Slashdot Mirror
Model Train Control Using Your PDA
VP writes "Forget that crap about PDAs making you more productive by keeping useless contact lists and appointment reminders. Here is the real reason PDAs exist: locopalm.com. You might want to check out the TechTV spot as well."
Hmmm... OK, now that I see it in print, maybe it's not such a great pick-up line after all...
I want to be able to drive my car with my PDA/Cell phone.
I want to be able to fly a remote control helicopter, too!
Here's a mirror.
LocoPalm
LocoMon
LocoConfig
LocoProg
Adapter
I.O.U One Sig.
Was he running his website on his PDA as well? Did we crash his train too?
"She's a West Texas girl, just like me" - G.W Bush Iraqis
you are SOOOO talking to the wrong people.
YOU SUCK BALLS!
Yeah, here's the google cache Jeez, were they hosting the server on the Palm?
Since when has this country used intellectual elite as a pejorative term?
Projects like this are a lot of fun, and a great way to get into electronics.
Lead developer, http://wisptools.net
this won't be cool until you can use a Palm to make 2 model trains collide and explode like in the Addams Family.
"And this is my boy, Sherman. Speak, Sherman." "Hello." "Good boy."
Umm... How long have you been reading slashdot? Most of the stuff that gets posted is like this. Pointless to some. Hell, plenty of it is worse- this is actually cool and useful (although for only a small subset of humanity or even nerdom). This is nerdy, and hence it is worth being posted.
Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
When I was in public school my friend's dad had a model train set up in one room in his basement. We were never allow to go in there, he was afraid we'd break something. You might think this kind of "forbidden fruit" would be beyond temptation to two young boys, but you'd be wrong. I never went in that room, and I never wanted to either.
Moral of the story.. even though you think model trains are great, most people don't give a shit.
It's great that someone has figured out how to control model trains with a palm pilot, but think of how useful a Palm could be to control various appliances and circuits in your house. This has been done with computers, but it isn't too practical. But with a Palm, imagine... You wake up in the morning, find the Palm Pilot on your night stand, and push a button to start the coffee maker. Did your kids leave the lights on in a dozen rooms in the house, and you've just settled down to watch the game? Turn 'em all off in a snap with the Palm Pilot by your side.
How about we work on CONSTRUCTIVE projects that would make this world a better place.
Or at least someting cool like...
VNC Server for Toasters and Light-Switches
and
TCP/IP Enabled Lego Bricks
Karma: The shiznight, mostly because I am the Drizzle.
a while back there was the article about how to turn a floppy disk into the enterprise from star trek (why i even bothered to clarify that here is beyond me). It was kinda gay, but a lot of people that day put up pictures of their attempts at it. It was cool because everyone has a spare floppy disk, and many a /.er likes star trek. in the end, i found i actually enjoyed the article, simply because people were doing it and posting pictures. Now this one, i'm not going to see a picture of your attempt, and (as you mentioned) not too many people have trains and a pda and want to do this (the enterprise thing took five minutes).
but who am i to rant and rave about the poor quality of these articles? after all, i'm only here because i'm wasting a little time right now. and if it was realy that bad, i'd just leave, the internet is a big place.
YOU SUCK BALLS!
The locopalm is nice, however ...what is really amazing are the goals my 9 year old met to be able to Rent-A-Locomotive at the Golden Gate Museum Railroad!
His face was full of delight as he drove an actual locomotive (under an engineer's instruction, of course).
Sometimes there's nothing quite like the real thing.
--Hopscotch
Who really cares? everyday i keep seeing the same bullshit. Guy controls train with PDA. whoohoo. instead of posting constructive topics, we get this weird shit.
You are apparently ignorant of history. Much of compter science came from a model railroad club.
The MIT model railroad club, to be exact. See Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution for more details.
These are the folks who brought you emacs, time-sharing, and open source.
So don't be surprised at the occasional computer-controlled-model-railroad story on slashdot. That's what they were trying to do in the FIRST place.
It's nice to see that its finally working. B-)
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
When geek cultures collide... pda's and model trains? throw in linux and its a geek paradise...
wont even get your ass laid
i dont know about you, but i don't like it when my ass engages in sexual activities...
YOU SUCK BALLS!
You don't know your hacker's lore. This article is about as on-topic as Slashdot gets.
Computer controlled model trains have been around for awhile now. It's known as direct command control (DCC) and it's a well known standard among serious model railroaders. I believe its specification is also defined by the National Model Railroading Association (NMRA).
Basically, the flaws of regular DC model railroading are as follows: Each locomotive picks up DC power from the rails, and therefore, it is not possible to have two trains moving in different directions or different speeds unless the sections of rail are insulated. DCC was brought about, which allows each locomotive to be addressable, and "command controlled". A "decoder" is installed in each locomotive, which receives the command. The decoder is really just a PIC.
I wonder if this the technology discussed in the article (which I can't get to right now) is a DCC derivative of some sort?
MIT is famous for their train club, which goes way back
Tech Model Railroad Club of MIT
Note that Steve Russel's development of the first video game is tied in with his time at TMRC. Note also many geek terms originated here (As seen in a dictionary derived from one originally written in 1959 by Pete Samson)
The real world engineering problems in running trains are also a good education
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
I don't know about 1, but I imagine quite a large percentage of slashdot users own pdas. (Furthermore, I would imagine that among the slashdot users who do own a fully working train set, the percentage also owning a PDA would be even higher.)
The idea of using a PDA to control a model train fits in VERY well with the theme of slashdot. It is a cool hack. There needs to be more of this kind of story posted here. It is a story of individual initiative and inventiveness, rather than corporate greed and legal entanglements. It is a story that inspires people. How much more constructive and good for the world do you want?
"I'm not impatient. I just hate waiting." - My Dad
Just thought I'd share...
Reading this story got me interested in what kinds of railroad simulators are available online. BVE is a cab-view simulator that has a decent collection of real-world trains and tracks for you to try out (sorry, it's windows only). If you've ever wanted to drive a train on the London Underground, here's your chance.
Forget that crap about PDAs making you more productive by keeping useless contact lists and appointment reminders. Here is the real reason PDAs exist
This isn't the reason PDAs exist, it's just the real reason why most geeks will never get laid.
Geek 1: I can either save that girls number on my PDA, or free the memory up so I can use it for my train controlling app.
Geek 2: There are girls, and phone numbers all over this planet, how many train controlling PDAs are there!?!?
Geek 1: You're right! Train controlling app it is!
Observe the Jargon File's view of it:
"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." -- Hanlon's Razor