This is mostly directed at fellow electronics geek Michael Moradzadeh, but thrown out for general discussion.
I ran across these over the weekend.
I remember reading about these a couple years ago, but they wern’t being produced then. Now they seem to be ramping up production. I’m wondering about the usage of these for remote nodes for signalling, etc. Or even in-locomotive computers. The GPIO port gives all sorts of possibilities.
Discuss…
Hi Bob! Yeah, I have been looking at that. It’s very interesting. My current scheme has been to use the 70 io Seeeduino, for which I have written, but not tested, the code, but that raspberry looks very interesting and easier to set up. You thinking of gettin’ one?
Not sure. In designing the signal logic, I WAS pondering having one big central location, with wiring going out to each interlocking. But if I can offload a bunch of the logic to a ‘smart node’ at each interlocking, then the amount of wiring goes down. If this thing had wireless, then it’d be GREAT.
Pondering getting one just to see. Im a bit behind the curve on these things, I have stamps, atoms, ibuttons, and nanos, but no Arduinos yet. This thing, though, is pretty tempting.
Bob,
There is a big hype over here about them.
I am probably going to buy one, provided they are in-stock!
Alec
Yes, they keep selling out. But this month, my focus will be laying the first loop of track anyway
You just add a wi-fi usb dongle, but then you add $30 or more to the cost, doubling the cost of each unit.
Greg
US price is $40, but I think that includes shipping.
I bought a USB Wi-Fi dongle for $8.95 a month or two ago. Shipping was another $5.95.
Still, brings the Wi-Fi enabled total to almost $60. They really should remove the $25 from the header on the web-page.
A bit misleading 
Ralph
Why reinvent and why use 32 bit processor when a less than $2 eight or sixteen bit micro is more more than adequate? The model railroad “electronics” community is alive and kicking with a great DIY projects, software and support and provide great starting points. Since most of the software is Open Source we Geeks can hack to create that perfect system. Older efforts such as the Bruce Chubb designed Computer/Model Railroad Interface (C/MRI) System is alive an kicking with support from JLC Enterprises (http://www.jlcenterprises.net/). Newer efforts include the designs, kits and software from the Model Electronic Railway Group (MERG ) (http://www.merg.org.uk/) and the Local Control Bus (OpenLCB) (http://openlcb.org/).
C/MRI systems are based on 68xx series and other eight bit microprocessor based nodes communicating over RS232 and RW485 serial buses. MERG uses uses newer MicroChip PIC microprocessor based nodes with the original system communicating over a custom NMRA DCC bus with the latest designs communicating over a customized Controller Area Network* (CAN) bus. The initial OpenLCB (http://openlcb.org/) effort is based on Atmel AVR microprocessors with additional support for PIC microprocessors (http://www.youtube.com/openlcb). OpenLCB also communicates over CAN bus. All of these systems provide interfaces to PCs (e.g. RS232, RS485, USB, LAN, etc.) and also are supported by JMRI (http://jmri.sourceforge.net/). MERG also seems to be moving towards OpenLCB.
I am currently working on converting a Digitrax Loconet DCC N scale demonstration layout to a CAN bus connected OpenLCB layout. The layout is an oval / figure eight with one through and two dead end sidings. The layout includes eight switches with signaling, eight power blocks with current detection and auto reverse and sixteen detection sections. Most of the smart nodes are based on MERG designs and software but updated using sixteen bit PIC microprocessors which allows me more options and better support for programing in assembler and C. I am working on a CAN to Loconet interface, but currently use Android phone and Apple iPod touch apps through JMRI for wireless throttle control.
Besides the PC, the hardware will include one USB to CAN board, one DCC command station board, two quad block power controllers with , two switch driver boards, one signal board driving the eight Digitrax signal heads, a sixteen channel detector board for receiving the signals from the two eight channel section detection boards. For the garden layout with the moisture being a big issue I have modified a node to drive pneumatic solenoid valves to provide switch control. I have also started to look at modification of the block controllers to handle the higher currents. This system does represent a little overkill, but it is designed for demonstrating the capabilities of the system while autonomously running up to four train sets.
Although I am currently running the system with JMRI, I have also thought about using a board similar to the Raspberry Pi as a master controller. I am not against 32 bit processors, as I have a stack of ARM based boards on my bench including single, dual and quad+ core ARM SoC’s. But at the moment, due the availability of cheap PCs ( $0 - free from the scrap heap ) and the significant amount of programming and interfacing necessary to get a Rpi like system operating, I will stick with PCs for control. In addition both Atmel and MicroChip provide support for CAN with good CAN examples and software libraries. Now if one of you other Geeks will get the Linux distribution of JMRI running on an Rpi, I could very rapidly change my attitude.
*For those unfamiliar with CAN, when the technician hooks an analyzer into the interface under the dash of your vehicle they are plugging into a CAN bus. Many industrial control systems also communicate over this standardized bus. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAN_bus and http://www.interfacebus.com/CAN-Bus-Description-Vendors-Canbus-Protocol.html.
Ken: Welcome to the electronics-gizmo forum. Looking forward to hearing and seeing more of what you’re working on.
Ive been toying around with writing a National Instruments-to-JMRI interface for my cards. I have a set of java drivers for the cards, but I dont understand the layout of the drivers under JMRI yet. I need to dive into it, or find someone that can glue both pieces together. yet another project!
Ken, thanks for those resources. They look worthy of review!
Answering one question, why reinvent? Well, because it’s fun! Why scratchbuild when a fully-built version is available? Same reason.
Still, looking at what others are doing, and adapting where called for, is a good practice.
Michael
What I wish for is a single, CHEAP board that could use BASIC language to drive a headlight and ditchlight LED setup. Certainly would be nice.
Jason Gallaway said:Depending on your definition of cheap
What I wish for is a single, CHEAP board that could use BASIC language to drive a headlight and ditchlight LED setup. Certainly would be nice.
http://www.parallax.com/tabid/295/Default.aspx
These things are fun, I have a couple of them.
I’ve never used a BASIC Stamp, but have looked at them before. Pretty neat stuff. The last motor control project I tackled was a amateur satellite antennae track control for a pair of TV rotors driven off the serial port of a PC. Had the bench model working pretty good by the time the satellite burned up 
Now all the neat stuff is geostationary, or very high orbit with no need to track.
Gentlemen, I have been working with the Raspberry Pi for a few months and have had a really great time learning about it and interfacing it with various devices.
I have some notes on what I have been doing here: http://www.trainelectronics.com/RaspberryPi/
As far as using it for most model railroad applications it is probably overkill unless you want to use it to run a very complex system.
For things like the ditch lights and headlights that Jason is looking for I would strongly recommend the PICAXE. I have written a number of articles that detail how the $4.00 device can be used to make ditch lights, Mars lights and similar gizmos. Look over the article listing here for details and let me know if you have any questions.
http://www.trainelectronics.com/articles.htm
dave
Dang, and I spent all that time learning Arduino. Now that we have finished our sail from SF to Hawaii, it’s back to Train Time!
Santa brought me a raspberry pi. I am looking at and thinking, “gosh, this sure would make a sophisticated sound card…”
