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Frequency of DCC packet bits

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  • Member since
    October 2015
  • 188 posts
Frequency of DCC packet bits
Posted by passenger1955 on Saturday, August 13, 2016 1:30 PM

I understand the frequency of DCC data packets should be between 5-30 ms between packets (as listed in the spec).  What is the frequency of the bits within the packets? ie. What is the duration of each bit (0/1)?

  • Member since
    October 2015
  • 188 posts
Posted by passenger1955 on Saturday, August 13, 2016 1:41 PM

I found an answer to my question:

Digital 1s are represented by 1 cycle at 116 microseconds and 0s by 1 cycle less
than or equal to 232 microseconds. Each cycle consists of equal time half cycles.

 

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Christiana, TN
  • 2,134 posts
Posted by CSX Robert on Saturday, August 13, 2016 5:46 PM

You are correct for the '1' bit (for the nmoinal value, each half is actually allowed to be between 55 and 61 microseconds); however, not for the '0' bit.  Each half of the '0' bit shall nominally be equal to or greater than 100 microseconds.  Each '0' bit half cycle shall have a duration of between 95 and 9900 microseconds and the two halves do not have to be equal (to allow for "zero bit stretching" to run an analog loco).

http://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/standards/sandrp/pdf/s-9.1_electrical_standards_2006.pdf

 

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • 743 posts
Posted by Steven S on Saturday, August 13, 2016 8:08 PM

The guy who created the DCC++ system explains it in pretty good detail in the video below...

 

Steve S

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