Thanks Jimmy... we have more surprises in the pipeline. BTW: with a simple EX-RAIL script which listens on the booster input, the unit can switch automagically to booster mode. We had in mind that this might be useful for modular layouts (T-trak etc. etc.) as you could have the EX-CSB1 running your module, but wired to listen for a "Master DCC signal" when the module is plugged into a larger layout, seamlessly switching to that mode. Naturally this means that while in Booster mode, the EX-CSB1 can run EX-RAIL scripts for animation of the layout for lighting, block detection, signals, etc. so the animations for a module or far corner of the layout can continue. We have lots more planned... 😃
Very cool. I built my own a few years ago, but it's really cool to see DCC becoming so affordable. It's what brought me back to model railroading and I could see it bringing a lot more people into or back into it.
This is what's going to make it financially possible for a club I'm in that currently has a very small membership but with a very large layout to convert to DCC, something we've wanted to do for over a decade. I'm eagerly awaiting them hitting the market.
DCC-EX is phenomenal. Currently in the process of putting a DCC-EX command station in a scrap Zero-1 case, with the intention to get the keypad and throttle connected down the line
That’s food for thought. I have a Zero 1 in the loft that as far as I know, is still working. Even in that state they don’t have much of a resale value but I’d still like to do something with it.
@andygj66 This particular z1 was worthlessness as the case was badly scuffed and the TI microcontroller inside was toast, so rather than sending it to landfill, I thought I'd recycle it 😀
I expect that system to be a huge success. For some because of price/performance. For others it solves the problem of hunting for parts, Arduinos are easy. Motor shields not so much although possibly that has improved since I bought mine. Kudos to the DCC-EX team and to you for bringing it to our attention.
Many folks are either intimidated by the learning curve, or time-poor and wish to focus their hobby time on other aspect of model railroading. We wanted something so simple everyone could use it.
Jimmy, I cannot fully express my gratitude in words for your valuable information on model railroading. I've been studying your videos for a while now, and I've been heavily considering creating a layout for myself. I first stumbled upon you when I saw your tutorial video on SCARM, along with your layout planning video. That really got me thinking to myself, so I gave SCARM a go. I ultimately chose AnyRail for their massive library of structures and objects. I made sure to also research what locomotives I'd want on my layout, keeping in mind their size and turning radii. At first I wanted to go with the more common HO scale, but I quickly realized there is absolutely no way I can fit a 16'×16' layout in my basement. So, I took your advice, and downgraded to N scale. Honestly, I was also concerned about how difficult rigging up DCC would be... Then, I got to watching this video. I did not realize how easy it is to simply throw a shield on an Arduino, hook up some wires in the right place, and voila! It got me thinking more, so I did more digging myself, figuring out which decoders to use (I think I'll use Soundtraxx decoders). I've been working with some small electronics for a little bit, so I am confident in saying you have convinced me to select DCC++EX for my future layout. I will without a doubt come straight to you should I run into any troubles. You seem like the type of guy who knows his stuff, which you no doubt indeed do know your stuff. Again, thank you, GM
Omg!!!! Jimmy!!!! My friend in my train club told me a few months ago that he had a DCC ex ( whatever) for me to try out… last month, he said to give it back to him. He had a motor shield to add to it, and he was gonna give it its own Wi-Fi address. I said whatever as long as it’s easy for me to run, I’m not computer savvy. So the machine that he gave me is exactly the same as yours, less the 3-D printed case. Now it gives me another tool in my toolbox to run my trains. Unfortunately, I’m still not very computer savvy so I’m gonna have to deep dive and figure out how to use every aspect of this new controller. And right now I have two phones to run it my iPhone, which runs on withrottle and a Samsung that runs the DCCEX program directly. This is very exciting to me. Congratulations and I’m drinking hotel tea this morning.
Wow I'm exited looking forward to being able to get one of these systems. My primary system is dcc-ex .. I have 2 that I use one for programming and one for running trains. Hear is wishing all a Happy Holiday season
I'm running two DCC _ex on my layout and test track. Fantastic control system, this one looks like it'll be even better.. it's so easy to use and set up or even move from one layout to another. The NCE power cab went on eBay, with all them silly buttons you hardly use
I'm hoping to have my new N Scale layout up after Christmas so this is the perfect time for this. These videos are great about learning about DCC. Thanks a lot!
Thanks. Wish I had known about this 2 months ago when I purchased my first DCC system to run an American Flyer system. The decoder works fine but the command system I bought didn’t have enough current capacity to operate the locomotive with a full train. I’ll be purchasing a CSB1.
Jimmy: the DCC-EX website has been updated with product details, and a list of resellers globally who have stock in Australia, the US, UK, and Austria.
That's awesome. They are a great group of people at DCCEx. I've enjoyed using the DCCEx system. Can't wait for this one to come out and add it to my collection!
Not everyone is up for doing that of course, which is why we designed the CSB1. We also found the ESPduin32 boards we had been using to be of very variable quality.
Love using DCCex. I have no experience in coding or wiring but thankfully there are plenty of videos and it was so easy to follow. Added bonus is one of the creators lives in North Carolina
Typing to you now from just outside of Raleigh, NC ;) We operate DCC-EX from here, but the team is global with the founding members / leadership team in the US, the UK, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand... and I'm sure I may be missing one other country. Apologies. But the rest of the team and our beta testers, while still a majority in the US, are all over. - Fred
I welcome this new DCC system. 5Amp output is ideal for me as I going to build a large layout in 2025. This is promising news. Thanks for the video and information! Merry Christmas!
You can do that now. Our EX-DCCInspector has an option we code-named "EX-BabbelFish". We need to polish it up and make it its own product, but it allows you to use ANY throttle. We get the output signal from anything that plugs into the track. So whether the throttle generates DCC directly or connects to a command station that then connects to the tracks, connect that device to the Inspector instead of the tracks, connect the Inspector to the EX-CommandStation. We intercept the the data packets, convert then to DCC-EX protocol commands, and you can control locos and accessories. We have so much to announce in the coming year!
Been using Bluenami`s because I love using my Ipad/phone for controller...this will be a huge game changer for me as I still have some DCC locos and hate having the corded NCE controller.
That’s awesome. Been wanting to use DCC++ or DCC EX for a while, but ran into trouble with getting JMRI to run on my raspberry pi. Haven’t really had to time revisit it to troubleshoot. Might have to pick one of these up too at some point.
@@Cenilio714 Your phone or a tablet running Engine Driver, WiThrottle, or one of the other throttles. There are hardware throttles that work also and ones you can build inexpensively.
@@Cenilio714 JMRI is not used as a controller (throttle) very much. Most people use a phone app or a dedicated handheld controller. JMRI does have controller (throttle), but it then ties you to the PC it is running on. JMRI will happily talk to phone apps and some handheld controllers, but with an EX-CommandStation you don't need JMRI to have the same capability.
There are already several DIY versions and we created a DCC-EX Protocol Library for developers to make it easy for them to create throttles. That said, we are working on a lot of things ;) - Fred Decker
You can also buy the TCS UWT-50 and UWT-100 which work well with DCC-EX. They only speak the WiThrottle protocol so far, not the full native DCC-EX protocol which has more functionality.
Another use of the ESP32 in model railroading.For about $100 per loco, you can just bypass the whole command station and install a locofi module in your engine instead of a dcc module. It too runs on the ESP32. These are great modules with built in wifi and bluetooth. I'm running my layout with these units and MQTT.
After the thing leaking like 5 times over the past year alone we can finally talk about it openly without a worry… 😅 Also congratulations to the DCC-EX team! 🎉
I was late to the party all along but I guess I should have waited a bit, I just got my first arduino,motor-shield, and Wi-Fi shield about to build my DCC-EX system. Might just scrap the idea and pick up one of these 😂
nothing really lost This provides a bit more than your current setup, but not a massive amount. (Ability to stack another EX-8874 Motor Shield, and 10 WiFi connections instead of 4) If the Motor Shield you got was the EX-8874 Motor Shield... The good thing is that if you do buy an EX-CSB1, then the EX-8874 Motor Shield you have can be stacked on top of it, without modification, to get four 5 amp DCC/DC outputs
A big plus is you can use your current Arduino Mega as a 64pin extended I/O input output device by loading the EX-IOExpander software on the Mega then connecting it to the I2C bus pins on the EX-CSB1 Command Station. All those extra Accessories and physical mimic panel buttons can then be connected to the Mega and be seen and controlled through the DCC-EX-CSB1 Command Station.
@@peterakers9071 That's great that I will have compatibility in the future with other components from DCCEX. I went with the EX-8874 and ESP-8266 Wi-Fi. Plan on adding my own OLED display too. I tried to stick with all namebrand components for that reason so there wasn't any weird software bugs. But all in all for less than $100 to have a five amp DCC system it's awesome. I run a pretty small shelf style layout and usually won't be running more than one or two locomotives at a time so it will definitely serve me well but eventually when I expand someday it will be nice to have more power options!
