Manuals and Guides

. The C/MRI User's Manual V3.0

The Manual contains 560 pages of illustrative figures, parts lists, schematics, functional diagrams, assembly instructions, test procedures, and explanatory text plus a 3.5" software disk.

. Railroader's Application Handbook V3.0 - NOT YET RELEASED

Over 500 pages packed with a broad spectrum of model railroading applications including complete chapters on block occupation detection, use with DCC, signaling fundamentals, ABS, APB, CTC, interlocking plants, computer cab control, computer block control, and automated train operation.

Both of these manuals provide extensive software coverage including updated standard serial protocol subroutines, real-time software control, multiple application examples plus system test programs, and automated diagnostics. All software is incorporated in a 3.5" disk enclosed with the User's Manual. To fit the background and needs of different readers, examples are included in an assortment of languages including BASIC, QuickBASIC, Visual Basic, Pascal and C++.

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Serial Solutions

. SUSIC

This new Super Universal Serial Interface Card provides an upgrade of the original design USIC - the one using the 68701 chip. The new Microcontroller based SUSIC plugs into an I/O motherboard, as does the original USIC, for interfacing up to a total of 64 digital input and digital output cards. The SUSIC is smaller, faster, much more capable and costs less than the original USIC.

. SMINI

This new Super Mini-node card combines all the advanced features of the new SUSIC with 48 output and 24 input I/O lines. It's really a single card providing a complete standalone serial node with 72 I/O lines. Cost for do it yourself assemblers can be as low as $1 per I/O line.

. IOMBX

This newly expanded I/O Motherboard provides 15 card slots as compared to the 13 provided by the previous IOMB. The 40-pin header, included with the IOMB, is deleted from the IOMBX in favor of adding the additional card slots. Thus, the IOMBX is the preferred motherboard for all USIC applications while the IOMB is still required when using the IBEC.

. RS485

This new RS232 to RS485 conversion card replaces the previous RS422 conversion card. Plus and minus 12Vdc power is no longer required as everything works off a standard +5Vdc supply connection. The new RS485 card retains the same advantages use of the two data direction monitoring LEDs and works with both the RS422 and RS485 standards. Line termination resistor networks are included as an integral part of the card's design.

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Parallel Solutions

. IBEC

Internal bus extender card. This new card introduced with the Second Edition plugs directly into any IBM PC or compatible up through the latest Pentium having an available ISA expansion card slot. The card's primary function is to bring the required computer bus signals (address, data, and control) out of the computer for connection to the interface's I/O motherboard (IOMB).

. IOMB - Input/output motherboard. A circuit card with connectors wired in parallel whereby up to 13 I/O cards can be inserted. In place of the extra 2 card slots available with the IOMBX, the IOMB incorporates a 40-pin header for direct ribbon-cable connection to the IBEC. For applications requiring more than 13 card slots simply connect up additional IOMB cards. Or better yet, attach additional IOMBX cards because only the first I/O motherboard requires the 40-pin header for attaching to the IBEC.

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Occupancy Detector Cards

. OD

Optimized detector. The OD is a small card that senses current flow in a section of track to determine block occupancy. The output of the card can drive LEDs or relays directly but most importantly connects directly to a line on an input card. A built-in potentiometer and test LED are used to adjust the circuit's sensitivity. Typically at its maximum sensitivity setting, a dampened finger placed across the track will register as occupied.

. DCCOD

DCC optimized detector. The DCCOD is a new card introduced with this handbook specifically designed for DCC equipped railroads. If you already have ODs, you can use them with DCC but using the DCCOD provides a somewhat easier approach. To operate properly, the DCCOD requires a continuous flow of input pulses as supplied by DCC. The DCCOD will not work with straight DC layouts and therefore is not applicable to MBC, WBS, CCC or CBC operation. It does work, however, with Railcommand, CTC-80 and CTC-16 equipped railroads. The output of the DCCOD has the same drive capability as the OD. It also incorporates the built-in potentiometer and test LED for adjusting the circuit's sensitivity. Like with the OD, a dampened finger placed across the track will register as occupied.

. ODMB

Optimized detector motherboard. The ODMB is a circuit card with connectors wired in parallel whereby up to 12 OD or DCCOD cards can be inserted. Using the ODMB cuts down on the wiring requirements and also enables the detectors to be distributed around the railroad. The power supply connections to the ODMB are slightly different depending upon whether you are using ODs or DCCODs. If more than 12 detectors are desired at any location, multiple ODMBs can be connected together.

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Input/Output Cards

32 Pin Cards

. DIN32

This new digital I/O card incorporates 32 input lines. The resulting smaller card provides 33% more I/O than the previous DIN card while plugging directly into the I/O motherboard. Each card is DIP switch addressable up to 64 cards per node. The card includes optional built-in input line filtering.

. DOUT32

This new digital I/O card incorporates 32 output lines. The resulting smaller card provides 33% more I/O than the previous DOUT card while plugging directly into the I/O motherboard. Each card is DIP switch addressable up to 64 cards per node. Drive capability has been increased with less current draw per card. Each of the card's four 8-bit ports is separately configurable to support either standard current sinking or current sourcing.

