Number 3 DECEMBER 2012Number 3 DECEMBER 2012

THE NEWSLETTER OF ACC+ESS LIMITED-DESIGNERS AND MANUFACTURERS OF THE PROTOCAB WIRELESS MODEL RAILWAY CONTROL SYSTEM THE NEWSLETTER OF ACC+ESS LIMITED-DESIGNERS AND MANUFACTURERS OF THE PROTOCAB WIRELESS MODEL RAILWAY CONTROL SYSTEM

Exhibitions 2013Exhibitions 2013Acc+Ess Protocab will be demonstrated and on sale at the following exhibitions:Scalefour North

Wakefield 20/21 AprilExpo EM Bracknell 18/19 MayGuildex Telford 7/8 SeptemberScaleforum

Aylesbury 28/29 SeptemberWe will have clinics to answer your questions at most of these exhibitions, space permitting.

Wireless TriAngWireless TriAng Blue Pullman! Blue Pullman!No, you haven't misread the title. We fitted out, not the latest Bachmann Blue Pullman, but a 1960s TriAng motor coach, just in time for Scaleforum and to the delight of the visitors to the stand. Why did we do it? Simply to see how it would respond to being converted to Protocab. We were very pleasantly rewarded not only with a very simple installation, but response to the control far better than it had ever responded on straight direct current. The TriAng motor bogie was a very solid and reliable construction but this actual unit had been through two generations of children and languished in a toy box unused for nearly thirty years. When retrieved, the motor bogie was very rusty. The pickups and existing suppressor were removed and the LCU soldered to

two tags that were placed between the brushes and the retaining spring wire. It was important to place insulation over the spring wire so that the bogie chassis was electrically dead. The 1901-1955 battery and LCU were placed in the empty motor compartment (thanks, TriAng and Metro Cammell!) and the LIU fitted nicely between the fuel tanks underneath the body, the wire from the 9011 LIU fed through a conveniently placed hole in the floor (again, thanks TriAng!). The whole conversion took less than an hour with no surgery needed on the original unit.In the New Year, we will be converting a Bachmann SR 4-Cep and let's hope that it will be as simple and straightforward as the TriAng Blue Pullman. Photo Dan Hagon

A Happy Christmas and a Great A Happy Christmas and a Great Modelling Year ahead Modelling Year ahead to all modellers!to all modellers!

Since Protocab is not constrained by a single voltage at the rails, when we design our LCUs we do so based on the required power output of the loco rather than simply the current drawn by the motor. By describing the capacity of batteries in Watt-hours (Wh)or milliWatt-hours(mWh) we have a measure that is independent of the particular chemistry (and hence nominal voltage) of the cells and so allows a direct comparison that would not be possible by just using mAh ratings. By Ohm's Law the product of voltage and current is the power through a circuit and thus we can relatively freely exchange a higher/lower voltage for a lower/higher current respectively. Our LCUs incorporate a power supply subsystem to do just this. Thus we also have a degree of independence between the nominal battery and motor voltages.

In the Pilot Series we are releasing LCUs that are designed to drive motors with nominal voltages of 12V with power coming from lithium ion cells having a nominal voltage of 3.7V. We expect that, in future, other LCUs will be available for different combinations of battery chemistry and motor voltages. In our LCUs, energy is a precious resource, since it is carried around with the loco in the battery and any wasted energy results in reduced running periods. Hence it is important that our LCUs run efficiently and to this end we try to ensure that our LCU designs use and convert energy as efficiently as possible. To increase efficiency even further we can also use motors that are efficient too.

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We have been able to obtain further prices from our suppliers based on our first prototypes. This gives us a good indication that the estimated prices for the Pilot Series products will be of the order of (prices to include VAT) :Pilot Series Concentrator model 0001 (with WiFi) c.£175 (one required per layout)Locomotive Control Unit model 0501 (1amp @ 12v) c.£85 (includes 9011 LCU Interface)Locomotive Control Unit models 0502 (0.5amp @ 12v) 0503 (0.5amp @ 12v) (both include 9011 LCU Interface) Prices to be announcedBattery 19mm diam x 70mm length model 1901-1970 (8 Wh) c.£16 (with connectors and protection circuit)Other batteries: Prices to be announced

Prices and availability dates for the full range of products in the Pilot Series will be confirmed in early 2013.The app(lication) that we will make available to you to download to your Android smartphone or tablet from the Google Play store will be free of charge.As we finalise developments of the products (both hardware and software) we may make design improvements that will require a re-quote from our suppliers before we can confirm prices. Also, it is reasonable for suppliers to put a time limit on their quotes, but on a positive note, this period of low inflation should mean that there should not be too much movement on their current prices.

