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Methods of track wiring and common Controller codes

23K views 27 replies 15 participants last post by  pfj 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I found these a few years back and printed them off so these are jpg copies. The originals in PDF format can be found at www.professormotor.com

I feel it would be a great idea if Clubs replied to this thread stating their system, differences if any and any controller restrictions in place. We can then use this as a resource for anyone wishing to visit a specific Club with their own controller.

PLEASE NOTE: These are for ANALOGUE tracks and controllers.

1 - By far the most common wiring method - POSITIVE POLARITY with multiple transformers...




2 - POSITIVE POLARITY with single power supply...



3 - NEGATIVE POLARITY with single power supply...



INFORMATION: To switch lane directions you place a double pole switch between the two cables attached to each lane and wire thus(you will, of course, need a multi switch or one per lane)...


I also have this from a German Club. It hangs on the wall at swissracebahn hence the scrawl in English


Common controller colour codes for connections...



I hope this helps clear up a few FAQs and look forward to being able, with your help, to turning this into a meaningfull reference document for Club racers.

Controller list (If you are a controller manufacturer or use a controller you would like to see listed, please PM me and I will update this list)...

ACD Pro uses German Standard.
NSR uses International/Parma standard.
Engage uses International/Parma standard.
Slot.It uses international/Parma standard.
 
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#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
Swissracebahn
Uses POSITIVE POLARITY with multiple transformers for both the Scalextric Sport and wooden routed tracks. Both tracks are reversable.

Controllers are connected using International/Parma colour code with German colours underneath. We use 3mm banana plugs or XLR connectors and have adaptors available.
Any and all controllers are allowed at the owners risk.
 
#6 ·
Wellingborough track is wired 'positive polarity' to 'BSCRA standard' as shown in Chris Frost's post, and has a single variable voltage 30amp power supply.

Alan,
Good idea!
I would suggest that the use of a 'common return' is not recommended, even if a track has only one power supply.
Firstly it makes the fitting of a 'reversing switch' to each individual lane impossible.
Secondly it allows the lanes to affect each other. I know in theory this shouldn't happen but I have seen a stationary car move backwards when the brakes are applied to a car on another lane. This proves to me that it can and does happen. Perhaps one of our electronics experts can explain it. Chris maybe?

grego,
Further explanation and some recommended values may be a good idea.

Cheers.
Mick.
 
#7 · (Edited by Moderator)
Thanks Mick.
I don't know about lanes affecting each other but would suggest a wrong connection somewhere.
A common negative does not at all affect individual lane changing switches, you are simply swapping the connection to the two rails of each lane.

The BSCRA just uses positive polarity with controllers connected via a UK 2A plug then right?
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
QUOTE (Mick Kerr @ 12 Jan 2008, 18:13) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Wellingborough track is wired 'positive polarity' to 'BSCRA standard' as shown in Chris Frost's post, and has a single variable voltage 30amp power supply.

Alan,
Good idea!
I would suggest that the use of a 'common return' is not recommended, even if a track has only one power supply.
Firstly it makes the fitting of a 'reversing switch' to each individual lane impossible.
Secondly it allows the lanes to affect each other. I know in theory this shouldn't happen but I have seen a stationary car move backwards when the brakes are applied to a car on another lane. This proves to me that it can and does happen. Perhaps one of our electronics experts can explain it. Chris maybe?

Cheers.
Mick.
Hi Mick
Quite right! 'common return' wiring means the lanes will affect each other. So 'common return' wiring should be avoided.
Why?
Wiring has resistance - a small resistance but not so small you can ignore it.
When a current passes through the resistance there is a voltage drop.
So when motor is drawing X amps current the voltage to the car will drop.
When two motors are each drawing X amps current through the same piece of wire, the voltage drop will double.
When one of them stops drawing current there is suddenly less voltage drop, so the other car gets a power surge.
That's the easiest sort of interaction to explain.
When a car is braking from speed the motor is producing a reverse voltage. Other sorts of interaction are possible with common return wiring, (it also depends on exactly how other parts of the wiring are done). With a common return this can exaggerate the interaction explained above. With no other cars running, this reverse voltage can take the "common return" side of the track below 0 volts and in extreme cases far enough below 0 volts to drive a stationary car backwards. (As you observed)
Hope that's clear?

