Arduino - can someone advise me on a decent vintage before I get to the wine warehouse tomorrow morning? 
Bluetooth and Arduino
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A very nice solution for indoor model railways that can also be used outdoors. Also, a great way to introduce people to Arduino programming and could easily be used with the ESP8266 and all other similar Arduino IDE compatible processors.
As for the LocoFi wi-fi solution, the phone app is the weakest link (personal experience, a phone to control an outdoor train is useless), but it does make it easy to get started as you only have to play with the receiver.
However, as the protocol is known (from the Arduino sketch) it would be relatively easy to make a transmitter using an Arduino Nano, bluetooth module (HC-05 as master), a few buttons and potentiometer(s) or an ESP32 that has integrated bluetooth as well as wi-fi.
Please note there is a potential problem with the circuit diagram on the ArduinoRailwayControl website. Arduinos have 5 volt outputs and the HC-06 is a 3v3 device. The 3v3 output from the HC-05 will drive the Arduino but the 5 volt output from the Arduino to the HC-06 should be reduced to 3v3 by the use of two resistors (1K and 2k are suggested if you do an internet search). Whilst it obviously works it is bad engineering practice and it is possible you will blow the HC-06.
Michael
As for the LocoFi wi-fi solution, the phone app is the weakest link (personal experience, a phone to control an outdoor train is useless), but it does make it easy to get started as you only have to play with the receiver.
However, as the protocol is known (from the Arduino sketch) it would be relatively easy to make a transmitter using an Arduino Nano, bluetooth module (HC-05 as master), a few buttons and potentiometer(s) or an ESP32 that has integrated bluetooth as well as wi-fi.
Please note there is a potential problem with the circuit diagram on the ArduinoRailwayControl website. Arduinos have 5 volt outputs and the HC-06 is a 3v3 device. The 3v3 output from the HC-05 will drive the Arduino but the 5 volt output from the Arduino to the HC-06 should be reduced to 3v3 by the use of two resistors (1K and 2k are suggested if you do an internet search). Whilst it obviously works it is bad engineering practice and it is possible you will blow the HC-06.
Michael
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A very interesting piece of kit, I had been pondering over Raspberry Pis and wondering if there was any railway control potential (mainly for points and signalling) but maybe a step back to the Arduino is actually more suitable for a greater number of applications.
I am currently about to invest in acquiring the gear to convert my stock to radio control and had my heart set on the Deltang system. This throws an interesting spanner in the works.
Obviously the initial outlay is less, soldering and basic programming aren't beyond my range of skills. From Rik's experiments range and use outdoors don't seem to be as big an issue as they might have once been with Bluetooth devices (I can happily wonder all over my garden while my phone syncs with my cheapo bluetooth speaker).
I suppose the downsides would be the larger packaging space needed? I imagine finding space for 3 boards and a voltage regulator might be difficult in smaller locos or ones less boxy by design.
Additionally what happens if you introduce two systems? Can the app switch between the two individually, or would it be a case of resyncing and using a single loco at a time?
I am currently about to invest in acquiring the gear to convert my stock to radio control and had my heart set on the Deltang system. This throws an interesting spanner in the works.
Obviously the initial outlay is less, soldering and basic programming aren't beyond my range of skills. From Rik's experiments range and use outdoors don't seem to be as big an issue as they might have once been with Bluetooth devices (I can happily wonder all over my garden while my phone syncs with my cheapo bluetooth speaker).
I suppose the downsides would be the larger packaging space needed? I imagine finding space for 3 boards and a voltage regulator might be difficult in smaller locos or ones less boxy by design.
Additionally what happens if you introduce two systems? Can the app switch between the two individually, or would it be a case of resyncing and using a single loco at a time?
D
Deleted member 4232
Guest
D
Deleted member 4232
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If you need to make your decision now, I would say go with Deltang until this bluetooth system is proven. I've been using Arduinos in locos outdoors since 2013 so I have a lot of experience. Picture from 2013 of Accucraft Lyn controlled by an Arduino Nano and nrf24l01 wifi board with an Arduino Uno in the 'smart' brick, as I called it
Now whilst I have no experience of bluetooth, I know that connectivity is the main issue in the garden and that whilst it might work so many metres on a bench, when you stick it in a loco, especially a metal one, it's a different matter.
The Arduino/nrf24l01 combination worked but the range was bad, 5 - 10 meters at best.
In 2018 I switched to the ESP8266 which has an integral wi-fi chip and a Tenda router and it is now working happily in my 7 locos and 2 wagons, around a track that is 70 foot long.
