My JMRI Journey

[tankist]

In this thread i will be documenting my experience with model railroad computerized cotrol. to me this is probably thi funnest part in the hobby.

at the moment JMRI suite is running on dedicated machine mounted under the layout. Main interface is 15" Touchscreen. Train control is accomplished with Powercab system attached to PC via NCE-USB module. Turnout control with feedback is accomplishe with Digitrax DS64' decoders attached to PC via PR3.

this is still work in progress. the panel is not final, there is still no block detection and i'm still earning a lot about the JMRI solution.

short video above showcases several conseps
1. flipping through several locomotive throttles.
2. switching individual turnouts via touchscreen and PC recieveng feedback when turnouts are overriden manually
3. manupulating routes. panel on the bottom is a demo panel showing 3 virtual sensors anunicating route status (green/red) and 3 virtual sensors triggering the route. 0.5 second delay is set beteen turnout actuation.


i can already see the entire screen will be reworked. throttle screen probably going to be removed as it is hard to control with touch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmRov5cy2mc

[YOUTUBE]EmRov5cy2mc[/YOUTUBE]


attached is:
1. the screen itself. pending big rework , i found that throttle is almost unworkable with touch, so im going to save on real estate. notes and suggestions from seasoned users (and i know there are at least some on here) are very welcome

2. a look "under the hood". tables listing physical and virtual components JMRI is aware of.

 

[lmackattack]

Im kind of green to the JMRI controls as I only use it for programing decoders. Are you just seting up routes for a loco to take. basicly setting a path for "x" loco to follow?
how do you control 2 trains on the same layout without them running thry a open switch are the routes set so you wont have a "meet" or is this just being set up to later control signals and the locos operator has to follow the signals indacation?

looks intresting but way out of my skills!

 

[tankist]

at the moment i'm still learning. i do plan on semi protecting trains from running the open turnouts once i esablish physical block and momentary detection devices. "semi" meaning in some instances - operator will need to pay atention to situation. and i really really want signalling, already played with virtual ones. that would be the step after detection.

looks intresting but way out of my skills!

thats what i thought to. but apparently it is still doable by mere mortals. try it

 

[grumpybob]

I have been using JMRI now for several years. I have an NCE system, using several switch-its for turnout control, I have an AIU-01 for block control and several BD20 for individual block controls for my staging tracks. I am going to have to get a new picture, but where a train is in a block, the track on the screen turns red to let the dispatcher know what is occupied and what is not. Also, thru the JMRI, occupied tracks prevent the dispatcher from opening the switch behind the train, thus preventing rear ending. I had virtual signals on the screen previously, but have since wired regular signals on the layout for the operators.

 

[fast_ian]

....thats what i thought to. but apparently it is still doable by mere mortals. try it

+1

It's also worth noting that the "scary" looking tables in the second picture above are generated automagically by JMRI - You can give 'em descriptive names, but JMRI "listens" to the bus and populates those (and other) parts of it's database itself - It's just too cool!

I've given up the idea of doing a "real" control panel and will just have a "glass panel" on the 'puter screen - *Much* simpler!

Cheers,
Ian

 

[yachtjim]

I use JMRI on my Layout with a NCE system. I love it. I just wish I could figure out how to save panels better. I would like if I could save a window layout and re-open it every day. The way it is now I have to "Load" panels. One of those panels is my layout showing all the turnouts. Sometimes when I load that panel 15 windows open. Sometimes just one. Really annoying. Small price to pay for the utility though.

 

[tankist]

panel info including their position and dimesion is saved when you do save panel. in the prefferences choose to load that file at start up.

 

[yachtjim]

panel info including their position and dimesion is saved when you do save panel. in the prefferences choose to load that file at start up.

I have tried it every which way from Sunday. And can never get more than one window to load. And I make my living using computers

 

[yachtjim]

I just tried it again. I click "Store Panels". My JMRI doesn't have the option to "Save Panels". I do this from either decoder pro or panel pro. When I click "Store Panels" I have the screen set up the way I want it. Layout to the right, throttle upper left and throttle list lower left. I "Store" the panel with the new file name. Then close down JMRI. Re-open it and click "Load Panel". I load the one I just saved and all the ever opens is the Layout where I control turnouts. No throttle list or throttles. And the layout pane is in the center of the screen, not off to the right when I stored the panel. So I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

 

[tankist]

downloaded paint.net and working on my own graphics for control panel.

I just tried it again.

i saved the panels (i have two at the moment) from the panel editor menu. that file is set to open automatically upon start up and both panels showed up in their place.

with that throttle is indeed not loaded and i think this is because its not a panel . but i saved a the arrangement of throttle and throttle list i have pictured as default throttle layout and open it every time manually. later i think to try and create a script to auto load default throttle layout (i don't see this option in startup options) . if anyone have it already i could really use it.

 

[fast_ian]

I just tried it again. I click "Store Panels".
....
So I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Hmmmm - Firstly, I haven't used Panelpro in a *long* time, but I am a long time member of the Yahoo JMRI group - Maybe ask this question over there? [If you don't want to sign up, I'll be happy to post for you?]