. TEST32

This new system output diagnostic test card plugs directly onto the new DOUT32 card to test all 32 output lines. An easy to read port and bit legend is printed directly on the card eliminating the need for the separate label panel used with the previous test cards. Two-lead bi-color LEDs are employed so that the same card can test current sinking as well as current sourcing outputs. Employing the TEST32 card, followed by using the standard wraparound test cable makes it a snap to completely test the entire C/MRI system.

24 Pin Cards

. DOUT

Digital output card. A general purpose card with 24 output pins, or lines, that can be used to control devices on your railroad. Acting through the DOUT card, the application software has separate control of each of the 24 lines and thereby can separately turn the external devices on and off.

. DIN

Digital input card. A general purpose card with 24 input pins, or lines, that can be used to monitor the on and off status of external devices. Acting through the DIN card, the application software can determine the status of the 24 separate external devices.

. DOTEST

Digital output test card. A special card that attaches to the DOUT card for testing the operation of the DOUT and DIN interface cards.

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Switch and Signal Controllers

Switch Machine Controllers

. SM1

Twin-coil switch machine driver using dual input lines. The SM1 card employs a capacitor discharge type circuit to control a single twin-coil switch machine. The computer pulls one input line low to energize one coil and the other line low to energize the other coil. The circuit's capacitor discharge feature limits the amount of time either coil is energized and also protects against both coils being energized simultaneously. An advantage of the circuit is that you can use a very limited-current power supply to drive a nearly unlimited number of turnouts. The circuit's disadvantage is that it requires two control lines per turnout just as if the turnout was controlled by conventional pushbuttons.

. SM2

Twin-coil switch machine driver using single input line. Like the SM1, the SM2 controls a single twin-coil switch machine. Since a switch machine is a binary device, i.e. it has two states, being either in normal or reverse positions, one control line should be all you need for control. The SM2 card's unique circuitry provides this capability. When the input transitions from low to high, one coil is energized; from high to low the other coil is energized. A built-in timing function controls the duration time that the coil is energized. The circuit's advantage is that it cuts the number of control lines required from the computer in half. Its disadvantage is that if you elect to throw a bunch of turnouts simultaneously you need a pretty hefty power supply, plus the circuit is more sensitive to electrical noise, possibly causing an occasional unwanted throwing of the turnout. On the positive side, I have never had a customer say that they experienced unwanted turnout throws with the SM2 caused by electrical noise.

. SMC12

Switch motor control driver. Each SMC12 card can control up to 12 low-current stall-type switchmotors. It does this by employing 6 identical circuits per card where each circuit controls 2 stall-motors. The big advantage of using the SMC12 card is that only one C/MRI output line is required per Tortoise machine. When the input line is high, polarity is applied to the switch motor in one direction and when low the polarity is applied in the opposite direction. The SMC is a great way to drive Switchmaster and Tortoise machines either with or without the computer.

SMC - DISCONTINUED

The original SMC has been discontinued and replaced with the SMC12 Card.

Signal Controllers

. SSD

Searchlight signal driver card. This card is set up to drive twelve 3-color aspect searchlight signals using outputs from a conventional DOUT or COUT24 card. The SSD connects between the conventional output card and the signals much like the SMC card connects between a conventional output card and Tortoise switch motors. The SSDOUT card mentioned in previous versions of the Handbook is not being produced in favor of using the SSD with the DOUT.

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Control (Cab, Computer, Block)

. CRC

Cab relay card. This card is used to automatically assign any one of up to seven cabs to a block. It replaces the conventional block toggle or rotary switch used with manual block control. You need one of these cards per power block when implementing Computer Cab Control. Which relay is energized by the C/MRI software determines which cab has control of the block.

. CMB

Cab motherboard. A circuit card with connectors wired in parallel whereby up to 12 CRC cards can be inserted. Since the CMB contains the required cab bus connections it cuts down on the wiring requirements plus it enables the relay cards to be more easily distributed around the railroad. If more than 12 CRCs are desired at any location, multiple CMBs can be connected together.

. CDC

Cab display card. This card can be used to add an optional block status display as part of a control panel track diagram when using CCC. The card incorporates a single-digit numeric LED for indicating the cab number assigned to the block, two direction LEDs to indicate the direction of travel for the cab in the block, and a block occupation LED.

. CCT4

Computer control throttle card. Each CCT4 card contains up to four separate digital throttles. Five control line inputs are required per throttle. Four set the throttle output voltage to define speed, and the fifth line sets the output polarity to define direction of travel. The throttles can be used as separate standalone throttles, or combined in with Computer Cab Control, for automating operations, or as the basis for a Computer Block Control system.

. PPC

Pulse power control card. This card is used to convert the CCT4 throttles to pulse power outputs for improved slow speed operation. If you desire pulse operation, then you need one PPC per CCT if using the throttles as standalone units or combined with CCC. If using the CCT4s for CBC, one PPC can handle your entire layout.

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Converter Cards

. DAC3

Digital to analog converter card. This card contains three channels of analog output thereby enabling the C/MRI software to set analog voltages. The output range is scaleable over a wide range and the conversion resolution is 8-bits, enabling the analog voltage to be adjusted by software into 256 individual steps.

. ADC3

Analog to digital converter card. This card contains three channels of analog input thereby enabling the C/MRI software to read analog voltages. The input range is scaleable over a wide range and the conversion resolution is 8-bit,s enabling the analog voltage to be read by software as 256 individual steps.

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