Parkside Electronics

[Clive SteerParticipant @clivesteer55943]

I was wondering if anyone knew if Parkside Electronics, who make electric locomotive controllers are still in business. I haven’t been able to contact  them on their landline nor had a reply to an email although their website appears to still be accessible.

I’ve been asked to have a look at one of their controller that isn’t working. A circuit diagram would be helpful and especially any details of the control unit that plugs into a 7 pin DIN socket as I don’t have this to hand at the moment. I believe it is likely to consist of a speed control potentiometer plus a forward/reverse selector switch and a control inhibit switch.

CS

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Frankly, Clive … the message on the home-page doesn’t look encouraging:

http://www.parksiderailways.co.uk/index.html

MichaelG.

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Edit: __ see also

https://gardenrails.org/viewtopic.php?t=13560

[Clive SteerParticipant @clivesteer55943]

Thanks Michael. I hadn’t noticed that on the home page as somehow I didn’t get to their site that way.

Oh well. Good old fashioned reverse engineering needed. With just one LM399 hopefully it is a simple circuit.

CS

[tmccParticipant @tmcc]

Hi Clive, did you ever find a circuit for this? I’ve just picked up a controller in need of repair and again I. In need of a circuit.

Thanks.

Tom

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Tom

I don’t know the controller in question, but here’s all you need to know about LM399

https://www.analog.com/en/products/lm399.html#part-details

MichaelG.

[tmccParticipant @tmcc]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Thanks Michael, it a 24V 100A controller and it’s more the MOSFET side that is the issue. Not sure what’s happened to it but at least 4 of the mosfets are short and the gate resistors ore burnt out. One if the mosfets is completly blown apart.</p>

[tmcc]

On tmcc Said:

Thanks Michael, it a 24V 100A controller and it’s more the MOSFET side that is the issue. […]

Oops … no sign of the aforementioned LM399 there

MichaelG.

[tmccParticipant @tmcc]

Hi Michael, yes there is an LM339 in the circuit but hopefully that side ok but haven’t got to looking at this side yet.

 

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Aha … catching-up slowly

MichaelG.

[Phil BarberParticipant @philbarber30745]

Any more info on this topic would be interesting.

[tmccParticipant @tmcc]

Hi  Phil,  unfortunately no additional info or circuits etc. I have identified 7 out of the 10 mosfets are blown. Waiting on replacements to arrive before working out what the connections are and power it up.

Tom.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

The 339 is probably rigged as an oscillator with variable mark space ratio with the relays providing reverse rather than a bridge setup. Check the relays aren’t burned out and work. One failing to switch when the other did might have shorted the fets.

[Clive SteerParticipant @clivesteer55943]

I’ve attached schematics of the Parkside controller I had a look at. The circuit is very simple with one section of the LM399 being used to generate a sawtooth wave which is fed to another section to convert the variable DC control voltage into a PWM signal to drive the MOSFET’s. It appears 2 MOSFET’s are used to provide braking. In my case the controller was working OK and the issue lay elsewhere in the vehicle ( a Childs electric car)

I hope this helps.

 

CS

[Clive SteerParticipant @clivesteer55943]

Somehow the upload left out sht 2.

[Phil BarberParticipant @philbarber30745]

Many thanks Clive,  this is really useful.

I’m wondering how long I can extend the 7W DIN lead, so I can “pipe through” wagons for push-pull operation.

Also, the PWM provides too much current control with the motor I have, so its difficult to maintain a constant low speed.  A small movement in the control sends the loco accelerating off.  Anyone any ideas how to make it more like a tram / DC  electric, with a notch or two slowly moving the train to a constant speed, before a weak field simulation is applied?

… also attached a couple of photos for reference.

 

[Bazyle]

On Bazyle Said:

The 339 is probably rigged as an oscillator with variable mark space ratio […]

I wish I understood how that ^^^  could be 

Are there two different devices called LM339 ??

MichaelG.

[ see data-sheet linked earlier ]

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Edit: __ Don’t worry LM339 vs LM399

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

The control lead will probably be all low voltage low current so you can probably extend it as far as you like. Beware a loose unconstrained lead though as they have a lemming like desire to leap under the wheels.

The sudden start problem may be the control potentiometer just not providing a smooth progression from a low value which is not uncommon. Assuming all 3 wires from the potentiometer are used try putting a resistor, say 1k between the wiper connection and the connection at the end when it is stipped, probably battery -ve. This will help the voltage be lower at the start.

[Phil BarberParticipant @philbarber30745]

Hmm,  the pot on mine is a centre biased joystck,  with fwd and brake.  The additional analoge board is possibly a level shifter / brake control circuit?

My reading of the MOSFET stage is a simple pull to ground transistor (4-9) with 10 & 11 as flywheel diodes.  The relays can switch this to either motor wire.  The other switched to positive.   If the relays are not delivering power, then they short the motor … reheostatic brake.  This is pretty neat!

00  – short motor

01 – FWD

10 – REV

11 – short motor.

[Author]

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