Hardware
LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC
If you are looking for a reliable turnout decoder for your solenoid or motor drives, you need look no further. The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC switches with true AC — an important factor, since almost all solenoid coils available on the market are designed to be switched with AC. Unfortunately most decoders on the market use DC, which can lead to remanence in the drive. With the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC your drives always switch perfectly and reliably. Beyond that, configuring the decoder is simple and user-friendly thanks to the LoDi-ProgrammerFX.
Features of the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC
- An AC decoder for the SC bus, for connection to the LoDi-Shift-Commander.
- Eight channels are available, each with 1 ampere per output; the total of the connected channels must not exceed 2 A.
- You can connect all common motor turnout drives, solenoid drives and lamps to the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC.
- The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC is equally suitable for other loads that require AC, such as stopping sections or other old coils.
- It demagnetises drives with coils!
- Every output is separately protected against overload.
- Easily configured with the LoDi-ProgrammerFX.
1. The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC and its connections
The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC is a switching decoder connected to the LoDi-Shift-Commander. It can be run on the slow and on the fast bus.
About the connections on the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC
- (1) Here you can connect the loads, turnouts, lamps and so on; you will also find more on this in the wiring examples further down.
- (2) The AC model railway transformer is connected here. ! ! ! AC ONLY ! !
- IMPORTANT! Please only use authorised model railway transformers.
- (3) The SC bus from the LoDi-Shift-Commander is connected at the SC-OUT and SC-IN sockets. More on this in the section on connecting to the SC bus.
2. LEDs on the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC
The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC has two LEDs to help you recognise the state of the device and understand faults more quickly.
- (1) This LED lights when you connect the transformer voltage to the socket !!!!! AC ONLY !!!!!!!
- (2) The bus LED lights as soon as the SC bus coming from the LoDi-Shift-Commander is plugged in and that unit is powered.
3. Connecting the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC to the SC bus
The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC is connected to the SC bus coming from the LoDi-Shift-Commander. You can see this in the first wiring picture here.
In this picture you see the LoDi-Shift-Commander together with the decoder connected to it, here the
LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC.
The decoder is connected to SC bus Out 1. 96 outputs are available here.
On the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC you can use the connections as your layout requires. It does not matter whether you connect a LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC or a LoDi-Operator 4-WD-DC first.
The LoDi-Shift-Commander is able to detect the connected decoders automatically.
You can then programme the assignment with our tool, the LoDi-ProgrammerFX
.
The bus has to be terminated at the last operator.
That means you always have to plug the terminating plug, called the bus terminator, into the last module.
In this example you now see how the operators can be chained one after another.
It is important to take care to connect the network cables correctly. That is, from In to Out, as you can see in the picture.
The last example picture shows SC bus 1 and 2 taken to their limits. The order of the modules is entirely irrelevant here.
Only with the LoDi-Light-Controller should you take care that it is connected to bus 2.
It is important to add a new LoDi-SC-Booster to the system after every 16th module.
The bus length, or rather the number of modules, is very easy to calculate.
On bus 1 you have 96 channels available.
Here you could connect 12 LoDi-Operators 4-WD-DC or AC, for instance, since each module needs 8 channels.
On the slow bus 384 channels are available to you. That would be 48 LoDi-Operators 4-WD-AC or DC, LoDi-Light-Controller 4-C-LED or LoDi-Operator 16-SD-FL.
As you can see, our system lets you work very flexibly.
4. Connecting the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC to the model railway transformer
The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC has 4 terminals.
Both do not have to be connected to the transformer; they serve to pass the power on.
You can start the cable at one decoder and keep passing it on to the next.
After 15 decoders a new power feed should be provided.
This makes wiring the system easier.
CAREFUL: do not choose cable below 0.75 mm².
Please watch the polarity of the power supply!
AC ONLY!
5. The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC and its advantages
We mentioned at the outset that the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC demagnetises the iron armatures in the coils. Why is that?
Picture an ordinary decoder from one of the usual manufacturers. These always switch with DC, which means the iron armature is gradually magnetised by that DC. This is known as magnetic remanence. The consequence is that the armature can no longer be switched reliably by the coils, because their magnetic field is no longer strong enough. The decoder becomes unreliable.
The principle of a twin-coil drive
The iron armature of a twin-coil drive with remanence
The iron armature of a twin-coil drive without remanence
We developed this decoder to rule that effect out. It only passes AC through to the drives. That now prevents magnetisation, because no lasting remanence can build up. Your drives therefore always switch at full strength.
6. Connecting the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC to the loads
In the following examples you see turnout drives from a few manufacturers connected to the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC.
Drives from different manufacturers can of course be mixed on the decoder.
Four twin solenoids from any manufacturer can be connected per decoder.
Example with the Piko® solenoid drive
Example with the Fleischmann® solenoid drive
Example with the Märklin® K track solenoid drive
Example with the Märklin® C track solenoid drive
7. The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC works perfectly for motor turnouts too
Not only for AC coils, but also excellently suited to motor turnouts of every kind.
Drives from different manufacturers can of course be mixed on the decoder.
Example with the MTB motor drives (MP1, MP5, etc.)
Example with the LGB® motor drive (EPL)
Some motor drives require two diodes; these can be type 1N4001, for instance.
You can get them from us in the shop or from other electronics suppliers.
Example with the Tillig motor drive
Further drives that have been tested with the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC in continuous use.
- The Märklin M track system, including old Märklin signals with coil drives
- Fulgurex motor turnout drives
- Viessmann signals with solenoid lift drives
- Hoffmann motor turnout drive
- Conrad motor turnout drive
Many other drives can be run on the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC AC decoder without trouble. We are happy to extend the wiring example pictures.
If a drive you use is missing, do let us know.
Roco contact drives are better switched with the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-DC, because the switching travel is too small. The drive may snap back.
8. The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC for other loads
Other AC loads such as street lamps, house lighting and AC motors can also be switched easily with the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC. The LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC is designed specifically for that. As shown above, the loads can be connected to the output and then configured in the LoDi-ProgrammerFX.
In this example we see a motor turnout drive on outputs 1 and 2 as well as 3 and 4. Two lamps have been installed on outputs 5 and 6.
Outputs 7 and 8 stay free in this example. The decoder can of course also be run with lamps alone.
9. Technical data
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | Length 8.9 cm |
| Width | 10 cm |
| Height | 3.5 cm |
| Weight | 97 grams |
The decoder must be powered with AC!
Permitted from 12 to 24 volts AC.
Loadable by consumers with 1 ampere.
The supply voltage can be passed on to the next decoder through the AC terminal on the decoder. The current may be 10 amperes at most.
10. Setting up the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC in the LoDi-Programmer
Here you can find out how to set up the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC
11. LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC PDF download
Here you can download a summary of the LoDi-Operator 4-WD-AC as a PDF.