Table of Contents
GCA107 Multi purpose Relay board
Description
There are quite a few situations, where we need to switch AC.
Most will have to do with just using a transformer for powering a turnout, mechanical signal or decoupler.
GCA76 and GCA77 are suitable to switch these units, but only with DC.
Also to be able to switch a frog on a turnout, a relay is mostly the only way to do it in a reliable way.
Relayboard GCA137 is made for that purpose only, but it will not suit the GCA-PIxx RocNet units.
The relay board as presented here, is a more universal module.
It contains 8 relays, which can be used for various situations.
- 4 pairs of relays to switch 4 turnout frogs. Relays are switching the railpower, which is also AC in digital systems.
- 4 pairs of relays to switch turtoise or hoffmann turnout drives, also switching ac.
- 8 individual relays to switch anything you can think of, as long as it is no more than 42 Volts and/or 1 ampere.
Selection of different tasks is made by a set of 5 jumpers with each pair of relays.
The maximum current demand for this board with all relays activated = 240 mA.
In most situations only half of the relays are switched on, with pulse output almost none.
It should be considered with this the total current, that a voltage regulator on either CAN-GC2 board or GCA50 should be able to handle that..
Be sure on these boards that 5V regulator IC is mounted with nut in between pc-board and IC, to improve cooling.
This is also mentioned on the partslist.
If it is used with GCA_PI02, the RocNet network needs an adequate supply like GCA_PI06.
Professional made boards are available.
Single boards or complete kits. See GCA
The assembled board
Hardware
The schematics |
The pcboard and parts positions |
Bill of materials |
N.B. Only complete ordered kits will be supported! |
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Jumper settings
Each pair of relays can have different tasks either together or standalone, selectable by jumpers.
To select a task, use these diagrams.
Task relays 1+2 | Jumper | connections | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JP1 | JP2 | JP3 | JP4 | JP5 | |||
Turnout frog switches | yes | no | pos 2 | no | yes | Connect frog to J1 pt 2 Railpower to RP1 | Left on picture above |
2 relays for turtoise turnout | yes | yes | pos 1 | yes | no | connect Motor to J1 pt 2+3 Power to RP1 | |
2 relays for Märklin turnout drive | yes | no | pos 1 | no | no | trafo brown connect to R | Turnout drive connections : yellow to trafo yellow blue(1) to J1 Pt2 blue(2) to J1 Pt3 |
2 individual relays | no | no | no | no | no | Relay 1 connect J1 pt 1+2 Relay 2 connect J1 pt 3+4 |
Task relays 3+4 | Jumper | connections | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JP11 | JP12 | JP13 | JP14 | JP15 | |||
Turnout frog switches | yes | no | pos 2 | no | yes | Connect frog to J2 pt 2 Railpower to RP1 | |
2 relays for turtoise turnout | yes | yes | pos 1 | yes | no | connect Motor to J2 pt 2+3 Power to RP1 | 2nd from left on picture above |
2 relays for Märklin turnout drive | yes | no | pos 1 | no | no | trafo brown connect to R | Turnout drive connections : yellow to trafo yellow blue(1) to J2 Pt2 blue(2) to J2 Pt3 |
2 individual relays | no | no | no | no | no | Relay 3 connect J2 pt 1+2 Relay 4 connect J2 pt 3+4 |
Task relays 5+6 | Jumper | connections | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JP21 | JP22 | JP23 | JP24 | JP25 | |||
Turnout frog switches | yes | no | pos 2 | no | yes | Connect frog to J3 pt 2 Railpower to RP1 | |
2 relays for turtoise turnout | yes | yes | pos 1 | yes | no | connect Motor to J3 pt 2+3 Power to RP1 | |
2 relays for Märklin turnout drive | yes | no | pos 1 | no | no | trafo brown connect to R | Turnout drive connections : yellow to trafo yellow blue(1) to J3 Pt2 blue(2) to J3 Pt3 |
2 individual relays | no | no | no | no | no | Relay 5 connect J3 pt 1+2 Relay 6 connect J3 pt 3+4 | 3rd from left on picture above |
Task relays 7+8 | Jumper | connections | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JP31 | JP32 | JP33 | JP34 | JP35 | |||
Turnout frog switches | yes | no | pos 2 | no | yes | Connect frog to J4 pt 2 Railpower to RP1 | |
2 relays for turtoise turnout | yes | yes | pos 1 | yes | no | connect Motor to J4 pt 2+3 Power to RP1 | |
2 relays for Märklin turnout drive | yes | no | pos 1 | no | no | trafo brown connect to R | Turnout drive connections : yellow to trafo yellow blue(1) to J4 Pt2 blue(2) to J4 Pt3 |
2 individual relays | no | no | no | no | no | Relay 7 connect J4 pt 1+2 Relay 8 connect J4 pt 3+4 | right on picture above |