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:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/mrrwa/

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:

http://www.clubncaldes.com/2014/06/loconet-interface-for-arduino.html

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

http://www.clubncaldes.com/2014/06/arduino-loconet-shield-gca185.html

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!!!

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.

Ligne de Petite Ceinture (Paris)

Hello everybody! Last week I was in Paris visiting my sister. I always plan a "train related activity" when I travel abroad, if it's a pleasure trip. Some times it's just visiting train shops, others going to a museum, and others coinciding with a hobby flea market. But just some days before going I read somebody in a forum talking about an awesome abandoned circular railway inside of Paris. At the same time somebody sent me link to a site with incredible photos of abandoned places, and seemed to be the same old abandoned railway of Paris.

http://www.earthporm.com/21-photos-nature-winning-battle-civilization/

That couldn't be just a coincidence, I had to found that railway line!!! And yes, after some research I found this line is called Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture (French for "little belt railway").

From wikipedia:

"...was a Parisian railway that, from 1852, was a circular connection between Paris's main railway stations within the fortified walls of the city. In a partial state of abandonment since 1934, the future of its yet-undeveloped property is the subject of much debate as of 2013. Many French railway enthusiasts and associations would like to see the abandoned railway and its remaining stations preserved and protected as a part of France's national heritage."

I also found there is a park called Montsouris in the south of Paris, crossed by the normal railway line and also with a visible part of the Petite Ceinture. Now I can assure the photo was taken exactly in this park, it's exactly the section of tracks passing the park Montsouris.

The park is awesome, with a big lake where many ducks, swans, turtles and many other animals live, big and old trees from all over the world and many place to make picnic. There are also some bars, a restaurant, kids playground zone, public toilets,... really nice.

And these are my own photos. As my camera was broken in a previous trip to Germany, I just had the mobile phone so the quality is really poor:

The line extends outside the park, may be in another trip I try to follow it and see if there is a point to go inside.

Cheers!!