Links: Homebrew DCC on the Cheap

Here’s a guy on the cutting edge of modern model railroading. If designing and building your own DCC booster and command station doesn’t establish your model rail electronics creds, I don’t know what does. Lately, Steven’s been experimenting with using the Arduino platform, and churning out some really interesting proof-of-concept circuits for automatic control [...]

LED Driver: Test-Type Complete

testtype-thumb

Test-type in Cylon training school.

A couple of nights ago, I hooked my custom LED Driver up to an Arduino running some custom software, and 16 LEDs. And, who’d have thunk it: Worked on the first try! So many things could have gone wrong between the circuit design, the hand-soldering (jumpers, burn-outs), and [...]

Small Successes: SMD Hand-Soldering

Hand-soldered SSOP microchip in breakout board

I suppose that not all is bad, previous posts notwithstanding. Illness has conspired to prevent me from sharing much of what I’ve done lately, but as I’m feeling better now, here is something new.

Tonight I discovered that I can solder SSOP SMD components by hand with [...]

Electric Company

Stock photograph of the BBB Arduino Rev E (mine's actually a Rev D)

This weekend, I completed assembly of my first Arduino, a BBB (Bare Bones Board) kit from Modern Device Company. Thanks to Chip for the board! I haven’t tested it yet, because I don’t have, as it turns out, a suitable [...]

First Thoughts on Layout Automation

One of the things I’m excited about doing with my modeling is computer control and automation. Part of what I’d like to do is have fully automated lighting and sound effects in Akihabara Station: ATOS announcements, departure melodies, ambient sounds and station lighting. Since I’m using DCC for control of the trains and automation, [...]