User manual

6. Supervising the work carried out so far: Even if you are eager to connect the switch to power now, you should always check the connections again.
Check list:
1. Relay in the right direction? “Overhead” (picture 2)?
2. Capacitor to -M- and L0 (picture 3)?
3. Poti in the right direction?
4. Light dependent resistor connected in the right way? To contact L0 (picture 4)?
5. Microprocessor connected properly (also picture 4)?
7. First performance check of the Twilight Switch
For testing the assembled switch, the relay has to be connected to an appliance. For this, a lighting base with a bulb or a LED will be convenient. The following picture shows the
possible connection (picture 6). LED and frame aren’t inclusive.
• The relay has 6 connections with a total of two changeover switches.
• The top series is switch 1.
• The lower series is switch 2.
• Connection to the left and the right relay contact.
• Middle relay contact stays free.
• The connection scheme of the relay contact:
At the upper left terminal of the relay you have to solder an approximately 20 cm long cable (e.g. yellow). At the right upper terminal of the relay you solder the yellow cable from the
lighting socket. The middle upper connection stays free. Now, you connect the soldered yellow cable and the brown one from the lighting socket with the continuous current output of
the model train transformer (16 v alternating current AC) (picture 6). The bulb / LED shouldn’t light now.
8. The very last preparations for the performance check
The adjustment knobs on the left should be turned approximately into the center position. Now, for the first time the switch can be powered. For this, both black cables of the contacts
BLACK / RED were connected to the railway transformer: continuous current output of the transformer (16 volts alternating current AC).
You haven’t take care to the polarity. For testing the function of the Twilight Switch, either the ambient light can be dimmed or you use a cap of a felt pen. As you can see in picture 7,
with this you can “generate darkness” very well. By raising and lowering the felt pen cap you can see the shifter shaft of the Twilight Switch.
Here on picture 7 the light dependent resistor is darkened and the relay turns on the bulb / LED.
ATTENTION:
For a properly working of the Twilight Switch, it requires certain darkness. For example, if you covers the light only by hand, it won’t be NOT enough in daylight. Also in sunlight, the
Twilight Switch doesn’t work. It’s just a Twilight Switch and wants to trigger dusk and darkness. So: Close the curtains and turn off the lights!
How to connect the relay and what does the relay withstand?
The relay has two switches. Both switches are so called changeover switches. The main application of the Twilight Switch is the turning on of lighting in darkness. So, the lighting of
buildings, street lamps, cars and also of a Christmas tree on the model landscape can be turned on and off. Each of the two changeover switches is able to switch 1 A. That means for
example, that 2x50=100 LEDs with each 20MA of power consumption can be switched.
How to install the Twilight Switch?
For a good function of the Twilight Switch, it’s necessary, that the light dependent resistor can see the differences in brightness of the ambient light clearly.
It has to be “dark enough”, that the twilight switch switches the relay.
For this, you can use a black piece of paper / cardboard creating a non-light-transmitting sleeve with a diameter of 6-8 mm.
For this, you easily roll up a strip of paper and fix it with tape. This sleeve is stuck into the light dependent resistor. See the picture 8 on the left side.
Because of the black paper tube lateral stray light is covered and only the direct light will be evaluated by the light dependent resistor.
How to adjust the sensitivity of the Twilight Switch?
The sensitivity of the Twilight Switch will be adjusted with the potentiometer. It’s the best, if you place the potentiometer in medial position first.
a) If you turn the arrow button to the top, the Twilight Switch will be less sensitive.
b) If you turn the arrow button to the bottom, the Twilight Switch will be significantly more sensitive.
More sensitive means, that it has to be darker, that the Twilight Switch is triggered. If you use for example a flashlight now, you can adjust the shifter shaft very well. Now, you can
recognize two different shifter shafts for the turning on and off clearly for example by variation of the diameter of the light cone of the flashlight.
How to increase the sensitivity of the Twilight Switch?
First, you can reach an increase of the sensitivity of the Twilight Switch by rotating the adjustment controler. If there’s not much ambience light, the sensibility can be raised up further.
In the microprocessor two different programs are saved. The one program is used so far, now the second program shall be used. The second program works exactly like the first but
with other switching levels, that means that the Twilight Switch works even during a very, very weak ambience light and it’s very sensible. Only a little light is necessary to trigger the
Twilight Switch.
How to call the second program of the microprocessor?
First, you completely turn off the power. Then you apply a jumper between the connections + and SW. See picture 9.
Because of the jumper a positive signal will be placed on the entry SW of the microprocessor. So, the microprocessor knows that he has to use the second program.
Now, the modulator has to be turned into medial position. Also here: If the modulator will be turned to the top, the switch will be less sensitive and if the regulator will be turned to the
bottom, the switch will be very, very sensitive. Very, very sensitive means exactly this. The smallest light is enough to activate the Twilight Switch.
Now, the Twilight Switch is too sensitive.
How to use the first program again?
If this setting is too sensitive, it’s very easy to active the first program again. For this, you have to turn off the power first. Now you disconnect the jumper. And turn on the power again:
Now the Twilight Switch is working with the first program again and thus it’s significantly less sensitive.
What should you avoid by using this Twilight Switch?
You have to avoid a so called self-excitation. You can reach something like that if you e.g. shine the turned on lightening directly to the Twilight Switch. Then, the connected lightening is
turned on and out the whole time and blinks. In the length of time, this is not good for the relay.