Train-Tech SD1 Smart Screen Instructions Manual

Smart Screen

Tech.com! L! C

THIS IS FRAGILE - read instructions before use and connect up with Power OFF!

Introduction

The Smart Screen simulates the display screens found in many railway stations and on board
trains, as well as other places such as motorways, buses, bus stops and sports stadiums.
You can customise and display your own messages and the module can store 10 different screens,
each with 2 lines of text, the top line with the option to include a clock and the bottom line capable
of much longer text which scrolls automatically when the sentence is wider than the screen.

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Calling at Acle, Lingwood, B

Your own messages need to be programmed into the screen using a DCC controller, but once set
up they can be powered by either DC or DCC, and each message can be controlled in a number of
ways including Track Sensors, Loco direction, DCC commands, Switches or cycling the messages.
We have tried to make it as easy to set up and use as possible, but DCC controllers were never
designed to set up message displays and because there are so many options it is best to plan your
message before starting to program. Should you make mistakes while setting up, or want to change
messages later, you can edit messages or completely clear the whole screen and start again.
Function keys are used to enter most text and control options, so if you have a choice of DCC
controllers available to you, if possible choose one with 10 individual function keys F0 to F9 which
are easy to use by a single press, rather than multiple button shifts to enter each function.
This booklet contains 5 projects which will help you understand what the Smart Screen can do.

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roaching *** Train now app

Getting Started

The Smart Screen is very fragile and should always be handled with care. The screen itself is
made of thin glass and so care must be taken not to put it under any stress, especially making sure
you rest the screen face down on a completely flat and clean surface when soldering terminals - a
piece of expanded polystyrene from packaging can make a good base on which to work.

The first thing you need to do is wire it up for which you will need a 15-25 watt fine tipped soldering
iron and solder, together with some wire cutters and strippers. A length of fine PTFE insulated wire
is included and is easy to conceal into your own models or one of the optional screen enclosures.
Prepare a completely clean, flat soft surface to work on and start by carefully removing the screen
from this booklet by gently peeling the paper away from the back of the screen, not the other way
round - we suggest the protective screen film is left on until you are ready to fit it on your layout.

Getting connected

Turning the screen glass side down onto a flat clean surface you will see the following connections:

!!!!! P & P are the Power input solder ‘pads’

! A B
P!! ! P

!!!!! A & B are control input solder ‘pads’ for Track Sensors or switches

© Train

!!!!! C is the common input solder ‘pad’
!!!!! L is Address reset ‘pad’ - do not solder!

Connect to 9-16v dc or DCC

!!!!! !

Start by soldering wires flush onto the P power solder pads - solder quickly in 1-2 seconds max
and do not apply too much solder to ensure it remains slim, especially if mounting in an enclosure.

Turn the screen over and when you are ready to set the screen up connect the two power wires to
the DCC controller regular track output and turn on when you should see the demo come on the
screen (or if you just want to see the demo you can connect a 9V battery or 9-16 volt smooth dc).
A demo is preloaded into each new screen but deletes itself as soon as you program it.

You are now ready to plan and setup the Smart Screen with your messages - see following pages.

1

Programming the Smart Screen

•

Whilst there are on-screen prompts to help, we strongly recommend you read through all of these
instructions as it will help you understand all the screen can do & how to set it up for your project.

We advise you to plan what you want your screen to do and show before you start programming!

You can enter your own messages and decide how they will be controlled and these must be set
up using a DCC controller, however once programmed it can be powered by either DCC or DC.
We show how to enter messages, how to control them and how to change setup addresses.
Once messages have been programmed screens can be controlled in a number of different ways:

• Loco direction - fit on side of a DMU or coach to show destinations which change with direction
Control screen message by Track Sensor, Sensor Signal, Switch, button, reed switch, logic level

•

• DCC Accessory - eg Station could show different destinations depending on where a point is set
Manually control which one of 10 screens is shown using a DCC controller

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Automatically cycle between screens at a time interval you set (1 to 60 second intervals)

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Each Smart Screen is given two loco addresses, one used for programming the messages and
the other to set the clock - these addresses may be changed but they should never be the same
address as any loco etc you already run or you will randomly program or corrupt the screen!

• Programming mode Before starting, reset DCC controller by turning it off - wait - then on

•!First connect the smart screen to the standard DCC Track output of your DCC controller - note

do not connect it to the programming track output! See page 1 for connection details.

•"Set your controller to Programming address (factory default is Loco address 55), then press F8.

NB If you do not know programming address you can reset it by briefly touching together the rear
contacts L & C ; note this resets both program & clock address to their default addresses.