Already have it and worked with Andrew on it. Looking for demand to pick up to have more people using it. Most don't need it because of the the command station can do internally running sequences using EXRAIL (as scripting language to control turnouts, lighting, motors, read sensors, etc.) but for people who already have LCC accessories, it is nice to be able to use them.
nothing really lost This provides a bit more than your current setup, but not a massive amount. (Ability to stack another EX-8874 Motor Shield, and 10 WiFi connections instead of 4) If the Motor Shield you got was the EX-8874 Motor Shield... The good thing is that if you do buy an EX-CSB1, then the EX-8874 Motor Shield, you have can be stacked on top of it without modification to get four 5 amp DCC/DC outputs
A big plus is you can use your current Arduino Mega as a 64pin extended I/O input output device by loading the EX-IOExpander software on the Mega then connecting it to the I2C bus pins on the EX-CSB1 Command Station. All those extra Accessories and physical mimic panel buttons can then be connected to the Mega and be seen and controlled through the DCC-EX-CSB1 Command Station.
The amps are really nice. I found Uhlenbrock (including wifi and associated protocols) to be competitively priced too, and it comes with Loconet (including the bus for handcontrollers), which is a lot more developed than I2C for (what I think are fairly fundamental) features like block detection. Some stores near me even offer just a Z21 base station from a starter set for a good price (which you can amp up to 5 with the right adapter - but its locked to a single LAN address via ethernet without paying Roco extra). But for straightforward DCC, you can't go wrong with DCC-EX.
We can connect to Loconet now, but are working how to We already are using the CS as a home control system and designing an entire "ex-osystem" ;) of accessory boards to allow more plug and play. Now that the CSB1 is out we have a lot more time to work on our other projects and focus for a bit on layout control and the best ways to handle that.
Several months ago I built a DCC-EX command station using an Arduino MEGA with inexpensive motor and wifi shields. As my layout is very small, I don't use the wifi connection any more because I built a wired throttle using an STM32 Blue Pill with a small OLED display and a membrane keypad. Having said this, the DCC-EX command station works very well over wifi using my backup throttle which is an old Galaxy S4 smartphone I got for $20 off eBay that runs a free app. This new offering looks quite nice! It's a great time to be a model railroader, eh? Cheers from Wisconsin!
Although I use DCC-EX myself, and love it, I am already invested in a number (about 15) decoders already. However, the lowest cost system by far, is Hornby's HM7000 system. Their bluetooth decoders need NO SYSTEM. Just DC to the tracks, and you use you phone as the controller. at £62 per decoder, it is already competitive with other sound decoders. BUT - it takes it's signal over the air directly via bluetooth. No command station required. It also lets you change your sound files over the air, and change it again and again. For beginners to DCC, there is no better system than HM7000.
Wish I had known this in August when I got all the different components and did the build myself. Great unit. Is there a difference between this and the past unit?
Other than being Plug and Play VS DIY, this provides a bit more than your current setup, but not a massive amount. (Primarily the ability to stack another EX-8874 Motor Shield, and have 10 WiFi connections instead of 4) If the Motor Shield you got was the EX-8874 Motor Shield... The good thing is that if you do buy an EX-CSB1 later, then the EX-8874 Motor Shield you have can be stacked on top of it, without modification, to get four 5 amp DCC/DC outputs
4:10 the TCS throttles are my favorite throttles I have used between both versions of them, Digitrax, and NCE. If you want a WiFi throttle to use with this you will not be disappointed.
My trains are running lipo battery powered. Regulated wireless for 40 $ a train. They can run about 1 hr on 1 charge. Constant. No trouble with dirty rails, bad connected turn outs.
Packaging is critical to protect the components. The enclosure must be offered with the circuit, and larger boxes for the additions. If it's pnp, make it plug-and-play
It comes with a mounting plate some people are calling a "sled". It ships in a box. Most people will purchase a plug and play system with a power supply. Up and running in a couple of minutes since it is pre-configured (which can be changed with the EX-Installer software). Many (most?) people screw boards under the layout or in a tray, so initially, the case is a DIY option for those that want it or carry it around to impress their friends. The DCC-EX store may stock them at some point that same way we do the sleds, but anyone can 3D print them from the files on the DCC-EX Thingiverse page. If you don't have a 3D printer, you can send the files or take them to any 3D printing place and have them do it for you for a few bucks. I can injection mold them if demand is high enough to justify the significant startup cost of a mold, I already have a relationship with a factory, we'll see. We are being price conscious, and need to avoid this being a shrink wrapped product do to all the regulations in all the different countries. Tinkerers tend to like to come up with their own cases also. The case Jimmy showed is ours and has 2 different bottoms and 2 different tops. The bottom can have mounting tabs or not, and the top can fit just the CSB1 or the CSB1 with a stacked EX-MotorShield 8874. We might have an option without the display hole or a cover that can be punched out for people who want to operate without a display or use an I2C cable to move the display to a panel or elsewhere.
Just to be clear, it is not an Arduino, it is a custom board based on an Expressif ESP32. The display is a 132x64 I2C OLED display. They come in a smaller size, but we want to go even bigger and will have an option announced soon on that one too. The CS comes with that and a carrier board or "sled". We will probably sell those through the resellers also, but the less expensive things are a pain in that minimum shipping is around $5 and it it is hard to justify that for things that are less than $15 or so. - Fred Decker
Still very much in the research phase of this hobby, but love the idea of DCC-EX. However, I don't feel like the extra locomotive cost is worth it over DC on a small 3x5 layout. Ideally I am thinking of having a continuous outer loop using blocks with an inner loop and yards for limited operations. Also saw someone using automation to run 2 trains on a loop that would swap back and forth, running in opposite directions. Is this something that the DC or DC (pwm) of DCC-EX is capable of? Could you possibly go over the DC features of DCC-EX in a video? Hope the coffee's hot and merry Christmas everyone.
On a very small layout with only one or max two locos being run at any time, there is limited value in DCC over DC. The moment you say... I would like to have or run more than one train on the same track *at the same time*... then DCC becomes 'almost' vital. An automation that swaps one loco out for another on a loop or point-to-point layout can be done with DC or DCC. With EXRAIL automations (included with the EX-CommandStation software) that sort of thing is easy. There is an example of a DCC version of something similar on the DCC-EX website. The DC features of the EX-CommandStation can be boiled down to the fact that either of the two output can be used to manage a DC block, just as easily as they can manage a DCC block. (Each output is either one or the other, not both.) One can be DC and one DCC, both can be DCC, or both can be DC. You can then control a DC block/output with you smart phone, exactly that same way that you would control a DCC loco.
In addition to what peter said, with DCC-EX you can run your DC layout with Wireless throttles and can control the DC locos by the road number on the side of the cab any and all numbers from 1 to 10239. You can also control accessories on your layout at the same time like turnouts, point signals, passanger or gas station OLED display boards, moving objects like Railfans walking, Oil Rigs, people playing on swingsets, with a small servo. You can use both the physical buttons on a mimic panel and soft buttons on the smart phone to control the same accessory Animation and Loco Atomation runs All these operate exactly the same with both DC and DCC layouts. .
Is there a comparison breakdown of what this unit will do against the other Dcc Command stations on the market. I am new to DCC and have been looking at the Zephyr Express.
The DCC-EX website has a an article discussing some of the differences with commercial systems. Search for "comparison" in the search bar on the site. Not a direct comparison of different systems, but it should give you an idea of what to look for when you are comparing systems. If you do a RUclips or Google search you will find lots of comparisons. In essence, most commercial systems do their core job of controlling DCC locos very well. (There is only one that I know of that I would not say that of). For me... The differences come down to; how well they do it; what capacity they have; what additional features they have; how expensive they are; or how expensive it is to get/add the features I want. DCC-EX's EX-CommandStation compares well on 'all' those points.
Not sure if the UWT-50 can send programming commands, but it does work with us as a throttle. Easy enough to find out. Other ways to program are with your phone or tablet via WiFi or JMRI with a USB cable.
The EX-CSB1 supports full programming functionality, with any of the up to 4 outputs capable of assuming PROG mode under throttle control. Using Engine Driver or EX-ToolBox apps allows this... not sure UWT-50 can do so.
Sounds great. How does it compare to the Digitrax DCS-52? Mine is still in the box as I haven't started my layout yet. The 52 can control up to 99 engine address or a couple of engines and multiple digitally controlled switch machines. Thoughts?
Controlling/running 99 locos at the same time? I am not sure anyone has tried that, but I expect it would handle that. The turnout/point motors are neither here nor there.
We don't have limits like the number of addresses or the amount of accessories we can control. The DCC specification itself is the limiting factor. At some point, depending on what kind of locos and what data is being sent to them, the latency becomes too great. For example, after about 50-60 locos, it could take 1 to 1.5 seconds for a command to reach a particular loco. That would be bad if it was an "emergency stop" ;) We have worked around this with some clever use of packets and which ones repeat when, etc, but we haven't heard of anyone running more than 20 or 30 locos off one command station. Practically speaking, 99% of the market is 10 locos or under. As for accessories, you might want to control them all directly connected to the command station. Nothing powered from the tracks, no decoders necessary. This offers a lot of possibilities especially regarding EXRAIL that lets you automate and animate it all.
This is very cool and impressive for the price point. I've seen references to adding LCC functionality into DCC-EX. I haven't heard anything about it in awhile so I am not sure if it took off or not. LCC would pair perfectly with this because it would allows an open layout control bus and allow for even more functionality. It could also allow the use of other vendor throttles, such as Digitrax, NCE, and soon MRC. Does this device have Railcom support? I am going to guess that it doesn't, but if it did that would be ideal. Railcom is very nice for programing and could prove to have a lot of additional functionality int he future. I've seen some block detectors that can not only tell you that a block is occupied but can tell you the locomotive number that is occupying it.
