# DCC for dummies



## sailbode (Jan 2, 2008)

I've been in this hobby for a few years now and still consider myself a beginner. I've converted several trains to battery/ RCS and subscribed to Garden railroad magazine, and I keep hearing about DCC??? I assume this is digital command control? Being somewhat of a technical guy, I'm thinking this is a digital "signal" that is sent along with the power along the rails? yes??? and so If there is an experienced DCC guru out there please take a moment to enlighten us newbies


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## Trains West (Oct 4, 2008)

in a dcc system like digitrax it is rail power only and the power on the rail is the signal ...... the comand system encripts the data you are sending to the loco or turnout into a digital ac signal that is then pumped up to the voltage and current needed to run your trains ....... this data in the form of power is then decoded with the onboard reciver and if the right comands are there the decoder then sends the power on to the motor or light or turnout to make it work ...


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

ll take a crack at it

In DCC (digital command control) a "command station" sends digital information over the rails, and each loco has a decoder which receives the digital info and translates it into action. Because it's digital and computerized, you can send very complicated commands. You can control lots of lights, and trigger sounds, and you can control the running characteristics of the train very precisely. Acceleration and deceleration, minimum and maximum voltages/speeds, you can speed match locos very precisely to make consists, you can assemble consists easlily and control them as one loco. You can run switches and other accessories from the track using DCC commands, and you can automate reverse loops or wyes very easily. It's really sophisticated and it's great if you love to "tweak." Once you get the basic DCC equipment--which is very pricey--it's relatively cheap to add new locos.


You can also have DCC over the air--if you want to run on batteries and DCC, or straight track power and DCC, you can do it with, for example, QSI's decoders and wireless receivers. That's what I do I'm very happy with it.

The downside of DCC is it's not exactly user-friendly. It's not higher math either, but it's not going to give up all its secrets on day one. Changing the parameters of of a loco involves entering values in "CV's" (configuration values). CV 1, for example, controls the address of the decoder. You can set CV 1 to any value between 1 and 999 (I think--it may be higher). CV 3 and 4 control acceleration and deceleration. There are I think up to 1000 cvs. but most of the time you ar emessing with a dozen or so at most. 


Aristo's new "revolution" Train Engineer does some of what DCC does, and does it more simply. There are also programs designed to make setting CV's easier more intuitive


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Actually if you get a good throttle, DCC is simpler than the Aristo TE. 

Consisting is simpler. 
Setting momentum is simpler 

And, your locos remember which way forwards is when they come out of a consist. 

The user-friendly part comes from the controller. There are several companies that make DCC user friendly and twice as powerful as the Aristo attempt. 

Look at the Zimo, the NCE, the Massoth decoders... Unfortunately, the experience Mike has had is one of the most user-unfriendly DCC throttles I have ever used... 

Regards, Greg


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Greg, for the benefit of the newbies and those of us long-time garden railroaders who have toyed with DCC and had experiences identical to Mike's, which controllers are "user friendly," and how is programming a decoder with them different from programming one via something like MRC's controller (which you've had to talk me through programming at length on a few occasions). I'd love to see DCC become more intuitive to program. It'd save you a lot of time helping me out. [] 

Later, 

K


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

First, when you talk user-friendly, I try to look at it from a new person's eyes. 

They want to get up and running quickly, so the basic functions need to be simple, and more importantly, there need to be "default" settings to help this. 

I have to also set the stage with some basic assumptions, the locomotives have sound also.


So, this would be (in my opinion) (and picking non-DCC terminology):

taking a new (out of the box) locomotive and with an "out of the box" decoder (receiver), identifying the locomotive's "name", how I have to refer to it
telling the system I want to control this locomotive 
setting the direction of the locomotive
increasing or decreasing the speed of the locomotive.
Blowing the whistle/horn
Ringing the bell
 These functions should be VERY simple. In my opinion, if you cannot show someone how to do this in under 5 minutes, then it is NOT user-friendly.


After this, then you would desire to go to the next level.


customizing the locomotive name/identifier
having a "quick list" of 2-3 locomotives "saved" in the throttle
being able to switch between locomotives easily
customizing the momentum of the locomotive for more realistic operation
having a simple way to reproduce more sounds
easily running locomotives in multiple units or doubleheaded, or anywhere in a train.
 These are the things I look for in a system myself, and when recommending to newcomers.

Does everyone think this is logical and reasonable to the "general group"? (newcomers)




Regards, Greg


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

I'm thinking in terms of specifically programming the loco IDs, throttle characteristics (start voltage, top voltage, momentum), headlight characteristics (on all the time, directional, etc) things of that nature. Is there controller that translates the primary CVs and their values to plain English for the basic user, or are they still dependent on remembering CV codes and values? For example, when you program a receiver via the MRC controller, it's got a small handful of basic functions that you can set (Start voltage = SV, etc.) that actually sets the CV value, but it's transperant to the programmer. He remains blissfully unaware that he's actually changing a CV setting. 

Obviously, when you get into the more complex attributes of DCC, programming various functions will require a deeper knowledge of how to set CVs, etc., but for the basic user who wants to hook up a board and do some very basic configuration, which controller seems to be the most user friendly? 

I'm not so much worried about the user interface in terms of actually pushing this button to make the train go forward or any of that stuff, I'm more concerned with how easy it is to program the receiver so that when you do push the buttons, it does what you want it to do. 

Later, 

K


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## lownote (Jan 3, 2008)

DCC--it's like they don't really want you to buy it. 


QSI makes a program called the "Quantum CV manager" which does what you're describing. I have not been able to get it to actually program a decoder though. It has sliders and buttons instead of entering CV numbers; it has graphs of speed curves and you can test all the effects on the loco, but then I can't get the program to write to the decoder. i need to spend some time with it and see if I can't get it to work. But then, I should not have to. 


I don't really think the airwire throttle is the issue--it works fine for me, although I agree there are probably better choices. It's more the fact that to change the system volume I have to enter cv 49=0 and then cv 51 = something, I usually wind up around 20. Or to set start voltage I have to enter a multiple key sequence, each time I try out a start voltage. It's not THAT hard, it's just not as easy as it could be. For example, it should be possible to change CV values by turning a wheel. I'm still a beginner, not an expert by any means, and while I'm getting more comfortable with it it's still frustrating sometimes. Even so I like it a lot


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I see what you asked Kevin. 

I don't want to start "in the middle".... I have found that many people want to jump into the "middle" and wind up forming opinions and have misconceptions that "stick" forever. 

Without the strong foundation of the basics, I feel it is a mistake to try to understand and contrast things without the foundation. 

This isn't against you, it's a revelation to me about questions I get asked all the time, and why I think I do not do the best job of answering them.

Just like the review of the QSI in the GR magazine, where it was characterized as a "wireless sound system".... sort of like calling a Ferrari a mobile living space and while the heating and cooling was ok, the space was too small and noisy. 

You have inspired me to answer these questions in a better way, and write something truly helpful, seriously. 

Regards, Greg 

p.s. and yes there are controllers that handle the "primary" functions... although I think my list is a better start, put the functions in terms of what the user wants, since they don't know CV's...


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