Table of Contents
Engineering rules and guidelines
When building a specific model railway project, as set of application data must be compiled reflecting the layout.
This page collects various limitations, rules and constraints inherited from the system design and the implementation (both software and hardware).
Shunting area border
When driving in mode SH the OBU can observe predefined shunting area borders. These borders are stored in the OBU as static data, refer to Feature Shunting area
Following rules are applicable for engineering of borders of a shunting area.
A shunting area is defined by a list of border balises. For each balise is specified a distance (with sign) to the border. When the train reaches this border, the OBU will brake the train.
Typical braking distance: 80 cm
Distances in OBU train data are listed in “wheel turns”.
RBC Configuration Data
Topology and Element data
Guidelines for engineering of Topology and Element data:
All element distances must be engineered greater than zero (i.e. minimum 1 cm). 
check code if 0 cm is ok.
| Element | Code | Distance guideline |
|---|---|---|
| Balise | BL | The track mounted balise forms the center of the element. The distances up and down then reflects the physical distance to the border of the next elements. |
| Point | PF, PT | The tip of the point forms the center of the element. The distance from the center to the border at the two branches must be engineered to include the fouling point. This is to ensure that when a point is determined to be clear the point can be passed in one branch without colliding with possible train in the other branch. |
| For points like LGB type 1205 and 1215 the typical distance from tip to branch border is 40 cm. | ||
| Point hold trigger | PHTU, PHTD | No specific meaning is assigned to the center. The trigger function is activated when the element is occupied. The Trigger element must be engineered so the total distance from the border of the trigger to the tip of the point to be hold allows the point to be hold before the train reaches the tip. This includes considerations for train speed and reaction and transmission time of the system. Typical distance 50 cm. |
| Signal | SU, SD | The center of the element is the signal it self. The element length at the facing side of the signal should be engineered short (1 cm) as an open signal otherwise will be closed before the train passes the physical signal. |
| Buffer stop, end | BSE | The element center is at the end of the track, i.e. where the train can not or should not go any further. A BSE element must be engineered as the last element of any track seen in direction up. |
| Buffer stop, begin | BSB | The element center is at the beginning of the track, i.e. where the train can not or should not go any further behind. A BSB element must be engineered as the first element of any track seen in direction up. |
