LOGIC RAIL Block Animator User manual

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L OGIC
TECHNOLOGIES
R AIL
"Sophisticated
Model Railroad
Electronics"
TM
21175 Tomball Pkwy Phone: [phone]
Suite 287 email: [e-mail]
Houston, TX 77070 http://www.logicrailtech.com
Block Animator
Tomar semaphore motor, bulb-based &
LED-based, common-anode position
light signal instructions
Revised 10/20/18
Getting started
Thank you for purchasing a Logic Rail Technologies product! Please familiarize yourself ith all the instructions prior to
installing this board. These instructions cover the version of the Block Animator that provides 3-aspect signaling for Tomar
semaphore motors, bulb-based signals (including position light signals), and LED-based, common anode (positive) ired
position light signals.
The Block Animator (BA) provides automatic operation of t o 3-aspect block signals in a semi-prototypical ay. Four
photocells are used for bidirectional train detection. The layout of the signals (or semaphores) and photocells is illustrated
belo .
Photocell
W1
Photocell
E1
Photocell
W2
Photocell
E2
Signal
EB
Signal
WB
W E
The BA operates the signals as described next. In the absence of any trains the t o signals ill be green. No consider a
train traveling eastbound. When photocell W1 is covered signal WB ill change from green to red and ill remain red as the
train continues eastbound and subsequently covers signal W2. When the train then covers photocell E2 signal EB ill change
from green to red. Once the train has totally uncovered photocells W1 and W2 then signal WB ill change from red back to
green. As the train continues eastbound to ards photocell E1 signal EB ill remain red. Once the train has passed over
photocell E1 and totally uncovers both it and photocell E2 signal EB ill change to yello ; this mimics the behavior of the
train entering the “next block.” After a time delay (10 or 30 seconds; see belo ) signal EB ill change to green. Signal
operation for a estbound train is similar ith signal EB changing from green to red and back to green hile signal WB
changes from green to red to yello and back to green.
You should make all of the connections to the BA before applying po er to it. You can mount the BA any here it is
convenient underneath your layout using the four mounting holes provided. The holes ill accept #4 scre s; do not enlarge
the holes as damage to the circuit board can result and your arranty ill be voided!
The BA board has a set of 6 configuration s itches on it. Each s itch is described belo .
Switch Name Meaning when OFF/OPEN Meaning when ON/CLOSED
SETUP BA is in normal operating mode BA is in photocell setup mode
DELAY Yello to Green delay is 30 seconds Yello to Green delay is 10 seconds
SIG_EB MUST use this setting Do not use this setting
SIG_WB MUST use this setting Do not use this setting
YELHUE Not used Not used
APPRL Approach Lighting is Disabled Approach Lighting is Enabled
Approach Lighting
The concept of Approach Lighting is quite simple. A signal (excluding semaphores) remains dark (not illuminated) until a
train approaches it (i.e. the block in advance of the signal is occupied). This has been primarily used in the estern U.S. in
remote locations here signal equipment operates on battery po er. Having the signals unlit most of the time saves battery
po er as ell as prolongs the life of the bulbs. The “rule” for illumination is simple: the signal shall be illuminated hen the
preceding block is occupied. The BA supports this feature ( hen the APPRL s itch is ON/CLOSED) and orks as follo s.
Signal EB ill be illuminated henever an eastbound train covers photocell W1 and ill keep signal EB illuminated until
photocell E2 is covered and then subsequently uncovered. Note that if the eastbound train covers and then uncovers photocell
W1 but after 35 seconds hasn’t covered photocell E2, then the BA ill assume the train has actually reversed direction and
ill turn the signal off. Similarly, signal EB ill also be illuminated henever a estbound train covers photocell E2 and
ill keep signal EB illuminated until photocell W1 is covered and then subsequently uncovered. The same 35 second
“timeout” mechanism is in effect for this direction of travel too. Signal WB ill operate in a similar manner ith respect to
photocells E1 and W2. You can turn approach lighting on or off at any time. Hopefully it is obvious that if you turn this
feature off then the signals ill be illuminated all the time!

