Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if you really want to use this without a Pi, plug this into the hat, and into your PC https://www.amazon.com/Qunqi-FT232R...rd_wg=Cg5Tp&psc=1&refRID=149STDH8A3R697ZWWZZ3
So. VERY slowly. and THANK YOU ALL, in advance. This is amazing. 1 Rpi 1 DCC++ Hat No Arduino No Other Motor shield 1 SD card, with the RPi OS, JMRI SW and DCC++ SW - i'll learn what I need to do here. 1 Power supply (Specs recommendations please) - or is it 2? one for RPI, one for Hat? Apple or Google device(s), for train control 1 Computer with SW that allows me to access JMRI, via wifi, on RPi to create rosters, routes etc. Any other hardware? At 5A, this can run a few O gauge trains, or most any home N layout!!! neat!!
Dave Your website says coming June and Sold Out. Does that mean it's just not here yet, or is the first run actually sold out? Thanks!
The hat is basically the arduino and motor shield crammed into one card You won't need the DCC++ software Going by his first design, you will need 2 power supplies, one the voltage you want to run on your track. and a 5 volt PSU to run the PI. The PI can be powered by a modern cell phone charger. Strictly speaking, you don't NEED the other computer. You can plug monitor, keyboard, and mouse into the PI and use the JMRI software directly on the PI.
The DCC++ software is preloaded on the microprocessor on the HAT......you don't have to download or install it, but it's basically the same code. The Raspberry PI runs a Debian Linux version of JMRI, but you do need some computer to run JMRI......the only computer on the HAT runs DCC++, not JMRI.
DCC++ firmware will apparently come pre-loaded, the DCC++ controller software is not required if using JMRI I have had no issue running JMRI strait on the PI, I remote into the PI for convenience sake, but strictly speaking, besides the PI, no other computer is required.
Cool project, a ATmega328P microCONTROLLER from a uno with DCC++ pre installed and a properly heatsinked h-bridge on the same board that plugs directly into a Raspberry PI computer running JMRI. Only thing missing is the uno header on top of the hat to use the rest of the pins. Good work! w8one
David - my congratulations and thanks for developing this project, and for the open-source licence. Given the eye-watering costs of USPS shipping across the pond, I will probably order a few boards from Oshpark and construct one of my own. You haven't yet published a licence for the hardware but, assuming it is also open-source, I would be happy to supply (at cost) bare boards for people in Europe. I've done this with the ISE DCC Arduino shield (with Nathan's blessing) and with Geoff Bunza's DCC accessory decoder board. This isn't a business but purely to justify the minimum PCB order and keep the costs down for modellers on this side of the pond ! (Take a look at the ISE Github repository if you need an example open-source hardware licence).
you can find most of the information for this project here: https://github.com/cescalemodels/BaseStationHAT It looks like the latest hardware description is there but there is no new PCB files for it.
Just as an alternative Sprog has now come out with a piSprog as well with the same concept. I was very much looking forward to the DCC++ hat but it appears dead. Sprog unfortunately is not open source but it is an alternative if you want to use the Pi.
I emailed him to ask about me possibly contunuing the project.....I'll let you all know what the response is. From his web site: http://www.cescalemodels.com/ To my valued customers and supporters over the last four years, Thank you all for your support. I've done a lot of work on a number of projects over the last few years, and have enjoyed working with all of you. Today I am announcing my decision to discontinue new developments for CESM indefinitely. I recognized a while back that I was starting to lose interest in the repetitive tasks of designing the parts that I sell, and the recent failure of my signal products to sell, compounded with mediocre C636/M636 sales, has pushed me over the edge. As part of this move, here's what's happening: I will be refunding all open orders for the C636/M636 and signals My shapeways shop will remain open The C636 design files will be moved to my shapeways shop Shell (http://shpws.me/Pibk) - I'm not confident it'll work in BHDA but it should in FXD. Fuel Tank (http://shpws.me/Pibe) Trucks (http://shpws.me/OPpC) I will be closing the ecommerce portion of my website Etchings and other spares will be available by contacting me at dave@cescalemodels.com If you'd like to follow my future developments I will be updating this page periodically.I've had a great run at this. Thanks again to all of you. David Cutting Cutting Edge Scale Models 12/8/2017
