The Digitrax Accessory Decoder

This is also a Nightmare!

The first thing to get to grips with was simply - what did I want my DCC system to do. In order to answer this, I had to learn just what DCC is capable of. the problem here is that different systems have very different capabilities.

I read with interest various books, magazine articles and websites and managed to get to grips with all of the standard bumph: different types of consisting, number of functions supported, 2 and / or 4 digit addresses, route setting, wireless and all that kind of thing. [A really informative book was DCC projects and Applications ]. However, information on accessories is quite limited, particularly when one wants to examine more 'in-depth' functionality.

Basically, I found that as with locomotive decoders, NMRA accessory decoders will work with all NMRA DCC systems. But this is not the end, it is in fact only the beginning of the story Various manufacturers offer additional functionality when their decoders are plugged into their own bus and / or used with their own decoders. This additional functionality often relates to detection and automatic / semi-automatic train control. Unfortunately this was something I wanted to benefit from. Despite the additional complication, being a Northerner [some in the UK might say that we in the North are tight-fisted with our cash - tosh! But why pay more than you need...], I was going to be forking out a lot of money for my DCC system so I wanted to squeeze out every last bit of value.

As yet, we don't know what ECoS have planned for the future so for me, the choice was being narrowed down to what seemed to be the two best supported buses at the time: Loconet by Digitrax and Xpressnet by Lenz.

General functionality in terms of accessory decoders looked to be much of a muchness. Things were very different though in terms of train block occupancy and detection. Because the layout is to be portable for shows / exhibitions, I want to keep the wiring to a minimum. Because of this, I have made the decision to opt for a detection system that reports back via the track feed signal rather than use detectors that are isolated from it.

Both the Lenz and the Digitrax systems seem to offer the same functionality. Detection on Lenz systems seems to be much, much cheaper but to fully benefit, one must use the Lenz Gold loco decoder - for example in setting up braking districts [a braking district is where a locomotive will automatically slow down and / stop when it enters a specified length of track]]. This seems fair enough and the decoder is magnificent. However, working in N-gauge and loving the idea of on-board sound using MRC decoders, I did not want to limit myself in this respect. Digitrax seems much, much more expensive but is more universal in terms of loco decoders but one must generally use digitrax accessory decoders to fully benefit from the potential functionality - particularly with regards reporting back to the control system.

	CML's DTM30 Panel that Plugs straight into Digitrax's Loconet

I say "generally use digitrax accessory decoders" because this is where Digitrax has one big advantage, despite its additional cost. Loconet seems very well supported by various manufacturers. An English company, CML Electronics manufactures a range of accessory /signal controllers specifically designed for Digitrax. The DAC10 can handle 8 accessories, each output can be individually configured for either solenoid or or stall point motors and each output is capable of handling two accessories [e.g. for crossovers] and there are 10 auxiliary inputs which can be used to control the points and / or generate sensor / feedback / control messages. It appears superior to the Digitrax decoder and far, far cheaper. By far CML's most innovative product for Digitrax is the DTM30 Super Tower Master [control panel] which, if I finally select Digitrax, I will be using for the staging / fiddle yards. An added bonus is that it interlocks with Railroad & Co. software. [Must mention that CML were very prompt in answering my email queries].

So at the time of posting my this, my current thoughts are Digitrax - depending on what ECoS comes up with in the way of bus accessories between now and the time of purchase...

Oh - and possibly Dynamis - depending on what they come up with in the way of bus accessories between now and the time of purchase.

Now what was I saying on the previous page about DCC not quite coming of age yet?