Connecting CobaltiP motor to a control panel with LED track indicators

[suriraj]

I was a member of this forum some years ago. Last winter went to India ,for a few months and did not check the forum.
When I tried to log in , I found everything had changed. I had to reregister.I raised the same topic before and Flashbang helped me a lot to get started.But I cant get the old link.I have about 17 Cobalt ip motors on a 11 by 4 feet base board.I used Hornby tracks with Railmaster and elink.

I would be grateful if someone can give an idiots guide as to how to connect the motors to the control panel with LED lights green and red showing the track direction.Even if you could send some links reg it will be nice
Thanks
Surendran
P.S What happened to Mr Flashbang

[Forfarian]

Mr Flashbang is alive and kicking, he runs this forum.

[Brian]

Yes I'm alive and kicking! (I think!)
The old forum died in early 2018 when the previous owner no longer wanted to run or own the forum. All old items were lost when the old forum closed. Therefore all old user names and passwords also stopped at that time. Hence the red banner heading at the top of this forums home page.

Digital Cobalt ip needs to connect to the DCC bus pair on its terminals 1 & 2.
For LED indications you can use the DCC power and Terminal 3 as well as for frog polarity or use the set of change over contacts on Terminals 4, 5 & 6. T6 being the change-over connection to T4 or T5 depending on the motors position.
https://www.dccconcepts.com/manual/owne ... nt-motors/

[suriraj]

Thanks Brian.So you no longer go as flashbang. I liked that name!
Surendran

[Brian]

Not on here. Its used on some other forums though, as it was a nickname given to em when I as an apprentice - wonder why?

[suriraj]

Just one more query.What type of switches I use to control the LEDs to show the track direction. Is it the double throw one . Can you tell how to wire them up. I saw a clip in You Tube but still not any wiser
Thanks
Surendran

[Brian]

Hi

You seem to be thinking of switches as both operating the motors and working the LEDs. Neither is needed with the Cobalt Digital ip motor.

The Cobalt Digital ip works normally from the DCC power onto its terminals 1 & 2. You give the ip motor a unique address number from the DCC system and when that number is entered and the 1 or 2 button pressed the motor moves left or right depending on which button (1 or 2) is pressed. If using Railmaster the 1 & 2 commands are sent automatically form the Railmaster software.

You can also operate the ip motor via press to make non locking push buttons or a non locking toggle switch (On)-Off-(On) momentary type. These are wired to the ip terminal 7,8 and 9.

For LED point position indications use ip terminal 3. Take one side of the DCC rail power lead and connect to a diode Anode end (1N4001 diode will be fine) do the same with a second diode but connect this to the other DCC rail power lead. Connect diodes Cathode ends to the Anode ends of the LED (Anode on an LED is the longer lead) it is to illuminate. Connect the two LED Cathode shorter leads together and then that joint connects to one end of a resistor of around 5K (5000 Ohm) value. The other end of the resistor connects to the Cobalt ip motors 3 terminal. LEDs will change over as the motor moves over.

[suriraj]

Thanks Brian. I was thinking of controlling both the motor and LEDs and also control motors thru the computer
Thanks
Surendran

[Brian]

Thanks Brian. I was thinking of controlling both the motor and LEDs and also control motors thru the computer
Thanks
Surendran

Cobalt motor operation is no different whether PC controlled or from the DCC console.
You still use DCC to operate the motors over and back. Its just that the PC sends data to the DCC system then that forwards it onto the Cobalt motor. An example would Hornby Railmaster software installed on a PC which then sends to their eLink or Elite etc and that forwards the command to the motor.

[suriraj]

Thanks Brian
Surendran