TMWDCC Hardware

The TMWDCC hardware consists of four small boards.
TMW1 Processor board.
TMW2 or TMW5 Booster board or a more powerful booster like the NMRAF boosters.
TMW3 Ackdetector board.
TMW4 Relay board.

To only run and program locomotives, you need the processor and a booster, but if you want to be able to read out the configuration from your decoders, you have to add the Ack Detector and relay board.

These small boards are easy to build on an experiment board, but in case you would like to etch them, I supply the etch patterns. However, there is a company, Tekno Bygg, in Sweden, selling the TMWDCC PCBs and the NMRAF PCBs.

The Processor Board TMW1

The Processor board is plug compatible with the DCC-MB Logic Board. That means that you can use either of these boards. The TMWDCC board is a microprocessor controlled board that needs a pre loaded PIC16C84 processor. You can use a PIC16F84 processor instead of the PIC16C84. If you use a PIC16F84, please read the file read.me in the Tmw100.zip archive. The processor should be loaded with the file tmw100.hex, and that file is included in the tmwhex.zip package. The DCC-MB Logic board is built up with conventional logic circuits.

For those of you who can program the processor on your own. Use:
OSC=HS,
WDT=off,
PWRT=off,
CP=off
for fuse values, and don't forget to read the file read.me, contained in the tmwhex.zip package.
Use the file tmw100.hex which has the fuse values included.

For those of you who do not have the foggiest idea of what I am talking about, but would like to learn how to program a PIC16C84 processor, please follow this link.

For those of you who do not know, wish not learn or can not get help from a friend to program a processor, you can build the DCC-MB Logic Board., or a new four chip Logic Board design, included in C Heller´s IR system.

For the rest of you, that do not have the time to learn, or whatever, I can send you a preprogrammed processor, if you send me 3 processors or BETTER, a couple of nicely painted H0 figures or similar for at least the same amount of money. I pay the postage back.

The Processor Board..

The Minibooster Board TMW2 (0.3A)

The Minibooster is a very simple booster you can build to test this project in a hurry. Almost a no cost booster. I did get the schematics from M Brandt. The booster is not good enough to power your layout, but it can sure run a single locomotive. The booster is a good choice if you are going to use this system as an off line programmer.

Power the booster with the TMW6 Power Supply and fuse the supply with 0.5A fuses.

You can use plus minus 12V though, instead of plus minus 15V. It works with almost all decoders I have tested. The plus minus 12V can you get from the inside of the PC.

The Minibooster..

The Ackdetector Board TMW3

The Ackdetector (acknolage detector) is a device that can detect the acknolage from a decoder. Every time you read (confirm) or write to a CV in a decoder the decoder responds with an acknolage. This is most often done by the decoders, by starting the motor in the locomotive for a short time. The detector can sense the rail for such a short motor hitch, and tell the PC that the decoder responded with an ack. The TMWDCC program is using this when "reading" the contents of the CV:s in a decoder..

The Ackdetector.

Link to two other Ackdetectors on the net.

The Relay Board TMW4

The relay board is there to prevent that more than one locomotive is in contact with the booster while programming the decoder. The relay board also connects a resistor in series with the programming current, making it impossible to destroy a faulty installed decoder. The board is also providing, the for some decoders very important reset, to exit service mode, and be operable with its new CV contents after a programming. The relays are controlled from the TMWDCC program when changing between Operate Mode and Service Mode.
The first series of ready etched card from TeknoBygg in Sweden, are unfortunately faulty due to my mistake. There is a correction further down.

The Relay Board. Changed 980124

Correction of the first series board.

The Midibooster Board TMW5 (1.5A)

The Midibooster is a simple booster you really can run your trains with. It builds on the Minibooster. Use the TMW6 Power Supply to power it, and fuse the supply with 2A fuses. The booster is a good choice if you only are going to run a couple of trains per block. You can afford several boosters feeding smaller blocks on your layout.

The Midibooster.

Power Supply TMW6 (2A)

The Power Supply is used to power the mini- and midi boosters with the +5V +15V and -15V needed to operate your trains and program your decoders. The power supply is fed with 12-15V AC.

The Power Supply.

Power Supply TMW7 (2A)

The Power Supply is used to power the mini- and midi boosters with the +5V +15V and -15V needed to operate your trains and program your decoders. The power supply is fed with 12 AC.

The Power Supply.

A Powerful Booster

The NMRAF7 Booster is a 3A booster that can fit any home layout. The NMRAF8 Booster is a 6A booster for a club layout. Both these boosters are made for build it yourselfers. The NMRAF stuff has been made available to me by Rutger Friberg.
There is a small modification that has to be made to the NMRAF7 booster, and that is a resistor that has to be added. The resistor will be the interface to the TMWDCC Ackdetector.
NMRAF7 mod
The detector is connected the same way in the NMRAF8 booster, but no modification is needed there.