@ that is great news to hear! I know it’s in the early stages, but any plans to produce an LCC attachment to complement this board? I’m envisioning a board with 2 RJ45 jacks to allow the LCC CAN bus to be connected. Then the board could be a LCC power point as well. The LCC connection can also carry the DCC signals that would allow for easy integration with other boosters or using the board as a booster for another system. I see a lot of potential in the project and look forward to trying it out myself and watching it continue to evolve!
@@bittyboy721 it's trivially easy to design a CAN bus EX-CSB1 shield, yes. It's presently not anyone's top development priority, but no doubt when the LCC folks learn of the EX-CSB1's release they will consider it. LCC's still limited user base means demand for integration with DCC-EX has not been high as yet. DCC-EX has it's own device and event subsystems, which is what we've been working to integrate with LCC.
You can have up to 4 outputs with the added EX-MotorShield8874... and power districts are a key use for so many outputs of course. EX-RAIL and our HAL device driver system provide for full feedback for animation and automation. LocoNet is a proprietary protocol, so we don't presently support it. OpenLCB folks are working with us to integrate with them... we have a prototype build which operates allowing EX-RAIL to use OpenLCB events etc.
If it needs more the 5amps, then this particular product.. no. However, there are other options for more than 5amps. You need to look at the other motor shields that the EX-CommandStation software works with.
No. The EX-CommandStation software and the EX-CommandStation / Booster One (EX-CSB1) can control any DC or DCC loco or DCC accessory decoder within the range of voltage and current it was designed for. The great thing about DCC is that is is a global standard for the signal and data it carries. If you need riding scale, you can add a different motor driver (which we support right now also) ;)
I bought one of these last week. They are out of stock of power supplies. I’ve emailed them twice since last week asking which specific power supply I should buy and they’ve yet to return my emails. Not off to a great start. Now I’m nervous that if I have an issue that they won’t respond.
Have you tried their discord server? The system can use a generic wall wart power supply. Mine is currently on a 12 volt 2 amp. I plan on increasing it at some point.
There are multiple ways but the command is the simplest. If you subsequently issue a programming command, the second track will switch to PROG mode to do it, and then switch back.
How many Locomotives etc can it run? I am building a 4X8 in HO. My plan is to run 3 locomotives. But I am adding about 10-15 turnouts, and motors. I also am adding a Turntable, Round house, probably some lighting... It will be a small layout, but tripped out a bit with some lighting signals and some motors etc. I went to the website, but got lost in menus, and wasn't 100% sure what each product did, compared to the menus of what I could do....etc
You probably want to take a look at EX-Turntable as well. Full instructions on the website. We ran 14 HO trains at a show on a fair sized layout. You can do current tests on each of your locos to see what they consume, but for most people, 3A is more than enough, let alone 5. Amps are dangerous. If you think you need more Amps, you likely need more power districts. That spreads things about so that you don't have all the locos on the entire layout powered from the same section at once. An example would be breaking things up into 2 power districts, at any given time, all the running trains would not be in that section at the same time. Also, all your accessories are not powered by the CS, they are powered by another power supply and just controlled by the CS. You CAN take power off the track for accessories, but much better to have a separate power bus. The same power supply that powers the CS can be uses, or you can use multiple supplies. We have examples on the website of using a cage supply and little buck convertor boards to handle all the different voltages on the track like 14V, 12V, 5V, 3.3V, etc. So the track would power only locos. The signal that controls your turnouts, motors and accessories can still be through accessory decoders, but the real power here is connecting the directly to the CS where communication can go both ways and where you use cheap connecting boards instead of expensive decoders.
We have users with over 100 turnouts... some fully or partially animated and automated as well. Just added support for strings of RGB LEDs as well, perfect for all manner of layout lighting, mood/scene lighting, daylight simulation, mimic panel indicators etc. etc.
CV Programming. It can do it, but the sound decoders are so complex that connecting the EX-CommandStation to JMRI to give you a user friendly interface is highly advised. This can't be used for loading sound files.
Hi! This seems very interesting, however I have a question (newbie here) what’s the support for other scales? I’ve got a G scale setup and want to get ddc, and this seems very enticing but I’m afraid that it wouldn’t be supported
There are people using EX-CommandStations with G and larger scales. Including, having the whole Command Station in the loco with the battery. Each loco becomes its own WiFi network (SSID). This particular product can't provide more that 5amp per output. (2 outputs) However, there are other options for more than 5amps. You need to look at the other motor shields that the EX-CommandStation software works with.
We have club members with G-scale garden railroads using DCC-EX for both DC and DCC locos on multiple districts/blocks. They can run & control both at the same time in their designated insullated districts by the individual road numbers from 1 to 10239. Saving money by not having to buy extra decoder for the DC only engines.
I know a guy!...LOL and it is not me.. I bought a complete dcc-ex package from someone almost a year ago for under $100. Pretty much like this one. So not sure what the big secret is. Great support from the person also. Walked me through setting it up. Worked so well i bought the ability to use switching with Engine Driver. Great system. Let me know if you want the person's contact info.
@@TheGreatPlainsOhioRailway Was it an EX-CSB1 or a Mega, Motor Sheild, and WiFi stack of boards? We have a few resellers who put these DIY systems together. There is no big secret, but the EX-CSB1 is a different animal. It puts all 3 of those boards into one just the size of a motor shield, allows 10 WiFi connections instead of 4, has 2 outputs expandable to 4 just by sticking an EX-MotorShield on top, and a few other things. We will maintain the DIY route, which people can continue to take and build something similar form parts. This is designed to be plug and play. So if it was Jack from Smart Hobby, or Sam from Chesterfield in the UK, or Paul with Millenium in Australia, or another reseller, then I'm glad to hear you got great support!
@DCCEX Hey, thanks for the clarification. Makes more sense now. And yes, Jack was very supportive, and it works awesomely. I try to promote it every chance I get.
This particular product can't provide more that 5amp per output. (2 outputs) However, there are other options for more than 5amps. You need to look at the other motor shields that the EX-CommandStation software works with.
@@paulantoine1696 I’m not sure how many ogauge modelers are out there, but maybe pooling o and g users might get enough folks who would benefit from the higher amperage
I’ve tried using engine driver. It never works. If that’s the only way to program CVs and addresses, I’m out. But I’m glad to see innovation in the hobby.
What doesn't work? Thousands of us use it and there are very few complaints. Maybe there is a particular setting, update, or something with WiFi itself. But there are lots of other throttles including ones you can build cheaply.
I’m drinking La Croix now, Private Selection Guatemalan Antiguan medium roast French press a little bit ago though. This is impressive. Does it have the simplicity to suggest to somebody who has no idea in tech stuff? It’s nice with something like Digitrax how you can just buy it and plug in the wires and it’s ready to go. I feel like just having a bare board is still really techie feeling for people who are used to a dc transformer. Also, do you do the standard Ttrak wiring with bwwb/wbbw (whatever) or do you wire it more like a traditional layout to make crossovers easier? I may have asked this before.
This requires no programming at all. Just connect your device to its Wi-Fi and go using an app. For the wiring. I am using regular wiring because I do not intend to let this layout travel. I do want to build a travel layout with t trak standard wiring.
Im still new to model railroad, will this work with Ho scale? Also, im planning on building my first layout, its gonna be a shelf 2x6 layout of a military base. Can anyone recommend good reference pages for information?
How does this compare to a Digitrax DCS 52 system? How many simultaneous addresses does it support? The DCS 52 supports up to 20 addresses. Besides being a 5 amp system vs a 3 amp DCS52, how does this compare? I considered building a DCCex system but I just don’t want to fuss it. A plug and play system is exactly what I would like.
I second that plug and play notion. I went with the DCS 52 also. Then found a person who sells a DCC-EX system for under $100. Doesn't include power supply but that is minimal. It is pretty much plug and play. The part that isn't he can walk you through it. Not sure what the big hush hush secret here is.
@@TheGreatPlainsOhioRailway There have been some resellers that would assemble a DIY EX-CommandStation for you. The end result of that and the new EX-CSB1 is similar, but not the same. The EX-CSB1 is purpose designed for model railroading rather than using off-the-shelf components. It is also a bit more powerful, and much simpler (all on one board instead of three).
To be honest.. If what you have does what you need, then there is no need to replace it. If you want to explore interesting new possibilities, then the EX-CSB1, and the DCC-EX family generally, may be an interesting direction to look at.
not obsolete. This provides a bit more than your current setup, but not a massive amount. (Ability to stack another EX-8874 Motor Shield, and 10 WiFi connections instead of 4) The good thing is that if you do buy an EX-CSB1, then the EX-8874 Motor Shield you have can be stacked on top of it without modification to get four 5 amp DCC/DC outputs
@@johnorminski Locontrol may soon, but since we co-develop engine driver with EX-CommandStation, and it speaks native protocol, nothing but Engine Driver has all the DCC-EX features built in. I thought WiThrottle can do turnouts and other accessories also, no? Haven't played with it in a while. I use ED on a tablet and my phone. We tell people to get a cheap Android used phone or tablet just to run trains. I do get that it would be nice to have more iOS full-featured throttles.
