Dimension Engineering controller question

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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Bob D. wrote: Mon Dec 31, 2018 4:11 pm Mike,
Do you have your controller dip switches set for option 3, analog one dir throt, for/rev S2 input? That uses Ov as motor stop. I would think this is fairly good failsafe.
There is no mention of this option on my Sabretooth 2x60. I don't know if it is an omission or not supported.

Bob
No, Bob, It's set for Option 1, Analog Bi-Direction.

Looking at my wiring diagram above, could I use the same switch for direction if I changed the DIP switches to Option 3? As you may have noticed, I'm kind of a 'mechanical' guy, and I don't know what I don't know when it comes to invisible electrons :lol:

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by Bob D. »

You can use the same switch. Wiring may need to be changed.
A signal on S1 of 0v corresponds to the motor being fully
stopped. 5v corresponds to full power. A second signal is
fed to S2. If the signal on S2 is greater than 2.5 volts, the
SyRen will drive the motor forward. If the signal on S2 is
less than 2.5 volts, the SyRen will drive the motor
backwards.
3/4" Juliet II 0-4-0
3/4" Purinton Mogul "Pogo"
3/4" Hall Class 10 wheeler
3/4" Evans Caribou/Buffalo 2-8-0
3/4" Sweet Violet 0-4-0
3/4" Hunslet 4-6-0
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Bob D. wrote: Mon Dec 31, 2018 4:40 pm You can use the same switch. Wiring may need to be changed.
A signal on S1 of 0v corresponds to the motor being fully
stopped. 5v corresponds to full power. A second signal is
fed to S2. If the signal on S2 is greater than 2.5 volts, the
SyRen will drive the motor forward. If the signal on S2 is
less than 2.5 volts, the SyRen will drive the motor
backwards.
Thanks, I'll try it. Not today, we had 7" of snow 'on the flat' last night, so I was out with the snow blower doing the driveway most of the morning. Fortunately, the wind isn't blowing :shock: Right now, 'Sparky' is up in the car shed, plugged in. When it's practical to get there, I'll block him up and try it out. I don't want to experiment with him setting on his wheels in case he 'takes off'' :lol:

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by cp4449 »

I swear that is how mine is wired. Must have done something wrong to fry it.
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by Bob D. »

CP, I don't think you can fry one of these miswiring the controller inputs. Hopefully no metal chips floating about from drilling.... Split sec oops on battery polarity is typical poof. Wire hairs crossing lugs.....
Where you running when it died?
3/4" Juliet II 0-4-0
3/4" Purinton Mogul "Pogo"
3/4" Hall Class 10 wheeler
3/4" Evans Caribou/Buffalo 2-8-0
3/4" Sweet Violet 0-4-0
3/4" Hunslet 4-6-0
3/4" Kozo A3. Delayed construction project

1 1/2" A5 Camelback 0-4-0
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by cp4449 »

Bob, was not running, just hooking up my throttle. Must have been a short somewhere. I use a DIN connector on the back of the locomotive.
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by Erskine Tramway »

cp4449 wrote: Tue Jan 01, 2019 3:02 pm Bob, was not running, just hooking up my throttle. Must have been a short somewhere. I use a DIN connector on the back of the locomotive.
It wouldn't have been the first MU cable that was bad order :D

I've been looking at the manual, and it looks to me like all I'll have to do, after I change the DIP switches, is reverse the polarity to my pot and reverse switch. I can do that easy, by switching the two wires between the controller and terminal block, without having to unhook all 4 wires from the controls.

Mike
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BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by cp4449 »

It wouldn't have been the first MU cable that was bad order :D

I've been looking at the manual, and it looks to me like all I'll have to do, after I change the DIP switches, is reverse the polarity to my pot and reverse switch. I can do that easy, by switching the two wires between the controller and terminal block, without having to unhook all 4 wires from the controls.

Mike
[/quote]

Mike could you draw that out and pm me please?
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Let's do it like this, C.P.:

This way, everybody can see what I'm talking about and offer suggestions, if they have any.

Here's the relevant page from the Syren50 'Owner's Manual', showing the various DIP switch positions for 'Analog' mode. That's opposed to a computer control of the board. I'm pretty sure that my board is set up in Option 1, Analog Bi-direction. If so, I'm going to try Option 3, Analog One-direction with forward/reverse select on S2. Right now, to increase my speed, I turn the potentiometer clockwise. I suspect that, when I alter the DIP switches, I'll have to rotate the pot counter-clockwise to increase speed. That won't work, the way my control stand is built. Here's what I think I could do to correct that: If I reverse the polarity on the pot, it should work.
control board manual.jpg
So, here is the way it's wired right now.
control board wiring.jpg
To reverse the polarity to the pot, I'll just reverse the power supply wires at the terminal block, like this:
control board wiring modified.jpg
That might also cause the reversing toggle switch to 'face' the wrong direction, but that's easily fixed. There is plenty of slack in the wiring, so I'd just loosen the nut, and rotate the switch 180 degrees.

All this rigmarole is assuming that changing the DIP switches gives me a '0 volt to motor stop' Fail Safe, which is what I'm after. Anybody else feel free to offer insight or suggestions.

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by Bob D. »

Mike,
Looks good and should work as you want. Another thing to consider. If you want to safely freewheel the loco with the controller not powered up you can place a diode across the controller power switch to sink the regen power to the battery to prevent controller damage.
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3/4" Juliet II 0-4-0
3/4" Purinton Mogul "Pogo"
3/4" Hall Class 10 wheeler
3/4" Evans Caribou/Buffalo 2-8-0
3/4" Sweet Violet 0-4-0
3/4" Hunslet 4-6-0
3/4" Kozo A3. Delayed construction project

1 1/2" A5 Camelback 0-4-0
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Bob D. wrote: Wed Jan 02, 2019 9:13 am Mike,
Looks good and should work as you want. Another thing to consider. If you want to safely freewheel the loco with the controller not powered up you can place a diode across the controller power switch to sink the regen power to the battery to prevent controller damage.
Thanks, Bob...

I hadn't thought of that. Usually, if I want to just 'drift' along, I find the 'notch' that zeros out the amps, and let it roll. I have been known to shove Sparky a few feet by hand with the power turned off, to spot a car for loading or unloading, but I guess if I felt the need to shut him off while moving that wouldn't be a good thing :shock: So next time I'm in Rapid City, I'll swing by the Electronics store and pick up a diode. Can't hurt.

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
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Re: Dimension Engineering controller question

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Well, folks, I shoveled my way up to Sparky this morning and looked at the SyRen board. It is set up for Option 3, so somewhere along the line, I must have changed it. It probably was after I had the pot failure runaway, and I called Dimension Engineering to see what I could do about it.

So, we're going up to Rapid one day next week, and I'll still pick up the diode.

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
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