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  • Author Author: colporteur
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Raising the Bridge...Automation with Arduino: Pin Count

colporteur

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The comments posted from my initial blog entry got me to thinking. Did I size this correctly?

The bridge spans the Mainland to Island. At either end of the bridge is a gate, an area to halt the bus and warning lights flashing when the bridge is closed. In addition to the lights, I've added a warning sound. At one end of the bridge is a ramp that enables the bridge to avoid the road bed as it rises. A trigger to raise the bridge will be the Tug and to lower the bridge the Turn-About. The bridge motor is using a L298 module and the bus halts, gates and ramp are servo motors. All toll I'm counting 14 pins required.

D2 Bridge Up limit
D3~ Ramp Servo
D4 Bridge Down Limit
D5~ Island Gate Servo
D6~ Mainland Gate Servo
D7 Bridge L298 Motor IN2
D8 Bridge L298 Motor IN1
D9~ Bridge L298 Motor EN A
D10~ Island Bus Halt Servo
D11~ Mainland Bus Halt Servo
D12 Warning Sound JQ6500
D13 Tug Sensor
D14 Turn-about Button
D15/A0 Island Warning Light
D16/A1 Mainland Warning Light
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  • "...Did I size this correctly?..."

    If not,  "You're going to need a bigger bridge..."  Slight smile

    So I take it that no the bridge lowers briefly whilst the turnaround takes place then opens again once the turnaround is complete and the boat is ready to set sail ?

    How are you doing the logic with single switches either side ? Are you keeping track of the boat direction, toggling based on the current state of the limit switches, or just toggling raise/lower each time you hit a switch and hope you don't ever get out of sync ?

    Do you need to control the points motor so that the boat departs on the other track than it arrives on or does that rely on the railroad team ? I assume it is basically a loop track with a turnaround siding. Likewise, do you need to control the turnaround ?

    Does the LED signage need triggering when the bridge is closed to traffic ?

    Perhaps trigger some sea shanties whilst on the turnaround Notes

     "...You will have a fishy on a little dishy; you will have a fishy when the boat comes in..." Shark

    What's that ? I'm banned from the model railroad club for life ? 

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  • "...Did I size this correctly?..."

    If not,  "You're going to need a bigger bridge..."  Slight smile

    So I take it that no the bridge lowers briefly whilst the turnaround takes place then opens again once the turnaround is complete and the boat is ready to set sail ?

    How are you doing the logic with single switches either side ? Are you keeping track of the boat direction, toggling based on the current state of the limit switches, or just toggling raise/lower each time you hit a switch and hope you don't ever get out of sync ?

    Do you need to control the points motor so that the boat departs on the other track than it arrives on or does that rely on the railroad team ? I assume it is basically a loop track with a turnaround siding. Likewise, do you need to control the turnaround ?

    Does the LED signage need triggering when the bridge is closed to traffic ?

    Perhaps trigger some sea shanties whilst on the turnaround Notes

     "...You will have a fishy on a little dishy; you will have a fishy when the boat comes in..." Shark

    What's that ? I'm banned from the model railroad club for life ? 

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  • in reply to beacon_dave

    Your way to engaged BD! I have to find a way to discourage this participation:)

    I met with railroaders today to go over the operation. There are a number of mechanical/electronic functions never been tested before in order for this to work. I don't do layout or mechanical, that is all on the shoulders of the modellers. We have decided on division of labour and the testing milestones that need to be reached if a full production model is to be realized.

    The ramp is a mechanical marvel. It has simulated lifting pistons that will be controlled by a servo. I'm excited to see what it works like under servo control. It is going to the point booth this week so maybe next week I can drive the servo.

    My starting point is a main distribution frame MDF. That is a 20"X20" piece of board with infrastructure like power and wire routing harnesses ready for modules. I make the MDF's as I need them. Once installed its onto the modules and the connections from that point on. I hook up electronics and test. I need servo here and someone else takes care of it.

    My time is occupied over the next two days so I can only think about the project and not do stuff. I have been working on pulling together the code body parts.

  • in reply to colporteur

    OK, so when do we start with the ideas for the 'crazy' automation element of the challenge ?  Stuck out tongue winking eye

  • in reply to beacon_dave

    I figured you already introduced the crazy? To me any project that assumes to automate something already done manually, big or small involves some amount of crazy.

  • in reply to colporteur

    When you are finished with the bascule bridge, then how about doing a 'Falkirk Wheel' type lifting engine but for a railway engine instead of a canal barge ?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Falkirk_Wheel_Timelapse,_Scotland_-_Diliff.webm

    You can then have a nice little algorithm in the background to continually shunt rolling stock from sidings on one level, to a siding on the main level before it goes around the main line; whilst another train comes off the main line into the siding to change level.

    If you want crazy, then I guess you could keep it as a canal feature, but I'm not sure working with water is such a good idea... 

  • in reply to beacon_dave

    I watched a science show on the operations of the wheel. Engineering at its peak.

    Water is a no-no around our setup. That have to accept beer or they would have to exclude me.