The price point would need to be lower to be interesting. I’ve built 2 setups for N running 2 big boys and three other engines at once w no issue w a standard motor driver board. Both w wifi and 1602 displays. For someone looking for a no build option maybe. But build is epically easy.
Yes, that is the target audience. People that just want to pick it up and have it working in a few minutes. The DIY route will remain available for those who are happy to 'tinker'.
I've been wanting to get back into trains for years now. I didn't have the startup money for a DCC system and loco, plus track ect. I had a small budget. After watching some of your DCC EX videos I built one and had money left over for a BL 4-6-2 that went on sale for Black Friday. I've bought 5 pieces of Peco code 55 flex track and have been playing with my train for days now, too much fun. Thank You for the push.
It's amazing what these guys have done, but it really shows the lack of innovation coming from the big companies these days. There's a lot they can be doing to make things better and they just aren't. That part bums me out. But at least some of the community is stepping up to keep the hobby evolving.
@@philbowen2349 LOL. We talk about that all the time. I wonder how any of the companies, even large ones are surviving. I guess profit margins on the command stations and selling accessories. We decided in the beginning not to get rich off this, but if we get donations and enough profits from selling hardware we create to keep going, that's just icing on the cake.
I have two minor issues with your channel: you rarely talk about anything but N scale products, and you talk about small layouts. I started with N scale, but switch to HO in spite of the fact that I would need to downsize to fit it in my space. The reason for this is that I found it much more expensive to model operations in N scale. I needed to have eight to ten operators which meant that I needed that many throttles. I looked into DCC++, but none of my 50 operators on my list liked doing yard work with cell phones. There is just no tactile feedback, so you have to take your eyes off the locomotive and the car cards and way bills to make sure you are touching the screen in the correct place. The switch to HO was made because I was able to purchase everything I needed in HO used from an estate. The system was NCE and was first generation, but upgraded. I still wish I could switch to DCC++EX because I have all the components to do that. I even have a test track where I’ve been running it. The issue for me is the throttles. I have many throttles that are radio throttles, but I would have to buy WiFi throttles since my operators hate cell phone throttles. There are throttle designs on the DCC-EX site, but you need a 3D printer to build them. Again, it’s a money issue and another technology to learn. I just wish I could figure out how to communicate between NCE radio throttles and the DCC-EX command station. If you have any advice on this I would be happy to hear it.
There are number of DIY physical controllers that you can build that will connect to an EX-CommandStation, and any other command station that supports the WiThrottle protocol (including JMRI)
@@nivrothvalachus7969 No current through the tracks. The Command Station is embedded in the Engine and All DC motor power comes from Batteries in either the Engine itself or from a box car. We have a DCC-EX users in 7 1/2 riding scale loco running deadrail with four truck motors using Saber 2x25amp motor drivers runing 27vdc and 24Amp each. G-scale also with smaller motor driver vdc and amps. They can run their engines from free Wifi Throttle apps on Android and Apple phones as well as any commercial WiFi Throttle with Wthrottle protocol, like a TCS UWT-50 or UWT-100 Throttle. If you add a BT HC05 module to the Tx1 RX1 port of the command station you can also use Bluetooth Throttle communications.
@@nivrothvalachus7969 Yes. Normally, the locomotives get their power from the track. In DC, it is just varying voltage (or effective voltage), for DCC it is both voltage and signal. Dead rail has nothing on the track. The tracks could be (and sometimes are) plastic. The train operates from a battery inside it. Control of the train is via a wireless connection be it WiFi, bluetooth, etc. Larger scales like garden scale and riding scale are usually deadrail.
LOL. but if you were serious about deadrail, the CS goes inside the train connected to a battery and the motor driver is set for DC mode to directly control the motor (or if the deadrail system uses a DCC decoder, you can connect a signal output to that and leave the CS in DCC mode). Now your phone or tablet connect to the train and you are off and running. Some garden and riding scale folks are using this setup and love it.
So, it’s not out yet…which explains why their motor controls aren’t available right now either. Being held to build these units. Hoping to order…having just ordered the various bits (minus the better motor drive from DCC-Ex) just yesterday. Wouldn’t have waited anyway…but I sure wish they would step up production and parts availability.
The EX-CSB1 does not use a EX8874 Motor Shield directly. It has the microprocessor, WiFi and motor driver on a single board. Having said that, it it possible to add a EX8874 Motor Shield to a EX-CSB1 without modification to give you four 5amp outputs.
@ Would love to get my hands on one! But I can wait a bit. It sure is strange how availability limits in this hobby discourage newcomers and drive up prices…which also discourages newcomers. Thanks for the info…still a fun hobby.
@@donpettit7107 The DCC-EX team are completely volunteers. Most have day jobs, so please be patient. And no, that won't effect prices. The price of the EX-CSB1 will never cover the physical research and development costs, let alone the labour. As I understand it, the cost to consumers is only barely above the manufacturing and distribution costs.
@ Sorry, was speaking generically, not about this specific instance…the DCC-Ex is both exciting and making it possible for people like me to step into DCC for the first time. I applaud that team’s efforts and philanthropic spirit to the sport. Sorry if it seemed I was casting aspersions on the DCC-Ex team…but do wish parts were more available. To be honest though, having to buy the stuff and wait for the products the team is developing will be fun and allow for learning the system before the good stuff does become available.
The DCC-EX 8874 5amp motor shield and EX-CSB1 Command Station are designed and built with the model railroad community in mind. The additional supply demand issue is we have the Robotics enthusiast also in need of these exact same motor driver power and controller needs and they're finding the DCC-EX hardware solutions a perfect fit for their hobby and are also buying up our supply of boards nearly as fast as we can make them.
Thanks Jimmy... we have more surprises in the pipeline. BTW: with a simple EX-RAIL script which listens on the booster input, the unit can switch automagically to booster mode. We had in mind that this might be useful for modular layouts (T-trak etc. etc.) as you could have the EX-CSB1 running your module, but wired to listen for a "Master DCC signal" when the module is plugged into a larger layout, seamlessly switching to that mode.
Naturally this means that while in Booster mode, the EX-CSB1 can run EX-RAIL scripts for animation of the layout for lighting, block detection, signals, etc. so the animations for a module or far corner of the layout can continue.
We have lots more planned... 😃
And we have Antoine as a fantastic project lead 🙂
Very cool. I built my own a few years ago, but it's really cool to see DCC becoming so affordable. It's what brought me back to model railroading and I could see it bringing a lot more people into or back into it.
This is what's going to make it financially possible for a club I'm in that currently has a very small membership but with a very large layout to convert to DCC, something we've wanted to do for over a decade. I'm eagerly awaiting them hitting the market.
Thanks Jimmy! ...and congratulations to the DCC-EX team!
Been running my railroad with dcc++ for a few years using an old 7” Samsung tab 3 as a throttle. Works perfectly.
DCC-EX is phenomenal. Currently in the process of putting a DCC-EX command station in a scrap Zero-1 case, with the intention to get the keypad and throttle connected down the line
That’s food for thought. I have a Zero 1 in the loft that as far as I know, is still working. Even in that state they don’t have much of a resale value but I’d still like to do something with it.
@andygj66 This particular z1 was worthlessness as the case was badly scuffed and the TI microcontroller inside was toast, so rather than sending it to landfill, I thought I'd recycle it 😀
I expect that system to be a huge success. For some because of price/performance. For others it solves the problem of hunting for parts, Arduinos are easy. Motor shields not so much although possibly that has improved since I bought mine. Kudos to the DCC-EX team and to you for bringing it to our attention.
Many folks are either intimidated by the learning curve, or time-poor and wish to focus their hobby time on other aspect of model railroading. We wanted something so simple everyone could use it.
Jimmy, I cannot fully express my gratitude in words for your valuable information on model railroading. I've been studying your videos for a while now, and I've been heavily considering creating a layout for myself.
I first stumbled upon you when I saw your tutorial video on SCARM, along with your layout planning video. That really got me thinking to myself, so I gave SCARM a go. I ultimately chose AnyRail for their massive library of structures and objects. I made sure to also research what locomotives I'd want on my layout, keeping in mind their size and turning radii. At first I wanted to go with the more common HO scale, but I quickly realized there is absolutely no way I can fit a 16'×16' layout in my basement. So, I took your advice, and downgraded to N scale.
Honestly, I was also concerned about how difficult rigging up DCC would be... Then, I got to watching this video. I did not realize how easy it is to simply throw a shield on an Arduino, hook up some wires in the right place, and voila! It got me thinking more, so I did more digging myself, figuring out which decoders to use (I think I'll use Soundtraxx decoders).
I've been working with some small electronics for a little bit, so I am confident in saying you have convinced me to select DCC++EX for my future layout.
I will without a doubt come straight to you should I run into any troubles. You seem like the type of guy who knows his stuff, which you no doubt indeed do know your stuff.
Again, thank you,
GM
Omg!!!!
Jimmy!!!!
