Arduino for Lego Trains #9: Automatic Decoupler

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Arduino for Lego Trains #9: Automatic Decoupler

Рет қаралды 147,041

Күн бұрын

Seperate your wagons from your locomotive using this awesome Arduino-powered decoupler!
Using a single motor and some infra-red sensors, this clever construction of gears, axles and plates can block one side of the track, preventing individual rolling stock from moving forward. From there, just power your train forward to uncouple your wagons!
This tutorial incorporates the decoupler into a siding, allowing you to uncouple wagons, switch points, then retrieve other wagons before continuing on your journey. All the code you need for your Arduino is provided, including a full explanation of how the decoupler is build and configured.
Contains vintage 9V Lego train sets 4565, 4544, 4552, 2126, 4536, and 4537.

Пікірлер: 39

@Kazashimo1 3 жыл бұрын

Lego released an automatic decoupling unit 40 years ago for the 12v train system - set 7862

@dimauvandiest781 3 жыл бұрын

and it is a lovely set

@lukrailway 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliant. Would love one on our layouts!

@rugaag 3 жыл бұрын

Very brutal, but absolutly awesome 👍

@paulculbert1281 8 жыл бұрын

ALT, Today you won the internet. Amazing!!!

@goldfing5898 22 күн бұрын

2:40 An interesting design, but IMHO has a big drawback: since the slider is upside down, it only works on a smooth surface like the desk in the video. But it would not work if the track is built on a carpet, as is often the case. So it would be better to have a design with plates on the bottom, then tiles (all upside up, not down), then the slide consisting of a plate and the gear rack on top.

@lynks123 5 жыл бұрын

Could this code be modified to pull away slower when decoupling? It seems incredibly rough.

@mothballz99 8 жыл бұрын

Man, this makes me wish I could find a lot of 9V track and an arduino for decent prices. Or, for that matter, space to put it. Another great tutorial as always!

@samuelhulme8347 5 жыл бұрын

The tracks are not 9v

@samuelhulme8347 5 жыл бұрын

Just cut a power functions cable and wrier it to the ardinuo

@jpest17 3 жыл бұрын

That decoupling looks pretty aggressive, Does the train itself have a throttle threshold that can be manipulated so at it's lowest speed it uses only the required amount of force to decouple?

@thomasstewart9752 4 жыл бұрын

a magnet sensor could be used not only to determine the location of the gap between two cars, but with two magnet sensors, you could measure each car's length and speed.

@ironhorsestudios5068 8 жыл бұрын

3:14 Guides could be required for keeping the tab that pushes up the decouple flap in place. Other than that, decoupling my trains has never looked easier.

@ibrickstudios5902 8 жыл бұрын

Awesome Tutorial!

@multidomar 8 жыл бұрын

Awesome tutorial as always! ;)

@ArduinoLegoTrains 8 жыл бұрын

+Multidomar Thanks!

@inakinahuelsantosangel3460 8 жыл бұрын

+Arduino Lego Trains is a witch , uses black magic to make these works of lego

@ArduinoLegoTrains 8 жыл бұрын

iñaki santos angel oh no! You have discovered my dark secret!

@DRSDavidSoft 8 жыл бұрын

Man, this is real engineering! Do you have any other KZfaq accounts?

@ArduinoLegoTrains 8 жыл бұрын

Just my professional voiceover samples, which is far too boring to link here!

@brayand8022 5 жыл бұрын

5:17-5:21 WE ALL GOT ROASTED BY HIM

@Dvir1300 4 жыл бұрын

Really nice project! One question please: In 0:13 the switch is moving, but I can't see any motor or another mechanism that moves it. I'm really looking for a easy way to control train switches by Arduino, and would be glad to learn this method.

@chayspence1806 2 жыл бұрын

@goldfing5898 27 күн бұрын

Part 3 ("Motorized Track Switches") of this video series shows a nice motorized gearbox to control a switch. It uses an old 9V Technic motor and some Technic parts, all genuine Lego parts: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/npNledB4y7_egqc.html Hope this helps!

@Paladonius 8 жыл бұрын

Why was the decoupler not hitting the front bogie of the freight car with the 2 blue cement mixers ?

@ArduinoLegoTrains 8 жыл бұрын

+Paladonius In the code I used the map function to reduce the sensitivity of the IR sensors. Despite this, the sensors occassionally register black lego as a 'gap', because it doesn't reflect IR light very well. If you look at these wagons, there's a black ladder on the side - the arduino thinks that the gap is there, and reacts accordingly.

@SPiKExGamerKage 8 жыл бұрын

if you don't wana hear about the technical code then skip to 8:42

@ethancoy9237 7 жыл бұрын

this is awesome don't get me wrong but wouldn't electro-mags be easier?

@ArduinoLegoTrains 7 жыл бұрын

How do you mean?

@ethancoy9237 7 жыл бұрын

wouldn't electro magnets be easier than your method

@ArduinoLegoTrains 7 жыл бұрын

electromagnets where? between the wagons? That would mean replacing every single magnet (the standard lego connection) on every locomotive and wagon on the track, and adding a second power system to keep them connected when the train is not in motion (because when the train stops, there's 0volts in the system). So sure, it would make disconnection easier, but it would make keeping the wagons connected a lot more complicated.

@nordemoniac 2 жыл бұрын

9:50 Don't drink and train.

@scout_troop3r 8 жыл бұрын

what app is that?.

@ArduinoLegoTrains 8 жыл бұрын

What do you mean? This is all programmed in the Arduino IDE.

@scout_troop3r 8 жыл бұрын

Ok, i didnt understand at first, btw awesome tutorials they are so cool, i wish i could make the things you make but i dont have things needed 😕

@dani-xp7kq 8 жыл бұрын

how to build ?

@goldfing5898 27 күн бұрын

The profile page of this channel offers a link to a website where you can find written tutorials to these videos. They also contain building instructions in multiple colors, very useful.