Made this comment on part 1 and want to repeat it here. I would strongly urge you to participate in some of the HO forums and get your turntable in front of that audience. The current arduino turntables there date back to 2016 and this would be a great upgrade/update. Great job!
Thank you very much! I am working on refining my design but once it is complete I might have to post some videos on some of the forums. Thank you for watching.
Very nicely done. I did one a couple years ago with the Arduino and Stepper motor but I could not figure out how to go from one stall to another stall without going back to the main track. Can you provide the sketch for your project?
Thank you. If you look on my page there is a video titled "! Version 1.0 of the Turntable Code has been released!". In that video I tell you how you can get a hold of a free or paid version of the code and the differences between the two.
My model Railway club has been working on a turntable using a stepper motor and Arduino, but we are having difficulties getting consistent indexing. Our design is to simply set up the turn table with 40 equidistant positions at 9 degrees apart. We would then lay the track to match one of the 40 positions. The user would pick a numbered position and direction CW or CCW and go. We are micro stepping to smooth the motion. Unfortunately it appears steps are being lost. I see that you are using reduction gears instead. Are you using microsteps. If yes, did you have any issues with lost steps and therefor misalignment issues over time. How did you fix the issues if you had any.
Hello Andris. Great question, I ran into the same issues when I made my first prototype! Here were my two main issues and how I fixed them. Issue: Play in Stepper Motor Shaft Solution: My design does not use micro stepping, but instead uses reduction gears as you pointed out. I used mechanical gear reduction instead of micro stepping because it helps mask the "play" in most off the shelf stepper motor shafts.This "play" was causing all sorts of inconsistencies in the operation of my turntable before it was corrected. Issue: Lost Steps Solution: The truth is that my design does loose a few steps during each revolution, but since each step is so small (~.022 degrees with my mechanical gear reduction) it doesn't make a noticeable difference in the track's position. I also built in a "Homing Sensor" which helps the turntable know where it is in relation to the tracks. This way I do not have to rely solely on the arudino to keep track of the turntable's position. Before I implemented this fix my turntable would work well for one or two revolutions but then be too misaligned to function. Hope this help!
Not yet. Still trying to refine my design. Getting close but got sucked into another project, work, and life in general. Hoping to finish the design this winter when the weather forces me to be inside. Thank you for watching.
Hey Zakk, thanks for watching the video. I have some code tweaks I would like to make and then I plan on posting the code I made to a website for people to download. Be on the lookout for a part 4 in the next few months.
@@orangelabengineering2923 I'm hoping you will be posting the part 4 soon. Would it be possible to get a copy of the sketch as is until you are able to post. I would like to send you an email if it ok?
Good afternoon Dave. Feel free to send an email any time. I am currently working on cleaning up the code and creating an official project for this on the Arduino Project Hub so everyone can download the code for free as well as get a brief write up on the wiring / operation. Should be one soon..... I hope.
@@nscaledave When I was trying to finish up the original sketch I realized the sketch wasn't going to work well with an Arduino Nano. I have been re writing it with more functions and less bugs to use with an Arduino Mega. A lot is going on right now at work so it is unlikely I will get back into this project for a while.
Good evening Pete. Unfortunately the controller's programing doesn't currently support DCC. I do plan to add that feature in the future, just haven't got there yet. If you are interested in the base code (no DCC support) send me an email. electricworkzshop@gmail.com
I am looking to rebuild a Marklin 410 turntable from the 1950's with a small stepper motor running the existing rack and pinion. Your system employing the HE sensor seems the way to go to ensure consistency. The problem with the Marklin is the noise emanating from the motor-to-spur-to-reduction-to-reduction-to-worm gear-to-spur-to-worm gear-to-pinion-to-rack drive train. I am not exaggerating; it sounds a coffee grinder full of steel balls running on high. Eliminating all the parts up to the pinion will make it operate almost silently, like yours. When are you ready to sell me a pre-coded Arduino?
The old ball bearings in a blender soundtrack is never something I like to hear either. Send me an email and I think we might be able to work something out. electricworkzshop@gmail.com
Nice!!! Worked it all out... I'd love to see the dcc version as discussed in the comments... i can't imagine arduino to any different then digital... Another venture is, would this be possible to use for 3 rail O gauge custom gargrave?
Very nice, I have been following the process since part 1. Interesting to see the progresion. Im working on a simular prosject with a turntable, still havent found the correct solution yet, but it's getting there. Is it possible for you to make/share a wiring diagram and a partslist?
