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MegaPoints Controllers System2 User Reference

Route processor
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MegaPoints Controllers
A route processor capable of complex route setting across a System2 installation from a
Revision 2
© MegaPoints Controllers 2024
Email:
info@megapointscontrollers.com
megapointscontrollers.co.uk
System2 Route Processor User Reference
System2
Route Processor
User Reference
by MegaPoints Controllers
single button press.
Supports CAN wired network interface only.
User Reference and Guide
November 2024
Status: Pre Release Draft
Revision 2
Page 1

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Summary of Contents for MegaPoints Controllers System2

  • Page 1 Revision 2 System2 Route Processor User Reference by MegaPoints Controllers A route processor capable of complex route setting across a System2 installation from a single button press. Supports CAN wired network interface only. User Reference and Guide Revision 2 November 2024 Status: Pre Release Draft ©...
  • Page 2 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Table of contents How to use this document ........................4 System2 Route Processor ........................4 Introduction ............................4 Not supported ............................. 5 Additional Requirements ........................6 First use ............................... 6 Network cabling ..........................7 Getting your first board on your local Wi-Fi network .................
  • Page 3 Testing the routes ......................... 29 Sub routes ............................30 Background ........................... 30 Configuration ..........................30 Proving the solution ........................32 What is System2 Air? ..........................33 Reference section ..........................34 CAN ID management ......................... 34 Wi-Fi credential sharing ........................37 Actions .............................. 38 Reset to defaults ..........................
  • Page 4 The System2 route processor can set up pre-configured routes MegaPoints Controllers use across your model railway for all System2 motor types. This includes static sensitive components turnouts, signals, gates, barriers doors and other animations. that must be handled with The System2 Route Processor is simple to hook-up;...
  • Page 5 Circular routes that call themselves repeatedly. o Device specific time delay (up to 60 sec between device slots). o Started when route is triggered. Not supported The following System2 features are not currently supported by this device:  JMRI ...
  • Page 6 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Additional Requirements You may also need:  12 Volt DC regulated power supply. ½ Amp minimum  Network cable (twisted pair). Telephone cable Alarm cable Such as CW1109B/Y supplied by CPC/Farnell. See website for cable links. Non twisted pair cable is OK for testing purposes, not for installation.
  • Page 7 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Network cabling See the above diagram for network cabling. All cables should be a twisted pair signal cable. Fit any termination jumpers (supplied as part of a starter kit) to the boards at the ends of the network for a maximum of two jumpers per network.
  • Page 8 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Getting your first board on your local Wi-Fi network There’s a dedicated YouTube video demonstrating this. Follow this link to view: https://youtu.be/G3ajZazycP4. It will probably be easier than going through the following text.
  • Page 9 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Refer to the website for how to videos and full documentation (megapointscontrollers.com/system2). megapointscontrollers.co.uk Page 9...
  • Page 10 The admin web page is shown on the below. On this page you will change any settings for the driver board. Each board on the System2 network has its own management web page. The upper and lower white background areas relate to the board itself. The light blue background relates to the selected route shown in a large blue number at the top right.
  • Page 11 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Upper header (white background):  Device name and serial number ( route-d5cf90  A photo of the device.  A location description field. Use this to enter meaningful information such as baseboard number, IE: “B12C7 Tunnel entrance”.
  • Page 12 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Lower blue background: Field/Button Description Dest Destination route number to duplicate this route to. Duplicates the route to the “Dest” above. Duplicate WARNING: Will overwrite the destination route. Clear Clears all values for this route and sets default delay to 50 ms.
  • Page 13 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2  Auto CAN ID. You can override the CAN ID if required.  Locate Board: Will cause the LED on the selected board to flash fast helping you to locate the board if you have many.
  • Page 14 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Example use cases Manual route creation This example assumes a servo driver is configured as EasyConfig board 1A with vPorts 1-8 driving motors 1-8. A Panel Controller configured as EasyConfig range 1-16 is also assumed.