Planning for Protocab - 1: Power DescribedPlanning for Protocab - 1: Power Described

Prices updatePrices update

Your questions answeredYour questions answeredLetters and emails received from our visitors with our answersLetters and emails received from our visitors with our answers

Scaleforum 2012Scaleforum 2012

In anticipation of a busy time, we arrived at the Leatherhead Leisure Centre at 9.00pm on the Friday night and constructed the stand in around half an hour. It was interesting to note how many stands would be erected on the Saturday morning, but we managed to enjoy a fairly leisurely breakfast at the guest house on the Guildford Road. The Saturday was predictably busy and it was only very late in the day that Dan and Tony were able to get a break. On the Sunday, usually a less busy day, we set 'Lady Emily' on a rolling road to see how long the battery would last on continuous run. It started to slow down after five hours. We are especially gratified that a number of visitors told us that they had come to Scaleforum especially to visit our stand, and at least two of them had come a considerable distance. This is no doubt due to Editor James' allowing us space in the Scalefour News to describe Protocab and we were told by a number of visitors that our claims in that article were not exaggerated.

Planning for Protocab – Planning for Protocab – 1: Power Described 1: Power Described continuedcontinuedHere's a simple and fun way to demonstrate the difference between very efficient motors and (cheaper) less efficient ones (we are grateful to Ted Scannell for pointing out this method to us). Take a few matched pairs of motors and place each pair connected back to back. Now apply a quick torque to one of the pair and observe how long they keep rotating for. Although not a precise measure of motor efficiency this at least provides a simple qualitative comparison. We tried this with the motors shown in the table(quoted efficiencies come from manufacturer datasheets)Our simple qualitative results agreed fairly well with these values and clearly shows the dramatic difference a good quality motor can make. Although we can and do use our LCUs with older, more inefficient motors, such as the XO4, if maximum running time is important to you we recommend you choose the most

efficient motor you can source or afford. Sadly there are a large number of motors in regular use for model railway locos for which almost no usable technical data are available. At best the stall current is

given but very rarely will other data such as efficiency or power rating be given. In due course we hope to fill this void with data we have gathered ourselves so as to make it easier for modellers to select the right motors for their locos. However, for the time being we shall continue to also

provide maximum current output ratings for our LCUs so that where stall current is known it can be used to decide which LCU model to go for.With our batteries rated in Watt-hours and using our maximum rated motor power output as a guide we can get a good estimate of the expected running times for various battery/motor combinations. For instance an Acc+Ess Protocab 1901-1970 cell with 2200mAh capacity can also be rated at a capacity of 8.14Wh and thus an RE-140 motor can be driven at its rated power output for 8.14Wh / (1.21W / 42%) = 2.9 hours whereas the same battery could power an EN22 (which can develop slightly more power) for 8.14Wh / (1.4W / 64%) = 3.8 hours. In both cases this assumes the motor is continuously rotating and for the typical loads seen during a running session these times are bound to be an under- estimate (indeed in the case of the EN22 we have seen significantly longer running time in practical situations).

Make/model Max. efficiency

Rated power output (Watts)

Faulhaber 1219 E 015 G

70% 0.41

Canon EN22 64% 1.4

Mabuchi FF-130SH-11340

55% 0.55

MFA/Como Drills RE-140

42% 1.21

The motor bogie and Protocab components inside the TriAng “Blue Pullman” - note the rust!

“It is not clear if you need a controller per loco or if one controller can handle multiple locos as with DCC (There is a considerable cost implication here for 20+ locos)"A single controller is sufficient to control an entire layout and multiple locomotives. In addition, if, for convenience, you have other operators on the layout, each may have their own controller. They would be able to choose different locos from a list of locos on each controller but we ensure that at any time only one controller has control over any particular loco.We intend to provide a simple method for selecting multiple locos to work together (“consisting”) from one controller. As an aside, we are asking modellers for their opinions about being able to select a locomotive and set its speed, then, whilst it is running, to select a different locomotive to control and to be able to flip between the two. I would be interested to know your views on this.

