Migration From NCE

Hi Wombat

The beauty of the NCE system is nothing is redundant.

If it still works then there is no need to replace it - even if it doesn't work NCE will be able to repair it, although postage maybe an issue.

You're SB3a is a combined Command Station and 3A booster, the drawback is the SB3a like the SB5 (5A smart booster that replaced the SB3a) are basically a PowerCab command station plus booster in a box. Thus have the PowerCab limitations (with the 1.65 firmware) of only support 6 devices on the Cab Bus - 3 throttles and 3 ancillary devices - USB interface, Mini-Panel and Aux Input Unit AIU01.

If that is sufficient for your needs then stick with the SB3a and just add additional boosters. Not sure if the SB3 has an output voltage adjuster, but the standalone NCE boosters do have an adjuster to allow you to match the units output voltages - if required.

You do not have to stick with NCE boosters either , Tam Vally Depot do a range of boosters that will work with NCE, and MERG also sell a DIY Booster kit that do the same job.

If you need more controllers / ancillary devices then the option is to get either the CS03 Command station for a command station only option or the PowerHouse 5A (PH5) which is the command station + 5A booster in a single enclosure. The units are seperate you even have to plug a cable in the front to joint the two togther.
The PowerHouse 10A (PH10) comes with a CS02 Command Station and a PB110A 10A booster. Unless you are needing the 10A supply (normally recommended for larger garden layouts) then it is better to stick with multiple 5A boosters, as all your wiring, electrical contacts etc, etc need to be able to cope with a 10A short circuit.

Also take a look at DCC Concepts Alpha box system that provides a 5A booster, or thier Aegis system which allows you to use NCE throttles etc with the aegis system - effectively a NCE command Station and Booster replacement, but will let you use your SB3a as an additional 3A booster.

I'm not a DCC Concepts user or have any links to DCCConcepts, but just posting up the release video to give you an idea of what is available. Even full wifi with your powercab handset.



Hope that helps or at least wets the appetite a little

Paul

 

Ah Wombat the Dark side beckons ........

On DCC there is no difference between the Track Bus and Accessory Bus - they are supplied direct from the boosters.

So why have them ?

By seperating the two, and installing short circuit protection to each bus, if there is a short - normally by someone driving into incorrectly set points - the track section will trip, but the accessory bus will still be working so the point can be changed to rectify the fault. On the same bus everything will be off untill the locomotive is dragged off the point.

In addition, if you calculate / measure your current usage, then you can dedicate your booster capacity accordingly.

Regarding overload / short circiut protection, you want your detectors to trip before either the command station / booster / psu trips, this protects your most expensive / critical devices.

Now before you rush out and buy tons of boosters, look at your accessory decoders, normally you can split them into two types, those that take power from the track / accessory bus, and those that just take signals from the track / power bus and require there own additional power supply. The later type means you only need enough power from the boosters to power the locomotives, your accessories will all be powered froma seperate supply. All of MERG DCC accessory decoders are of the latter type, and the main reason I bought them for my OO gauge layout - Loco's powered by my PowerCab, decoders from a seperate 16V AC supply (they have now migrated to 12V DC supply). Price also paid a part in the decision, they are DIY kits so you have to get your hands covered in flux and solder burns - maybe I'm holding the wrong end of the iron and you need to be a member to be able to buy the kits.

But the price is very .........
DCC Booster Kit NB2 Kit No 59A (Can be built as either a 4.5A or 8.5A booster) £31.02
DCC District Cutout Kit number 57 £11.59
DCC Accessory Decoder (Pulsed Output) Kit number 52 £15.71 - 4 seperate outputs with builtin CDU
DCC Accessory Decoder (Steady Output) Kit number 53 £ 14.46 - 4 channel steady state suitable for Tortoise point motors.
2ch DCC Current Transformer Block Detector DTC2 Kit number 50 £6.61
8ch DCC Current Transformer Block Detector DTC8 Kit number 56A £22.43

These will all work with the standard track bus for any standards compliant system.

I have also built Arduino based accessory decoders, and have lights, servo's and even a 4 road traverser all controlled via the PowerCab handset.

