LCC

Build a layout clinic

Layout Command Control�Open Layout Control Bus

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Balazs Racz

https://sites.google.com/site/balazsracz/

openlcb@groups.io

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Outline

See the layout section to build

Meet the components we’ll be using

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Cabling

Getting started with JMRI and LCC

Simple sensor configuration

Throwing turnouts

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ABS signaling

Railroad crossing

Our section at a glance

• 1 turnout (green); two pushbuttons to control it
• Mainline lockout of local control from dispatcher panel
• 6 block detection sections (blue); indicators on panel
• 1 railroad crossing
• 9 searchlight signals (red), one double-headed

RR-CirKits

RR-CirKits

power and bus termination

RR-CirKits

computer interface

RR-CirKits

smart node

RR-CirKits

all existing IO boards work

RailStars IO board

We’ll use it for the panel

• 8 input
• 8 high-power outputs
• +up to 32 outputs
• for direct LED drive
• plug compatible with RR-CirKits output boards
• Many power options
• bus-powered
• externally powered
• powers the bus

cmOS Engineering LCP1

We’ll use it for the panel

• 16 input or output lines
• 16 additional lines
• 20 logic elements
• Many power options
• bus-powered
• externally powered
• powers the bus

Cabling

CAN-bus

• use commercially available Ethernet cables
• cheap on Amazon
• not worth to DIY
• up to 1000ft (300m) cable length
• minimum cable length 1’ (0.3 m)
• linear, no Y or branches

Termination!

• at both ends of the linear bus, plug in terminators

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Example wiring

terminator

Power

Tower-LCC: takes 20 mA + load

RailStars: takes or gives 300 mA

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Command Station:

Gives 500 mA (and DCC signal of type A)

Initial setup

• Connect with JMRI
• Add connection for System “OpenLCB” and connection “LCC Buffer-USB”
• Go OpenLCB menu -> Configure Nodes
• Select board (by ID)
• Click “open configuration dialog”
• Set name and description, Write
• Click “Refresh”
• so that JMRI picks up the new names

Events

• Inputs report when something changed
• “Block B1 is now occupied”
• “Block B1 is now empty”
• Outputs can be sent commands
• “Set output B1-indicator to lit”
• “Set output B1-indicator to dark”
• This is the same concept
• We configure the output to listen to the reports by the detector => panel works
• Just copy-paste the Event identifier

User Group

Yahoo Users Group

• openlcb@groups.io
• LayoutCommandControl@groups.io

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Useful Links

• http://openlcb.org
• http://openlcb.com
• http://nmra.org, choose S&RP scroll to 9.7

Block detector board

• 6-channel
• Block occupancy detector
• Adjustable sensitivity
• Feedback via LCC
• Extra features
• Circuit breaker
• Adjustable current limit
• Turn off staging track
• Railcom (transponding)