Ted S posted:Aegis21 posted:I hope I can upload this short video of my test track home made (with tons of help from others before me) DCC++ system using JMRI decoder pro and arduino code and a controller shield I did develop myself.
Wow, amazing!! That's great performance from what's basically a low end 60-year old toy! Does the shield function to isolate the decoder from RFI? I always thought DCC with Lionel-style universal motors wasn't possible. Something about isolating the field winding from chassis ground? Anyhow once the commercial systems came out, like so many others I traded in my curiosity for my credit card number. Good on you for doing this and sharing it on the Forum!
It works so far on two tracks really well out of the gate. No shield was used, the decoder is clipped onto a frame piece of the body. The windings and brushes need to be isolated from ground which on all I have seen is the wire that grounds the motor to frame needs to be disconnected. Then the motor runs on the DC from the decoder.
So it is possible to run DCC on three rail systems. Now I have no idea how things will work outside of the lab in the "real world" of large layouts, dirty track, spikes from motor brushes etc. There has to be some good reason Lionel or MTH did not go the DCC route. All the smaller scales seem smitten with DCC so I am befuddled to say the least. Again, I have been out of the hobby for sometime, although I have kept pace with electronics over the years.
Thanks
John
