JMRI: Utility USS CTC Tools
This is the original implementation of CTC and provides capabilities that
are enabled using scripting. See also the
newer CTC implementation that provides a GUI editor to configure the CTC rules and a
run-time to implement CTC logic. It also builds a skeleton Panel Editor CTC panel with the
turnout levers/indicators, signal levers/indicators, code button, etc., and a minimal track
plan.
JMRI contains tools to help in the automation of USS CTC Panels. These can be used for
either screen-based Panels, or to drive a physical panel with real levers and lights.
Script-based ToolsSince JMRI 4.8
These tools are very powerful, but currently can only be configured via a script.
For information how to do this, see:
The available tools are:
-
Code Line
- Implements the code line between the CTC machine and the field. Can use a turnout
output to tell e.g. a lamp to light or relays to make noise.
-
Station
- Corresponds to a single station on the code line, usually a single column on the CTC
machine and all the items in the field that are connected to it.
-
Code Button
- One per section, this defines the connection to the code button (a sensor input) and
the code lamp (a turnout output) on the panel.
-
Turnout
Section
- Controls a single turnout in the field. You configure it with that turnout's name along
with sensor inputs for the lever on the panel, and turnout outputs for the indicator lamps.
Can optionally take Lock objects to add prototypical locking.
-
SignalHead
Section
- Controls the signal heads around a single OS in the field. You configure it with lists
of left-going and right-going heads which it can hold and release, along with sensor inputs
for the lever on the panel, and turnout outputs for the indicator lamps. Can optionally
take Lock objects to add prototypical locking.
-
Track
Circuit Section
- This drives a track occupancy indicator lamp (an output) on the panel from a occupancy
sensor in the field (a sensor input). Optionally, can ring a bell when goes occupied or
unoccupied.
-
Maintainer
Call Section
- This drives a maintainer call lamp (an output) in the field from a lever or switch on
the central panel (a sensor input).
-
Occupancy
Lock
- When added to a Turnout or SignalHead section, this prevents changes while the OS
section (defined into the Lock) is occupied.
-
Route Lock
- When added to a Turnout section, this prevents changes while the OS section has a route
cleared through the Turnout.
-
Time Lock
- When added to a Turnout section, this prevents changes while the OS section has signals
running time.
-
Traffic
Lock
- Locks against signals being cleared in opposite directions onto a single segment of
track. Can be configured with turnout settings (BeanSetting objects) to allow e.g. signals
at opposite ends of a town to clear when one turnout is set ot the main and the other to
the siding.
-
Turnout
Lock
- A bit of a misnomer, because this refers to locking based on the state of a JMRI
Turnout, which should be considered a generalized output. Can be used to e.g. lock sections
when a Call On state (on an internal turnout that represents the state) has been set (by
e.g. a Maintainer Call section used to set that JMRI Turnout in the field).
There's a separate page describing the
naming conventions used in the example, in case you find that
these will save you some work on the setup.
These tools log information to several JMRI Memory objects, which in turn can be placed
onto panels as MemoryIcons to show e.g. which lock is preventing an operation.
Prototype CTC machines don't have these, of course, but they're very useful for
model railroad dispatchers.
- IMUSS CTC:CODELINE:1:LOG
- What the code line is doing
- IMUSS CTC:SIGNAL LOCK:1:TIME
- Activity associated with the signals
- IMUSS CTC:TURNOUT LOCK:1:LOG
- Activity associated with turnout locks
The "1" in those can change if there's more than one set of objects, i.e. if more than one
code line is being modelled.
These tools also create sensors that indicate whether a particular
station is locked due to running time or not. They're called
ISUSS CTC:SIGNALSECTION:1:RUNNINGTIME:1:, ISUSS CTC:SIGNALSECTION:2:RUNNINGTIME:1:, etc
and can be placed on panels to display that the station is running time.
Note that the example panel uses one set of
display icons.
JMRI has other sets (See
these and others)
that let you make up other styles and sizes, and you can always make up your own.
For examples of creating CTC panels, please see the
gallery page.
Often the best way to create
the background is to draw the entire thing as a single background image using
graphics tools on your computer.
(There's a
nice summary of CTC lamp colors
by Mike Burgett)
There's also another set of
CTC tools
for building CTC controls in a more graphical way.
Model Railroad Compromizes
Activity on a model railroad is typically much faster than on the prototype railroad.
It can be very frustrating to a dispatcher, particularly one who doesn't use the
panel every day, to have the panel's indicators and operations falling behind the
railroad. To help with this, these tools allow two compromises. See the
sample scripts for examples of how to tune these.
- You can adjust the timing of the various operations. By default, they're
somewhat faster than the prototype. You can make them faster or slower.
- On the prototype, indicator lamps go off when the code button is pushed and
only come back on when an indication is received back. By default, these
tools will keep the indicators lit when no change has been requested. This
makes it easier for the dispatcher to consider their next move while
actions are occurring.
Standalone Tools
These can be created from the USS menu under Tools in JMRI applications. They work by
creating Logix and/or Routes that implement the desired functionality. You could do that by
hand, of course, but these are meant as a simplification.
-
Follower
- Slaves an output Turnout device to follow the state of an input Sensor device. This
could, for example, make a layout turnout follow a fascia switch connected to a
Sensor.
-
OS Indicator
- Drives the occupancy indicator lamps on the Panel. This takes input from a Sensor to
show the track section is occupied, and also optionally can light the indicator if the
section has been unlocked.
