BOD Breakout Board Assembly Guide

Table of contents

1. BOD Breakout Board Assembly Guide
   1. Introduction
      1. System Overview:
   2. Assembly and Component Placement
   3. Tools Required
   4. Safety Precautions
   5. Testing and Verification
      1. Visual Inspection
      2. Functional Testing
   6. Troubleshooting
   7. Appendences
      1. Specifications
      2. How It Works
      3. Connections
      4. References

Introduction

The BOD Breakout Board, in combination with the BOD Card and the Node Card, is used to simplify wiring for monitoring track blocks. The BOD Breakout Board connects to track rails to facilitate the detection of trains (both locomotives and rolling stock) within specific track blocks. The BOD Card provides status updates via its GPIO pins to the LCC Fusion Node Card. The LCC Fusion Node Card firmware processes these updates to generate LCC events, which can then be used by other systems, such as the PWM Card, for tasks like managing signal operations based on track occupancy.

flowchart LR; 
can["CAN Network"];
subgraph layout ["Train Layout"];
  direction LR;
  bod["BOD Card (16x)"]
  nodecard[Node Card]; 
  track["Track Block (4x)"] 
  bb[BOD Breakout Board];

  track --> bb;
  bb -->|"Current <br/> (yes/no)"| bod;
  bod -->|"GPIO Output <br/> High/Low"| nodecard;
  nodecard -->|"LCC Event <br/> (occupied/unoccupied)"| can;
end;
classDef lSalmonStyle fill:#FFA07A,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,font-size:20px;
class bb lSalmonStyle;
classDef lightGrayStyle fill:#d3d3d3,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,font-size:24px;
class layout lightGrayStyle; 

System Overview:

The BOD Breakout Board works alongside the LCC Fusion Node Card to simplify wiring and streamline monitoring for multiple track blocks within a layout. When integrated with the BOD Card, the BOD Breakout Board monitors track blocks for the presence of locomotives or rolling stock. The BOD Card detects the current flow through the tracks, indicating whether a block is occupied or unoccupied. This information is relayed to the LCC Fusion Node Card, which processes the signals via GPIO pins and generates LCC Events.

These events can be utilized by other LCC devices, such as signal control systems, to automate layout responses based on block occupancy.

Diagram Overview:

The diagram below shows how the BOD Breakout Board interacts with the BOD Card, the track blocks, and the LCC Fusion Node Card to monitor both occupancy and voltage conditions.

Control Flow:

• The BOD Breakout Board interfaces with the track rails to monitor the current flow.
• The BOD Card detects whether current is flowing (indicating occupancy) and outputs GPIO signals to the Node Card.
• The Node Card processes the input and generates LCC Events to update other systems on whether the block is occupied or unoccupied.

flowchart TD; 
subgraph layout["Train Layout"];
	subgraph layoutbus["Track Bus"];
	  busA["TRACK BUS A"];
  	busB["TRACK BUS B"];
  end;
  direction LR;
  bb[BOD<br>Breakout Board];
  bod["BOD Cards (16x)"];
  railA["RAIL A<br>(non-gapped)"];
  railB["Rail B (4x)<br>(gapped,isolated)"];

  nodeCard[Node Card];
  loco["Locomotive Motor"];
	
  busA --> railA --> loco --> |"current"|railB;
  railB --> |"current"|bb --> |"current"|bod --> |"current"|bb --> busB;
  bod --> nodeCard;   
end;
classDef lSalmonStyle fill:#FFA07A,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,font-size:24px;
class bb lSalmonStyle;
classDef lightGrayStyle fill:#d3d3d3,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,font-size:24px;
class layout lightGrayStyle;
classDef lightblueStyle fill:lightblue,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px,font-size:32px;
class layoutbus lightblueStyle;

## Terminology

• Cleaning PCB

• Component

• LCC Fusion Breakout Boards

• LCC Fusion Cards

• lcc_fusion_node_card - not defined

• LCC Fusion Project

• Network Cable

• Track Bus

For other terms, please refer to the full Terminology Guide.