The best answer is to take the separate negative wires for each lane back to the negative power supply terminal. (AND separate positive wires for each lane back to the positive power supply terminal).

Unregulated power supplies cause interaction between the lanes even if the wiring is done correctly, but that's another story.

(For more about track wiring see here )
Chris
 
#9 ·
Thanks for that explanation Chris.

Alan,
QUOTE A common negative does not at all affect individual lane changing switches, you are simply swapping the connection to the two rails of each lane.
You may be able to do it if you have individual power supplies for each lane but if you try it with a single power supply, and switch only one lane, you will be connecting the positive of the power supply to the negative!
As Chris has explained there are other good reasons for not doing it.
At the very least you should have separate wires from each controller socket to each lane and, if using individual power supplies, it is better to keep each lane totally independant.

QUOTE The BSCRA just uses positive polarity with controllers connected via a UK 2A plug then right?
I believe this to be true. So if you come to 'almost' any UK club this is the wiring that will be used, together with our 'eccentric' little 3 pin plugs.
As the discussion about the Slotfire track at Wolves started this thread off you will know that it's not quite 100% certain on all tracks.

Would it be a good idea to add each club's wiring information to the Clubs section of the forum along with each clubs details?

Cheers,
Mick.
 
#10 ·
I'd better correct the mistake in my last posting

With no other cars running, this reverse voltage can take the "common return" side of the track below 0 volts but this would try to drive a stationary car forwards (not backwards as I originally said).

The stationary car going backwards can happen when the other car is under power (not under braking as I'd said earlier). This is because the brake terminal on the stationary car will be connected to 0 volts and the "common return" side of the track rises above 0 volts when the other car is drawing current. Thus there is a reverse voltage across the stationary car which might be high enough to drive it backwards.

All this can only happen with common wiring.

Sorry if I've confused anybody

Chris
 
#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
QUOTE (Mick Kerr @ 13 Jan 2008, 07:13) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>grego,
Further explanation and some recommended values may be a good idea.
.

Well, naturally one can simply go to the ACD pro website, the Yatronic one.
It is not a very user friendly website but if one clicks on the Q &A part they give a detailed explanation and several methodes of how to fit either a resistor or a resistor/capacitor combo.

Just from the top of my head the simplest recommendation is a resistor 82 ohm / 11 watts (now fitted to my NEW PS) between pos and neg of the powersupply. There is a photograph which shows how the resistor is best fitted to the heatsink of the powersupply.

Just would have prefered to have something like that written in the manual of the ACD pro5 when i got it, would have prevented me stuffing up my lovely 25Amp regulated powersupply.

They are also selling a little box that one can "plug" into the powersupply, for people that feel that they are not up to the fitting of resistor themselfs.

I can just see myself in May going to the National Camps for 32 cars and asking at the drivers briefing if anybody would mind if I would make some ""Slight modification "" to the power supply...................
I am sure that 'll go down a treat !!!


grego
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi Grego
after reading your post I took a look at the ACD Pro site again and was intrigued by the recommendation for a resistor.
I have 3 ACD Pro 10 hooked onto my 3 lane german Plazidus track which is powered by one 40Amp MAAS supply and all I did was hook the whole shebang as per track instructions and plugged in the controllers.
Everything works great from plasticars to vintage cars with rewound motors (some of them draw up to 5-6 Amps) and on top of that I've been taking one of my ACD controller to a dozen tracks (all wired positive) be they plastic or wood, powered by all kind of power supplies or batteries and never ever had a problem (or caused one).
Being quite ignorant about electrics but very curious as to I need that resistor gitzmo I now still wonder what's that recommendation about and why your (or some) power supply needed it.
Kind regards
Edo

My set up



 
#13 ·
QUOTE (grego @ 13 Jan 2008, 09:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Just from the top of my head the simplest recommendation is a resistor 82 ohm / 11 watts (now fitted to my NEW PS) between pos and neg of the powersupply.

They are also selling a little box that one can "plug" into the powersupply, for people that feel that they are not up to the fitting of resistor themselfs.