Link to All NMRAF files.
Link to NMRAF7.
Link to NMRAF7 etch pattern.
Link to NMRAF8.
Link to NMRAF8 etch pattern.
Link to Part list NMRAF7 & NMRAF8.

Throttle Connection Schematics

Throttle connection Schematics.

Throttle type A

The type A throttles are almost the same as the DCC-MB throttles. The only difference is the direction switch. If you replace the momentary push button switch in the DCC-MB throttle with a one pole throw switch you have a TMWDCC throttle. The throttles are connected the same way as the DCC-MB throttles.
There should also be added a capacitor across each switch in a way that the capacitor is still connected to the game port when the throttle is unplugged to be moved to another jack along the line. The value of the capacitor should be 220uf, and mind the polarity. The negative lead of the capacitor should point to pin 4 of the game port.

Type A throttle.

Throttle type B

The type B throttles are throttles with a pot for speed controlling, a toggle switch for the direction and five toggle switches for controlling the functions F0/FL, F1, F2, F3, F4. (Function F4 can not yet be controlled from a throttle) This throttle requires TMWDCC ver 1.21 or later.

Type B throttle.

Throttle type C

The C type throttle is a very simple but powerful throttle. It can with its only pushbutton and its knob, control speed, direction and the five functions F0/FL and F1-F4, independently. The speed is controlled by the knob. The functions can be either toggled or controlled momentarily. You can also select a locomotive from the throttle, and assign it to the throttle (ver1.27 and later.) Here is how the throttle works:

When the speed is zero, the pushbutton toggles the direction or selects a locomotive. A short push will toggle the direction. If you push and hold the button, TMWDCC will go into a locomotive selection screen. The screen will go black, and three BIG zeroes will be displayed. They are big, so you can read them far from the monitor. You can now with the knob browse through all the free locomotive numbers. You simply turn the knob, and when you pass half speed, the screen starts to browse. If you go back with the knob, you browse backwards, and at half speed you stop. A short push now on the button will toggle the direction for that locomotive. A displayed minus sign will tell, that the locomotive will run backwards. This is useful if you run consists with locomotives running backwards. If you now press and hold the button, TMWDCC will select the displayed locomotive. The black screen will go away when you set the knob to zero speed, and you have assigned a locomotive to your C-throttle. You can now select another one and that way build a consist. When you select locomotive number zero you will clear the throttle and free all locomotives previously assigned to it.

When the speed is NOT zero, the button will control the functions in this manner. One short push will toggle F1, two pushes will toggle F2 and so on, and five pushes will toggle F0/FL. If you press the button once and hold it down, it will toggle F1, but when you let it up, F1 will toggle back again. If you push the button twice and hold the second push down, F2 will toggle and toggle back when you lift your finger from the button, and so on. with five pushes for F0/FL.

Now go ahead and build your consists and control your whistle, horn, pantographs, couplers, sliding doors or sound modules or flicker the head lights, fireboxes, ditch lights or mars lights, or whatever you have connected to your functions. Simple enough?

The Type C Throttle requires TMWDCC ver 1.26 or later.
Selecting locomotives with the throttle, requires ver 1.27 or later.

Type C Throttle.

ROCO wreck crane controller

This "throttle" is a control device for the ROCO crane. It is a disabled Type-B throttle. The crane uses a combination of F0/FL and F1 to select the function, and the direction and speed to control the movement of the wire and the arm. The extra switch is used when calibrating the throttle. The controller can also be used as a two function locomotive throttle.
The ROCO crane is equipped with a 14 step decoder, and does not support acknowledge, e.g. you can not read out the CV values. This throttle requires TMWDCC ver 1.21 or later.

F0/FL..F1....Forward........Reverse
..1........1......Hook up......Hook down
..1........0......Cab CW......Cab CCW
..0........1......Boom up......Boom down
..0........0......Magnet on....Magnet off

The Crane Controller.

Potentiometer values.

Here is a description on how determine the value of the throttle pot.

Throttle Expansion

Here is a description on how to add a second game card to your PC. This will enable four more throttles for you to play with.

Decoders

Have a look at the TMW decoder page with links to the major DCC brands and to all the homemade decoders I know of.

Have a look at the TMW accessory decoder page with schematics and microcode to build two accessory decoders.

Have a look at the TMW PIC Programming page with info on programming the PIC16C84, PIC16F84, PIC12C509 and PIC12CE519 processors in the homemade decoders.

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