Wow Hanns, this is very interesting and exciting, so looking forward to the next and subsequent videos as you test and implement your ideas. ...!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 😃
Another great video & looks like you're onto your next discovery journey!! Very interesting concept but it looks like integrating all that technology into a HO decoder might be a challenge! Looking forward to the next update in 2 weeks & thanks again for creating all this content!!
Thank you. HO is certainly an additional challenge, that's why I start with G scale. But as time goes, things get smaller, particular when it comes to power electronics. We'll see.
Many great ideas! I always found it strange how complicated the setup and configuration is, in all those existing model railroad software. In my imagination driving a train through all the tracks should be sufficient to create a track model instead of hand-modeling each and every track and switch. Looking forward to see how this project goes on..
I think you're right. I think the reason is that most software developers are kind of distracted by the many implementation details of individual railroad companies who are using different aspects and rulebooks. Once you look behind this, you find out that all is the same at the core. And it is possible to do a universal data model for it. I use the term security elements for the core data structure as this is what is used in ETCS (Sicherheitselemente), which I studied quite some to get an understanding of the fundamental train control concepts.
I think that for G scale a GPS RTK system would work fine. You would need to set up a base station at a known position in your garden but then the system should have a precision of 1 cm. The system should fit the G scale rolling stock as well and you could use that to drive the trains. (There are projects for robot lawnmowers using such precision) Probably would not be too useful for smaller scales though
Thanks for pointing this out. I see I picked the wrong picture from the SparkFun catalog, of course I had RTK in mind. Last time I looked into it, it was not down to 1cm accuracy yet, so that is progress. However, cost is somewhat prohibitive for hobby applications. A distance sensor, even with IMU, is only about 10% of that, and scalable, as explained in the video.
Security Element is probably a poor translation from the original German ETCS documents (Sicherheitselement). I learned later that the SE is similar to what is known in the US as plant. At the end it is an elementary data concept to model a track network, with each SE and leg equipped with block detection and entry signals to regulate access and speed.
Wow Hanns, this is very interesting and exciting, so looking forward to the next and subsequent videos as you test and implement your ideas. ...!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 😃
Thank you. More to come ;-)
This will be an interesting journey. Looking forward to seeing how you do it.
Thank you. If it works out, it will change a few things for sure ;-)
Another great video & looks like you're onto your next discovery journey!! Very interesting concept but it looks like integrating all that technology into a HO decoder might be a challenge! Looking forward to the next update in 2 weeks & thanks again for creating all this content!!
Thank you. HO is certainly an additional challenge, that's why I start with G scale. But as time goes, things get smaller, particular when it comes to power electronics. We'll see.
Many great ideas! I always found it strange how complicated the setup and configuration is, in all those existing model railroad software. In my imagination driving a train through all the tracks should be sufficient to create a track model instead of hand-modeling each and every track and switch. Looking forward to see how this project goes on..
I think you're right. I think the reason is that most software developers are kind of distracted by the many implementation details of individual railroad companies who are using different aspects and rulebooks. Once you look behind this, you find out that all is the same at the core. And it is possible to do a universal data model for it. I use the term security elements for the core data structure as this is what is used in ETCS (Sicherheitselemente), which I studied quite some to get an understanding of the fundamental train control concepts.
I think that for G scale a GPS RTK system would work fine. You would need to set up a base station at a known position in your garden but then the system should have a precision of 1 cm. The system should fit the G scale rolling stock as well and you could use that to drive the trains. (There are projects for robot lawnmowers using such precision)
Probably would not be too useful for smaller scales though
Thanks for pointing this out. I see I picked the wrong picture from the SparkFun catalog, of course I had RTK in mind. Last time I looked into it, it was not down to 1cm accuracy yet, so that is progress. However, cost is somewhat prohibitive for hobby applications. A distance sensor, even with IMU, is only about 10% of that, and scalable, as explained in the video.
Great video, but be carefull with the terms security and safety. In your train domain you are using railway signaling safety.
Security Element is probably a poor translation from the original German ETCS documents (Sicherheitselement). I learned later that the SE is similar to what is known in the US as plant. At the end it is an elementary data concept to model a track network, with each SE and leg equipped with block detection and entry signals to regulate access and speed.