[stevecockrill]

OK, so you may remember the Pitlane issues I had been having. The third iteration ended up working some of the time, but still not ideal. Anyway, on a separate note I ordered a couple of CLCs to create a racing line lane change....did that this evening and it works great! But I do have one spare sensor piece (the half straight that comes with the CLC). My plan was to replace the sensor in the PLG with the sensor in CLC track, and it seemed easiest to me to just splice the PLG sensor wires (red and green) into the CLC sensor straight. I added a couple of extensions to the PLG wiring - two black wires on connectors 2 and 3 from left to right below (don't ask my why, but the image is upside down - connector 2 is next to the red wire):

But alas, when I took the CLC sensor straight apart, the little "headphone jack" plug contains three wires (red, white, and black).

I tried a couple of random connections (red to red, white to white), but life isn't that simple I don't have access to a multimeter and am a bit (ok, a lot) nervous of hacking the sensor straight board.

Anyway, questions.

1. The CLC sensor straight has TWO little headphone jacks - presumably this is a standard piece that can be used with either LH or RH CLCs. There appear to be two LED sensors on the board also. Is this correct?

2. To get a single LED sensor in the CLC sensor straight, what wires in the "headphone jack" (i.e., red, white, black) need to be connected to what in the PLG?

3. Given there are two LED sensors, could one connect then together to have two possible pitlane sensors? If so, what wiring is needed?

4. Which connectors in the PLG do the red and green wires to the original PLG LED sensor connect to? Yes, I forgot to note the original configuration. I know it's to connectors 2 and 3 from left to right above, but does red go to 2 (the one with the white wire also) or to 3? Yes, feel like a dumbass....

Thanks!

Steve

 

[GregK]

HI Steve,

1 - Correct

2 - Usually one wire is common to both side, usually black leaving the other two to be the live for left and right sensors.

3 & 4 - Without some ssort of intelligent circuitry, sensors are not enough for pit lane detection. Either have your PLG converted to Pit-Pro or use an old C7030 powerbase and modify that.

All the best - Greg

 

[Ade]

hi
or open out the rail where the senser sits. Try to replicate what you have with the clc senser.

I have just done this on my layout,as i am running magless the cars were not triggering the senser.. I used a dremmel to open out the rails and it now works perfectly...

Why this is not done for this particular section i dont know..

 

[stevecockrill]

Thanks guys - Greg.....for (4) I meant what's the original wiring in the PLG base - i.e., which "sides" of the LED sensor connect to which of the 5 contacts?

Ade - have Dremel, will try! Thanks!

Steve

 

[stevecockrill]

So I found the original wiring diagram from an older post (courtesy of RichG):

That's what I need....green to number 2 (with white loop), red to number 3.

Thanks!

Steve

 

[Michael363672]

So can you use the spare sensor, instead of the extra one supplied with pit pro, on a fly lead, as that one seems to have a struggle regeristing the cars all the time

 

[stevecockrill]

QUOTE (Michael363672 @ 16 Apr 2012, 17:08) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>So can you use the spare sensor, instead of the extra one supplied with pit pro, on a fly lead, as that one seems to have a struggle regeristing the cars all the time

That's exactly what I was trying to do - use the CLC sensor (all my cars have 100% success on lane change sensors) in the pit lane, but the wiring was not a no brainer (2 wires in PLG sensor, 3 in CLC sensor strip).....plus the circuit board in the CLC sensor contains BOTH sensors on a single board, and didn't allow for straight forward plug and chug....

Steve

 

[tahi.taringa]

I thought the sensor board, via those wires, connected to the magnet thingies. So is one wire for one way, and the other wire for the other way. Does the CLC detect the car id, or the lane change? I thought it was the lane change only. So how will that help the PLG?

TT

 

[stevecockrill]

QUOTE (tahi.taringa @ 16 Apr 2012, 23:09) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I thought the sensor board, via those wires, connected to the magnet thingies. So is one wire for one way, and the other wire for the other way. Does the CLC detect the car id, or the lane change? I thought it was the lane change only. So how will that help the PLG?

TT

Hi TT:

So the CLC changes direction through the flipper, however it still has LED sensors to detect when a signal is provided to change lanes. My experience with the PLG has been that the sensor in the PLG is hit or miss, whereas ALL my cars activate the lane changers. As I had a spare sensor lane from a CLC, I wanted to use the sensors from that to replace the PLG sensor, i.e., the sensors won't send signal to activate the flipper and change lanes (there won't be a flipper), but instead the signal will go to the PLG.

Steve

 

[sealevel]

Why not just buy an LED sensor and install it like the one on the flying lead for the Pit-Pro?
Not sure why you want to use a CLC board with its circuitry to replace an IR LED.

Cheers!

 

[GregK]

Gordon ....... Steve has a spare sensor from a chopped up CLC. Those sensors work well with his cars

whilst the PLG ones are causing him grief .....

 

[stevecockrill]

Bingo Greg!

I figured the CLC sensor that I have spare would be a good alternative to the PLG sensor. Meh....

Of course now everything's back together (and working sometimes - PLG), I find a couple of the XLCs are misbehaving......on one, the RH lane doesn't respond to input while the left one does, and in another the response is slow. I've lubed the flipper, and wired the slow one to independent power, but still not 100%. I'm also working my way through potential continuity issues (i.e., hardwiring each track piece with little "staples" of tinned speaker wire) just to eliminate any future problems. I have a lot of track.....this may take some time!

Steve

 

[sealevel]

Thanks Greg, I got it.

I thought that there are plenty of LED IRs out there .... so one should work.
But if he is cutting up the CLC already, why not!

BTW, is the CLC sensor an LED IR or some other type of photo sensor?
I gather that it requires some "interpretation" of the light received to turn it into an electrical pulse or does the light received act like a "close circuit" command? (I am working on something needing a "close circuit" sensor, like a reed switch.)

Chers!

 

[tahi.taringa]

{double post}

 

[tahi.taringa]

From what I've read here, the PLG sensors get smashed by long guides. Something about them sitting proud in the slot. Maybe yours is a bit dirty, worn or broken?

TT

 

[stevecockrill]

TT - checked....the PLG sensor is still there, just not 100% reliable. PLG is less than a month old.

Steve

 

[Ade]

hi
it is reliable but as mentioned a few posts back open the rails so they match the entry sections to a xlc or the half lane senser section that comes with a clc..even the pb has the rails relieved around the sensers..

It's only the plg that does not,i am running magless and now i have performed the above surgery it does not miss,ever...

 

[stevecockrill]

Hi Ade - I did start dremeling but need to get a new cutting head to finish things off properly. It's on the list of things to try.

Thanks!

Steve