OVER 2 YOU, 147 (16/09/03)

GOING LOCO

I'm looking for some software, and an interface to enable a PC to control the loco, points and uncouplers of a small model train yard. Assisted by gravity, it should be able to sort trucks (Red, Green, Blue) into an order determined by pressing keys 'R', 'G' or 'B', for example. I saw such an arrangement operated by a BBC computer many years ago, and I wish to recreate it as a demonstration model to take to some local fetes.

Geoff Marshalls, via email

The original demonstration Geoff Marshalls refers to was shown on BBC Tomorrow's World in 1965. Trucks would be shunted and attached to the engine automatically in the order selected by the user.

My company at the time, English Electric, built the train control software and hardware around a 'KDN2' process control digital computer and a Hornby Dublo train set. This computer had only 4,000 words of memory (24 bits each) and sold for around £25,000. Imagine that in today's money! All programs in those days, on this computer, were written in assembler language. It was hard work although with tight programming we wrote software to control major steel plants and power stations. The programmers of today don't know how lucky they are with so few constraints!

The original 'Train Control' program was written by a very clever colleague of mine, Dave Pearson, who has recently retired from the computer industry.

Roger Morton

As a technology teacher, I have used various systems over the years to control models by computer. They include a BBC computer (with BBC basic) via a transistorised port interface. An Acorn Archimedes with flowchart software (Flowol) to drive the user port. A PC with QBASIC (similar to BBC basic) to directly address the parallel printer port, which can provide 8 outputs and 5 inputs, again via a suitable interface. A stand-alone microcontroller such as the PICAXE chip, which costs a few pounds (see www.rev-ed.co.uk), and is programmed using flowchart or basic software (provided) on a PC and downloaded to the chip via the serial cable.  The chip can then drive the model through a ‘Darlington’ driver interface.

The advantage of the PICAXE system is that once programmed, it frees up the PC for other tasks. Several PICAXE chips could be used to control a large system, or different models. As for the software, the task must be broken down into logical steps, which can then be programmed via the flowchart or basic commands in the software provided.  I would be happy to give further advice if needed.

Peter Richard

In the early 80's I taught a Digital Electronics Course which included Computer Interface and Control. One of the lab experiments for the course was on Computer Control using an 8 bit Nascom computer. A train set was used as the controlled system. 

The Uncoupler was positioned at the top of an incline sloping down to the buffers and sensors were activated by a magnet fixed to the locomotive. A barcode reader read a 5 element bardcode on each truck. Buffer Pressure Sensors were used to tell when the locomotive had recoupled the trucks in that siding when the train was being reassembled.

Points and train speed and direction were computer controlled. The full train was accelerated towards the uncoupler. The bar code of the first truck was read and the pre-programmed siding destination set with the points. The loco would stop with the first truck over the uncoupler. The truck would shunt into its allocated siding. The loco would reverse back and the cycle repeated until all the trucks were sorted. The program would then run to collect the trucks from each siding in turn to build up the complete train. The program could be rerun with a different sort instruction to mix up the trucks.

Mike Browne

Your correspondent should contact the Model Electronic Railway Group at http://www.merg.org.uk/ to see if they can help him with his idea.

Colin Beasley

MUSICAL NOTES

Can anyone recommend an easy-to-use program for writing music on my computer? In the past I have used 'Mozart' which was all right but I wondered if there was anything better available now and preferably not too pricey.

Pamela, via email

Have a look at Music Publisher 5 from Braeburn Software at http://www.braeburn.co.uk. It is considerably cheaper than some rival programs but does everything you need. 

Colin Beasley

Having tried a variety of inexpensive music software, I inevitably return to Noteworthy Composer downloadable from: http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/.

I value its ease of use, enabling input from PC keyboard/mouse or MIDI keyboard, and range of adjustable parameters (e.g. transposing).

Mark Rudman

I have found Personal Composer for Windows very easy to use. There are 8-stave, 16-stave and 44-stave versions available, which are suitable for Windows versions 9x and XP. For details see the website www.pcomposer.com, where you can download a trial version.