My friend in my train club told me a few months ago that he had a DCC ex ( whatever) for me to try out… last month, he said to give it back to him. He had a motor shield to add to it, and he was gonna give it its own Wi-Fi address. I said whatever as long as it’s easy for me to run, I’m not computer savvy. So the machine that he gave me is exactly the same as yours, less the 3-D printed case. Now it gives me another tool in my toolbox to run my trains. Unfortunately, I’m still not very computer savvy so I’m gonna have to deep dive and figure out how to use every aspect of this new controller. And right now I have two phones to run it my iPhone, which runs on withrottle and a Samsung that runs the DCCEX program directly. This is very exciting to me. Congratulations and I’m drinking hotel tea this morning.
Something to get REALLY EXCITED ABOUT. YAHOOO BY the way. The coffee I’m drinking EARL GRAY tea ☕️
Wow I'm exited looking forward to being able to get one of these systems. My primary system is dcc-ex .. I have 2 that I use one for programming and one for running trains. Hear is wishing all a Happy Holiday season
I'm running two DCC _ex on my layout and test track. Fantastic control system, this one looks like it'll be even better.. it's so easy to use and set up or even move from one layout to another. The NCE power cab went on eBay, with all them silly buttons you hardly use
I'm hoping to have my new N Scale layout up after Christmas so this is the perfect time for this. These videos are great about learning about DCC. Thanks a lot!
Thanks. Wish I had known about this 2 months ago when I purchased my first DCC system to run an American Flyer system. The decoder works fine but the command system I bought didn’t have enough current capacity to operate the locomotive with a full train. I’ll be purchasing a CSB1.
Jimmy: the DCC-EX website has been updated with product details, and a list of resellers globally who have stock in Australia, the US, UK, and Austria.
That's fantastic. If/when I outgrow my Power CAB this might be the way.
That's awesome. They are a great group of people at DCCEx. I've enjoyed using the DCCEx system. Can't wait for this one to come out and add it to my collection!
Thanks, Jimmy for the latest update in the world of DCC.
I just built a dcc++ system with an esp32 and Arduino motor driver for around $25
I need to try this!
Not everyone is up for doing that of course, which is why we designed the CSB1. We also found the ESPduin32 boards we had been using to be of very variable quality.
@@paulantoine1696makes sense, I was up for the challenge, the recommended build with an Arduino mega definitely would have saved me some headache.
@@paulantoine1696 I have one I am using for a completely different project.
Love using DCCex. I have no experience in coding or wiring but thankfully there are plenty of videos and it was so easy to follow. Added bonus is one of the creators lives in North Carolina
Typing to you now from just outside of Raleigh, NC ;) We operate DCC-EX from here, but the team is global with the founding members / leadership team in the US, the UK, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand... and I'm sure I may be missing one other country. Apologies. But the rest of the team and our beta testers, while still a majority in the US, are all over. - Fred
@@DCCEXFuquay Varina, NC here!
And I'm in the Charlotte Metro!
@@DIYDigitalRailroadsmall world!
@@DeadlySpoon12 I live near the Sheetz on 55 and Old Powell.
This will make getting into DCC for my model railroad a breeze when it gets released, and at a price that won't break the bank.
Finally!! How awesome!
I welcome this new DCC system. 5Amp output is ideal for me as I going to build a large layout in 2025. This is promising news. Thanks for the video and information! Merry Christmas!
Up to 4 outputs from the one device with the add-on EX-MotorShield8874... and of course booster mode can use 2-4 outputs too.
Absolutely mind blowing!
Seeing this just after I bought an NCE setup lol, great information!
Yeah, but you got a great controller!
Now, if only I can connect my NCE Powercab to it and make it a Procab, I'd be all over this! 😊
I'm guessing someone will make an add-on board to plug one in at some point :)
You can do that now. Our EX-DCCInspector has an option we code-named "EX-BabbelFish". We need to polish it up and make it its own product, but it allows you to use ANY throttle. We get the output signal from anything that plugs into the track. So whether the throttle generates DCC directly or connects to a command station that then connects to the tracks, connect that device to the Inspector instead of the tracks, connect the Inspector to the EX-CommandStation. We intercept the the data packets, convert then to DCC-EX protocol commands, and you can control locos and accessories. We have so much to announce in the coming year!
Been using Bluenami`s because I love using my Ipad/phone for controller...this will be a huge game changer for me as I still have some DCC locos and hate having the corded NCE controller.
I'm waking up this morning sipping on a good Community Coffee and Chicory
That’s awesome. Been wanting to use DCC++ or DCC EX for a while, but ran into trouble with getting JMRI to run on my raspberry pi. Haven’t really had to time revisit it to troubleshoot.
Might have to pick one of these up too at some point.
If you have a WiFi shield, you don't 'need' JMRI.
Though JMRI offers additional features which work happily with DCC-EX.
@@peterakers9071 What would I actually use as a controller if I don't need JMRI? I wasn't aware of another alternative.
@@Cenilio714 Your phone or a tablet running Engine Driver, WiThrottle, or one of the other throttles. There are hardware throttles that work also and ones you can build inexpensively.
@@Cenilio714 JMRI is not used as a controller (throttle) very much. Most people use a phone app or a dedicated handheld controller.
JMRI does have controller (throttle), but it then ties you to the PC it is running on.
JMRI will happily talk to phone apps and some handheld controllers, but with an EX-CommandStation you don't need JMRI to have the same capability.
Ok, I'm impressed! This is great news! Do you think they will make their own handheld remote at some point too?
There are already several DIY versions and we created a DCC-EX Protocol Library for developers to make it easy for them to create throttles. That said, we are working on a lot of things ;) - Fred Decker
You can also buy the TCS UWT-50 and UWT-100 which work well with DCC-EX. They only speak the WiThrottle protocol so far, not the full native DCC-EX protocol which has more functionality.
I still wish more companies would adopt the railpro systems
Fantastic! This is what I need.
We drink Velvet Hammer coffee, roasted right here in Minnesota!
Another use of the ESP32 in model railroading.For about $100 per loco, you can just bypass the whole command station and install a locofi module in your engine instead of a dcc module. It too runs on the ESP32. These are great modules with built in wifi and bluetooth. I'm running my layout with these units and MQTT.
After the thing leaking like 5 times over the past year alone we can finally talk about it openly without a worry… 😅
Also congratulations to the DCC-EX team! 🎉
As volunteers it's taken way longer than we might have hoped... but it is here finally 🙂
I was late to the party all along but I guess I should have waited a bit, I just got my first arduino,motor-shield, and Wi-Fi shield about to build my DCC-EX system. Might just scrap the idea and pick up one of these 😂
Me too
nothing really lost
This provides a bit more than your current setup, but not a massive amount.
(Ability to stack another EX-8874 Motor Shield, and 10 WiFi connections instead of 4)
If the Motor Shield you got was the EX-8874 Motor Shield...
The good thing is that if you do buy an EX-CSB1, then the EX-8874 Motor Shield you have can be stacked on top of it, without modification, to get four 5 amp DCC/DC outputs
A big plus is you can use your current Arduino Mega as a 64pin extended I/O input output device by loading the EX-IOExpander software on the Mega then connecting it to the I2C bus pins on the EX-CSB1 Command Station.
All those extra Accessories and physical mimic panel buttons can then be connected to the Mega and be seen and controlled through the DCC-EX-CSB1 Command Station.
@@peterakers9071 That's great that I will have compatibility in the future with other components from DCCEX. I went with the EX-8874 and ESP-8266 Wi-Fi. Plan on adding my own OLED display too. I tried to stick with all namebrand components for that reason so there wasn't any weird software bugs. But all in all for less than $100 to have a five amp DCC system it's awesome. I run a pretty small shelf style layout and usually won't be running more than one or two locomotives at a time so it will definitely serve me well but eventually when I expand someday it will be nice to have more power options!
@@Kevincsmith0708 That's great! I am glad I got what I have then because I can always expand some day and have more power output. Awesome technology.!
An interface to LCC would also be great!
Already have it and worked with Andrew on it. Looking for demand to pick up to have more people using it. Most don't need it because of the the command station can do internally running sequences using EXRAIL (as scripting language to control turnouts, lighting, motors, read sensors, etc.) but for people who already have LCC accessories, it is nice to be able to use them.
Very nice! Thanks for sharing.
thanks for all the info love it.
Just got an extra large, from Blenz Coffee. YUMMY
Ugh! I should've waited! I JUST bought my Aruino, motor shield, and WiFi shield!
😂 same boat. Hey still under $100 for all the parts so
Me too
nothing really lost
This provides a bit more than your current setup, but not a massive amount.
(Ability to stack another EX-8874 Motor Shield, and 10 WiFi connections instead of 4)
If the Motor Shield you got was the EX-8874 Motor Shield...
The good thing is that if you do buy an EX-CSB1, then the EX-8874 Motor Shield, you have can be stacked on top of it without modification to get four 5 amp DCC/DC outputs
@@peterakers9071 Unfortunately, that specific motor shield was only on preorder. So I got the other motor shield DCC EX recommends.
A big plus is you can use your current Arduino Mega as a 64pin extended I/O input output device by loading the EX-IOExpander software on the Mega then connecting it to the I2C bus pins on the EX-CSB1 Command Station.
All those extra Accessories and physical mimic panel buttons can then be connected to the Mega and be seen and controlled through the DCC-EX-CSB1 Command Station.
