N-RE

Guideline For Construction And Operation

Modules: Electric

Release

2.0.2

2007-06-02

At the module

Rules:

  1. Cables, parallel to the track, at least with 0.75 mm² cross section.
  2. No electronic devices in the track's electric system at all, except boosters and vehicle detectors.
  3. No automatic train control (ergo, no train stop due to halt signals).
  4. Do not burden the digital voltage for secondary aim.
  5. For security reasons: No power supply voltage (230 V AC) at the module.

Recommendations:

  1. Power sources for additional electrical consumer (example: free usable signal modules) provide 12..15 V DC.
  2. Signals on free usable signal modules get a connection cable of 5 m to it's control box. This is fixed (for example with a c-clamp) at the assigned station.
  3. For a future vehicle detection one rail of the tracks is divided to a [sufficient] number of registration sections, each of them wired dividable; long sections get it's own parallel cable.

Best practices and illustrations:

Parallel cables:
Close leads, ergo, no loops, keep the inductivity small, so that the steep flanks of the digital signal are kept, and interferences stay small.
It is sufficient to connect that cable approximately each 0.5 m with the rails.
Thin blank wires are appropriate as connection with the rail, sold to a blank part of the parallel cable and to the rail's foot (or a rail joiner).
Security:
All power plugs, multiple sockets, transformers etc. belong at a separate clip board (not at the floor because of danger by tapping on it); transformers, at least in order the waste head does not damage the module.
No electronically devices, which alter the digital signal, must be added in the power supply of the tracks, and therefore may interfere the operation. (Does not apply to boosters and proved vehicle detectors.)
No automatic train control:
Stop by "voltage-off" contradict to DCC.
Digital voltage:
Even, it is a great temptation: The digital voltage is for driving only! All other consumers have to be powered by own electrical sources, in order to avoid an overload of the digital boosters.
Junctions
should be build, so that the point rail and stick rail, that belong together, have the same electrical potential. Otherwise bad adjusted pair of wheels (rather cars with long and inflexible frame) may short-circuit.
The frog have to be powered by a double-throw switch, because contacts of the tapering rails, or such, pollute after some time and do not provide safe contact anymore.

At the profile ends

Rules:

  1. No contact of the rails (ergo, safe electrical disconnection).
  2. Connection cables for the digital voltage (interface cable):
  3. For safety reasons: No connection for AC, just not for low voltage.

Best practices and illustrations:

Connection cables for the digital voltage (interface cable):
The connection method, introduced here, is the record holder, concerning fast assembling and low error rate. For the first time it should have been described from the section H0e.
In fact, the interface cables and the parallel cable (see above) may be the same unit. It is better, to install it as three pieces, and to connect them with luster terminals at the inside of the profile. They work as protective predetermined breaking point, and support the replacement of defective "pigtails".
Preferable cable color are brown or red/black; white and black are reserved for other usage. The plugs should be red, but in no case blue (see below "feeder cable").
An additional hole at the plugs makes it easier to connect a booster or an extension cable (more comfortable if in the interface cable, but sufficient in the additional cables). Plugs with holes at the end are more expensive than plugs with transversal, put are a better protection against short-circuits.
Needless long "pigtails" increase the cable chaos. Who places connection jacks deep inside the module, also has to provide the necessary cables!
No connection for AC:
Such connections lead to – worse of mostly unknowingly – parallel circuit of the secondary winding of the transformers. If one of the transformers is unplugged from the main power, the full main power voltage applies at it's blank contacts, even sometimes more. Therefore, power additional consumer with DC as possible(see above)!
Feeder cable:
This is a two-core passing cable without electrical connection to the module, the same connection technique as for the connection cable (brown or red/black cable, blue plugs). It makes a route module, designed for digital operation, usable for analog operation ("W-Circuit").