“I know that battery technology has greatly advanced but do you consider that there is sufficient room for battery + control unit in a 4mm scale 0-6-0 tank loco. I appreciate that ballast weights can be reduced or removed but the space gained is still limited."We intend to provide battery/loco control unit combinations for a wide range of locomotives and this will certainly include 4mm/ft tank locomotives. We are installing Protocab in a range of kit and Ready to Run locomotives to evaluate conversion effort and performance. We

are currently converting, for example, a Perseverance etched brass GWR 14xx tank, followed by a Wills SECR P Class. I will be uploading details of the installation and resulting performance to our website, and as part of our regular newsletter.

“Given that most modern 4mm scale loco motors will draw between 0.5 to 1 amp and up to 2 amps for older open frame motors ( XO4, DS10, 11 etc)at 12v have you any info as to duration of charge when constant running.”As part of our evaluations in existing models, we have installed Protocab in a 1960s TriAng Blue Pullman driving car and this has run at an exhibition for the whole day. As you say, with a normal trailing load we would expect the current draw to be somewhat higher. The draw on the battery will depend on a number of factors, including the trailing load that the loco is to draw, whether your locomotives and rolling stock are sprung or compensated or plain bearings, track gradients etc, but we would expect a running session of several hours to be the norm. I notice you mentioned 'constant running'. We had an O gauge 'Terrier' on our recent stand at Scaleforum and this ran continuously for 5 hours, admittedly on a rolling road with no trailing load. We will be publishing the results of our testbed running on our website in due course.(see also the article on Power Described earlier in the newsletter)

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Your questions answeredYour questions answeredFrom previous pageFrom previous page

Already a number of manufacturers have approached us to ask us for dimensions to amend the designs of their kits to fit Protocab components. Modellers are also asking for more details, so in this newsletter and for those quiet hours over Christmas (between the turkey and the Christmas pud!), we have included some construction templates of the various Protocab components to build.

Protocab in a 4mm Tank LocoProtocab in a 4mm Tank Loco

Planning for Protocab – Planning for Protocab – 2: Templates2: Templates

“Is there any prospect of an industry standard for this system, I wouldn't want to end up with 21st century Zero 1."

We intend to provide leadership in the standard for this system and we will encourage by licence other manufacturers to provide support. The Acc+Ess standards for Protocab include a computer network based on current industry standards, and the Protocab applications have been developed according to our own standards. The application sits on top of a range of industry standards so that if any of the levels below the application change, it will not affect our application. We intend that our products will, wherever possible, be backwardly compatible with previous versions as we introduce new technology and applications.

Letters and emails are very welcome. Please send to news@protocab.comAnonymity respected when requested

Many of the modellers we have spoken to have asked whether Protocab could be fitted into a 4mm tank loco. We already proved that we could fit Protocab into a small 7mm tank loco (Lady Emily), but our challenge was whether the system including the battery could be fitted into the smaller scale. We chose one of Tony Hagon's fleet of kit build locos, a Perseverance GWR 14xx purchased nearly twenty years ago, representing a very small tank loco with sidetanks. This conversion to Protocab is a clear example of planning ahead for access to the battery and LCU. The kit designer, Rod Neep, suggested that the sidetanks and cab should be soldered to the footplate. In this case, this would make it difficult to fit the LCU/LIU and to get access to the battery. Instead, a 'foundation ring' comprising piece of scrap brass (from a Pendlenton/Mitchell

bogie fret, with conveniently radiused corners!) was soldered into the base of the sidetanks, having first drilled for 12BA and soldering on nuts so that the tanks could be screwed onto the footplate (see photo). However, the forward planning did not consider the possibility of putting small batteries in the boiler and smokebox. The ideal battery would be 14mm diameter by 50mm length, and the Protocab range will include it as a model 1901-1555. The problem is that with the backhead in place, there is not enough length to coax the 55mm long battery into the smokebox. Putting two 25mm batteries in series was rejected as this would complicate the charging arrangements. In the end we have used an 11mm diameter battery 50mm long, the smaller diameter enabling the battery to be inserted into the smokebox into a foam insert to secure the battery in place. The 14xx locos were usually to be found at the head or tail of a single autocoach or half a dozen milk wagons, so the trailing load would not be huge. Similarly, although nippy locos, speeds rarely exceeded 50mph, so if our calculations are correct, with 5'2" wheels we need 271rpm at the axles. A