  • Page 15 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 If you press the pushbutton on the Panel Controller twice you will observe the route is triggered and cleared as shown in the Route Processor status monitor (below): If your point motors are moved to one direction (On/Off = not ticked) you’ll be able to move them in one direction only.
  • Page 16 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Let’s duplicate this route to route #2. At the footer of the light blue section you’ll see a box to the left of a greyed out “Duplicate” button. Enter 2 into this (the route copy destination).
  • Page 17 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 If the Route Processor is rebooted or powered off, these routes will automatically be restored. We now have route #1 with vPorts 1-4 all off and route #2 with vPorts 1-4 all on. You can use the black triangles to navigate through routes up and down one at a time.
  • Page 18 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Route editing and adding delay We’ll swap the movement of the second and fourth point motors and add some delay. Select route #1 (solid down triangle if you’re still on route #2).
  • Page 19 Enter the backup and restore options. The System2 Route Processor has the built in option to save route data to your PC, Mac or tablet. To save routes first commit any unsaved changes by pressing the “Save Routes” button if it’s background is yellow.
  • Page 20 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 The top entry shows the file and the name of the router that created it: Clicking on the folder icon will open the download folder: The backup naming convention is: route-{serial}-{day of month}-{month}-{year}.txt megapointscontrollers.co.uk...
  • Page 21 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Restoring a backup Let’s do the unthinkable and erase all our routes in the Route Processor. This is not a necessary step, we’ll use it to illustrate and prove the restore.
  • Page 22 4. When the servo arrives at the opposite side, vPort 161 receives conformation that the servo completed its movement. You can see the network packets in the “Network Monitor” on all System2 boards: Sending an instruction on vPort 1 also produced network traffic to vPort 321 and 161 twice. That’s a lot of information that out router doesn’t care about.
  • Page 23 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 To the left of the “Learn” button at the bottom of the light blue area you’ll see two boxes one with the number “1” and the other with the number “60000”. These are the lower and upper vPort range limits.
  • Page 24 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 The above method allows you to capture a range of vPorts. When in “Learn” mode you operate your turnout motors in the usual manner and the route processor will build up the route for you. After 26 But wait.
  • Page 25 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Stop learning and observe your route: Notice this time some are Off and some are On. Your results will differ from mine depending on how the points were thrown. This means that you can set route learning on and operate the track as you would like it and the Route Processor memorises the positions without having to later edit them.
  • Page 26 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2  Click the “Duplicate“ button. You will see status log messages confirming the route has been copied to destinations 50, 60 and 70.  Navigate to route 50.  Change the route name to “three way left”.
  • Page 27 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Notice the enable vPort is listed in the results. Searching by name Somewhere in the Route Processor we have three routes pertaining to a three way point. Enter “way” in the “Search Name” box located within the yellow search bar and press the “Search”...
  • Page 28 System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 With the System2 Route Processor you can set up routes to provide the three way logic. This means you simply set an output direction and the tie bars will move to the correct positions for the left, straight ahead and right roads.
  • Page 29 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Programming the routes Route 1  On route 1, enter the route name “Three way left”.  Set the enable vPort to 1 and feedback vPort to 161.  Set the route learning range to 1 and 10 and press the “Learn” button.
  • Page 30 Press button 3 on the Panel Controller. LED #2 flashes and gives up and LED #3 illuminates indicating road 3 (right) has been set. Sub routes With the System2 Route Processor it’s a simple set up to configure sub routes. These are normal routes that are also called by other routes. Background In the previous example we set up a three way point.
  • Page 31 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Main yard entrance North Bound from the slow line.  Navigate to route #5 on the Route Processor.  Enable set to 5, feedback set to 165.  Name set to “Yard North from Slow”...
  • Page 32 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Proving the solution Subsequent presses of button #4 and #5 on the Panel Controller will switch your main route and also switch the three way point that’s been included as a sub route.
