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Digital Command Control The comprehensive guide to DCC By Ames Friberg & Loizeau
Digital Command Control The comprehensive guide to DCC By Stan Ames, Rutger Friberg &Ed Loizeaux DCC for beginners, terminology and concepts, buyers checklist, decoder installation, comprehensive decoder guide, advanced DCC operation, computerized operations, avoiding pitfalls, maximize DCC Benefits, DCC software guide, more.
Copyright 1998 THIRD PRINTING with some corrections and updates 2003
144 pages
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION 9
1.1 COMMAND CONTROL, WHAT IS IT? 9
1.2 DIGITAL COMMAND CONTROL,
WHY IS IT BEST? 10
1.3 TERMINOLOGY AND CONCEPTS 11
1.3.1 Cab 12
1.3.2 Command station 13
1.3.3 Power stations 13
1.3.4 Power transformer 13
1.3.5 Packaging 14
1.3.6 Decoder 14
1.4 COMPATIBILITY 15
1.5 CONFORMANCE 16
1.6 INTERCHANGEABILTY 16
1.6.1 Decoders 17
1.6.2 Power stations 17
1.6.3 Cabs 17
CHAPTER 2 - THE NMRA DCC STANDARDS AND
RECOMMENDED PRACTICES 18
2.1 OVERVIEW AND HISTORY 18
2.2 THE NMRA DCC WORKING GROUP20
2.3 THE NMRA CONFORMANCE AND
INSPECTION PROGRAM21
2.4 THE DCC SIG23
CHAPTER 3 - DCC TECHNICAL DISCUSSION . 24
3.1 HOW DOES DCC WORK?24
3.1.1 Technology overview 24
3.1.2 Why use packets 25
3.1.3 Basics of the standard 25
3.1.4 Electrical characteristics 25
3.1.5 Transmitting bits 26
3.1.6 Locomotives without decoders 26
3.1.7 The structure of DCC packets 27
3.1.8 Packet transmission 27
3.1.9 Bandwidth issues 28
3.2 ADVANCED DCC TECHNICAL CONCEPTS 29
3.2.1 Decoder basics 29
3.2.2 Controlling the motor 30
3.2.3 Speed steps and throttle positions 31
3.3 CUSTOMIZE LOCOMOTIVE OPERATION33
3.3.1 Programming 34
3.3.2 Service mode programming34
3.3.3 Operations mode programming35
3.4 COMMAND SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES36
3.4.1 Centralized intelligence 36
3.4.2 Distributed intelligence 36
3.4.3 Peer-to-peer 36
3.4.4 Combination36
CHAPTER 4 - INSTALLING DCC ON
YOUR LAYOUT37
4.1 THE DCC ARCHITECTURE38
4.1.1 Track Power Bus 38
4.1.2 Control bus 38
4.1.3 Cab bus 39
4.1.4 Feedback Bus 40
4.2 POWER DISTRICTS40
4.2.1 Calculating current needs40
4.2.2 Defining power districts 42
4.2.3 Smaller versus larger power stations 43
4.2.4 Short circuit and overload protection43
4.2.5 Selecting the correct DCC track voltage 44
4.3 REVERSE LOOPS44
4.4 PROGRAMMING TRACK46
4.4.1 Why is a programming track so important? 46 4.4.2 Installing a programming track 46
4.5 COMBINING DCC AND DC OPERATIONS
ON THE SAME LAYOUT47
4.5.1 DCC circuit breakers 48
4.6 OTHER WIRING CONSIDERATIONS48
4.6.1 Wiring Turnouts 49
4.6.2 Common Rail Wiring versus dual
gaped Power blocks 50
4.7 POWER SUPPLIES50
4.7.1 How-to articles 51
4.7.2 Surge protection 51
CHAPTER 5 - DECODER INSTALLATION52
5.1 LOCOMOTIVES WITH
PRE-INSTALLED DECODERS52
5.2 SELECTING THE RIGHT DECODER
FOR YOUR LOCOMOTIVE 52
5.2.1 Determining the locomotive's
current requirements 53
5.2.2 Slave motor decoders 54
5.2.3 Using resettable fuses 54
5.2.4 Determining the locomotives need for
features, functions and gizmos54
5.2.5 Decoder placement 55
5.3 INSTALLING DECODERS IN LOCOMOTIVES
WITH NMRA RP-9.1.1 PLUGS60
5.3.1 Small plug 60
5.3.2 Medium plug 60
5.3.3 Large Plug 61
5.4 LOCOMOTIVES THAT HAVE REPLACEABLE CIRCUIT CARDS61
5.5 INSTALLING A DECODER IN A LOCOMOTIVE
WITH NO SOCKET62
5.5.1 Decoder 9-pin plug/harness 62
5.5.2 Common DCC installations 62
5.5.3 Split frames 62
5.5.4 Locomotives with circuit boards. 63
5.5.5 Locomotives with a grounded motor 63
5.5.6 Motors with both wires
connected to the track 64
5.6 INSTALLING DECODERS IN LOCOMOTIVES
WITH AC MOTORS64
5.6.1 Universial motor with 2 wire field coils 65
5.6.2 Universial motor with 3 wire field coils 65
5.7 CHECKING YOUR INSTALLATION66
5.8 DECODERS INSTALLATION FOR
LIFE-LIKE'S GP-9 66
5.8.1 Prepare the locomotive 66
5.8.2 Decoder preparation 67
5.8.3 Install decoder 67
5.8.4 Test out installation and configure CVs67
CHAPTER 6 - CREATIVE USES
6.1 FUNCTION OUTPUTS68