38:1 gearbox multiplies up to 10,300 rpm at the motor. So what could we get by way of a motor and gearbox that could drive the loco at that sort of speed and to be small enough to fit? The Highlines gearbox was the answer, coupled to a

Mashima 1024 motor. Both of them fit nicely between the frames but the motor, being proud of the footplate, required a tiny amount of intrusion into the back of the backhead casting supplied with the kit, not enough to protrude into the cab space. This gave us two options for the Loco Control Unit (LCU) both of which meant a redesign of the current model (0501). With a 400mA stall current, we could reduce the size of the components on the 1A 0501 LCU, and this has resulted in two designs: the 0502 measures 28mm square, and fits horizontally under the boiler and firebox, suitably cut back to 1 -2mm underneath the tank tops. To extend the range to other types of tank, we announce a two-part LCU (model 0503), each part of which fits vertically in each sidetank and which are connected by wires, secured in place by the battery. Each half of the 0503 measures 25mm x 10mm and will fit a wide range of sidetank locos. Both the 0502 and 0503 are designed to cut out at 500mA to prevent overloading, and since most of the modern motors that are suitable to fit tank locos have stall currents or around 300mA to 400mA these are well within limits. The 9011 LIU that fits with the current 0501 LCU will also fit the 0502 and 0503 and fits the narrow bunker of the 14xx covered by a dummy coal load.We hope to complete the conversion over the Christmas period so that we can demonstrate a working wireless controlled 4mm tank loco in the New Year. Keep an eye on the Protocab website for an up to date report on progress.

What happened to the SECR P Class loco featured in the last newsletter? Developments on the P have taken a back seat while the slightly larger 14xx is being developed (see above). The issue with the P is finding a suitably small motor/gearbox combination to fit as low in the frames as possible to give clear space in the firebox. The smallest effective battery is 50mm long which just fits inside the P, but has to intrude into the firebox space. The plan is to restart the project in the New Year.

The Perseverance 14xx in the early stages of construction Photo Tony Hagon

When we developed our first pre-production batteries and LCUs for test, we fitted 75mm cables and connectors to them, thinking that together (150mm) they would be long enough for the longest distance between battery and LCU installed in the loco. In fact they have proved to be too long and finding places to coil the spare cable has become an issue with installation. Because the cables are ready fitted with the correct connectors, we don't recommend cutting the cables to shorten them. So we have come up with a range of extension cables. We'd be interested in your views on our proposals to supply the batteries and LCUs with 30mm cables and to extend the length with a range of cables with a male connector on one end and a female connector on the other in lengths of 25mm and 50mm. Voltage losses at the connectors are minimal, so if you want, say, a 100mm length on top of the 60mm already on the battery and LCU then you'd simply fit two 50mm extension cables in line. With this cabling system, the only bare wires you will see in the Protocab system will be the pair of wires that you solder to the motor terminals.

EXTENSION CABLESEXTENSION CABLES

The Acc+Ess Protocab Newsis sent to subscribers free of charge

Published by and copyright© Acc+Ess Limited 2012Glenrhu, Bowermadden

Highland KW1 4TWUK

Acc+Ess is a company registered in Scotland number SC399393

Please send articles, photographs etc. for publication in Acc+Ess Protocab News to the above address or news@protocab.com

Cartoon images in this newsletter courtesy of www.clipartpal.com

CONCENTRATOR UPDATECONCENTRATOR UPDATE

PILOT SERIES UPDATEPILOT SERIES UPDATE

EXTENSION CABLESEXTENSION CABLES

Acc+Ess announced just before Scaleforum its first set of products to be available in early 2013. The range, outlined in the last newsletter, is being enhanced to comprise the following products:0001 Concentrator with built in wifi0002 Concentrator without wifi0501 Locomotive Control Unit 1amp 52mm x 22mm with 9011 LCU Interface Unit0502 Locomotive Control Unit 0.5amp 28mm x 28mm with 9011 LCU Interface Unit0503 Locomotive Control Unit 0.3amp 2 x 25mm x 10mm (connected) with 9011 LCU Interface Unit1901 Batteries (all cylindrical, with protection circuitry)

1901-1970 8.1 watts 19mm diameter x 70mm length1901-1955 5.6 watts 19mm diameter x 55mm length1901-1555 3.3 watts 15mm diameter x 55mm length1901-1150 2.2 watts 11mm diameter x 49mm length

9125 Extension Cable 25mm overall 9150 Extension Cable 50mm overall9175 Extension Cable 75mm overall9220 Motor test lead9230 4-port USB hubDetails of the updates are shown on this page.

