q unit only with the advantages of DCC so coach and loco lighting remains lit. It was just what I wanted so purchased one ready built. It has served me well over the years but one thing that I found frustrating was that all the potentiometers, switches and LCD display needed to be mounted into the case and connected via wires, which made for a messy installation.
Over the years I've stayed in contact with the developer via emails and was disappointed when he closed his shop as he thought it had run its course. The main H-Bridge component that he used was now becoming hard and expensive to source genuine parts which was also one of the reasons he called it a day. However through the course of discussions I proposed using a current and cheaper option, but that needed the PCB to be redesigned as the pin outs were different between the two H-Bridge devices. I also thought that it would be nice to try and combine the option to mount all the parts on the PCB, but also have headers for anyone wanting to mount them off board, so I opened up diptrace and started replicating the schematic and producing a new board. In the mean time I had obtained a L6203 device and breadboarded this with links form the original miniDCC PCB so I could test the functionality.
The developer is based in Canada, and I'm in the UK, so most of the correspondence happened in the UK evenings. He re-wrote the code to work with both the original H-Bridge and the new item, and through my enthusiasm has hinted that he may look at reopening his shop to make parts available once more. Anyway, a second version of the PCB was drawn to incorporate a couple of other features added and the files sent off to JLCPCB (fantastic service) and a week later I had five boards ready to build. I had a friend who had done me a few favours over the years so the first board was going to be sent to him. He runs an exhibition N gauge layout that is DC and he's not making the switch to DCC, but he repairs and services locos so needed a DCC controller for testing any DCC loco sent to him. I documented the build in this video
I also sent a bare board to the developer in Canada as he had previously sent me a copy of the code, which might as well be in Kilingon as I don't understand assembly language. I'm hoping that he will reopen the shop and we can strike an agreement to provide this new revision of the MiniDCC to anyone interested.