1 Message entry and editing

From the programming screen press F4 (Function 4) to Edit a Message:

F4 Edit message

F5 Edit controls

Select the message letter you want to set up (A to J) using F4 and F5, then press F6 to create or
edit your message for that screen. Note that if you want to include a real time clock on your Smart

Screen (press F0 / ) it is best to do this before entering text so that you see how much space
you have to enter text on the top line. The bottom line can store up to 137 characters.

Top line here 12.35
If bottom line is longer than the screen it automatically scrolls…..

Use the keys below to create your message - a _ cursor shows you where you are on the screen

F1 Move cursor >
F2 Move cursor < (Note F12 does same as F2 because on some controllers F2 is momentary)
F3 / F4 Choose character
F5 Upper or lower case
F6 Insert a character
F7 Delete a character
F8 Save message and finish
F9 Erase this message (then select F8 to save the clear message)

F0 or F10 Insert / Remove Clock (note F0 button is marked Lamp on some controllers)

Once you have filled the top line it will automatically move to the lower line - if you do not want any
character in a location just insert a space. When your second line text is longer than the screen
width, the screen will automatically scroll the second line continuously to display all the text.

Edit Message: B
F4 - F5 + F6 Edit

When you have finished press F8 to save this message or Press F9 to erase the whole message.
To clear all messages from the Smart screen and start again use the Full reset - see page 3

Tip If you get to something you do not wish to change, Press F8 or turn off power for 5 seconds

2

2!Set how the messages should be controlled

From the programming screen press F5 Edit Controls, then choose from the following:

F4 Loco F5 Accessory
F6 Cycle F7 Settings

F4 Loco Sets the screen to control messages from a Loco address of your choice.
Enter the Loco address as a 4 digit number - include the zeros if the address is less than 4 digits.
Use F4 to choose the first digit, F5 to move to the next digit and F6 to save the address.

F4+ F5 Next F6 Save

!!!! This example shows messages will be controlled by Loco address 8

Loco address : 0008

!!!! Never use the same address as the Program or Clock address!

• If messages only in screens A&B they are controlled by Loco direction -ideal for on-train displays
If there are messages in screens C to J then they are controlled by the following Functions:

•

! <Direction> shows message A! <Direction> shows message B! F1 shows message C
! F2 shows message D!! F3 shows message E!! F4 shows message F
! F5 shows message G!! F6 shows message H!! F7 shows message I
! F8 shows message J

F5 Accessory Enables you to control your Screen messages from up to 5 Accessory addresses

Screen messages are allocated to Accessory addresses in pairs - one pair per address

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Press F4 / F5 to choose the screen pair, then Press F6. Then change your controller to DCC

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accessory mode, set your accessory address, then send < or > (1 or 2) to store that address.

F6 Cycle Cycles screens which have messages in them sequentially at a time interval you set.

F4 and F5 lets you adjust time between each change in seconds (s), then F6 saves and starts it.

•

3!Changing the Program address, Clock address, and how to do a Full Reset

F7 Settings Facility to set Clock setting address, Screen program address or a full reset and clear

F4 Clock Changes the address at which you can set the time - the default is loco address 56

F4 Clock F5 Reset

!!!!! !! !! This example shows address 76

F6 Program address

The clock forgets the time as soon as power is lost, but it can be set using a DCC controller.
This facility allows you to set the address from which you set the clock - if you have more than one
screen you can give them all the same clock setting address so they can all easily be set together.

F5 Reset Deletes all messages & resets clock setting address & program address to defaults.

• Offers either F8 Clear all messages and reset addresses! or F1 Cancel the reset

F6 Program address Enables you to change the main screen programming address (default 55)

F4 Clock F5 Reset

!!!!! !! !! This example shows address 150

F6 Program address

Note down any new address you program or you will need to reset to default by shorting rear contacts L & C: page 1

F4+ F5 Next F6 Save
Clock address : 0076

F4+ F5 Next F6 Save
Program address: 0150

4!Setting the clock time

The clock is set using a different loco address from the main screen - the default address is 56.
Clock setting has a separate address so that you can have multiple Smart Screens on a layout
whose main messages and controls can be set individually, but the clocks can all be set at the
same time because they can share the same address. See above to change set clock address.

1 To set the time, first set your DCC controller to the loco address of the set clock (default 56).
2 To set the time use the Function keys to enter the time as a 4 digit number (24hr clock format).

Eg to set the time to 08:52 press Function keys F0 F8 F5 F2 note you must enter 4 digits
Important: Note that the F0 button is marked as a Lamp on some controllers

• To make time display the same on every power up, enter time as above then press F5 F5 F5 F5

• The clock keeps reasonable accuracy over a day, but if on continuously will need to be corrected

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