Real-Time Lab Administrator Procedures
General information
- The Real-Time Programming Lab (aka the Train Lab) is in MC 3018.
- Spare parts and specialized tools are stored in DC 2561 in the Teaching and Administration shelves.
- The course home page is https://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cs452/
.
Normal procedures
Trains
- purchase
- record (at least) Marklin part number and date purchased
- prep
- record (at least) address, Marklin part number (and preferably) date put into service
- set address
- remove couplers
- remove parts that normally break or fall off
- lube and tune-up after 40 hours of operation
- lube per manual, typically:
- oil axles
- grease worm gear or oil motor bearing and gears
- clean pickup and wheels
- replace missing tires. Some trains have none, some have 2 or some other number. Look for a wheel with a ridge to retain the tire.
- check for damaged parts
- check body retaining screw(s) are adequately tight
- test:
- motor runs smoothly at a variety of speeds in forward and reverse
- quick large changes in requested speed result in gradual acceleration or deceleration
- all lights work and do not flicker excessively while moving
- (some models) horn works
- train does not derail when passing through turnouts
Track
- periodic tune-up (at least once per term)
- remove debris
- it is OK and normal for the small turn-out manual operation levers to be not installed in the turnouts and scattered about the track table
- it is common to find small parts of trains broken or fallen-off scattered about the track table. Usually they are not worth keeping, but sometimes they are.
- clean tracks and third rail with rubbing alcohol
- check turn-outs for broken guide rails
- look for damage
Common repairs
Trains
- for most problems, start with 40 hour tuneup
- all functions (lights, motor, etc.) do not respond to commands
- clean pick-up
- check for broken red wire from pickup to pcb
- check for broken ground wires from trucks to pcb
- if it has mfx, does it register itself within 30 seconds on the test track?
- check for overheating (internal short) ICs
- motor does not respond to commands, but lights, etc. work
- check drive train moves freely
- check for broken wires to motor (some models)
- check for overheating (internal short) ICs, especially motor drive fet
- missing tire
- train may sometimes derail or short track
- replace tire
- bent pickup
- should project (2mm?) (per manual) beyond wheels and be parallel to track
- remove (pops off with small flat-head screwdriver) then straighten or bend into shape, or replace
- frequently stalls, lights flicker
- clean pickup and wheels
- check for bent pickup
- sounds rough, runs slowly or erratically
- lube per 40 hour tuneup
- check drive-train for smooth operation
- (some models) check for disconnected or missing drive shaft(s)
- (some models) remove drive shafts and check motor
- motor responds to commands, but some or all drive wheels don't turn
- (some models) check for disconnected or missing drive shaft(s)
- (some models) wheel axles loose or falling off
- re-assemble truck
- bronze ground brushes go inside wheels
- plastic bottom trim snaps into place on truck and retains both axles
- drive shaft connects motor to worm gear in truck
- train derails on turnouts
- check turnout for broken guide rails, other damage, missing parts, or incorrect operation
- check for bent pickup or missing tires
- train may derail only when travelling backwards and in direction that turnout diverges
- check for loose press-fit of wheels on axle. Wheels a fraction of a millimeter too far apart will cause this problem.
Track
- turnouts
- trains derail on turnout
- check for broken guide rails
- check for damaged or missing moving rails
- check for moving rails not fully in position for straight or curved
- check for correct operation
- smooth manual operation from straight to curved and back
- does not respond to commands
- replace track if necessary
- check for smooth manual operation from straight to curved and back
- look for broken parts
- move solenoid and decoder to new track
- else, replace solenoid. A solenoid will burn-out if left energized more than briefly by the program.
- else, check turnout decoder pcb address dip switches; look-up in manual that comes with every new decoder.
- else, replace decoder pcb. Set address dip switches to match old decoder.
- sensors
- does not trigger in one or both directions, or
- can be triggered by hand, but not trains, or
- stays triggered in one or both directions, or
- triggers in one direction, then bounces and triggers opposite direction
- replace sensor track if necessary
- check for smooth operation
- listen for click of microswitches
- check for broken wires under track
- check for plugs disconnected or misconnected to 16-input encoders under track
- directions are reversed or the wrong sensor reports trigger
- check for wires reversed to sensor track
- check for plugs misconnected to 16-input encoders under track
Computing equipment
thin client problems
TS-7200 ARM (small grey boxes)
- check for loose ethernet cable
- check PC is connected to COM2, track (if present) connected to COM1, nothing connected to COM3
- check correct baud rate and TTY on PC
- check status LEDs on pcb inside
- check jumpers per manual
- console on COM2, because track interface need RS232 modem control signals on COM1
- flash write disabled
- check ribbon cables
- COM1, COM2 OK; COM3 disconnected
- if Redboot in flash is damaged
- reprogram flash using reprogramming board, or return to Technologic Systems for reprogramming.
track PC
- stock Ubuntu Desktop install, with
- user realfolk
- login automatically
- disable screen lock
- install gtkterm
- see other notes
tftp servers
- tftp1.student.cs and tftp.student.cs
- Ubuntu LXC containers
- minimal installed software
- students in the course have group write perms on student.cs file server ~cs452/tftp/ARM/ download dir
- tftp servers nfs mount home dirs to get ~cs452/tftp/ARM/
-- FraserGunn - 2015-07-16