TRAFFIC LIGHTS!!!!!!!!

For those who want their little towns to progress from one 4-way stop to one traffic light, Check out the ones from Germany.
www.rolfs-laedchen.de/
Look under Dorf & Straße
Yes they are the German ones, and go Green-Yellow-Red then Red-Yellow-Green(If you use the electronic package) But I am pretty sure they can be used with a different electronics package and do the American thing. Green-Yellow-Red them Red-Green.
www.rolfs-laedchen.de/spurz/10700.gif

Checked out the signals and went through all the Z products some very interesting things.

Rolf is a nice guy and likes Americans and American stuff. Good thing about Z scale stuff is, it is so small that postage is not bad from Germany to the US. Actually cheaper than some folks charge people from US to US addresses.

NIce to see these available even if the lights are in different order; not a deal breaker to me. Thanks for posting the link

Some interesting products there.

Glenn,
The electronics isn't much of an issue. MR published a traffic light circuit in the 90s, if a number on enhancements published in subsequent issues.

Mark

Isn't there some new and cheap electric circuits at on the market that will do everything? They are made for artists and hobbits and robot builders? They are some kind of computer blocks that can be programed from your computer. I think I will start a thread on those.

Kelley, probably thinking of the Arduino and its many derivatives. A lot of possibilities with that.

I've created a thread so we can stop contaminating this topic. =)

I talked to Rolf the other day on the phone and he said he is asking his electronics guru, if he could come up with an electronics packet that would reflect American style of sequencing. Dunno if and when that will happen but as soon as I know something,I will pass the word.

Kelly,
If Rolf uses the MR magazine circuit it should be easy. That design will fit into a 22V10 chip (that will mean something to an electronics guru). The issue I had with the traffic light controller was creeping elegance, adding a night cycle (flashing red & yellow for 2AM) and grade protection (cycling the traffic light to clear the tracks before the train arrives).

Mark

Mark, what about going the long way around the problem and design 4 separate circuits; one each to control regular daytime/night, another for early morning, a third for the clearing the tracks, and yet a 4th to control the other three? A bit expensive... but it could work.

Joe

Joe,
I see no reason your method wouldn't work just fine! Its really just a matter of how much one wants to spend in electronics space and money. There are also multi-core microcontrollers that would fit your ideas very well: a core unit for each of the functions you describe with enough core left over to monitor for an approaching train and another to control the crossing signal.
When I designed my circuit, I wanted to keep the cost low, under $20. When I look at add-on electronics for signals and crossing control, it seem that was the upper limit of what people would want to pay.

Mark

Take a look at Bakatronics there are some interesting modules.

www.bakatronics.com

BK213 Traffic Light Controller, $39.95

Traffic Light controller for Bulb or LED type traffic lights. Includes outputs for walk / Don't walk lights and night blinking patterns

Module:
- Eight Sequenced outputs for 4 way traffic control and walk / don't walk lights
- Micro-processor controlled circuit with pre programmed sequences.
- Voltage regulator on circuit board to enable voltages from 7 to 14 VDC to be used
- Sequences are programmed to turn on and off for a realistic Traffic Light look.
- Will work with Bulb type lights or LED's common anode LED lights
- Walk light output included in module, but can be used without walk lights
- Driver chip is included in the module and can operate lights up to 300ma per circuit
- Assembled circuit board is 1" x 2 3/8" x approx. 1/2" high

BILL

These are all cool but since my autos are solid chunks of metal that cant roll, I guess one could have a permanent red light with cars sitting there and permanent green light with cars, well just sitting there. Still the LEDS are mounted and its all wired up and ready to go. Be cool to set up a town where there is rail traffic on the street like that city layout that was in MR a year or so back.

Kelley wrote: ...but since my autos are solid chunks of metal that cant roll, I guess one could have a permanent red light with cars sitting there and permanent green light with cars, well just sitting there...

Exactly what I was thinking. Either have the streets with working traffic signals devoid of autos and locate all cars on streets sitting at stop signs and in parking lots/driveways, or perhaps we’re putting the cart before the horse here. Maybe what is sourly needed first is an EASY way to mobilize our vehicles? Maybe if not such an easy way, then a standardized way/standardized parts readily available (within the Z Community) to do so.

Joe

Still nice to have working traffic lights. I keep plugging stuff for Rolf, He took a chance om making American stuff. I keep bugging him for more stuff, who knows what will pop up.