Good afternoon Tom. The following list shows the main parts I used in the build. - Arduino Mega - Arduino Mega Prototype Shield - Some CAT5 Jacks - CAT 5 cable - 2GT timing belt & Pulley Set - Nema 17 Stepper Motor Mounting Bracket - Stepperoline 27:1 Planetary Gearbox Nema 17 Stepper Motor - L298N Motor Drive Controller Board - Some One Channel Relay Modules - Arduino Compatible Hall Effect Sensor - Taidacent Through Bore Electrical Slip Ring - Small Magnet - Hand full of LEDs - Two 10K Potentiomenters - 1' of 1/4" Steel Rod - Hand full of 1/4" x 5/8" sealed ball bearings - 1/4" Bored Shaft Collar to keep the turntable at a specific height on the 1/4" rod - Various Electrical connectors & wire - Various momentary buttons and some switches - Lots of 3D printed parts A wiring diagram wouldn't be very helpful because 90% of the wiring is from a button or device to the Arduino which only works with the code I developed. How are you planning on driving your turntable? I love watching others TH-cam videos or reading articles about how they designed their turntables, there are some creative/effective methods out there that I never would have dreamed of trying. Good luck on your project and thanks for watching the video series!
Nice job on the finished turntable. The auto reverse, did you use the AR-1 that Digitrax has. I know that your running DC. You should really look into the DCC world. The decoders like Soundtraxx Tsunami2 decoders have really good motor control for the loco's. On my turntable the stepper motor is linked to a universal joint, worm gear and tooth gear. It works very well. I can go both directions by pushing a button. The pot allows me to line up the track and speed the rotation. I've just never figure out in the Arduino code how to make it stop on point. Good job on the turntable.
Thanks for the kind words! I built my own auto reverser using three relays. I do need to look into DCC! Once my layout is finished and I get all the track work done I plan on purchasing a DCC system. Do you have a model number for your universal joint / worm gear? My setup is working but I always like to look at ways to improve it and it sounds like your gear system would be something to look at! Sounds like you have designed a promising Arduino setup! Good luck with your design and thank you again for watching!
@@orangelabengineering2923 The turntable was a Diamond Scale Construction HO 130' turntable kit that someone put together and I guess had for a while. I bought it at a train show and it came with a hand crank. I figured a way to put some universal joints on it awhile back and don't have part numbers for them. Think I used two different ones. The gears came with the turntable. Somehow I got it all to work with the stepper motor. On a note of starting your layout, I would look into getting a DCC system and designing around that. On dcc you can run a lot of trains on one track. My layout is 6'x10' with lots of switching, couple reverse loops and lots of fun. My friends always say. how'd you get all that track in that little space. I run my layout with a Digitrax Zephyr.
I'm also very interested in a solution. However I have already done the hardware - using a stepper motor and a DRV8825 H-bridge. I have placed 14 push buttons in half a circle on the pcb, scanning them via an analog input to save pins on the controller. But I would very much like to see the code - if there could be a possibility to do so? Perhaps I could help on doing your pcb instead?
Good afternoon. I think we can work something out. Send me an email some time and we can hammer out the details. My email can be found on my TH-cam channel page.
Just thought I'd check back with you. How's the turntable coming along? Was at a friend today and he is having trouble with his Walters turntable keeping the program in its base. Did you ever get the Arduino file worked out? Thanks, Robert
Good afternoon Robert. The Arduino code is almost complete. I sent an arduino with the code on it to a fellow arduino / model railroad enthusiast to test for bugs.
Good afternoon Paul. I am actually in the process of uploading my code and files to the arduino project website. When finished everything should be available for free! I should have this process done soon, but it seems that the days are just too short. Be on the look out for a part 4 video in the future. Thanks for the comment and watching the video!
@@orangelabengineering2923 wood realy love them free but nead the housing bilt also and as you got the lasere cuter now to toy cud mack them in a flat pack form from acrilic. plus dont no if i wood get the rite ardwno and moter
Made this comment on part 1 and want to repeat it here. I would strongly urge you to participate in some of the HO forums and get your turntable in front of that audience. The current arduino turntables there date back to 2016 and this would be a great upgrade/update. Great job!
Thank you very much! I am working on refining my design but once it is complete I might have to post some videos on some of the forums. Thank you for watching.
Hi where did you go yours looks like a usable system even if you don’t think you could make it saleable, release it as open source
Very nicely done. I did one a couple years ago with the Arduino and Stepper motor but I could not figure out how to go from one stall to another stall without going back to the main track. Can you provide the sketch for your project?
Thank you. If you look on my page there is a video titled "! Version 1.0 of the Turntable Code has been released!". In that video I tell you how you can get a hold of a free or paid version of the code and the differences between the two.
Excellent!!! I'm fascinated by toy trains.
Just found this. Excellent. Would love to build this for my layout.
I really need to finish it! I got side tracked on a new project. Hoping to buckle down and finish it this fall.
