This is interesting. Back in the dim dark past you could buy PWM controllers and two issues were that motors could heat up plus they made the motors noisy. I never knew exactly what the out put was and didn't have an oscilloscope to look at the output. If asylum say the output is simply PWM why don't we get the same issues and would it damage corless motors? Regards Steven
Much has changed over the years with PWM Motor control.. most notable the PWM frequency. As time has passed, many of the DC motors are using PWM control, even in robotics! But it helps give the motor precise control and feedback when the PWM is off. So, the motors are not noisy and coreless motors are fine! I hope this helps.. contact us at support@soundtraxx.com if you need further assistance. Thank you! ~G
Hi George, I’ve watched this video on current stall, I’m not sure on the wiring connections, but when you test with the meters positive and negative across the rails, I guess there’s no power to the tracks? I have the maths sorted. Thank you for doing these great informative videos on the Tsunami2 sound decoders 👍🏻👍🏻😊. Kind regards Gary
SoundTraxx hello, thank you for your reply, much appreciated. Have a great day. I’m off to sleep , it’s 1am in Perth Western Australia 😊. Kind regards Gary
I have a question regarding how to calculate stall current. I have an O scale locomotive that has an old open frame DC motor. The locomotive runs good on straight DC and I would like to keep the same motor as long as the amperage draw dose not exceed the decoders maximum limit. My DCC system is by NCE and it’s rated at 10 amps. This NCE DCC system runs off a power supply of 18 volts AC. I measure the track voltage with my multimeter and it reads 17.4 volts AC. So, my question is when I proceed to measure the stall current maximum amperage draw what should be the maximum DC voltage applied to the stalled motor?
I’d apply 18v. That way if your system is really only sending out 17.4, then you have a .6v cushion to prevent the current draw from exceeding the decoder’s rating. So, if you measure 3A at 18v, then you have plenty of cushion. But if at 18v, you measure 4A, then you know you should be good (albeit close) at 17.4. I hope this helps.
Hi George, quite impressive. But are you sure that this stall currents the same for DCC? Actually, some DCC guys advise me to buy motor which has more stall current that decoder could give in peak mode. I’m doubt they right but explanation was about DCC that it could not reach that motor current in any case. Also question. Does any modern decoder have protection for such case? Or is it 100% burned decoder?
Anyone that tells you to get a motor above stall current does not know how these decoders work. Do not listen to them anymore, and listen to us, the engineers that designed the decoder for proper applications. Our Support Team is always happy to answer your questions: (970)259-0690 ext. 22 or support@soundtraxx.com
@@SoundtraxxDCC thank you very much George. Now I would be aware of motors with stall current over max decoder current. By the way, could you make video which kind of cross sectional wires do you recommend for your decoders. For motors with different power, LED and so on.
If you don't do the stall current test you don't really know if it will hurt the decoder or not because you don't know what current your locomotive is actually drawing. In our experience not all locomotives actually match the specifications that you are given. This is why we recommend doing the test first.
How to protect DC motor from stall current ? Do you think making current sense circuit sensing the current at some level and stop very fast the motor from running ? i have another idea make plc program using counter and timer. The counter will be faster than timer and every 1 count reset timer before timer gets the end timing, if the counter stopped before reaching 2 counts ( for example ) and the timer finished then we make feed back to the motor to stop
Hello, I'm not 100% sure what you are asking here. I think it would be best if you contacted our Customer Support Center Directly so they can get a better feel of what you are asking. You can call or email them at (970)259-0690 ext. 22 or support@soundtraxx.com. Thank you.
It’s not recommended. Because the decoder uses PWM to control the motor, so it would not be a reliable value using a traditional home multimeter. Also, other factors are added current draw of the processor and if the motor stall current exceeds the decoder that could damage it. Best is to test the motor with pure DC from a DC power pack is going to get the best results. Thank you!
I have a question that doesn’t really go with this video, but is it possible to program brand new sounds into the chip, not cv’s but the whole train sound profile?
Our Digital Sound Decoders are not re-programmable. CVs can be adjusted, which many people refer to as programming CVs. In reality they are just choosing from our pre-programmed options though. We do not make decoders with the option for customers to program or download sounds on to them as this action would take quality control out of our hands. All of the sound files on our decoders are optimized by our audio engineers to ensure the best and most realistic sound quality. With the sounds that we currently have on our Tsunami2 Digital Sound Decoders you can make your model match most prototypes. If you need help figuring out how to adjust the CVs to do this please contact our Customer Support Center at 970.259.0690 ext. 22 or support@soundtraxx.com. Thank you!
Hey Ted, Josh in our support department relied to your email about this but has not heard back from you. Can you check you email and maybe spam folder?
@@mrserious55 Here, page six of this document has directions. soundtraxx.com/content/Reference/Manuals/Tsunami2/Installation-Guide.pdf If this doesn't help you can get more help by replying to Josh's email. Thank you!