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Semaphore motor and signal wiring
Wiring for Tomar’s semaphore motor and signal is sho n in Figure 1. You ill need a current limiting resistor for the
semaphore bulb; refer to Tomar’s instruction sheet for details. Note that the input power range must be is 9 -
12V AC or
DC. The C terminal is not used ith this signal type!
Figure 1 – Semaphore motor and signal
3-light signal wiring
Wiring for 3-light bulb-
based light signals is sho n in Figure 2 belo . You ill need the current limiting resistors if the
voltage rating of the bulbs is lo er than the input voltage to the BA
. For example, if the input voltage is 16V and the bulbs
are rated at 12V (get t
his information from the manufacturer of the signal) then e ould suggest a resistor value of 100
ohms (e.g Radio Shack #RSU 11345519. If the input voltage is equal to or slightly lo er than that of the bulbs then no
resistors are needed. NOTE: The C terminal is not used with this signal type!
Figure 2 – 3-light bulb-based signal

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2-light signal wiring
Wiring for 2-light bulb-based light signals is sho n in Figure 3. Three diodes (e.g. Radio Shack #276-1101) must be added to
the yello and green outputs as sho n. You ill need the current limiting resistors if the voltage rating of the bulbs is lo er
than the input voltage to the BA. For example, if the input voltage is 16V and the bulbs are rated at 12V (get this information
from the manufacturer of the signal) then e ould suggest a resistor value of 100 ohms (e.g Radio Shack #RSU 11345519.
If the input voltage is equal to or slightly lo er than that of the bulbs then no resistors are needed. NOTE: The C terminal is
not used with this signal type!
Figure 3 – 2-light bulb-based signal
Bulb-based Position Light Signals e.g. NJ International)
Wiring for bulb-based position light signals is sho n in Figure 4 belo . You ill need the current limiting resistors if the
voltage rating of the bulbs is lo er than the input voltage to the BA. For example, if the input voltage is 16V and the bulbs
are rated at 12V (get this information from the manufacturer of the signal) then e ould suggest a resistor value of 100
ohms (e.g Radio Shack #RSU 11345519). If the input voltage is equal to or slightly lo er than that of the bulbs then no
resistors are needed.
C Y R G
Eastbound
C Y R G
Westbound
Block Animator
E1 W2 E2 W1 5V DC GND AC IN
Current limiting resistors
(see text
Common
Clear position
Stop position
Approach position
Center bulb
Figure 4 – Bulb-based position light signals

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If your signal is an “absolute” type (that
means it has t o red bulbs for the stop
position hile all others are yello ) then
you ill have to cut the exposed lead on the
diode (D9 for the EASTBOUND signal or
D12 for the WESTBOUND signal) on the
BA board as sho n in Figure 5. Use a pair
of diagonal cutters to make the cut. Be sure
that the t o cut ends no longer touch each
other by separating them slightly. Failure to
do so on’t cause any damage but it may
cause the center yello bulb to illuminate
hen the signal is in the stop position.
C Y R G
Eastbound
C Y R G
Westbound
Block Animator
Figure 5 – cutting diodes for absolute type signals
LED-based Position Light Signals common anode wiring)
The position light signal head is sho n as a circle on the right-hand side of the dra ing in Figure 6 belo . Within the signal
head are the seven LED “lights”; if you have a B&O style color position light signal then it ill not have a center LED. The
value of the current limiting resistors depends upon the value of the input voltage to the Signal Animator. For a 16V input
voltage e recommend a resistor value of either 390 ohms (e.g. Radio Shack # 271-1114) or 330 ohms (e.g. Radio Shack
#271-1113); you should use ½ att resistors. Use a higher value for the center LED; e recommend a value of 680 ohms
(e.g. Radio Shack #271-1117).
C Y R G
Eastbound
C Y R G
Westbound
Block Animator
E1 W2 E2 W1 5V DC GND AC IN
Common
Clear position
Stop position
Approach position
Center LED
Current limiting resistors
(see text
Figure 6 – LED-based common anode wiring) position light signals
If your signal(s) is an “absolute” type (that means it has t o red LEDs for the stop position hile all others are yello ) then
you ill have to cut the exposed lead on the appropriate diodes on the BA board as sho n in Figure 5 above. Use a pair of
diagonal cutters to make the cut. Be sure that the t o cut ends no longer touch each other by separating them slightly. Failure
to do so on’t cause any damage but it may cause the center yello LED to illuminate hen the signal is in the stop position.