I can just see myself in May going to the National Camps for 32 cars and asking at the drivers briefing if anybody would mind if I would make some ""Slight modification "" to the power supply...................
I am sure that 'll go down a treat !!!


grego

You serious about asking for some ""Slight modification "" to the power supply at a big meeting...................?
The organisers might be more prepared to do it if you asked them in advance instead of leaving it to the last minute at the drivers briefing
They might ask you Why? and Will it muck up anybody else?
Better find some good answers before you try it on

Or you could connect the resistor across the terminals at your controller plug....
 
#14 ·
[quote name='Slotracing Al' date='14 Jan 2008, 00:24' post='321904']
You serious about asking for some ""Slight modification "" to the power supply at a big meeting...................?

Al,
the 3 little grinning smilies wer supposed to be indicating that this remark is strictly "tongue in cheek"

I will however look into your suggestion about retro fitting the resistor near the plug. Everybody else
normally comes to theses events with bits and pieces dangling down from their controllers for cooling purpose
so this could work.

EDO,

Please note that the ACD engineer says only "SOME" power supplies do not like it.
You must have : "the good one"
They also went on to explain that it had something to do with the unique braking function
of the ACD pro. I have got the 5 pro because I do race metal chassis as well as my beloved "plastic stuff"
and what worried me was that the 3 might be too light.
Of course our controllers do not give off heat like most other controllers because the excess current "produced"
when braking is being feed back into the system and it is this feeding back that some power supplies must hate.
(I am just guessing here)

On a completely different tangent, I discovered that on an other power supply (7amps thingy) the overload protection cuts out the power when running up a car stationary, with the rear wheels in the air. Intrestingly enough, but within the parameters described by the people of Yatronic, this overload cutout happens when one releases the throttle.

I am not talking about running up a C-can, simply one of the Slotit boxer motors will do the trick, and of course they do not pull 7 amps running up without any real load, maybe somewhere between .5 and 2 amps.

Anyone who has any good ideas about this phenomenon is most definitifely invited to help me out here.


grego
 
#20 ·
QUOTE (Swissracer @ 10 Jan 2008, 13:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>INFORMATION: To switch lane directions you place a double pole switch between the two cables attached to each lane and wire thus(you will, of course, need a multi switch or one per lane)...


Re the above pic, to switch the flow of power, do you not need to another set of wires to the track connected to the other end of the switch? The centre pins being power from the PSU and the end pins having opposite polarity to reverse the flow?

I ask this as I'm removing the scalextric sport base that doesn't seem to cope very well with reversing direction and using a bench PSU with switches to change direction.
 
#21 ·
Hi ScoobyDriver

The diagram from Swissracer will work. The alternative way you suggest connecting the switch will work equally well.

The diagram assumes the normal connections on the back of a double pole switch. (top centre connected to top right &
bottom centre connected to bottom right when the switch is one way: top centre connected to top left &
bottom centre connected to bottom left when the switch is the other way) It's a good idea to check the switch you use is connected like this.

If using a make before break switch, the switch must not be switched when the controller is pressed (that will short out the power supply during change over)
This doesn't matter I using a break before make switch.

Al
 
#22 ·
Ah OK.

One more small ask. Regarding power supplies, is 2amps enough? I would prefer a variable power supply but anything over 2amps is very expensive. Fixed output jobs are only about £20. Not too bunched but thought it would be handy to be able to reduce the power when racing with my youngster.
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
QUOTE (ScoobyDriver @ 22 Jul 2008, 17:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>One more small ask. Regarding power supplies, is 2amps enough?
Hi ScoobyDriver
What sort of motors you use?
How many lanes do you want to run off one power supply?

A lot of standard homeset car motors will happily run at under 1 amp each, but the peak current when accelerating from rest is more than an amp.
One power supply per lane, 2 amps should be enough for most of these sort of cars.
One power supply driving 2 lanes, 2 amps should be enough for most of the time for these sort of cars, but might not work properly when they are both accelerating from low speed.

More powerful motors need higher currents.
 
#25 · (Edited by Moderator)
Curious why you want to do this on a 2 lane? Your buddy have gas or something? How big is your track? Could you not just extend the cables on the controllers?

Just one on/off switch on one of the wires going to driver station from power supply should work i.e. disable that particular station.
 
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