Rob's Homepage

Base System

Computer control of model railways is gaining popularity as signaling (and other control) logic can be changed much more easily than adapting relays or logic gates as it is software based. Eventually I will be writing my own software to control both the layout and the trains, this software will allow signals to be controlled and trains to be controlled, it will take on any function that I don't want to do at the time.

The layout (signals and points) will be controlled using RPC. It consists of a PIC microcontroller which talks to a PC and operates a series of shift register controlled inputs and outputs.

The trains on the track will be controlled using DCC, for this I will be designing a PIC based command station. This will receive DCC packets from the PC and buffer them before sending them out to the track. The PIC will then repeat these packets so that the PC doesn't need to keep generating these packets (it only needs to send changed packets). Although in the mean time I will be using the Lenz system.

An Addon

I will also be building a control panel which will interface to the RPC stack by using the RSE boards. This will allow the railway to be operated (via the computer) from a mock NX panel. It may be considered cheating but I'm calling this a second method of computer control as it uses a different human interface.