6.2 FUNCTION MAPPING69
6.3 SPECIAL LIGHTING EFFECTS69
6.4 CONSIST CONTROL70
6.5 SOUND 70
6.5.1 Controlling an under-table sound device 71
6.5.2 Controlling sound devices
using decoder functions 71
6.5.3 DCC decoder with built-in sound 72
6.6 ANIMATION73
6.6.1 Crane car operation 73
6.6.2 The N scale crane 74
6.6.3 Large Scale cranes 75
6.7 PANTAGRAPHS77
6.8 BRAKES78
6.9 AUTOMATED COUPLERS79
6.9.1 DCC uncoupling 79
6.9.2 Parts list 80
6.9.3 Using the uncouples 80
6.10 THE SWEDISH SNOW PLOW80
CHAPTER 7 - USING ACCESSORY DECODERS 84
7.1 ACCESSORY DECODERS84
7.1.1 Wiring accessory decoders 84
7.2 CONTROLLING SWITCH MACHINES 85
7.3 CONTROLLING CROSSING GATES85
7.4 CONTROLLING A TURNTABLE87
7.5 LAYOUT ANIMATION 89
7.6 LAYOUT FEEDBACK89
7.6.1 Occupancy detectors 89
7.7 ROUTING CONTROL90
7.7.1 Building a simple interlocking 90
7.8 SIGNAL SYSTEMS 91
7.8.1 Controlling the signal 91
7.8.2 Controlling an integrated signal system 91
7.8.3 Fully integrated DCC signal systems 91
7.9 STOPPING LOCOMOTIVES IN FRONT OF
A RED SIGNAL92
7.9.1 Stop packet generators 92
7.9.2 Signal controlled speed influence 93
7.10 COMPUTER ASSISTED CONTROL93
7.10.1 Augment DCC operations 93
7.10.2 How can a computer enhance DCC?94
7.10.3 Connecting the computer
to DCC systems94
7.10.4 Hardware and software requirements95
7.10.5 Text or graphics 95
7.10.6 Advanced features 95
CHAPTER 8 - COMMERCIAL
NMRA DCC SYSTEMS96
8.1 DIGITAL PLUS BY LENZ GMBH96
8.1.1 System description 96
8.1.2 Style of operation 98
8.1.3 System architecture 98
8.1.4 DCC accessories 99
8.1.5 Summing it up 99
8.2 GENESIS, EMPIRE BUILDER AND
CHIEF BY DIGITRAX INC. 99
8.2.1 Style of operation 100
8.2.2 System architecture 100
8.2.3 DCC accessories 101
8.2.4 Summing up 101
8.3 SYSTEM ONE BY
WANGROW ELECTRONICS 102
8.3.1 System description 102
8.3.2 Style of operation 102
8.3.3 System architecture 103
8.3.4 DCC accessories 103
8.3.5 Summing it up 103
8.4 DIGITAL IS COOL! BY ROCO 104
8.4.1 System description 104
8.4.2 Style of operation 104
8.4.3 System architecture 105
8.4.4 DCC accessories 105
8.4.5 Summing it up 105
8.5 MASTER SERIES BY NORTH COAST
ENGINEERING 105
8.5.1 System description 105
8.5.2 Style of operation 105
8.5.3 System architecture 106
8.5.4 Summing it up 106
8.6 DIGITAL CONTROL BY ZTC SYSTEMS 106
8.6.1 Systems description, ZTC-521 entry-level
system and ZTC-511 digital master controller 106
8.6.2 Style of operation 107
8.6.3 System architecture 107
8.6.4 DCC accessories 107
8.6.5 Summing it up 107
8.7 MULTI TRAIN CONTROL BY LGB 108
8.7.1 System description 108
8.7.2 Style of operation 108
8.7.3 System architecture 108
8.7.4 DCC accessories 108
8.7.5 Summing it up 108
8.8 RAMTRAXX BY RAMFIXX TECHNOLOGIES 108
8.8.1 System description 108
8.9 COMMAND 2000 BY MRC 109
8.9.1 System description 109
8.9.2 Style of operation 109
8.9.3 System architecture 110
8.9.4 DCC accessories 110
8.9.5 Summing it up 110
8.10 MX-SYSTEMS BY ZIMO 110
8.10.1 System description 110
8.10.2 Style of operations 111
8.10.3 System architecture 111
8.10.4 DCC accessories 111
8.10.5 Summing it up 111
8.11 EASYDCC BY CVP PRODUCTS 112
8.11.1 System description 112
8.11.2 Style of operation 112
8.11.3 System architecture 112
8.1 1.4 DCC accessories 112
8.11.5 Summing it up 112
8.12 ARNOLD 113
8.12.1 System description 113
8.12.2 System architecture 113
8.12.3 DCC accessories 113
8.12.4 Summing it up 113
8.13 INTELLIBOX BY UHLENBROCK GMBH 114
8.13.1 System description 1 14
8.13.2 System architecture 1 14
8.13.3 DCC accessories 114
8.13.4 Summing it up 1 14
8.12 THE FUTURE1 15
CHAPTER 9 - SUMMARY 15
APPENDIX A - Current DCC Manufacturers 116
APPENDIX B: Decoders 118
APPENDIX C: DCC Software Products 124
APPENDIX D: DCC comparison worksheet 131
APPENDIX E: DCC Glossary 136
INDEX 142
Why join the NMRA 144
Preface