My model Railway club has been working on a turntable using a stepper motor and Arduino, but we are having difficulties getting consistent indexing. Our design is to simply set up the turn table with 40 equidistant positions at 9 degrees apart. We would then lay the track to match one of the 40 positions. The user would pick a numbered position and direction CW or CCW and go. We are micro stepping to smooth the motion. Unfortunately it appears steps are being lost. I see that you are using reduction gears instead. Are you using microsteps. If yes, did you have any issues with lost steps and therefor misalignment issues over time. How did you fix the issues if you had any.
Hello Andris. Great question, I ran into the same issues when I made my first prototype! Here were my two main issues and how I fixed them.
Issue:
Play in Stepper Motor Shaft
Solution:
My design does not use micro stepping, but instead uses reduction gears as you pointed out. I used mechanical gear reduction instead of micro stepping because it helps mask the "play" in most off the shelf stepper motor shafts.This "play" was causing all sorts of inconsistencies in the operation of my turntable before it was corrected.
Issue:
Lost Steps
Solution:
The truth is that my design does loose a few steps during each revolution, but since each step is so small (~.022 degrees with my mechanical gear reduction) it doesn't make a noticeable difference in the track's position. I also built in a "Homing Sensor" which helps the turntable know where it is in relation to the tracks. This way I do not have to rely solely on the arudino to keep track of the turntable's position. Before I implemented this fix my turntable would work well for one or two revolutions but then be too misaligned to function.
Hope this help!
Did you ever get a saleable turntable controller ?
Not yet. Still trying to refine my design. Getting close but got sucked into another project, work, and life in general. Hoping to finish the design this winter when the weather forces me to be inside. Thank you for watching.
Amazing!!!! I have an arduino on route but, I would definitely be interested in this for sure!!
Hey Zakk, thanks for watching the video. I have some code tweaks I would like to make and then I plan on posting the code I made to a website for people to download. Be on the lookout for a part 4 in the next few months.
@@orangelabengineering2923 I'm hoping you will be posting the part 4 soon. Would it be possible to get a copy of the sketch as is until you are able to post. I would like to send you an email if it ok?
Good afternoon Dave. Feel free to send an email any time. I am currently working on cleaning up the code and creating an official project for this on the Arduino Project Hub so everyone can download the code for free as well as get a brief write up on the wiring / operation. Should be one soon..... I hope.
@@orangelabengineering2923 Been 2 years since I emailed you and 1 year since part 4. Any chance you will post the sketch?
@@nscaledave When I was trying to finish up the original sketch I realized the sketch wasn't going to work well with an Arduino Nano. I have been re writing it with more functions and less bugs to use with an Arduino Mega. A lot is going on right now at work so it is unlikely I will get back into this project for a while.
Do you have detailed drawings and instructions on how to build this, or is it available as a kit to buy?
Good afternoon. I just made a new video discussing that exact topic. Hopefully it answers your questions.
I'm definitely interested. I have a 16" turntable( I think it's homemade) that I want to program for DCC.
Good evening Pete. Unfortunately the controller's programing doesn't currently support DCC. I do plan to add that feature in the future, just haven't got there yet. If you are interested in the base code (no DCC support) send me an email.
electricworkzshop@gmail.com
Well done can you maybe post diagram for instalation and link to programming for arduino?
Read the other comments. There is the answer !.
Like what you have. But I need to know, how did you use the POT to move the turntable manually? Can you share that portion of the code?
There´s a lot about that in YT. If you research a little bit here, sure you'll find all you need to know !. Cheers, John.
I am looking to rebuild a Marklin 410 turntable from the 1950's with a small stepper motor running the existing rack and pinion. Your system employing the HE sensor seems the way to go to ensure consistency. The problem with the Marklin is the noise emanating from the motor-to-spur-to-reduction-to-reduction-to-worm gear-to-spur-to-worm gear-to-pinion-to-rack drive train. I am not exaggerating; it sounds a coffee grinder full of steel balls running on high. Eliminating all the parts up to the pinion will make it operate almost silently, like yours. When are you ready to sell me a pre-coded Arduino?
The old ball bearings in a blender soundtrack is never something I like to hear either. Send me an email and I think we might be able to work something out. electricworkzshop@gmail.com
Nice!!! Worked it all out... I'd love to see the dcc version as discussed in the comments... i can't imagine arduino to any different then digital...
Another venture is, would this be possible to use for 3 rail O gauge custom gargrave?
Hey Thomas thanks for watching. I don't know much about 3 rail systems but from what I do know I think this design could work.
Very nice, I have been following the process since part 1. Interesting to see the progresion. Im working on a simular prosject with a turntable, still havent found the correct solution yet, but it's getting there. Is it possible for you to make/share a wiring diagram and a partslist?
Good afternoon Tom. The following list shows the main parts I used in the build.