The amps are really nice. I found Uhlenbrock (including wifi and associated protocols) to be competitively priced too, and it comes with Loconet (including the bus for handcontrollers), which is a lot more developed than I2C for (what I think are fairly fundamental) features like block detection. Some stores near me even offer just a Z21 base station from a starter set for a good price (which you can amp up to 5 with the right adapter - but its locked to a single LAN address via ethernet without paying Roco extra). But for straightforward DCC, you can't go wrong with DCC-EX.
We can connect to Loconet now, but are working how to We already are using the CS as a home control system and designing an entire "ex-osystem" ;) of accessory boards to allow more plug and play. Now that the CSB1 is out we have a lot more time to work on our other projects and focus for a bit on layout control and the best ways to handle that.
Several months ago I built a DCC-EX command station using an Arduino MEGA with inexpensive motor and wifi shields. As my layout is very small, I don't use the wifi connection any more because I built a wired throttle using an STM32 Blue Pill with a small OLED display and a membrane keypad. Having said this, the DCC-EX command station works very well over wifi using my backup throttle which is an old Galaxy S4 smartphone I got for $20 off eBay that runs a free app. This new offering looks quite nice! It's a great time to be a model railroader, eh? Cheers from Wisconsin!
Hi, just discovered your channel. My favorite coffee, hmm…it’s a toss up between Sanka and Folgers crystals!
Although I use DCC-EX myself, and love it, I am already invested in a number (about 15) decoders already. However, the lowest cost system by far, is Hornby's HM7000 system.
Their bluetooth decoders need NO SYSTEM. Just DC to the tracks, and you use you phone as the controller. at £62 per decoder, it is already competitive with other sound decoders. BUT - it takes it's signal over the air directly via bluetooth. No command station required. It also lets you change your sound files over the air, and change it again and again.
For beginners to DCC, there is no better system than HM7000.
Wish I had known this in August when I got all the different components and did the build myself. Great unit. Is there a difference between this and the past unit?
I just bought mine!
Other than being Plug and Play VS DIY, this provides a bit more than your current setup, but not a massive amount.
(Primarily the ability to stack another EX-8874 Motor Shield, and have 10 WiFi connections instead of 4)
If the Motor Shield you got was the EX-8874 Motor Shield...
The good thing is that if you do buy an EX-CSB1 later, then the EX-8874 Motor Shield you have can be stacked on top of it, without modification, to get four 5 amp DCC/DC outputs
Awesome big like.😊😊👍👍
That's amazing!
Wow, I was gonna go the arduino route but why bother lol, this thing is amazing!
Ohh I have a very basic MRC Tech 6 handheld DCC system and perhaps in the future I’ll get this instead of getting a Digitrax!
4:10 the TCS throttles are my favorite throttles I have used between both versions of them, Digitrax, and NCE. If you want a WiFi throttle to use with this you will not be disappointed.
My trains are running lipo battery powered. Regulated wireless for 40 $ a train. They can run about 1 hr on 1 charge. Constant. No trouble with dirty rails, bad connected turn outs.
looks nice
I'm sold!
Packaging is critical to protect the components. The enclosure must be offered with the circuit, and larger boxes for the additions. If it's pnp, make it plug-and-play
It comes with a mounting plate some people are calling a "sled". It ships in a box. Most people will purchase a plug and play system with a power supply. Up and running in a couple of minutes since it is pre-configured (which can be changed with the EX-Installer software). Many (most?) people screw boards under the layout or in a tray, so initially, the case is a DIY option for those that want it or carry it around to impress their friends. The DCC-EX store may stock them at some point that same way we do the sleds, but anyone can 3D print them from the files on the DCC-EX Thingiverse page. If you don't have a 3D printer, you can send the files or take them to any 3D printing place and have them do it for you for a few bucks.
I can injection mold them if demand is high enough to justify the significant startup cost of a mold, I already have a relationship with a factory, we'll see. We are being price conscious, and need to avoid this being a shrink wrapped product do to all the regulations in all the different countries. Tinkerers tend to like to come up with their own cases also. The case Jimmy showed is ours and has 2 different bottoms and 2 different tops. The bottom can have mounting tabs or not, and the top can fit just the CSB1 or the CSB1 with a stacked EX-MotorShield 8874. We might have an option without the display hole or a cover that can be punched out for people who want to operate without a display or use an I2C cable to move the display to a panel or elsewhere.
great, informative video! thanks! What is the small display on the arduino please?
Just to be clear, it is not an Arduino, it is a custom board based on an Expressif ESP32. The display is a 132x64 I2C OLED display. They come in a smaller size, but we want to go even bigger and will have an option announced soon on that one too. The CS comes with that and a carrier board or "sled". We will probably sell those through the resellers also, but the less expensive things are a pain in that minimum shipping is around $5 and it it is hard to justify that for things that are less than $15 or so. - Fred Decker
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is it compatible with JMRI?
Yes it is
We work closely with the JMRI development team to add new features specific to DCC-EX as well.
Still very much in the research phase of this hobby, but love the idea of DCC-EX. However, I don't feel like the extra locomotive cost is worth it over DC on a small 3x5 layout.
Ideally I am thinking of having a continuous outer loop using blocks with an inner loop and yards for limited operations. Also saw someone using automation to run 2 trains on a loop that would swap back and forth, running in opposite directions.
Is this something that the DC or DC (pwm) of DCC-EX is capable of? Could you possibly go over the DC features of DCC-EX in a video?
Hope the coffee's hot and merry Christmas everyone.
On a very small layout with only one or max two locos being run at any time, there is limited value in DCC over DC.
The moment you say... I would like to have or run more than one train on the same track *at the same time*... then DCC becomes 'almost' vital.
An automation that swaps one loco out for another on a loop or point-to-point layout can be done with DC or DCC.
With EXRAIL automations (included with the EX-CommandStation software) that sort of thing is easy. There is an example of a DCC version of something similar on the DCC-EX website.
The DC features of the EX-CommandStation can be boiled down to the fact that either of the two output can be used to manage a DC block, just as easily as they can manage a DCC block. (Each output is either one or the other, not both.) One can be DC and one DCC, both can be DCC, or both can be DC.
You can then control a DC block/output with you smart phone, exactly that same way that you would control a DCC loco.
In addition to what peter said, with DCC-EX you can run your DC layout with Wireless throttles and can control the DC locos by the road number on the side of the cab any and all numbers from 1 to 10239.
You can also control accessories on your layout at the same time like turnouts, point signals, passanger or gas station OLED display boards, moving objects like Railfans walking, Oil Rigs, people playing on swingsets, with a small servo.
You can use both the physical buttons on a mimic panel and soft buttons on the smart phone to control the same accessory Animation and Loco Atomation runs
All these operate exactly the same with both DC and DCC layouts.
.
I've built DCC++, DCC-EX, and DCC-EX with wifi, and I'm ready to scrap it all. THIS IS F-ING AMAZING‼️💯 GAME CHANGING FOR SURE‼️💯
Would it be possible to connect to a Raspberry Pi to add JMRI?
certainly. Same as the original DIY EX-CommandStation
Is there a comparison breakdown of what this unit will do against the other Dcc Command stations on the market. I am new to DCC and have been looking at the Zephyr Express.
I really want to do this. I just need to buy and use every system haha!
@@DIYDigitalRailroad
That would be expensive! Maybe just a breakdown of features between the systems would suffice.
The DCC-EX website has a an article discussing some of the differences with commercial systems. Search for "comparison" in the search bar on the site. Not a direct comparison of different systems, but it should give you an idea of what to look for when you are comparing systems.
If you do a RUclips or Google search you will find lots of comparisons.
In essence, most commercial systems do their core job of controlling DCC locos very well. (There is only one that I know of that I would not say that of).
For me... The differences come down to; how well they do it; what capacity they have; what additional features they have; how expensive they are; or how expensive it is to get/add the features I want.
DCC-EX's EX-CommandStation compares well on 'all' those points.
How do you program on it? Can you use your UWT50 to program with it??
Not sure if the UWT-50 can send programming commands, but it does work with us as a throttle. Easy enough to find out. Other ways to program are with your phone or tablet via WiFi or JMRI with a USB cable.
The EX-CSB1 supports full programming functionality, with any of the up to 4 outputs capable of assuming PROG mode under throttle control. Using Engine Driver or EX-ToolBox apps allows this... not sure UWT-50 can do so.
@DCCEX thanks both the replies... ill have to contact my Aussie reseller.
Sounds great. How does it compare to the Digitrax DCS-52? Mine is still in the box as I haven't started my layout yet. The 52 can control up to 99 engine address or a couple of engines and multiple digitally controlled switch machines. Thoughts?
Controlling/running 99 locos at the same time?
I am not sure anyone has tried that, but I expect it would handle that.
The turnout/point motors are neither here nor there.
We don't have limits like the number of addresses or the amount of accessories we can control. The DCC specification itself is the limiting factor. At some point, depending on what kind of locos and what data is being sent to them, the latency becomes too great. For example, after about 50-60 locos, it could take 1 to 1.5 seconds for a command to reach a particular loco. That would be bad if it was an "emergency stop" ;) We have worked around this with some clever use of packets and which ones repeat when, etc, but we haven't heard of anyone running more than 20 or 30 locos off one command station. Practically speaking, 99% of the market is 10 locos or under.
As for accessories, you might want to control them all directly connected to the command station. Nothing powered from the tracks, no decoders necessary. This offers a lot of possibilities especially regarding EXRAIL that lets you automate and animate it all.