Hey there, I don't know much about electronics but I am just trying to do some Arduino stuff. Hence this is really confusing in practice, I would like someone to tell me how it is possible that two 16V batteries can supply different currents. For example a 16V 5A and a 16V 1A. Any links are appreciated. Thank you.
Different materials used in battery making affect the discharge rate along with storage capacities. So you’ll need to look at the battery manufacturers specs and use this as your guide. In many cases, a 5 amps may in fact be “up to” 5a current, so again, refer to the battery manufacturers specs. Unfortunately I cannot help much further, since I have no personal experience with using arduino equipment and specs. Our company does not handle these products. We also do not have or manufacture batteries. Sorry. I hope this helps some and good luck on your quest.
Stall current is irrelevant. Wheels slip for a reason... I've always used wheel slip current to gauge what decoder to use and I've never fried a decoder.
Stall current is a very important factor in decoder selection. Decoders from all manufacturers are limited by stall current. If you have not been measuring the stall current on your locomotives you are lucky if your decoders have not been damaged, you really should measure it from now on. If you watch in the full video, you will see that when the 2-6-0 is ‘slipping’, the meter shows about .15 - .2 amps, but when stalled, the motor (loco) now draws 1.1 amps. This is a big difference. In the video, George explains that a decoder supplies power differently than a powerpack does, so not measuring the stall current is an easy way to cause failures. All products last longer and preform better if you maintain them properly. Think of it this way, you wouldn't plug your TV into 220v, right? In the same way, you should not over tax your decoders. Our Customer Support Center can attest to this. A large portion of TSU-1100 (our 1-amp decoder) failures are due to overtaxing the decoder with locomotives that have a higher than 1-amp stall current. If you have further questions please feel free to contact our Customer Support Center at 970.259.0690 or support@soundtraxx.com. We really do urge you to test your locomotive's stall current from now on. Thank you.
Thanks, that is important information! Very-well presented.
Glad it was helpful!
This is an awesome video, thanks for the information. This will be very helpful to a lot of people!
This is interesting. Back in the dim dark past you could buy PWM controllers and two issues were that motors could heat up plus they made the motors noisy.
I never knew exactly what the out put was and didn't have an oscilloscope to look at the output.
If asylum say the output is simply PWM why don't we get the same issues and would it damage corless motors?
Regards Steven
Much has changed over the years with PWM Motor control.. most notable the PWM frequency. As time has passed, many of the DC motors are using PWM control, even in robotics! But it helps give the motor precise control and feedback when the PWM is off. So, the motors are not noisy and coreless motors are fine!
I hope this helps.. contact us at support@soundtraxx.com if you need further assistance.
Thank you! ~G
@@SoundtraxxDCC I really appreciate your reply, it is always good to learn more technical stuff.
Thank you George, stall current is an area I get confused with. Regards Gary 😊
Hi George, I’ve watched this video on current stall, I’m not sure on the wiring connections, but when you test with the meters positive and negative across the rails, I guess there’s no power to the tracks? I have the maths sorted.
Thank you for doing these great informative videos on the Tsunami2 sound decoders 👍🏻👍🏻😊. Kind regards Gary
No power to the rails. We are looking for the resistance of the motor, to plug into Ohm’s Law. V=IR.
SoundTraxx hello, thank you for your reply, much appreciated. Have a great day. I’m off to sleep , it’s 1am in Perth Western Australia 😊. Kind regards Gary
@@garylester55 No problem, let us know if you need anything else. 1 am, you are just about out of time to sleep!
SoundTraxx thank you for your help. Yes, I have got into a not good sleeping habits 😊. Cheers, Gary
I have a question regarding how to calculate stall current. I have an O scale locomotive that has an old open frame DC motor. The locomotive runs good on straight DC and I would like to keep the same motor as long as the amperage draw dose not exceed the decoders maximum limit. My DCC system is by NCE and it’s rated at 10 amps. This NCE DCC system runs off a power supply of 18 volts AC. I measure the track voltage with my multimeter and it reads 17.4 volts AC. So, my question is when I proceed to measure the stall current maximum amperage draw what should be the maximum DC voltage applied to the stalled motor?
I’d apply 18v. That way if your system is really only sending out 17.4, then you have a .6v cushion to prevent the current draw from exceeding the decoder’s rating. So, if you measure 3A at 18v, then you have plenty of cushion. But if at 18v, you measure 4A, then you know you should be good (albeit close) at 17.4. I hope this helps.
I understand not using a 0.6 amp decoder with a 1.0 amp motor.bug could I use a 2.0 amp decoder with the 0.6 amp stall?
As long as the model stalls under the decoder's rating, you are good to go!
Hi George, quite impressive. But are you sure that this stall currents the same for DCC? Actually, some DCC guys advise me to buy motor which has more stall current that decoder could give in peak mode. I’m doubt they right but explanation was about DCC that it could not reach that motor current in any case. Also question. Does any modern decoder have protection for such case? Or is it 100% burned decoder?