Mike Smith

The Lime Music Notation Software package downloadable from http://www.cerlsoundgroup.org/ (1.5Mb self-extracting ZIP file) does everything one is likely to need if music writing is all that it is required. It can be used to produce anything from a single stave to a full orchestral score. All musical directions, including dynamics, slurs, ties, grace notes and commonly used symbols can be added, lyrics can also be included. It will transpose if required, and music may be entered using the on screen keyboard or through a MIDI interface. The printouts can appear like commercially printed music once you have got the hang of using the package. It will also play your music back, either the complete score or selected parts.

 It is shareware, however, all program features are available before you register. Registration costs $65, after which the nag screen will disappear. If you do register, email support from the developers is very good in my experience.
John Walters

'Melody Assistant' or 'Harmony Assistant' from Myriad Software at www.myriad-online.com I find to be amazing, extremely powerful music writing, scoring and playing software. Both are shareware and are available as free trial downloads. The programs have built in manuals and effective tutorials. The web site has a large base of help and resource files and a 'users' section with bulletin board. 'Melody Assistant' at price 15 Euros is the small brother of 'Harmony Assistant', price 65 Euros. Can be downloaded or purchase on CD. Lifetime upgrades are available on registered software.

A 'plug-in' called 'Virtual Singer', 15 Euros, will interpret and 'sing' vocal lines typed into the stave! I use this software to produce four-part singing 'Barbershop' quartet files.
Bruce Turner, Doncaster

I can highly recommend Capella for writing music on a PC. I have used it professionally for many years. It is distributed in the UK by Software Partners, Oak Tree House, Station Rd, Claverdon, Warwickshire, CV35 8PE, tel 01926 842998, http://www.software-partners.co.uk
Gordon Balmforth, Huddersfield

My recommendation is to go back to Mozart.  It is easy to use, not too pricey, undergoing a process of continuous development and has a friendly user group with helpful members who are able to advise on everything from music theory to software/hardware interfacing.

F. H. Bridges

Rosegarden-4 is an attractive, user-friendly audio and MIDI sequencer, score editor, and general-purpose music composition and editing application for Unix and Linux. The program is General Public Licence (free) software. It is in the later stages of development, which means that although it is not completely finished it is already useful. The Rosegarden-4 web site is:
http://www.all-day-breakfast.com/rosegarden/

Phil Jones

PHONE RECORDER

Does anyone know of any software that I can use to record telephone conversations on my PC? Presumably I will also need some kind of adaptor to connect it to the telephone, suggestions for that as well please.

K. Leyland, via email

You can record telephone conversations on your PC easily, cheaply and automatically with hardware and software from ModemPhones Ltd. Contact www.modemphones.com
C. D. Clubbe, Deeside, Flintshire

I don't know whether it is legal to record telephone conversations unless you advise the caller of your intentions. However I think you can get a Magnetic Pick-up Adapter from Maplin that you can stick to your phone by a sucker head and if correctly placed, trial and error, will record to a tape recorder. Connect the tape recorder’s output to the audio input socket on your PC and record it using a recording program. I have recorded phone conversations when getting advice from people who give their message faster than my brain can absorb it.

Harold Goodwin

CAN YOU HELP?

Now that the football season has started I wish to do the pools and want all of the information to be made available for calculation purposes. Can anyone recommend a web site where I can download up-to-date football league tables and/or stats. and is it possible to place them directly into Excel? 

Jesse Lyons, via email

Does anyone know how I can program my computer and printer so that I can use it to print my cheques?
N. Burton, via email

I need to access some old Supercalc .CAL files created under MS DOS 6.22 My present Windows XP doesn't seem to want to know. Ideally I would like to convert them to Microsoft Excel (I have Office 97) but it would be a help if I could display some important sections, which could be "Screen grabbed". MSDOS 6.22, Windows 95 & 98SE Operating systems are still in my archives

Norman Davey, via email