- Arduino Mega
- Arduino Mega Prototype Shield
- Some CAT5 Jacks
- CAT 5 cable
- 2GT timing belt & Pulley Set
- Nema 17 Stepper Motor Mounting Bracket
- Stepperoline 27:1 Planetary Gearbox Nema 17 Stepper Motor
- L298N Motor Drive Controller Board
- Some One Channel Relay Modules
- Arduino Compatible Hall Effect Sensor
- Taidacent Through Bore Electrical Slip Ring
- Small Magnet
- Hand full of LEDs
- Two 10K Potentiomenters
- 1' of 1/4" Steel Rod
- Hand full of 1/4" x 5/8" sealed ball bearings
- 1/4" Bored Shaft Collar to keep the turntable at a specific height on the 1/4" rod
- Various Electrical connectors & wire
- Various momentary buttons and some switches
- Lots of 3D printed parts
A wiring diagram wouldn't be very helpful because 90% of the wiring is from a button or device to the Arduino which only works with the code I developed.
How are you planning on driving your turntable? I love watching others TH-cam videos or reading articles about how they designed their turntables, there are some creative/effective methods out there that I never would have dreamed of trying.
Good luck on your project and thanks for watching the video series!
@@orangelabengineering2923 I am planning to use a stepper motor and push buttons, for the different positions
Great minds think alike!
@@orangelabengineering2923 would it be possible to either buy a det of the 3D parts that you made?
Good Evening Tom. What 3D printed parts are you interested in? Feel Free to email me directly at electricworkzshop@gmail.com .
Great job mate :)
Thank you!
Nice job on the finished turntable. The auto reverse, did you use the AR-1 that Digitrax has. I know that your running DC. You should really look into the DCC world. The decoders like Soundtraxx Tsunami2 decoders have really good motor control for the loco's. On my turntable the stepper motor is linked to a universal joint, worm gear and tooth gear. It works very well. I can go both directions by pushing a button. The pot allows me to line up the track and speed the rotation. I've just never figure out in the Arduino code how to make it stop on point. Good job on the turntable.
Thanks for the kind words! I built my own auto reverser using three relays. I do need to look into DCC! Once my layout is finished and I get all the track work done I plan on purchasing a DCC system.
Do you have a model number for your universal joint / worm gear? My setup is working but I always like to look at ways to improve it and it sounds like your gear system would be something to look at!
Sounds like you have designed a promising Arduino setup! Good luck with your design and thank you again for watching!
@@orangelabengineering2923 The turntable was a Diamond Scale Construction HO 130' turntable kit that someone put together and I guess had for a while. I bought it at a train show and it came with a hand crank. I figured a way to put some universal joints on it awhile back and don't have part numbers for them. Think I used two different ones. The gears came with the turntable. Somehow I got it all to work with the stepper motor.
On a note of starting your layout, I would look into getting a DCC system and designing around that. On dcc you can run a lot of trains on one track. My layout is 6'x10' with lots of switching, couple reverse loops and lots of fun. My friends always say. how'd you get all that track in that little space. I run my layout with a Digitrax Zephyr.
Thanks for the advice! Ill need to look at a DCC controller for sure. I have also heard good things about Digitrax.
I'm also very interested in a solution. However I have already done the hardware - using a stepper motor and a DRV8825 H-bridge. I have placed 14 push buttons in half a circle on the pcb, scanning them via an analog input to save pins on the controller.
But I would very much like to see the code - if there could be a possibility to do so?
Perhaps I could help on doing your pcb instead?
Good afternoon. I think we can work something out. Send me an email some time and we can hammer out the details. My email can be found on my TH-cam channel page.
@@orangelabengineering2923 Great - I've sent you an pm earlier - Hope you got it?
Just thought I'd check back with you. How's the turntable coming along? Was at a friend today and he is having trouble with his Walters turntable keeping the program in its base. Did you ever get the Arduino file worked out?
Thanks, Robert
Good afternoon Robert. The Arduino code is almost complete. I sent an arduino with the code on it to a fellow arduino / model railroad enthusiast to test for bugs.
Good afternoon Robert. If you are still interested in the code send me an email. My email address can be found on my TH-cam channel page.
I am definitely interested..
Great! I spoke with Tom and he said you would be a great person to test the system. I will send you an email with more information.
i am intrested in a full cit as i have a manual turntabul and wont to power it whot wood the kitt cost?
Good afternoon Paul. I am actually in the process of uploading my code and files to the arduino project website. When finished everything should be available for free! I should have this process done soon, but it seems that the days are just too short. Be on the look out for a part 4 video in the future. Thanks for the comment and watching the video!
@@orangelabengineering2923 wood realy love them free but nead the housing bilt also and as you got the lasere cuter now to toy cud mack them in a flat pack form from acrilic.
plus dont no if i wood get the rite ardwno and moter
hi i am very interisted please