<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"> <style></style> </head> <body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"> <div class="WordSection1"> An update on the structured wiring for our DCC/DC-C/MRI rewiring plan. Friday afternoon Wayne and I spent some time discussing the overall plane and issues. I had already felt that having the turnouts and detectors grouped was not making sense as there is no real grouping correlation between turnouts and detectors, especially as these must be assigned to one or the other DC cab to work. When we talked about the current block 7 on a Tuesday at some point, the asymmetric relationship of the cabs and the ratios of turnouts to detectors shows how little this correlates. As I talked it through with Wayne, the “cost” in CAT5 efficiency of making them separate was clarified. After considering fill and capacity, it seems to make sense to just have one CAT5 for each individual edge module/device (Turnout, Signal or Detector set). The benefit is every individual turnout and signal as well as each 7 detector block is an individual CAT5 assigned to a specific C/MRI Panel. All logic signaling and common are in the CAT5s, not distributed on the layout - this should make for much easier installation and troubleshooting. It also means the only ground planes on the layout from a C/MRI perspective will be the 488 bus logic common for the inter-node signaling. All I/O logic commons will be in the panel or distributed through CAT5s. There are only three panels: the Maxi-Node panel where the current detectors are, a two Mini-Node Panel by the Narrow Gauge crawl through and a four Mini-Node Panel by the Passenger yard in the back. As there is no real value in creating a standard design for three distinct configurations, these are now each designed for the required 66 blocks for the I/O capacity and space. All three are configured and laid out in the doc. We also discussed tools for install now that we have a very simple repetitive wiring plan.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> This means that the C/MRI assignment planning is very decoupled from the physical wiring plant. Any C/MRI I/O point can be assigned to any I/O ports on any C/MRI node in one of those three “panel clusters” from the C/MRI perspective and it will be easy to terminate the physical device there. It also makes assigning them based on wiring (turnouts, 1 target, 2 target, 3 target) really easy as it is repetitive by 66 block. As each device uses exactly the same wiring assignments, all 12 ports on a 66 block can be wired with the same pattern to 12 sets of C/MRI ports and all the wiring is the same. BTW, none of this impacts the SW – I/O assignment in any way.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The only area that will need coordination is the final detector assignments to panels. The concept is to make a standardized Detector Module with 7 detectors (7 detectors and Logic Common in the CAT5). These will each be assigned to one of the DC Cabs and cover 7 CTC detection blocks on one DC cab in the area around the Detector Module on the layout. With around 120 CTC Blocks, we will need about 20 of these (17 exactly, but some inefficiency). My plan is to take your C/MRI assignments to the three panel clusters and see if it can be covered without any major inefficiencies by positioning and assigning the CTC Blocks to Detector Modules. We may end up with one or two that make sense to move, but that should be all.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> The cost of doing it this way is about 20-25 additional CAT5 cables (primarily as each turnout is an individual CAT5 (versus 2 clustered as in the previous designs). Version 8 of the plan on groups.io documents this, it has an additional 66 Block at C/MRI Panel 1 to accommodate the added cables. It also has designs for 6 tools to make testing both the module, cable, and C/MRI sides easy. We can exercise the edge modules and devices locally or through the CAT5, and exercise the C/MRI I/O either locally at the panel or in the field to test the cable and all connections. Should make troubleshooting and install much easier.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> One additional design consideration is having a cable tray to route the CAT5 cables both directions from a C/MRI panel. After looking at pretty high costs for metal, I added a design for a simple wood cable tray that we can build in a couple of hours for the entire layout. It provides a 4”x2” cable tray to run along a line of benchwork legs. <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Phil Edholm<o:p></o:p> Office 925-264-9420<o:p></o:p> Mobile 408-832-5618<o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html>