I would prefer to use Arduino type units rather than buy commercial products partly because its more interesting and also because it can take up to 6 weeks for parcels to arrive here and a proportion inevitably get lost. The manual is essentially used when something goes wrong and i need to bring things back to the correct starting point. I will probably run like today with 80+ % automatic operation. I now need some sort of control interface and would like some advice. I am starting to experiment with DCC, I have a DCC controller made with an Arduino Uno and motor shield running DCC++EX which works well. In principle this can be corrected by programming but as I am required by higher management to "put my crap away after use" I have to make a set up each time i run the layout and the set up must always be the same, a system which can recognise the engine could be better. This setup runs very well and does not need a JMRI type of interface, however there are some limitations, the fast express, the commuter DMU and the freight train run at approximately the same speed as the Arduino cannot identify an engine. The automatics are DC and controlled by Arduinos, position sensing by Hall effect switches and with magnets under the engines. I have a small n gauge layout in 4 parts, one fully automatic branch line, two mainline tracks with independent fiddle yards which can be either fully automatic or manual and a central shunting yard which is fully manual including an Arduino controlled turntable.
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