I would therefore say that you need to prove that this bluetooth solution works reliably in a metal loco around a large garden before investing too much time or money in it.
I have an HC-06 and many Arduino Nanos so would be more than happy to help test it if you wanted. Unfortunately, my phone is a Samsung S4 mini which is Android 4 and the app requires Android 5 and above. My wife won't be too happy if I keep using her newer phone in the garden!
Michael
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Thanks for your work on this. I must admit to being a belt and braces sort of guy and so, although the li ion pack is nominally rated at 11.1v, when it is fully charged it can exceed 12v, hence the voltage regulator. I wondered if I could use the 5v terminal on the L298 but being new to all this, I wasn't sure.
Rik
Interesting stuff, Michael. I've been tinkering with the PWM frequencies on the Arduino to try and cut down motor buzz. What setting do you use?If you need to make your decision now, I would say go with Deltang until this bluetooth system is proven. I've been using Arduinos in locos outdoors since 2013 so I have a lot of experience. Picture from 2013 of Accucraft Lyn controlled by an Arduino Nano and nrf24l01 wifi board with an Arduino Uno in the 'smart' brick, as I called it
View attachment 254158
Now whilst I have no experience of bluetooth, I know that connectivity is the main issue in the garden and that whilst it might work so many metres on a bench, when you stick it in a loco, especially a metal one, it's a different matter.
The Arduino/nrf24l01 combination worked but the range was bad, 5 - 10 meters at best.
In 2018 I switched to the ESP8266 which has an integral wi-fi chip and a Tenda router and it is now working happily in my 7 locos and 2 wagons, around a track that is 70 foot long.
I would therefore say that you need to prove that this bluetooth solution works reliably in a metal loco around a large garden before investing too much time or money in it.
I have an HC-06 and many Arduino Nanos so would be more than happy to help test it if you wanted. Unfortunately, my phone is a Samsung S4 mini which is Android 4 and the app requires Android 5 and above. My wife won't be too happy if I keep using her newer phone in the garden!
Michael
Rik
D
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D
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"But Darling, it IS a mobile phone.."
<Edit - Friday>
Strange.. I am having a situation where I 'post', but then the article is not there, and text is still in the new post box..
I posted this yesterday, but see it is not in the thread, and the above text still in the new post edit box.
An odd missed post, down to me, but this is now one of a handful of times it has happened over the last couple of weeks?
It depends if you want a hum or a whistle.
I adjust the value for each loco as it depends on the motor. Normally I use around 5000 to 8000 Hz but interesting to see that the bluetooth example used 122.5Hz. Does anyone know what frequency Deltang uses?As per John's post, the options are rather restrictive on an Arduino. It's a bit easier with an ESP8266: analogWriteFreq(8000);
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Default is 'auto' = fastest, which is 12KHz or 16KHz, dependent on model..
It can be altered in programming.. 15Hz makes a motor in a boat sound 'pop-pop-pop'.
Trouble with that is it only gives a limited range of values it shoots up from 490Hz to 30kHz with nothing in between. I want to play around with 12kHz or 16kHz.
Looks like there's a library which can be included which gives much finer control over the PWM frequencies.
PWM frequency library
I discovered in a recent project involving an Arduino microcontroller that there was no method to change PWM frequency without directly manipulating low-level memory. As far as I can Google, there is no general purpose library that can change PWM frequencies on Arduino Microcontrollers. The...
forum.arduino.cc
I'm presently giving that a go.
Rik
I wish they'd include something as straightforward as that in the Arduino coding by default. Even with the PWM library it's a bit convoluted.It depends if you want a hum or a whistle.
As per John's post, the options are rather restrictive on an Arduino. It's a bit easier with an ESP8266: analogWriteFreq(8000);
Rik
Most people quickly went over 12 KHz because of the audible buzzing, thus the introduction of "ultrasonic" PWM.... some motors do run better at a much lower PWM, but it is usually older current hungry ones.
Greg
Greg
Latest developments. I've now incorporated sound from a small SD Player module. The tracks are played either in response to key presses on the app (ie the horn and the engine start / stop) and the speed setting determines which of three tracks play (idle, slow speed, fast speed). Not yet perfect. The sound files need a bit of tinkering, but the principle seems to work OK.
Had to revert to the default PWM setting of 490Hz as the PWM library in the Arduino compiler developed a fault.
Getting there ... albeit slowly!
Rik
Had to revert to the default PWM setting of 490Hz as the PWM library in the Arduino compiler developed a fault.
Getting there ... albeit slowly!
Rik
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