This is very cool and impressive for the price point. I've seen references to adding LCC functionality into DCC-EX. I haven't heard anything about it in awhile so I am not sure if it took off or not. LCC would pair perfectly with this because it would allows an open layout control bus and allow for even more functionality. It could also allow the use of other vendor throttles, such as Digitrax, NCE, and soon MRC.
Does this device have Railcom support? I am going to guess that it doesn't, but if it did that would be ideal. Railcom is very nice for programing and could prove to have a lot of additional functionality int he future. I've seen some block detectors that can not only tell you that a block is occupied but can tell you the locomotive number that is occupying it.
We have both LCC and Railcom support in prototyping and active testing. Railcom is probably most advanced at present.
@ that is great news to hear!
I know it’s in the early stages, but any plans to produce an LCC attachment to complement this board? I’m envisioning a board with 2 RJ45 jacks to allow the LCC CAN bus to be connected. Then the board could be a LCC power point as well. The LCC connection can also carry the DCC signals that would allow for easy integration with other boosters or using the board as a booster for another system.
I see a lot of potential in the project and look forward to trying it out myself and watching it continue to evolve!
@@bittyboy721 it's trivially easy to design a CAN bus EX-CSB1 shield, yes.
It's presently not anyone's top development priority, but no doubt when the LCC folks learn of the EX-CSB1's release they will consider it.
LCC's still limited user base means demand for integration with DCC-EX has not been high as yet. DCC-EX has it's own device and event subsystems, which is what we've been working to integrate with LCC.
Would you use the second 5A circuit for accessory decoders? Does this support Loconet or OpenLCB, ie any sort of feedback system?
You can have up to 4 outputs with the added EX-MotorShield8874... and power districts are a key use for so many outputs of course. EX-RAIL and our HAL device driver system provide for full feedback for animation and automation. LocoNet is a proprietary protocol, so we don't presently support it. OpenLCB folks are working with us to integrate with them... we have a prototype build which operates allowing EX-RAIL to use OpenLCB events etc.
Hello would this work for gauge 1. thanks for your answer
If it needs more the 5amps, then this particular product.. no.
However, there are other options for more than 5amps. You need to look at the other motor shields that the EX-CommandStation software works with.
@@peterakers9071 thank you will check
Does it need special decoders?
No. The EX-CommandStation software and the EX-CommandStation / Booster One (EX-CSB1) can control any DC or DCC loco or DCC accessory decoder within the range of voltage and current it was designed for. The great thing about DCC is that is is a global standard for the signal and data it carries. If you need riding scale, you can add a different motor driver (which we support right now also) ;)
I bought one of these last week. They are out of stock of power supplies. I’ve emailed them twice since last week asking which specific power supply I should buy and they’ve yet to return my emails. Not off to a great start. Now I’m nervous that if I have an issue that they won’t respond.
Have you tried their discord server? The system can use a generic wall wart power supply. Mine is currently on a 12 volt 2 amp. I plan on increasing it at some point.
DCC-EX すごい
I imagine it will get integrate with JMRI.
Yes. it plays well with JMRI.
Same as the existing EX-CommandStation code.
Can you hook up a program track and hook up JMRI to it?
Yes to both
Can it be used on HO scale trains?
Yes all scales,
Z, N, HO, O, O27, S, G
and with a bigger motor driver even 7 1/2 riding scale.
Not seeing it on the site...
Alcafe Dark Roast.
how do I use the programming track outputs to power the main I remember reading somewhere about typing join in the command prompt?
You can now enable programming in the latest version of Engine Driver or use their EX Toolbox app on Android.
There are multiple ways but the command is the simplest. If you subsequently issue a programming command, the second track will switch to PROG mode to do it, and then switch back.
How many Locomotives etc can it run? I am building a 4X8 in HO. My plan is to run 3 locomotives. But I am adding about 10-15 turnouts, and motors. I also am adding a Turntable, Round house, probably some lighting... It will be a small layout, but tripped out a bit with some lighting signals and some motors etc. I went to the website, but got lost in menus, and wasn't 100% sure what each product did, compared to the menus of what I could do....etc
You probably want to take a look at EX-Turntable as well. Full instructions on the website. We ran 14 HO trains at a show on a fair sized layout. You can do current tests on each of your locos to see what they consume, but for most people, 3A is more than enough, let alone 5. Amps are dangerous. If you think you need more Amps, you likely need more power districts. That spreads things about so that you don't have all the locos on the entire layout powered from the same section at once. An example would be breaking things up into 2 power districts, at any given time, all the running trains would not be in that section at the same time.
Also, all your accessories are not powered by the CS, they are powered by another power supply and just controlled by the CS. You CAN take power off the track for accessories, but much better to have a separate power bus. The same power supply that powers the CS can be uses, or you can use multiple supplies. We have examples on the website of using a cage supply and little buck convertor boards to handle all the different voltages on the track like 14V, 12V, 5V, 3.3V, etc. So the track would power only locos. The signal that controls your turnouts, motors and accessories can still be through accessory decoders, but the real power here is connecting the directly to the CS where communication can go both ways and where you use cheap connecting boards instead of expensive decoders.
We have users with over 100 turnouts... some fully or partially animated and automated as well. Just added support for strings of RGB LEDs as well, perfect for all manner of layout lighting, mood/scene lighting, daylight simulation, mimic panel indicators etc. etc.
How well will this work with programming ESU ?
CV Programming. It can do it, but the sound decoders are so complex that connecting the EX-CommandStation to JMRI to give you a user friendly interface is highly advised.
This can't be used for loading sound files.
Not well nothing works well with ESU but their programmer , one reason why I don’t care for ESU.
Nice!
Hi! This seems very interesting, however I have a question (newbie here) what’s the support for other scales? I’ve got a G scale setup and want to get ddc, and this seems very enticing but I’m afraid that it wouldn’t be supported
There are people using EX-CommandStations with G and larger scales.
Including, having the whole Command Station in the loco with the battery. Each loco becomes its own WiFi network (SSID).
This particular product can't provide more that 5amp per output. (2 outputs)
However, there are other options for more than 5amps. You need to look at the other motor shields that the EX-CommandStation software works with.
We have club members with G-scale garden railroads using DCC-EX for both DC and DCC locos on multiple districts/blocks. They can run & control both at the same time in their designated insullated districts by the individual road numbers from 1 to 10239.
Saving money by not having to buy extra decoder for the DC only engines.
where can i buy it i dont see any purchase tabs on the website
It is in the final stages before release. I have been testing this one.
I know a guy!...LOL and it is not me.. I bought a complete dcc-ex package from someone almost a year ago for under $100. Pretty much like this one. So not sure what the big secret is. Great support from the person also. Walked me through setting it up. Worked so well i bought the ability to use switching with Engine Driver. Great system. Let me know if you want the person's contact info.
@@TheGreatPlainsOhioRailway Was it an EX-CSB1 or a Mega, Motor Sheild, and WiFi stack of boards? We have a few resellers who put these DIY systems together. There is no big secret, but the EX-CSB1 is a different animal. It puts all 3 of those boards into one just the size of a motor shield, allows 10 WiFi connections instead of 4, has 2 outputs expandable to 4 just by sticking an EX-MotorShield on top, and a few other things. We will maintain the DIY route, which people can continue to take and build something similar form parts. This is designed to be plug and play. So if it was Jack from Smart Hobby, or Sam from Chesterfield in the UK, or Paul with Millenium in Australia, or another reseller, then I'm glad to hear you got great support!
@DCCEX Hey, thanks for the clarification. Makes more sense now. And yes, Jack was very supportive, and it works awesomely. I try to promote it every chance I get.
Do they offer higher amperage capability? I run an O gauge holiday layout so 8-10 amp would be more in my range requirements.
This particular product can't provide more that 5amp per output. (2 outputs)
However, there are other options for more than 5amps. You need to look at the other motor shields that the EX-CommandStation software works with.
If there is sufficient interest, we could produce a version with that level of output... and probably for not very much more cost really.
@@paulantoine1696 I’m not sure how many ogauge modelers are out there, but maybe pooling o and g users might get enough folks who would benefit from the higher amperage
I’ve tried using engine driver. It never works. If that’s the only way to program CVs and addresses, I’m out. But I’m glad to see innovation in the hobby.
If you plug into JMRI you have the fill power of DecoderPro available.
You can hook it up to JMRI or use their EX Toolbox app on Android.
What doesn't work? Thousands of us use it and there are very few complaints. Maybe there is a particular setting, update, or something with WiFi itself. But there are lots of other throttles including ones you can build cheaply.
I’m drinking La Croix now, Private Selection Guatemalan Antiguan medium roast French press a little bit ago though.
This is impressive. Does it have the simplicity to suggest to somebody who has no idea in tech stuff? It’s nice with something like Digitrax how you can just buy it and plug in the wires and it’s ready to go. I feel like just having a bare board is still really techie feeling for people who are used to a dc transformer.
Also, do you do the standard Ttrak wiring with bwwb/wbbw (whatever) or do you wire it more like a traditional layout to make crossovers easier? I may have asked this before.
This requires no programming at all. Just connect your device to its Wi-Fi and go using an app. For the wiring. I am using regular wiring because I do not intend to let this layout travel. I do want to build a travel layout with t trak standard wiring.
