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tams elektronik
Equalising currents and double track voltage
When crossing the separation points, equalising currents occur between the (briefly differently
polarised) booster circuits, even when using identical boosters from the same manufacturer.
These currents are harmless for rails and vehicles and do not affect the operation.
The more different the voltage curve is in the two booster circuits, the higher the equalising
currents are. High equalising currents can cause short circuits on boosters, rails, wheels and
sliders.
In addition, the applied track voltage always doubles when opposite voltages are applied in
the two booster circuits. The longer opposite voltages are present, the more serious the
consequences.
The possible consequences of short circuits and doubled track voltages:
damage to wheels, sliders and rails
damage to the track outputs of the boosters involved
"Data salad"
Due to a shift in the voltage curves in the two booster circuits, the vehicle decoders receive
information that differs from each other and may interpret it incorrectly. This can lead to the
following phenomena, for example:
Locomotive decoders understand the signal as an impulse to switch to analogue mode.
However, since the locomotives are on the digital track, they race off at top speed.
Locomotive decoders read out a run command for their address from the faulty data signal
and set locomotives in motion as if by magic.
Functions such as lighting or sound are switched on or off without the corresponding
switching commands having been entered at the central unit.
The differences in the throughput time of the data are particularly large when the layout is
jointly supplied with traction current by the booster integrated in the central unit and external
boosters connected via the track output.
Conception of the digital layout | 19
Booster B-6
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