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But when I hear "momentary push button" control, that tells me they're talking about solonoid switch machines rather than slow motion machines.  I've seen most people use a 2 position rotary switch or an on/off toggle switch to opperate tortoise machines.  What I'd like to do is use those in combination with a DS64.  (I'm not sure that it can even be done).

You can use DS64 in conjunction with switches to operate stall motors like tortoise. It works very well. Its one of the things the distinguishes the DS64 from more basic stationary decoders.

Push buttons are popular for a few reasons. One is that they are directionless so you can throw them via DCC or pushbutton and not have a toggle that appears to be in the wrong direction. Push buttons are also well suited to route control. In this case, a button selects a track and all the switches are thrown as required to line that route.

One thing to keep in mind is that the switch is not controlling the tortoise directly.. it is sending a signal to the ds64 that throws the turnout and notifies loconet as to the new orientation of said turnout.

Chris

Digitrax is referring to the actual electrical switch on the fascia. A momentary switch completes the circuit (closed) only while depressed. When released it breaks the circuit (open). The switch is momentarily allowing voltage to be applied to the DS64 input. The DS64 has a latching type of operation in that a pulse of voltage (the switch being depressed) causes the DS64 to toggle (flip) between two states. In this case the two states are the direction of the DC voltage being sent to the tortoise. The DS64 "latches" in either position so the push button fascia switch does not need to remain depressed. The DS64 will hold the position until it receives another pulse (switch being depressed again).

I do not know if a standard toggle switch will work with the DS64 as that would hold the pulse continuously high on the input. It would depend on whether the DS64 flips when the input goes high (+) or when it goes low (-).

Typical momentary contact push button switch:

Yeah, thinking about it I don't recall seeing them implemented with anything but buttons.

One guy in my group has toggles on his facia and I think he is using ds64s, but not sure he is wiring directly to the 64. I will ask this tuesday at our next group session.

Chris

If you are dead set on having a toggle type switch there is such a thing as a momentary toggle switch.

This requires you use those 8 inputs that are part of the DS64 and change a few OPSW's (10 thru 15) on the DS64 to get it to do what YOU want.  But it can be done.

Just read the manual several  times and play with a temporary setup to get a grasp of it all.   

In essence the A1 and S1 inputs are used to operate the turnout.  You can set up the DS64 inouts to throw a switch AND send out a  Loconet message that the turnout has changed state.  This would be a requirement  for centralize trafic control (CTC).  In this scenaro S1 is simply a single button that toggles the Tortoise between Thrown and Closed (push once, it throws. Push again, it closes).   A1 has no connection but the logic knows it and sends out the Loconet Message. 

You can also set it up to be thrown by one button (A1) and closed by a second button (S1) but then you loose the Loconet messaging  portion.  So a local operator throwing the turnout can screw up the central trafic control displayed presentation.

The DS64  card is quite flexible, not as much as the previous DS54 was  but still flexible.

The DS64 manual (figure 4)  shows exactly how to wire the S1 switche.  +Common  gets  wired to all the momentary switches on one side. Other side of the switch gets wired to the S1, S2, S3, S4 of your DS64.   This is if you accept the  single momentary button will be toggling  the Tortoise switch state.  if you want 2 momentary push buttons, one for Thrown and another for Closed, it can be done and requires changing certain OPSW  settings in the DS64.

Marc Fournier, Quebec

Okay...the lightbulb just went on in my head and I think I get it now.
 

One thing to keep in mind is that the switch is not controlling the tortoise directly.. it is sending a signal to the ds64 that throws the turnout and notifies loconet as to the new orientation of said turnout.

That's what I needed to hear.  I have some yards where turnouts are pretty close together and it seemed like it would be a real challenge punching in their addresses fast enough to keep up with the train.  Plus, when I have my kids opperate the layout, have buttons on the fascia might make it easier for them too.

Thanks again,
Bill

Punching in addresses gets old fast. Unless you want your turnouts controlled by software, to be part of a dispatch system, or set up for routes, then I see no reason to use DS64s at all.

Well constructed localized panels are great.

Chris

I thought it would be fun to hook up the computer and run the layout in an automated fashion.  But, it can get pretty expensive when you consider the additional cost to control 4 turnouts.  And that's on top of the price of each Tortoise machine.