Im still new to model railroad, will this work with Ho scale? Also, im planning on building my first layout, its gonna be a shelf 2x6 layout of a military base. Can anyone recommend good reference pages for information?
Yes, it works on HO scale. Search online to DCC ex.
How does this compare to a Digitrax DCS 52 system? How many simultaneous addresses does it support? The DCS 52 supports up to 20 addresses. Besides being a 5 amp system vs a 3 amp DCS52, how does this compare? I considered building a DCCex system but I just don’t want to fuss it. A plug and play system is exactly what I would like.
I second that plug and play notion. I went with the DCS 52 also. Then found a person who sells a DCC-EX system for under $100. Doesn't include power supply but that is minimal. It is pretty much plug and play. The part that isn't he can walk you through it. Not sure what the big hush hush secret here is.
@@TheGreatPlainsOhioRailway There have been some resellers that would assemble a DIY EX-CommandStation for you.
The end result of that and the new EX-CSB1 is similar, but not the same.
The EX-CSB1 is purpose designed for model railroading rather than using off-the-shelf components. It is also a bit more powerful, and much simpler (all on one board instead of three).
It looks like I may have to retire my Digitrax DCS 50. Its becoming a prehistoric DCC relic.
To be honest.. If what you have does what you need, then there is no need to replace it.
If you want to explore interesting new possibilities, then the EX-CSB1, and the DCC-EX family generally, may be an interesting direction to look at.
Wow. After several years, I jumped and bought their motor shield and Wi-Fi card. Now I’m obsolete before my elegoo board even reaches me.
not obsolete.
This provides a bit more than your current setup, but not a massive amount.
(Ability to stack another EX-8874 Motor Shield, and 10 WiFi connections instead of 4)
The good thing is that if you do buy an EX-CSB1, then the EX-8874 Motor Shield you have can be stacked on top of it without modification to get four 5 amp DCC/DC outputs
Is there an iOS app to use with this system?
WiThrottle Wifi & other apps on Apple phone
EX-WebThrottle app via Chrome browser on a Apple Laptop
Thanks…WiThrottle is really only to run trains, what “other” apps provide Engine Driver capability on iPhone?
@@johnorminski
DCC-EX compatible iOS Throttle Apps
Apple iOS (Phones and Tablets)
Locontrol (iOS)
WiThrottle (iOS)
SRCP Client (iOS)
Train Driver (iOS)
DigiTrainsPro (Android, iOS, Windows) - Requires JMRI
@@johnorminski Locontrol may soon, but since we co-develop engine driver with EX-CommandStation, and it speaks native protocol, nothing but Engine Driver has all the DCC-EX features built in. I thought WiThrottle can do turnouts and other accessories also, no? Haven't played with it in a while. I use ED on a tablet and my phone. We tell people to get a cheap Android used phone or tablet just to run trains. I do get that it would be nice to have more iOS full-featured throttles.
I'm interested in these, but I think it'll be too confusing
The price point would need to be lower to be interesting. I’ve built 2 setups for N running 2 big boys and three other engines at once w no issue w a standard motor driver board. Both w wifi and 1602 displays. For someone looking for a no build option maybe. But build is epically easy.
Yes, that is the target audience. People that just want to pick it up and have it working in a few minutes.
The DIY route will remain available for those who are happy to 'tinker'.
The system is amazing I’m looking forward to addition of automation to my systems.
Drinking Grounds and Hounds Snow Day.
Lavazza Dark Roast
I've been wanting to get back into trains for years now. I didn't have the startup money for a DCC system and loco, plus track ect. I had a small budget. After watching some of your DCC EX videos I built one and had money left over for a BL 4-6-2 that went on sale for Black Friday. I've bought 5 pieces of Peco code 55 flex track and have been playing with my train for days now, too much fun. Thank You for the push.
I don’t know man, the socket among the clouds seems to be out of place.
It's amazing what these guys have done, but it really shows the lack of innovation coming from the big companies these days. There's a lot they can be doing to make things better and they just aren't. That part bums me out. But at least some of the community is stepping up to keep the hobby evolving.
DCC ex was started be railroad enthusiast who want to help us. It is not a business trying to become rich.
@@philbowen2349 LOL. We talk about that all the time. I wonder how any of the companies, even large ones are surviving. I guess profit margins on the command stations and selling accessories. We decided in the beginning not to get rich off this, but if we get donations and enough profits from selling hardware we create to keep going, that's just icing on the cake.
Folgers from a French Press. Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.
I have two minor issues with your channel: you rarely talk about anything but N scale products, and you talk about small layouts. I started with N scale, but switch to HO in spite of the fact that I would need to downsize to fit it in my space. The reason for this is that I found it much more expensive to model operations in N scale. I needed to have eight to ten operators which meant that I needed that many throttles. I looked into DCC++, but none of my 50 operators on my list liked doing yard work with cell phones. There is just no tactile feedback, so you have to take your eyes off the locomotive and the car cards and way bills to make sure you are touching the screen in the correct place. The switch to HO was made because I was able to purchase everything I needed in HO used from an estate. The system was NCE and was first generation, but upgraded.
I still wish I could switch to DCC++EX because I have all the components to do that. I even have a test track where I’ve been running it. The issue for me is the throttles. I have many throttles that are radio throttles, but I would have to buy WiFi throttles since my operators hate cell phone throttles. There are throttle designs on the DCC-EX site, but you need a 3D printer to build them. Again, it’s a money issue and another technology to learn. I just wish I could figure out how to communicate between NCE radio throttles and the DCC-EX command station. If you have any advice on this I would be happy to hear it.
You can use the volume control buttons on the phone to adjust speed up and down so no need to look at the screen.
There are number of DIY physical controllers that you can build that will connect to an EX-CommandStation, and any other command station that supports the WiThrottle protocol (including JMRI)
The real game changer would be if the industry would allow dead rail to be developed for the mainstream. Then even I would get back into the hobby.
what do you mean? i am new to the hobby, any advice is useful
DCC-EX already runs dead rail for G-scale and 7 1/2 riding scale engines.
@@Kevincsmith0708 dead rail = no current thru it? or..?
@@nivrothvalachus7969
No current through the tracks.
The Command Station is embedded in the Engine and All DC motor power comes from Batteries in either the Engine itself or from a box car.
We have a DCC-EX users in 7 1/2 riding scale loco running deadrail with four truck motors using Saber 2x25amp motor drivers runing 27vdc and 24Amp each.
G-scale also with smaller motor driver vdc and amps.
They can run their engines from free Wifi Throttle apps on Android and Apple phones as well as any commercial WiFi Throttle with Wthrottle protocol, like a TCS UWT-50 or UWT-100 Throttle.
If you add a BT HC05 module to the Tx1 RX1 port of the command station you can also use Bluetooth Throttle communications.
@@nivrothvalachus7969 Yes. Normally, the locomotives get their power from the track. In DC, it is just varying voltage (or effective voltage), for DCC it is both voltage and signal. Dead rail has nothing on the track. The tracks could be (and sometimes are) plastic. The train operates from a battery inside it. Control of the train is via a wireless connection be it WiFi, bluetooth, etc. Larger scales like garden scale and riding scale are usually deadrail.
Still waiting for dead rail.
LOL. but if you were serious about deadrail, the CS goes inside the train connected to a battery and the motor driver is set for DC mode to directly control the motor (or if the deadrail system uses a DCC decoder, you can connect a signal output to that and leave the CS in DCC mode). Now your phone or tablet connect to the train and you are off and running. Some garden and riding scale folks are using this setup and love it.
So, it’s not out yet…which explains why their motor controls aren’t available right now either. Being held to build these units.
Hoping to order…having just ordered the various bits (minus the better motor drive from DCC-Ex) just yesterday.
Wouldn’t have waited anyway…but I sure wish they would step up production and parts availability.
The EX-CSB1 does not use a EX8874 Motor Shield directly. It has the microprocessor, WiFi and motor driver on a single board.
Having said that, it it possible to add a EX8874 Motor Shield to a EX-CSB1 without modification to give you four 5amp
outputs.
@ Would love to get my hands on one! But I can wait a bit.
It sure is strange how availability limits in this hobby discourage newcomers and drive up prices…which also discourages newcomers.
Thanks for the info…still a fun hobby.
@@donpettit7107 The DCC-EX team are completely volunteers. Most have day jobs, so please be patient.
And no, that won't effect prices. The price of the EX-CSB1 will never cover the physical research and development costs, let alone the labour. As I understand it, the cost to consumers is only barely above the manufacturing and distribution costs.
@ Sorry, was speaking generically, not about this specific instance…the DCC-Ex is both exciting and making it possible for people like me to step into DCC for the first time. I applaud that team’s efforts and philanthropic spirit to the sport.
Sorry if it seemed I was casting aspersions on the DCC-Ex team…but do wish parts were more available. To be honest though, having to buy the stuff and wait for the products the team is developing will be fun and allow for learning the system before the good stuff does become available.
The DCC-EX 8874 5amp motor shield and EX-CSB1 Command Station are designed and built with the model railroad community in mind.
The additional supply demand issue is we have the Robotics enthusiast also in need of these exact same motor driver power and controller needs and they're finding the DCC-EX hardware solutions a perfect fit for their hobby and are also buying up our supply of boards nearly as fast as we can make them.