Evolution of my control panel build. Wish I'd taken more photos at the time! It's made from some old picture frames with a plywood sub structure. The front panel is hinged and opens forward to allow easy access to the electronics inside. Latching DPDT switches (right hand side) control 12V DC polarity to Cobalt Omega point motors and also function the blue indicator LEDs that show point settings. Points in the station are grouped in sets of 2 or 3 to make route-setting quicker and easier using fewer switches. Momentary SPDT switches (left hand side) control the Dapol signals which are also supplied by 12V DC. The panel has red-green bi-color LEDs that show permitted routes between the station and sidings areas depending on how the points are set. These LEDs are controlled by a simple 74 series TTL logic circuit board inside the panel, with logic input signals provided by the auxiliary switches on the point motors, and a 5V DC converter to provide stepped-down power to the circuit board and LEDs from the 12V DC supply.

Posted by james.borras at 2021-08-12 09:20:18 UTC