Attending Scalefour North, Scaleforum and the MERG meeting in London was extremely useful to hear first hand from modellers. As a result we are well advanced with our software developments although this has taken longer, to ensure that we have captured the main requirements in our first releases. There are two aspects to what we are developing – the messages that pass between the controllers and LCUs and the software that appears on your

Android handset. Both have been interesting and also quite revealing. There are all sorts of considerations when programming for wireless control and our testing has been, is and will be very thorough. From the program developments we may make changes to the hardware, including the Concentrator and LCUs, although we are far enough forward now that any changes to the Pilot Series hardware should be minimal.

We are currently developing the hardware controller that a number of modellers have asked for and should be available in Summer 2013 to supplement the initial Android based software control panel. It provides for a control knob rather than a touch screen. More details in a forthcoming newsletter and, of course, updates on progress on the Protocab website.

Modellers who have followed Protocab progress and who have seen the demo models at Scaleforum will know of the first model of LCU, the 1 amp 0501. With the call by modellers for a smaller unit to be able to fit a wider range of locos and accepting the lower current limit of 500milliamps, we have introduced two additional models to the Pilot Series range: the 0502 has a footprint of 28mm x 28mm and a thickness of 7mm. It is designed to fit across the body of a tank loco or in the tender of a smaller loco where the 0501 is too big. The 0503 is split into two parts, each of which at 25mm x 10mm and 5mm thick are designed to fit vertically into the two sidetanks. This unit is the basis of the fitting in the 14xx mentioned earlier in the newsletter. The two parts are joined with flexible connectors that are secured in place with the boiler mounted battery. We don't have prices for these two new models yet, but will announce them at the same time that we firm up on all three models.

CONTROLLER UPDATECONTROLLER UPDATE

LCU UPDATELCU UPDATE

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENTSSOFTWARE DEVELOPMENTS

In the light of experience fitting prototype Protocab units into the locos we plan to introduce a range of accessories to simplify installation and use. Apart from the extension cables described elsewhere, we are introducing the 9220 Motor Test Leads which will have a connector at one end and a pair of tags at the other to fit on to a controlled 12volt supply. This will enable the modeller to solder the Protocab wires to the motor together with the enclosed suppressor, and test run the loco without the LCU being fitted. Secondly, we will introduce the 9230 4-port USB hub which will enable you to charge up to four locomotives at once.

The Pilot Series Concentrator is already announced as model 0001 featuring an inbuilt wifi router to communicate directly with the Android handset.It will be enhanced with a model 0002 that will be a reduced price as it will not include the wifi router but instead is designed to connect with an Ethernet cable to your existing home wifi router. This will be a useful model for users where their wifi router covers, say, the whole house and the Android handset can get adequate signals from it, rather than from the

Concentrator. However, the position of the model 0002 Concentrator must be chosen to provide a good signal to the Locomotive Control Units which is less powered than the signal between the wifi router and the Android handset. Many modellers have their model rooms in the attic or first floor to string a 2metre Ethernet cable to the wifi router also on the first floor. A wifi router in the house and a layout in the garden shed 20 metres away is thus not ideal for the model 0002.

We were kindly invited to present to the London meeting of the Model Electronic Railways Group (MERG) on Saturday 3rd November to around 30 modellers with a wide range of modelling interests and much experience in electronic control systems. An edited version of the presentation given by Tony Hagon, supported by his sons Alex and Dan, has been put on the protocab.com website (protocab.com/recent).

It was something of a milestone for Tony who had not been inside Keen House for nearly forty years and to see the Maunsell Q class floating round the Model Railway Club test track was a real highlight – for him, if not for the audience! It was also a test to see if the close coupled tender would take the relatively tight curves, which it did with some ease.

