The
LV101 power stationThe
LV101 power stationThe Digital plus LV101 Power Station is the power station of choice for most Digital plus by Lenz® users. Features include 8 user settable DCC track voltages to allow for the user to customize the operation of the LV101 to their individual needs, a fault detection LED to assist the user in troubleshooting problems, and a RJ-45 plug-in I/O port. This I/O port is provided for use with Set-02 or for providing additional XpressNet power.
The DIGITAL plus Power Station LV101 provides clean and safe DCC power to the track. New circuitry has been developed to reduce noise, which provides exceptionally clean power to operate your DCC equipped trains. Safety features include:
· Both short and overload detection that turns off the power to the track whenever a short or overload condition is detected. This protects both your trains and the LV101 electronics.
· Opto-isolation to safely isolate your power station interface wiring from your track wiring. This eliminates any possibility for hidden ground loops through your power station.
· Fail Safe runaway protection is provided by requiring a 7 volt signal on the DCC Control Bus (the C and D wires). This prevents the LV101 from accidentally sending out power to the track when the command station stops transmitting packets.
The LV101 has a fault detection LED located on the front of the unit. When the power station is in use, the LED on the front is lit. If the power is on but no information is being received over the Power Station Interface (connections C and D), the LED will blink. The LED will also blink when the LV101 has detected a short or experienced a thermal overload.
The
LV101 Power Station
was designed to meet all NMRA Standards and RPs including
the new proposed NMRA Power Station Interface RP. This allows maximum
interchangeability for use with other conforming NRMA DCC systems. The LV101
was submitted to the NMRA along with the LZ100 for
full conformance testing and has received an NMRA C&I Warrant.
There are several protection circuits inside the LV101. These are designed to shut down the track output when a short or overload occurs. If an LV101 has been shut down due to detecting a short or overload, it will check to see if the overload condition has been corrected and restart after a short delay.
1. The fast acting current limiting circuit designed to very quickly shut down the LV101 track output if a short is detected. This circuit activates at over 5 Amps.
2. Thermal overload protection. The LV101 has a long term thermal overload circuit designed to shut down if its temperature exceeds its rated capacity or value.
How does this translate to the output power you can expect?
For short term loads such as locomotive start up or slow speed operation the LV101 can deliver over 5 amps of DCC track power.
For long term loads, the LV101 can continuously deliver between 4 and 5 Amps at the DCC-voltage you set as long as the difference between input and output voltage is low enough to prevent the LV101 from prematurely overheating. Otherwise the thermal overload protection will limit the power output and shut down the LV101.
That means you can achieve significantly more track current for running trains with a power supply that matches best to the LV101s potential.
Over temperature is the most common reason that the LV101 shuts down before a short is detected. To maximize the DCC track output current, you need to have a transformer that puts out a voltage that is close to the DCC track voltage under load because any voltage above the regulated track voltage generates heat. It is normally this heat that limits the output power of the LV101.
The LV101 Power Station takes
its energy from a user supplied AC or DC transformer that is designed for model
railroads. To avoid wiring power loss, the LV101 should be located near
the track being powered, so that the connection between the LV101 and the track
is kept as short as possible.
Connect
the transformer to terminals U and
V. For maximum LV101 output power, the transformer voltage should be
selected to be close to the DCC track voltage. For HO scale and smaller, a 15
or 16V AC or DC transformer is ideal. In order for the LV101 PowerStation
to deliver its full rated capacity, the transformer also needs to be able to
deliver a minimum of 65 VA. Use a suitable, UL listed transformer designed for
model trains. The allowed maximum effective output voltage of the transformers
must not exceed 18V AC or DC.
The track is connected to terminals J and K Use only wire of sufficient gauge to connect to the tracks (minimum 18 gauge) and either use parallel wires or twist the wires to reduce radio interference. The Power Station receives command information from the Command Station via terminals C and D. These terminals are connected to the corresponding terminals on a command station or other power station with a 2-wire cable. To reduce radio interface, these wires should be twisted.
A connection to terminal E is optional. When you connect terminal E with the corresponding terminal on a LZ100 Command Station, the Command Station will receive feedback in case of a Power Station shutdown. This information is then passed on to all handheld controllers. The display on each handheld will flash "OFF". Once the short or overload is removed, the system can be restarted by pressing the emergency stop key on any handheld.
If additional Power Stations are connected to the Command Station, they will also turn off power to their layout sections when a terminal E fault is detected. A push button switch connecting terminal D with the command station's terminal E can be located at strategic places around the layout for emergency power interruption to all power stations.
If you do not connect the LV101's terminal E with the Command Station, then a power station shutdown will only affect the power to the layout section that the LV101 is connected to and the overload will not affect the command station or any other power station. After the fault has been corrected, the Power Station automatically turns the power supply back on. If the fault is still present, the LV101 will again turn itself off.
The
LV101 provides the ability to adjust the track voltage level. This adjustment is useful if you desire a lower output voltage. A lower output voltage may be useful if your slowest locomotive operated faster than desired at full speed. You can select a DCC output voltage of between 11.5V and 22V.To adjust the track voltage, you must first open the LV101. On the LV101 circuit board you will find a 4 position DIP-switch. The position of the 4 switches on this DIP-switch, will determine the DCC track voltage output you receive at terminals J and K.
| DCC Track Voltage |
SW 1 |
SW 2 |
SW 3 |
SW 4 |
|
11.5 Volts |
On |
On |
On |
N/A |
|
13 Volts |
Off |
On |
On |
N/A |
|
14.5 Volts |
On |
Off |
On |
N/A |
|
16 Volts |
Off |
Off |
On |
N/A |
|
17.5 Volts |
On |
On |
Off |
N/A |
|
19 Volts |
Off |
On |
Off |
N/A |
|
20.5 Volts |
On |
Off |
Off |
N/A |
|
22 Volts |
Off |
Off |
Off |
N/A |
The switch positions necessary to get a particular voltage are also printed on the LV101’s circuit board.
In order to achieve the desired output voltage, you must use a transformer with an output voltage that is as high as the desired track voltage. But do not overdo it: The transformer voltage should be matched as closely as possible to the desired track voltage. Too high of a transformer voltage just generates unnecessary heat loss in the power station, and this will lead to premature triggering of the thermal overload circuit, before the maximum output power is achieved.
Copyright 1995 - 2002 by Lenz Elektronik, GmbH. All Rights Reserved