RailPro > RailPro Specific Help & Discussion
Power supply
Alan:
--- Quote ---If I use more than 1 power supply, can I just insulate both rails?
--- End quote ---
No, unless the PS manufacturer specifically states the units can be paralleled. Typically, you won't find that in low cost consumer products. It all depends on what circuitry the manufacturer uses for voltage regulation. We have no way of knowing this.
As a loco crosses the gap both power supplies are connected via the front wheels and back wheels. The momentary condition may or may not be a problem. But what if the loco sits parked straddling the gap? The regulators may become unstable creating a runaway voltage effect. Poof goes your modules.
Another consideration is short circuits. If a derailment caused short occurs while the gaps are bridged then the full current from both PSs will flow through the short. A pair of 5A PSs = 10A which melts trains.
Here is a two page document explaining how to parallel connect PS. Can you do everything on page 1? If not then see page 2.
http://www.frei.de/assets/templates/frei/Dateien/Dateien/PDF/Stromversorgungen/en/Technische_Beschreibung_Parallelschaltung_ENGL.pdf
The diode solution is easy enough and costs less than $5. Then you don't ever have to worry.
yvesmary:
Alan,
--- Quote ---As a loco crosses the gap both power supplies are connected via the front wheels and back wheels. The momentary condition may or may not be a problem. But what if the loco sits parked straddling the gap? The regulators may become unstable creating a runaway voltage effect. Poof goes your modules.
--- End quote ---
Does this apply to my setup? I have a PWR-56 powering the lower level which goes up a helix and at the top the rails are gapped (insulated joiners) and the upper level is powered by another PWR-56.
Thank you,
Yves in Alberta
William Brillinger:
Any layout with more than one PWR-56 should follow the instructions in the PWR-56 manual on Page 10.
www.ringengineering.com/RailPro/Documents/PWR-56UsersManual.pdf
G8B4Life:
--- Quote ---Does this apply to my setup? I have a PWR-56 powering the lower level which goes up a helix and at the top the rails are gapped (insulated joiners) and the upper level is powered by another PWR-56.
--- End quote ---
No. As Bill posted, the PWR-56 manual provides all the info needed for using multiple PWR-56's together. You just have to gap the positive rails and install at the appropriate place. Unless I'm grossly mistaken Ring would have built in all the required circuitry to handle race conditions, overload from shorts at power boundaries etc. I've never opened a PWR-56 up to see what's in there but I highly doubt it'd just be a radio controlled on/off switch.
All the info from Alan (which is great info, thanks Alan) would apply if you were using other power supplies, like the one's that Alan uses and I have that may or may not be specifically made to work together.
- Tim
Dean:
May I presume that all this great information is for layouts that are RailPro only.
DCC has a whole different set of rules.
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