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The Photocells
The photocells should be mounted bet een the rails.
Drill a
9/64" hole through the ballast, roadbed, and sub-
roadbed. For
the
smaller scales this drilling may end up hitting the ties. Take
your time so
you don’t mangle them! Figure 7
illustrates the
placement of a
photocell in bet een the rails. Insert the leads of
the photocell into the hole from the top of your layout. One of
t
he photocell leads has a piece of insulation on it so be sure the
t o leads don't touch each other (you on't damage anything if
they do but the circuit on't ork properly!) If the leads do not
Figure 7 – photocell placement
protrude enough from the underside of your layout then it ill be necessary to extend the leads; soldering ires to them is the
most common method; make sure you insulate any connections you make to the photocell leads so that they don't short out.
Once you have ired the photocells to the BA and verified their
operation you may ish to put a dab of hite glue under the
photocells to hold them in place; make sure you don't get glue on the top surface of the photocells
as this may prevent it from
operating properly. Figure 8 illustrates the photocell iring
; make sure you have the photocells in the correct order as sho n
at the top of page 1.
Photocells do not have any polarity so you can connect either lead to the GND terminal and connect the
remaining lead to the appropriate photocell input.
The spacing bet een the outer photocells (W1 and E1) and inner
photocells (E2 and W2) depends upon ho long of a signal “block” you ish to define for each signal. Ho ever, keep in
mind that there is a 35 second timeout that the BA uses. This means that if it takes more than 3
5 seconds for a train to cover
the nearest inner photocell after uncovering an outer photocell then the BA
ill think the train has actually backed up and
exited the block!
Figure 8 – photocell wiring
The photocells require a light source above them to function properly. On most layouts the room lighting should be
sufficient. Ho ever, if any of the photocells are located in an area that doesn't get much overhead lighting or if you have
simulated "nighttime" operations then it ill be necessary to locate a light source on the layout near the photocell(s). Street
lights and yard lights are common light sources. Locate the light source slightly to the left or right of the photocell(s) and not
directly over it; this ill allo the BA to still properly detect a train that has stopped over a photocell ith the gap bet een
cars over the photocell.
Photocell sensitivity setup
You can adjust the sensitivity of each photocell on the circuit board using a small slotted head scre driver. Along one each
of the board are four potentiometers (or “pots”) that are labeled "W1", “E2”, “W2” or “E1”. The BA supports a SETUP mode
to make this adjustment process easier. To enable this mode, you must have the s itch labeled SETUP in the ON/CLOSED
position. In this mode the signals ill not change colors. The BA circuit board contains a red LED near the configuration
s itches; this LED ill assist you in setting the photocell sensitivity. No follo these steps:
1. Remove all obstacles that may be covering the photocells or blocking overhead light to them.
2. Insert the blade of the scre driver (from the edge of the circuit board, not from the center of the board) into the
adjustment pots, one at a time. Turn the scre driver completely counter-clock ise (left) in all FOUR of the pots.
3. For the adjustment pot labeled W1 turn the scre driver clock ise (right) until the on-board LED just lights up. Then
turn the scre driver back counter-clock ise until the LED goes out.
4. Repeat step 3 for the three remaining pots.
5. Exit SETUP mode by putting the SETUP s itch in the OFF/OPEN position. The signals should no operate
properly. It may be necessary to repeat this procedure if layout lighting conditions change significantly.
Turning the pots clock ise adjusts for brighter overhead lighting conditions hile turning the pots counter-clock ise adjusts
for dimmer overhead lighting.

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Signal delay
The signal color delay ( hen the signal changes from yello to green) can b
e either 10 seconds or 30 seconds. Choose the
value based on your o n personal preference. To select 10 seconds the configuration s itch labeled DELAY
must be
ON/CLOSED; for 30 seconds the s itch must be OFF/OPEN. You can change this as you ish even hen
the po er to the
BA is on.
Power
The BA accepts AC or DC po er (7 - 16V); ho ever, if you’re using semaphore motors then the input po er should be no
higher than 12V. Po er consumption is approximately 125mA (including the signals). If you are only using a single BA then
use the AC IN terminals to provide po er (polarity doesn’t matter). You can use the AC or DC accessory terminals on your
throttle/po er pack provided the voltage doesn’t exceed 16V. You can even po er the circuit from the rails if you’re using
command control (e.g. DCC, Railcommand, etc); in this case use the AC IN terminals on the BA. If you are using more than
one BA you can po er them all from a single DC source as sho n in Figure 9 belo .
C Y R G
Eastbound
C Y R G
Westbound
Block Animator
C Y R G
Eastbound
C Y R G
Westbound
Block Animator
Figure 9 – DC power
Alternate signal positioning
Rather than place the signals and photocells as sho n on page 1 you may choose to locate the signals at the opposite ends of
a long section of track as sho n in the next dra ing. All iring should follo hat has been previously described. Please
note that with this usage of the Block Animator you CANNOT enable approach lighting; you MUST have the APPRL
switch in the OFF/OPEN position in order to have proper signal behavior.
Photocell
W1
Photocell
E1
Photocell
W2
Photocell
E2
Signal
EB
Signal
WB
W E
Other Applications
Please contact us if you are interested in kno ing ho to interlock your signal (i.e. force it to red) ith the position of a turnout
or if you are interested in controlling a dual head signal. We have an instruction supplement that covers these applications. You
can also access this documentation online from our ebsite at http:// .logicrailtech.com/lrt_docs.htm.

