ARDUINO - PART ONE: A TASTER - BOUNCING SIGNALS & SPEED TRAP, AND SOME SHOPPING

In this post I am only going to put up the videos of my two ARDUINO demonstrations, and provide images of the products used, as they are currently available at JAYCAR.  Prices are at today's prices in Australian dollars.  I will go into depth about programming the ARDUINO in following postings.

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In this video we witness my mock-up of a NSW 3-aspect upper-quadrant signal.  There were many of them used in the Newcastle district.  In the final version, the signal arm will be 3D-printed, there will be LED illumination behind the spectacle plate, the signal mast will be much finer scale [!], and the servo will be mounted below the baseboard.

The cat fur is NOT prototypical!

The signal can be programmed to drop prototypically to DANGER as a train passes it, and then after a time delay, rise to the CAUTION indication, before finally rising to CLEAR after a further delay.  Signals bounce because their weight (or their counterweight in the case of lower quadrant signals) contains stored energy, which is released upwards again on impact, in ever diminishing amounts, like a tennis or basketball. I have tried to program this reaction to gravity into this signal.  To see the real thing in action, try this link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JmoeKavzII

VIDEO CREDIT: Bevan Wall [bwDVD]

These are the components in this demonstration.

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The speed trap.

This program is a lap timer and runs continuously giving a read-out of the time taken and the speed in kph.  It could just as easily be programmed to give mph.  The ARDUINO is shown in the demonstration as a stand-alone operating under battery power.  If connected to your PC or laptop, it can print the times and speeds to your computer screen, and the LCD display would not be required.

While you are on the job, if you do not already have your own leads on hand, you may consider getting these. The mixed set of breadboard leads is probably a good starter set.  Over time I find the most useful types being the male/male and the male/female; as opposed to the female/female leads I hardly ever use.  It is worth paying extra and getting the heavy duty alligator leads.

You may also find it useful to acquire a breadboard to help with some of our experiments.  They come in various sizes, and all are useful.  Here is a small one.

We are also going to need a cable such as this one to connect our ARDUINO to our computer for programming.  You may already own one as it came/comes supplied with many devices such as printers and scanners.

If you are also thinking of building the speed trap laptimer you might consider getting a circle of track such as this from BACHMANN. Shown is a pack of 18" radius EZ TRACK containing 4 pieces - you will need 3 packs.