Last Updated Aug 28,2024

PICAXE TUTORIALS

Picaxe are microcontrollers that you program using a desktop computer.
They are super useful for controlling model trains and making sounds, with few external components.

This series of articles will introduce you to using Picaxe, starting with simple programs to make steam loco sounds, and progressing to more complicated program ideas for you to develop yourself.

WARNING:
You must have some basic electronics skills (soldering, component identification)
and computer programming skills to use Picaxe.

You must read through the Picaxe website to get an overview first. You can get all the basic information there, so there's no need for me to repeat it. I'll just concentrate on G scale related projects.
click here for the Picaxe Homepage

Now if you feel confident in proceeding to build a 'development board' and writing some programs, here we go:

Here is the full list of 6 tutorials in pdf format. They are all aimed at battery power G scale trains. The first few have complete program listings, but if you've mastered them, I think you should be ready to 'experiment' with your own. So the rest of the tutorials are more ideas for you to use to develop your own programs.

1. Introduction to Picaxe control and sound
2. Picaxe steam loco sounds
3. Picaxe diesel loco sounds
4. Using Picaxe to control servo motors
5. Picaxe motor control - Simple
6. Picaxe motor control - Advanced

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