Incidentally, there's a couple of pretty good looking tutorials on Dick Bronsons site: http://www.rr-cirkits.com/Clinics/Clinics.html

Dunno if you've seen 'em.....

Cheers,
Ian

 

[fast_ian]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but OTOH, how many JMRI threads do we need?.......

Anyway, noodling around it seems you're not the first person to suffer "confusion" with the panel editor - A brief synopsis;

- When you save, you save all panels regardless of if you've opened 'em - To get rid of 'em they need deleting (not "closing") Then restart JMRI, load panels and you should be good (?)

However, they've just released "test version" 2.11.3 - From the release notes:

Matthew Harris corrected a bug where Layout Editor and Control Panel Editor Panels were not being deleted when 'Delete' was picked from the 'File' menu.

Maybe an upgrade to this version is called for? [Bob J notes to back your stuff up first!.......]

Cheers,
Ian

 

[lmackattack]

Anton. while on the JMRI topic I have a question for you.

How do you interface the PC to the layout. I have used JMRI at the club but never had to hook it up. I know that my MRC is not compatable to JMRI but would be intrested to hear what all is involved to get it set up.

Trent

 

[tankist]

i use 2 connections
1. digtrax PR3 module - interface with Loconet bus: turnout activation and feedback, future block detection and signaling (if it gets to that)
2. NCE-USB module - interface to NCE Cab bus: loco programming and operation. note - without smartbooster NCE cab is limited to 2 devices, throttle itself and USB module in my case. i no longer have room to connect any more NCE cab bus devices (like mini-panel)

you probably will want to swap your MRC system with either NCE or Digitrax if you want to do more with JMRI at home. i liked my MRC express, the only reason i let it go is that lack of compatibility

 

[fast_ian]

How do you interface the PC to the layout.

The full story; http://jmri.org/help/en/html/hardware/index.shtml

Good luck,
cheers,
Ian

 

[tankist]

well i actually intened this thread to be my little blog but oh well, i can live with that

now that i have block detector installed i can skip the virtual sensors and place actual ones on the panel. track was easy, just icons of different color. to display occupancy on turnouts however i drew my own custom turnout icons. instead of white lines these pained with transparent color. this way i can place a sensor on background and its state will show thorugh


notice occupied left-top section on upper picure and aligned crossover on bottm one

 

[fast_ian]

well i actually intened this thread to be my little blog but oh well, i can live with that

Sorry - Didn't mean to hijack.

...notice occupied left-top section on upper picure and aligned crossover on bottm one

*Very* nice! Great job - Love the name as well And see-thru icons are a nice "trick" - Very cool.

What are you using for block detection?
Any transponding happening/planned?
How about signalling?

Please keep us updated - I love this stuff!

Cheers,
Ian

 

[tankist]

NP


Block detector is Team digital BlocD8 http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=220517&postcount=60
so at least in this iteration there will be no transponding (not that it is needed on 4x7 layout). i do plan on adding momentary detection (IR) in several key spots to protect turnouts from throwing when train is on them and i do want functional signaling. will start with virtual signals on panel and go from there.
thanks for your interest

 

[fast_ian]

Block detector is Team digital BlocD8 http://www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=220517&postcount=60
so at least in this iteration there will be no transponding (not that it is needed on 4x7 layout).

Very nice! I agree with your transponding comment too - Unless you've got a distinct (and "blind") dispatcher it is really only of geeking interest - Should be fun though

However, reading more, the large layouts that would benefit generally run every decoder make in existence, and that doesn't work - Digitrax (or, I guess NCE) only and don't try and mix the two!.....

i do plan on adding momentary detection (IR) in several key spots to protect turnouts from throwing when train is on them and i do want functional signaling. will start with virtual signals on panel and go from there.
thanks for your interest

I once debated (with myself) whether I should build a physical control panel before the glass version - Suffice to say glass is the only one I'm going to have, and that will be built with virtual signals before anything goes into the physical world - I'm not into prototypical signaling (way too complex for my pay grade) but am figuring on a "traffic light" style approach.

When you say "protect the T/O's from moving when a train is on 'em", is that what you really mean!? - I was thinking (that's all!) a bigger issue is trying to run the T/O the wrong way - If we could either kill power to the oncoming unit and/or flash red to stop it would that not do the job? In other words, how much of a problem have you found T/O's activating under trains to be?

Thanks again for sharing

Cheers
Ian

 

[tankist]

when i'm alone its not a problem, but i had nephews over and turnout got thrown under the train more then once (the fun of drifting) - the buttons are just so inviting. and yes, protection from running open switches is also planned in this.

ran my layout for about half an hour lat night. while it was a blast clicking turnouts and watching blocks changing colors as the loco passes over them, i found that it is not end-all-be-all. Most of the attention is still on layout rather then screen. so all the latest toying around is pretty much only been a groundwork for signaling

i also found that after all this time of idling i badly need to clean my layout