We are in the midst of a microprocessor technology revolution. Capabilities that formerly required expensive. multiple integrator! circuits are now available as a single chip microcontroller costing only a IS dollars. These chips enable control of numerous devices since custom software can be programmed in. These microcontroller: allow manufacturers to develop products to precisely control locomotives - as well as lights, sounds. switch motors. and other devices on the layout This in turn has opened up a whole new dimension for model railroad operation. which is the basis for attracting the next generation of model railroaders. And we are only at the beginning of this journey. As the information technology revolution continues more powerful microcontroller with lower costs and more features will be available for use by the model railroad hobbyisL This trend towards more capabilities at lower cost is projected to continue long into the future.
New inventions are difficult to explain to those not familiar with the technology employed. Digital Command Control (DCC) is no exception, and this is the fundamental reason for the preparation of this book. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate and comprehensive information regarding DCC technology.
Historically. technical advances suffer from erroneous reporting. When the first steam locomotive was unveiled, it was widely - and erroneously - reported that the human body could not survive speeds above 29 miles per hour. Reports of the first Model T automobile included predictions of social upheaval due to speed, accidents, and death. Recently. claims have been published stating that cellular telephones might cause brain cancer.
Following this historical trend. Errors and misconceptions about DCC sometimes arise. This often results in con- fusion about the benefits of this new technology and often makes DCC look much more difficult or expensive than it actually is. Our intent is to clarify these misunderstandings and dispose of myths surrounding the use DCC technology.
This book's emphasis is educational. It is not written for entertainment, and does not contain beautiful color photographs of gorgeous scenery or superbly detailed locomotives. But knowledge it does have - and lots of it! With careful reading and reasonable thought. everyone can become well-versed with this new form of model railroad control. We hope you enjoy the information.
The authors of this book are members of the National Model Railroad Association's (NMRA) DCC Working Group. and have been involved with DCC since its early days. Ed Loizeaux a non-technical person. strives to make complex topics easy to understand by the average modeler. Over the years Ed has published several articles and presented several clinics for the entry level DCC user. Rutger Friberg is the model railroad editor for Alb om Hobby (the model railroad magazine in Sweden) and prolific DCC author. His expertise is with detailed circuit designs and custom electronic projects that go beyond commercially available products. Stan Ames spearheaded the creation of the NMRA DCC Standards and Recommended Practices. As original Chairman of the NMRA/DCC Working Group and the past Chairman of the NMRA Conformance & Inspection Committee. he brings a unique perspective to this book. His knowledge of the NMRA DCC Standards. Recommended Practices. and product specifics is hard to beaL
This book is dedicated to Dick Andrews. Chairman of the NMRA Technical Department during the formative years of DCC. the NMRA Board of Trustees who made the bold decision to create DCC Standards and the NMRA DCC Working Group. NMRA DCC and this book are the result of a community efforL Since 1992 the DCC community (manufacturers and model railroaders alike) has worked long and hard to bring forth a high quality. multi manufacturer, modern model railroad control system. DCC would never have evolved without their efforts. We are all indebted.
All pictures are of the actual item. There may be reflection from the lights in some photos. We try to take photos of any damage. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.
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