Anyone that tells you to get a motor above stall current does not know how these decoders work. Do not listen to them anymore, and listen to us, the engineers that designed the decoder for proper applications. Our Support Team is always happy to answer your questions: (970)259-0690 ext. 22 or support@soundtraxx.com
@@SoundtraxxDCC thank you very much George. Now I would be aware of motors with stall current over max decoder current. By the way, could you make video which kind of cross sectional wires do you recommend for your decoders. For motors with different power, LED and so on.
Would it hurt the loco any if you just installed the 2 amp decoder over the 1 amp decoder without doing the stall test ?
If you don't do the stall current test you don't really know if it will hurt the decoder or not because you don't know what current your locomotive is actually drawing. In our experience not all locomotives actually match the specifications that you are given. This is why we recommend doing the test first.
How to protect DC motor from stall current ?
Do you think making current sense circuit sensing the current at some level and stop very fast the motor from running ?
i have another idea
make plc program using counter and timer. The counter will be faster than timer and every 1 count reset timer before timer gets the end timing, if the counter stopped before reaching 2 counts ( for example ) and the timer finished then we make feed back to the motor to stop
Hello, I'm not 100% sure what you are asking here. I think it would be best if you contacted our Customer Support Center Directly so they can get a better feel of what you are asking. You can call or email them at (970)259-0690 ext. 22 or support@soundtraxx.com. Thank you.
Is is possible to test stall current on a model that is already DCC and Sound Equipped using a dcc system?
It’s not recommended. Because the decoder uses PWM to control the motor, so it would not be a reliable value using a traditional home multimeter. Also, other factors are added current draw of the processor and if the motor stall current exceeds the decoder that could damage it.
Best is to test the motor with pure DC from a DC power pack is going to get the best results.
Thank you!
I have a question that doesn’t really go with this video, but is it possible to program brand new sounds into the chip, not cv’s but the whole train sound profile?
Our Digital Sound Decoders are not re-programmable. CVs can be adjusted, which many people refer to as programming CVs. In reality they are just choosing from our pre-programmed options though. We do not make decoders with the option for customers to program or download sounds on to them as this action would take quality control out of our hands. All of the sound files on our decoders are optimized by our audio engineers to ensure the best and most realistic sound quality. With the sounds that we currently have on our Tsunami2 Digital Sound Decoders you can make your model match most prototypes. If you need help figuring out how to adjust the CVs to do this please contact our Customer Support Center at 970.259.0690 ext. 22 or support@soundtraxx.com. Thank you!
Ninja RC why would you want to change perfection of a product? Kind regards Gary
i would just like to know how to correct the stalling problem
Hey Ted,
Josh in our support department relied to your email about this but has not heard back from you. Can you check you email and maybe spam folder?
@@SoundtraxxDCC i dont know how to test stall current
@@mrserious55 Here, page six of this document has directions. soundtraxx.com/content/Reference/Manuals/Tsunami2/Installation-Guide.pdf If this doesn't help you can get more help by replying to Josh's email. Thank you!
@@SoundtraxxDCC thx
Hey there, I don't know much about electronics but I am just trying to do some Arduino stuff. Hence this is really confusing in practice, I would like someone to tell me how it is possible that two 16V batteries can supply different currents. For example a 16V 5A and a 16V 1A. Any links are appreciated. Thank you.
Different materials used in battery making affect the discharge rate along with storage capacities. So you’ll need to look at the battery manufacturers specs and use this as your guide. In many cases, a 5 amps may in fact be “up to” 5a current, so again, refer to the battery manufacturers specs.
Unfortunately I cannot help much further, since I have no personal experience with using arduino equipment and specs. Our company does not handle these products. We also do not have or manufacture batteries. Sorry. I hope this helps some and good luck on your quest.
@@SoundtraxxDCC well thank you so much for your answer. Now it makes more sense. :)
@@Burak-pl1jl No problem! Glad to help.
Stall current is irrelevant. Wheels slip for a reason... I've always used wheel slip current to gauge what decoder to use and I've never fried a decoder.
Stall current is a very important factor in decoder selection. Decoders from all manufacturers are limited by stall current. If you have not been measuring the stall current on your locomotives you are lucky if your decoders have not been damaged, you really should measure it from now on. If you watch in the full video, you will see that when the 2-6-0 is ‘slipping’, the meter shows about .15 - .2 amps, but when stalled, the motor (loco) now draws 1.1 amps. This is a big difference. In the video, George explains that a decoder supplies power differently than a powerpack does, so not measuring the stall current is an easy way to cause failures. All products last longer and preform better if you maintain them properly. Think of it this way, you wouldn't plug your TV into 220v, right? In the same way, you should not over tax your decoders. Our Customer Support Center can attest to this. A large portion of TSU-1100 (our 1-amp decoder) failures are due to overtaxing the decoder with locomotives that have a higher than 1-amp stall current. If you have further questions please feel free to contact our Customer Support Center at 970.259.0690 or support@soundtraxx.com. We really do urge you to test your locomotive's stall current from now on. Thank you.