Protocab at the MERG meetingProtocab at the MERG meeting

PROTOCAB AT YOUR CLUB?PROTOCAB AT YOUR CLUB?Would you like us to come along to your Club to present and demo Protocab? Just ask and we will look for dates to suit.

With so many modellers contacting us in 2012, we have launched Club Protocab to be a forum for modellers interested in wireless control and Acc+Ess Protocab in particular. Free of charge for membership, modellers will be able to get the latest developments from Acc+Ess as they happen, invitations to a range of events we will be introducing in 2013

including on-line webinars (see article in this newsletter). Club members will also receive discount offers from Acc+Ess Ltd as well as some exclusive offers not available elsewhere. As the named recipient of this newsletter you are already enrolled in Club Protocab, but if you prefer not to be a member, all you have to do is to send a note to

noclub@protocab.com. If you have

been sent this newsletter from an existing member (and we hope that the members to whom we send newsletters will pass them on to friends) do please send your email details to club@protocab.com so that we can make sure that we send you future newsletters directly.

Announcing Announcing CLUB PROTOCABCLUB PROTOCAB

For accurate scaling of these templates, this line should be 150mm long

Planning for Protocab: The TemplatesPlanning for Protocab: The TemplatesThese templates of products in the Pilot Series are intended to enable modellers to judge where to install Protocab components within their locomotives. Because the final production sizes have not yet been determined, you should use

these templates as a rough guide only. To make maximum use of the templates, add some thin parcel string (approx. 1mm) where shown to simulate the connecting wires.

We would appreciate feedback on your experience of using these templates and on the planned sizes and shapes of the components. Do you have locos where these components do not fit?

30mm leads from LIU

75mm leads to motor

0502 Locomotive Control UnitMax. 0.5 Amp stall current

9011LCU Interface UnitMax. 2 Amp current

ON/OFF PUSH

BUTTON

CHARGE SOCKET

30mm leads to battery

30mm leads to LCU

Don't forget – the extra cable length between LIU

and battery or LCU is made up with 25 or 50mm

extension leads!

These leads are plugged in to the

LCU

All units are delivered with the leads attached except

where connectors are to be plugged in (as shown)

0503Locomotive Control UnitMax. 0.5 Amp stall current

1901-1970 Battery 220mAH 8.1Watt-hoursREAD INSTUCTIONS BEFORE USE

30mm leads to LIU

The 0503 LCU consists of two units, each the size of the

template above. They will be connected to each other with

cables on the long side (not shown).

The wires shown on the above template are each 30mm long and

connect:1 pair from the 9011 LIU

1 pair to the motor

RO

LL IN

TO A

CYL

IND

ER

0501Locomotive Control UnitMax. 1 Amp stall current

We are introducing and hosting in 2013 a programme of web-based seminars – the so-called 'webinars' - on a number of topics which we hope will be of interest to modellers. Members of Club Protocab will be sent an email a week or so before inviting them to the webinar but if any of the topics below are of interest to you and you would like to participate in the webinar please enrol on the website, or send an email to us at club@protocab.com.To participate in a webinar you need a computer connected to the internet and running a suitable browser such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox or Opera. In addition, your computer should have a sound card so that you can listen to what is being said

and if you want to ask a question, rather than typing it, a microphone connected to the sound card (this is optional). The computer's operating system can be Windows (XP or later) or Mac based. Acc+Ess Limited doesn't make any charge for attending the webinar (which will be limited to 100 participants) but you should find out exactly what your internet service provider or telephone provider will charge you. If you use the internet at home and you pay a fixed monthly bill, taking part in our webinars should be covered by your monthly contract. Later, we hope to extend webinars so that you can join in from your Android or iPhone telephone, depending on how much interest there will be.

The draft programme for early 2013 is

Sunday January 20th:Planning for Protocab-how to select suitable locos and what to consider in converting them to wireless control

Sunday February 17th: Calculating power for model locos in 4mm and 7mm scales. How do you choose the right motor for you loco and do you have the best motor in your existing loco fleet?

Each webinar will last 60 minutes, with Acc+Ess Limited using the first few minutes to update you with product news.

WEBINARS IN 2013WEBINARS IN 2013