![]() Display support, showing CV values when reading or writing and current consumption.2 relays to switch to the programming track current automatically when a programming command is received.2 Buttons to turn on and off the track current. ![]() 3 Led to know the state of the command station (ON, OFF, SHORT CIRCUIT).I took the source code of the DCC++ project (it's open an published in github) and tried (successfully) to add Loconet support, with some goodies like: Anyway is a good command station to have apart from your layout to program and test locos. There are very cheap and professional command stations like DR5000, for sure much better than this, but building things by your own provides satisfaction, right?Ĭlicking Here you can read the complete information in my previous post.īoth the protocol and interface of the basic command station project shown in my previous post aren't standard, and despite you can connect to the available Arduino I/O's some sensors, lights or switches, it's not enough for a medium sized layout. This time I want to go a little bit further and be able to build a more standard command station with Loconet interface. It's quite simple and easy to mount, and features a full DCC command station with PC interface and compatible with Rocrail and JMRI. This is an open project to build you own DCC command station using the Arduino platform. Rather than try building my own layout in RR & Co, I’m going to build the sample layout in the RR&Co manuals in both JMRI and RR & Co and see what the difference really is.In a previos post I talked about the DCC++ Command Station. So the question remains, is Railroad & Co worth an investment of minimum £300 possibly rising to £600 over the JMRI package that is free. I’ve also always fancied messing around with integrating sound with operations, JMRI has this built in, it looks like a further 130Eur with Railroad & Co. I’m also concerned that all the Railroad software was released in 2009, and is 3 years old, is there a new release just around the corner that might add to the cost? The price list indicates upgrading from old versions of software is not a low cost affair. To put £300 into perspective, that’s more than I paid for MS Office 2010. I’m still not sure that I wouldn’t need the Gold version, but for now I’ll assume not until a good reason comes along. So it looks as though, if I went down the Railroad & Co route I’d need to spend at least £300 for the following: Even traincontroller Gold doesn’t include this, it seems I need a further RR & Co package, Smarthand Mobile. I also use an iphone as handheld controller, and intend to run panels on a browser in a second computer or ipad. It was a struggle to work this out until buried within the RR & Co site I eventually found a table comparing Bronze Silver & Gold buried halfway down this page and needing a mouse click to be displayed (Fast clock, ability to have more than one panel, ) so I’ll need at least silver. Traincontroller Bronze has quite a bit of functionality Ive come to regard as basic, and use already in JMRI, even without any train automation missing from its spec. ![]() ![]() Plus Trainprogrammer wouldn’t allow me to plug the sprog & programming track into my Mac Book away from the railway room. I don’t need Trainprogrammer Decoderpro 3 looks much better to me, so I’ll stick with it. I’ve downloaded a few manuals from the Railroad & Co website, and so far I’ve drawn the following conclusions: A readers of previous posts will know I’m seriously exploring layout automation, and reviewing my previous assumption that Railroad and company was too expensive to consider. So far the hardest part is working out which railroad & co products I think I need. One of the key tasks for the forthcoming week is to start properly evaluating Railroad & Co vs JMRI.
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