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Minimizing electrical noise effects from other sources that may cause false triggering
S itch machines, s itch motors and electrical uncouplers are notorious for generating electrical noise hen they are
energized. Such noise can be inadvertently coupled onto the BA’s photocell connections hich can then lead to false
triggering of the signal circuit. The first remedy to try is to make sure that iring for those devices is kept apart from the
photocell iring. This may not al ays be practical (especially if you’re interlocking the signal head(s) ith turnout position
as described above). If that’s the case, adding decoupling/filter components to the BA circuit ill usually eliminate the false
triggering. The dra ing belo illustrates hat needs to be done. Note that capacitors C1 and C3 are polarized so make sure
you connect them correctly; C2 has no polarity. Also, pay attention to the component location as outlined belo in the parts
list. The numbers in parentheses are Radio Shack part numbers. The dra ing only sho s one photocell. Each photocell ill
need its o n “R1” and “C3” components; only one “C1” and “C2” are needed for each BA.
E1 W2 E2 W1 5V DC GND AC IN
It may also be necessary to add filtering to the po er source for the “offending” item. For example, if you are using s itch
motors po ered by a DC (unipolar or bipolar) po er source you may need to add filter capacitors to that po er source. We
suggest a 0.1ufd/50V ceramic disk capacitor (such as C2 above) in parallel ith a 100ufd/35V electrolytic capacitor (similar
to C1 above, but obviously a higher value). Connect them similar to the ay C1 & C2 are connected above (i.e. positive lead
to positive po er output; negative lead to the negative po er output or ground).
Finally, if noise problems still exist you may need to use coaxial cable for the photocell connections. Connect the shield of
such a cable to GND terminal on the BA and connect the center ire to the appropriate photocell terminal.
Using an infrared emitter and detector instead of the photocell
It is possible use infrared emitter and detector pairs instead of the photocells for train detection. The iring for one photocell
input is sho n belo . When the infrared beam is not obstructed from the detector the output of the detector ill be
approximately 0.2V. When the infrared beam is obstructed the output of the detector ill essentially appear like an open
circuit to the BA’s photocell inputs hich ill be interpreted like a covered photocell.
E1 W2 E2 W1 5V DC GND AC IN

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Warranty
This product is arranted to be free from defects in materials or orkmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase.
Logic Rail Technologies reserves the right to repair or replace a defective product. The product must be returned to Logic Rail
Technologies in satisfactory condition. This arranty covers all defects incurred during normal use of this product. This
arranty is void under the follo ing conditions:
1) If damage to the product results from mishandling or abuse.
2) If the product has been altered in any ay (e.g. soldering).
3) If the current or voltage limitations of the product have been exceeded.
Requests for arranty service must include a dated proof of purchase, a ritten description of the problem, and return shipping
and handling ($6.00 inside U.S./$10.00 outside U.S. - U.S. funds only). Except as ritten above, no other arranty or
guarantee, either expressed or implied by any other person, firm or corporation, applies to this product.
Troubleshooting
If your signal is not reacting properly hen a particular photocell is covered or uncovered then you can perform the follo ing
tests. First, perform the photocell setup routine previously described. If one or more of the photocells does not function properly
then you kno it/they is/are faulty. If the photocells are determined to be OK then you might have a problem ith the BA, the
signal, or the iring bet een them.
Technical Support
We hope the preceding instructions are sufficient for ans ering any questions you might have about the installation of this
product. Ho ever, technical support is available should you need it. We ould ask that you first contact your place of purchase
for assistance. If you still need further assistance then please do not hesitate to contact us. You can reach us via phone, fax, mail
and email; our contact information can be found on the top of page 1.