19th-Dec-23, 12:05 PM
Another area of interest to me, which maybe is of interest to others too, is the subject of increasing current drive from the powerbase.
There is an established method which involves opening up the powerbase, cutting connections and tracks and then adding some rewiring. It has been in use for many years but does impose certain limitations which I wanted to avoid.
Instead, I am exploring an approach which is analogous to systems in the audio HiFi domain where separate modular components are wired together with the final stage being a high power amplifier.
This approach uses what I term a high power module (HPM) which connects between the powerbase and the track. The powerbase provides its track packet signal via (yes you guessed it) an opto-isolator. The powerbase itself is unloaded. All the track power (current) is provided directly into the HPM from a variable voltage power supply. In my case this is a Fusion 600W Power supply.
The advantage of this approach is that the HPM can be used to upgrade the APB and ASrC PRO. I have built a batch of mark1 prototypes what are currently under test at track level. This version uses 34 Amp rated MOSFETs and includes current overload sense circuits too. It has already been shown to function correctly with SSD decoders on routed and plastic raceways. The mark2 prototype will include D132 compatibility.
The whole point is to provide a route to six car operation where high current motors are in play e.g. NSR evo king etc. And, also the approach provides a route to meet the higher current requirements when more than six cars are in play, for example when extending track power for a 10 car race, or perhaps 14 cars or more :)
As the usage cases for the HPM described here extend beyond just the APB, I shall start a new thread on the subject. It is none-the-less a useful upgrade in the making for the APB and other powerbase based systems.
c
There is an established method which involves opening up the powerbase, cutting connections and tracks and then adding some rewiring. It has been in use for many years but does impose certain limitations which I wanted to avoid.
Instead, I am exploring an approach which is analogous to systems in the audio HiFi domain where separate modular components are wired together with the final stage being a high power amplifier.
This approach uses what I term a high power module (HPM) which connects between the powerbase and the track. The powerbase provides its track packet signal via (yes you guessed it) an opto-isolator. The powerbase itself is unloaded. All the track power (current) is provided directly into the HPM from a variable voltage power supply. In my case this is a Fusion 600W Power supply.
The advantage of this approach is that the HPM can be used to upgrade the APB and ASrC PRO. I have built a batch of mark1 prototypes what are currently under test at track level. This version uses 34 Amp rated MOSFETs and includes current overload sense circuits too. It has already been shown to function correctly with SSD decoders on routed and plastic raceways. The mark2 prototype will include D132 compatibility.
The whole point is to provide a route to six car operation where high current motors are in play e.g. NSR evo king etc. And, also the approach provides a route to meet the higher current requirements when more than six cars are in play, for example when extending track power for a 10 car race, or perhaps 14 cars or more :)
As the usage cases for the HPM described here extend beyond just the APB, I shall start a new thread on the subject. It is none-the-less a useful upgrade in the making for the APB and other powerbase based systems.
c
![[+]](https://slotracer.online/community/images/bootbb/collapse_collapsed.png)