Assembly and Component Placement

This section combines both the component specifications and the assembly instructions to ensure a smooth assembly process. Below is a comprehensive list of components, their placement on the PCB, and orientation details to assist you during assembly.

High-Level Steps for Assembly:

• PCB for the card can be ordered from any PCB fabricator using these Gerber Files.
• Clean PCB with alcohol to remove residue. See Cleaning_PCB for details.
• See also: Soldering Tips
• PCB Components - listing of components used for PCB assembly
• PCB Parts - listing of parts used for PCB assembly

Below is a list of the PCB components used for this card (see diagram before reference):

1. Use of 2-pin JST XH pre-wired plugs soldered to track rail drop wires makes for easy wiring and fast connect/disconnect.
2. Use of 2-position Spring Terminals (2.54mm) allow for rail drop wires to be connected directly pulling back a spring lever. These connectors can be ordered as 2-Position or assembled into a set of 2-Positions.
3. Make sure this track rail has isolators creating blocks, where each block is wired to one or more of BOD Breakout Boards and a BOD Card.

Component Identifier	Count	Type	Value	Package	Purpose	Orientation
Connectors
J1	1	JST XH Socket or 2-Position Spring Terminal Connector	4P, 2.54mm	PTH, vertical or horizontal	Connectors to track Block Rails (isolated block Rail B).	Position connection outward
J2	1	JST XH Socket or 2-Position Spring Terminal Connector	2P, 2.54mm	PTH, vertical or horizontal	Connector to layout’s Track Bus B wire	Position connection outward
J3	1	RJ45 Socket	8P8C	PTH	Network cable (CAT5/6) connection from BOD Card.	Fits only one way
J4	1	Card Edge Connector	-	-	For use with Test Breakout Board.	None

Tools Required

List of recommended tools.

Safety Precautions

• See Safety Precautions.

Testing and Verification

Visual Inspection

1. Initial Check: Examine the board for any obvious issues like missing components, solder bridges, or components that are misaligned or not fully seated.
2. Solder Joint Inspection: Use a magnifying glass or a microscope to inspect solder joints. Look for cold solder joints, insufficient or excessive solder, or any shorts between pads.
3. Use an Digital Multimeter (DMM) to test for continuity between:
   • RJ45 socket pins (2, 4, 6, 8) and the 4 block connectors (J1, J2).
   • RJ45 socket pins (1, 3, 5, 7) and the Track Bus B connector (J3)

Functional Testing

Refer to BOD Card for details on testing the Block Breakout Board with the BOD Card.

Troubleshooting

• See I2C Trouble Shooting.

Appendences

Specifications

Specifications for the BOD Breakout Board include:

Characteristic	Value
Max Track Blocks	4
Max Track Current	2750 mA1, 2

1. BOD Breakout Board uses 48mil traces that support up to 2750 mA.
2. A CAT6 network cable with 23 awg wiring is limited to <1000 mA.

How It Works

For track block occupancy detection details, refer to the BOD Card How it Works](/LccFusionProject/bod-card-assembly-guide/) section.

Connections

The purpose of the BOD Breakout Board and its connectors is to facilitate quick and easy connections between the BOD Card and the track rails. For setups with multiple distant blocks, breakout boards can be daisy-chained together, or a network cable with a splitter can be used to provide multiple connections efficiently.

Component Designator	Connector Label	Connector Type	Connection Number	Description
J1	TRACK BLOCKS	JST XH, Spring Terminal	1, 2, 3, 4	Connection to insulated block rails
J2	TRACK BUS B	JST XH, Spring Terminal	1	Connection to layout Track Bus B wire (completes connection from track to bus)
J3	BOD CARD	RJ45 Socket	1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8	Each pin pair connects to blocks 1 thru 4. Cable to BOD Card for detection of trains, and/or cable to BLVD Card for low voltage detection caused by shorts or faulty connections.
J4	TEST BOARD CONNECTOR	Card Edge	1, 2, 3, 4, COM	Connection to Test Board for connections to the test board track

References

• Preparing a PCB for Soldering
• Solder Tips