Now layout control via DCC ......... has endless possibilities, and needs planning for otherwise it can become expensive

The accessory decoders can be controlled directly from your Handset, just enter the accessory decoder number you want to change and select 1 or 2 to change its position.

Now if you want to use traditional control panels or mimic panels then it's a different approach.

Sticking with NCE (I haven't) then you need to purchase AIU's or micropanels. Now on a basic PowerCab or SB3 / 5 command station with the 1.65 firmware you are limited to 3 accessory devices one of which is probably going to be the usb interface. So you are limited by the number of inputs for switches.

I'm going down the MERG route for my layout control, loco control is via NCE, but I will have MERG CBUS modules installed for layout control these use a CAN bus for comms.

In the panels will be fitted CANPAN Mimic Panel interface module(s) Kit Number 97 £18.31 Controls upto 32 LEDs for panels and 32 switches / pushbuttons. (I'll come back to Push button vs Switches in a min).

Layout modules
A combination of .....
CANVOUT Kit Number 11 £20.62 A CBUS combination unit with 8 outputs for driving relays and accessories with an additional 8 inputs for feedback or switch inputs.
CANVINP Kit Number 12 £16.80 A CBUS combination unit with 16 inputs
CAVSERVO Kit Number 13 £19.25 A CBUS combination unit with 8 channel servo drive and 8 inputs - these are what I will use to control my poits via small servos.
CANV4BIP Kit number 14 £26.69 A CBUS combination unit to drive 4 motorised turnouts and stall motor turnout such as Tortoise or Fulgurex plus 8 inputs.

Plus a USB interface CANUSB4 Kit number 80A £12.68 - this allows connection to a PC for programming / setup, and also connectivity to the JMRI application.

JMRI - Java Model Railway Interface - is a wonderful application. Split into several applications the two most important (to me at least) is Decoder Pro and Panel Pro.

Having JMRI Decoder Pro connected to your PC and NCE system (USB interface on the PowerCab or serial port on the PowerHouse systems) make decoder life so much easier, all the CV's can be read and written from the PC screen, and more importantly backed up, so if the decoder becomes corrupt, you can just reload all the settings.
It will also allow you to use your mobile phone (Android or Apple) to act as a throttle.

Panel Pro does the same for layout control.

Now the magic, you can have multiple systems connected at the same time, so in my case both the NCE and MERG CBUS so if I press a switch on the control panel, the Input module sends the event out onto the CBUS bus, any CBUS module set to respind to the event will do so, in addition the USB module will pass that event onto JMRI, who will carry out any instruction it has been told to do, this can even include sending an instruction to my NCE command station to do something for example trigger one of the existing accessory decoders.

Not straight forward but probably one of the most flexible systems.

Back to the Switch vs Pushbutton comment.

Switches are great for giving an immdiate representation of a physical position, whether on a mimic panel or as part of a virtual lever frame. However, you can only have I switch carrying out that task (unless you have a system to remotely controlling the switch). A push button however is a momentary switch, so multiple instances can be virtually wired in parallel, this would allow several mimic panels to operate the same parts of the layout. You may have a master control panel that can operate the whole layout when you are on your own, and several local panels when you have multiple operators available.

As for multiple boosters, check on your current usage - very handy on the PowerCab as it has its own Ammeter built in, just supply each district from the power cab and see how much current is used, or carry out a back of the fag packet calculation.

For OO/HO with modern stock ave. consumption is 0.1A stationary and 0.3A in motion (add 0.2A to the figures for Heljan locos with lights on and 0.1A for sound loco's).
So for each district calculate the power consumtion based on the number of loco's stationary and mobile in the district - MPD's are probably the worst consumers.
You may find that one booster can supply multiple districts, so fit a Overload detector for each district and connect multiple districts to the booster, so a short or overload just effects that district, and avoids taking down the booster.
If the continually booster trips due to overload (none of the district cutouts trip), then consider adding an additional booster). Saves shelling out for additional capacity you may not need.

Phew, I need a coffee, and you will probably want to lie down.

Paul