Saturday, November 22, 2014

NEW ARDUINO LIBRARIES VERSION FROM MRRWA!!!!

A new version of MRRWA libraries has been released!!! Before making a brief summary of the project, I post directly the address to download them:


The main change I saw is in Loconet part, including an implmementation for LNCV config. And it is just perfect for my projects, so I can setup my programs from the Intellibox, Uhlenbrock PC software or Rocrail directly using this LNCV protocol. There is no need to dismount the Arduino when it's in place under the layout and connected, nor connect a USB cable to it for configuring or setup the application parameters.

Some review until this point:

Some months ago I posted some musings about Arduno used in a railroad layout and how to connect it to a Loconet network. I showed how to use a cheap GCA50 board to make an interface to connect Arduino to a Loconet network using the standard Giling Computer Applications connector that provides both loconet and power to feed the Arduino:



After that, a first prototype shield was designed and built by Peter Giling, called GCA185, which you can buy here: http://www.phgiling.net/



At this point, I did a program to turn Arduino in a Sound Module for ambient sounds in a station. It was able to be governed by a remote control (for analog users) and also to be configured to play a sound for each function key of each train or even detect a train stopped in a detection section to reproduce its announce. Here and here there's all the information.

But I wanted to implement a configuration protocol through Loconet to avoid dismounting the Arduino or connect a USB cable in order to configure it. I did it using the same GCA50 protocol, and copying its functionality but in an Arduino board. But that was not enough for bigger or different projects and programs.

Next step was implementing the LNCV protocol. That's the protocol used by Uhlenbrock to setup all his hardware and modules, but as everything from Uhlenbrock the information is strictly confidential. Rocrail was also implementing this protocol and I started looking at their source code. But suddenly a new version of Loconet Libraries for Arduino has been released, with LNCV protocol already implemented!!!!

BRAVO, BRAVÍSSIMO for MRRWA guys!! Congratulations and thanks so much to share your work!!!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Saló del Manga de Barcelona


This weekend was held the annual Manga Festival in Barcelona. It's been the XX edition, bigger than ever with 50.000 square meters of exhibition, and beating again the assistance record in more than 130.000 people.


A funny thing happened in this performance, when the worst scene of Berserk was played by chance in the background, distracting the singer when everybody started laughing...


The exhibition was not only full of merchandising stands, but also Japanese food stands. There was a big stage performing concerts and karaokes, a lot of cosplay, and a good opportunity to buy (not a cheap price) manga, films, anime, t-shirts, books, figures, posters, .... whatever related to manga phenomenon.

This year the manga Shingeki no kyojin (進撃の巨人) was a top trend, despite it was dedicated to Pokemon.




And as every year, a lot of people disguised being for one day their favorite manga protagonist or hero.