  • Page 33 System2 modules. The “Air” in System2 refers to how you configure the system. It’s done wirelessly using Wi-Fi. This means you can configure a device using your PC, tablet or phone and replaces the need for buttons, flashing lights and extension cables to reach under baseboard locations.
  • Page 34 When Auto CAN ID is selected do not expect CAN IDs to be persistent as they can change without notice. System2 is designed with this in mind and the board CAN ID is not relevant to operation.
  • Page 35 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Manual CAN ID selection: We must ask why? There’s no possible benefit we can think of, so it’s included for edge use cases. Not recommended to change this. Manual range is 1000 – 1999.
  • Page 36 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 With Auto CAN ID enabled the message is slightly different (see below): The CAN ID was automatically changed to an unused ID. When the board is rebooted or the web page refreshed the CAN ID field will update to the new value.
  • Page 37 In this section we’ll cover how to share the Wi-Fi configuration with all boards on your CAN bus. Connect to a System2 board using your browser. Obviously you’ll only be able to connect to a board that is connected to your local Wi-Fi.
  • Page 38 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 To revoke Wi-Fi access for all connected boards click the “Revoke WiFi Credentials” (1) button (see below): You will observe in the Status Log revocation messages. Each board will restart and show an IP address of “0.0.0.0”...
  • Page 39 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Reset to defaults This will reset most of the board values to defaults. Observe the message in the Status Log (2). You have reset to defaults and the default values are live, however will revert back to previous settings upon a reboot unless specifically saved.
  • Page 40 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Save Changes As suggested by the description, this will save all uncommitted changes to non-volatile memory and be retained after reboots. After saving you’ll see the confirmation message (2) in the Status Log below.
  • Page 41 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Erase WiFi Credentials Erasing the WiFi Credentials will remove the Wi-Fi details and reboot the board you are connected to. This action applies to the board you are connected to only. Other networked boards are unaffected.
  • Page 42 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 You can see the release dates and what’s in each release. If you select to update you’ll get all the changes right up to the latest version. The update is not mandatory. Installation is up to you.
  • Page 43 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Below is an example log displayed during the software update process: Update initiated. Beginning firmware update. Two downloads will be processed. Onboard LED will flash erratically indicating data transfer. The update will take between 4-8 minutes to complete.
  • Page 44 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Reload Page This option reloads the web page and resets the Status Log area. Useful for clearing garbage from the log and confirming you are connected to the board. Documentation Clicking the Documentation link will open a new window in your browser and take you to the product page for the board you clicked from.
  • Page 45 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 V-Port Decoded V-Port the message is intended for. The Network Monitor will only display packets created by remote boards. It will not display packets that are locally transmitted. The local board that is running the packet monitor remains fully operational while the packet monitor is running.
  • Page 46 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 We are also presented with the IP address of the board (2), so clicking on the blue IP address takes us to the Servo-8 management portal. The Servo-8 port configuration is reported as: The V-Port (1) is 1 meaning channel S1 (servo 1) is listening for this address (V-Port).
  • Page 47 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Relay R1 is configured for events on V-Port 321 and ill trigger when the Servo-8 is halfway. This can be freely changed to respond to the same ports as the push button or any other device. It can also provide feedback data of its own, however setting the Feedback V-Port to “0”...
  • Page 48 The network name of the configured Wi-Fi network. In conclusion We hope you’ll agree, System2 Air is a powerful, flexible model railway control system. Future updating is baked in through a trivial firmware update process and new boards are under development to expand the capabilities of the range.
  • Page 49 MegaPoints Controllers System2 Route Processor User Reference Revision 2 Contacting us Web: megapointscontrollers.co.uk Email: info@megapointscontrollers.com All parts ©MegaPoints Controllers 2023 If you have any product improvement suggestions we’d be very pleased to hear from you. NOTE: We operate on a policy of continuous improvement. Colours, specifications and even the placement of components may vary from time to time.