1. Webtrain Decoupling Adam Kadolph EE451 Bradley University Advisors: Dr. Irwin, Dr. Schertz Week 1-6 Monday 11/20

2. 2 Outline Project Goals Introduction System Operation Week 1-6 Progress Timeline of Events Review Sensors Where is the Project Going?

3. 3 Project Goals The goal of the project is to design a system to automatically decouple cars from the webtrain. The system will be able to decouple a specific car upon request. A sensor to detect train position

4. 4 Introduction The Webtrain is an N-Gauge Scale model train. The train is controlled through the Digital Command Control (DCC) System –Packets of data sent to train Each locomotive has a special receiver circuit built in –The locomotive can decode DCC Signal sent –Several trains running at various speeds in different direction at once

5. 5 Introduction The Webtrain Decoupling System is a 4 th Generation project for the webtrain. –2002 Webtrain Built –2003 Web Interface –2005 DCC System and Current Sensing –2006 Decoupling System

6. 6 System Operation Two modes of decoupling –Manual Mode User Commands: –Foreward –Backward –Stop –Automatic Mode User Commands: –Car select for decoupling

7. 7 Week 1 Progress Understand Webtrain System –DCC System –Decoupling Wrote first draft of functional description Start Website

8. 8 Timeline – Week 1

9. 9 Week 2 Progress Worked on getting DCC system running Continued work on Website Turned in first draft of functional description

10. 10 Timeline – Week 2

11. 11 Week 3 Progress Train running through DCC system Mounted decouple magnet on bypass track Successfully decoupled several cars from the train using DCC system

12. 12 Timeline – Week 3

13. 13 Week 4 Progress Spent Morning understanding previous years code –Added plenty of comments in code Afternoon spent working on my own coding –Implemented new menus –Added corresponding function to menus

14. 14 Timeline – Week 4

15. 15 Week 5 Progress Remounted decoupling magnet on bypass lane Finished coding of manual decoupling aspect of project –Accomplished several decoupling runs –Added weights to trains for improvements

16. 16 Timeline – Week 5

17. 17 Week 6 Progress Took measurements of track, train, and decoupler to determine sensor limitation Researched Optical Sensors –Ambient Light Photo Sensor –Reflective Photo Sensor –Phototransistor Website Update

18. 18 Timeline - Week 6

19. 19 Sensors Ambient Light Photosensor Detection of three levels of ambient light Analog adjustable gain for levels Digital Output Dimensions (4.0mm x 3.2mm x 1.1mm) Reflective Photosensor Emitter and Detector in one package Dimensions (3.4mm x 2.7mm x 1.5mm) Phototransistor Fall back sensor Mounted below track

20. 20 Where is the project going? Decoupling System Collision Avoidance RFID tags

21. 21 Questions? Comments. END