One of the reasons DCC took off (in addition o it being adopted as a standard) is that the signal is the power source - other command control systems used fixed DC or AC with a small aplitude signal superimposed. It was easy for that small signal to get 'lost' in noise and voltage drop.
Probbaly the only reason there hasn't been a PC based DCC system yet is that even a small microcontroller is more than powerful enough to generate signals for as many locos as the DCC design can possibly support. There's little need to apply the several orders of magnitude additional power of a PC to DCC - it won;t get you anything, other than possibly a cheap command station (if you use an older PC which can be had for almost free, and STILL could handle more than the DCC protocol would allow). What about the rest of the system infrastructure? Not everyone wants to run trains with a touch screen phone.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Mrseth101Digital Command Control (DCC) is a system to operate model railways digitally. Is there some sort of windows application I can install, (or code with c++, ect) to send out binary pulses from my USB port (by stripping the wire, then connecting the wire to the track) to control dcc trains?
the track carries both power and signals to each DCC decoder being controlled.
The signal modulates the polarity of the voltage on the rails. The time between polarity changes represents 1/0 (~58/100 usec) of the signal. Presumably, signals to each DCC decoder are sent repeatedly round-robin style. Even if the signal from the PC were of the correct timing and protocol, a power circuit would be needed to provide the appropriate voltage and power to the rails.
A DCC command station typically provides voltage/power to the rails, as well as communication with one or more controllers users operates to control specific locomotives. While signals on both the track and to the controllers are digital, they are different protocols carrying different types of information.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
It's possible. And there are a few websites dedicated to showing you how. But these systems are not very realiable or tedious to make.
Either way you still have to attach your signal out to a boosted H Bridge.
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/diy.htm
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
In addition to Mister Beasley's mention of a PC (and especially a PC's USB port) not being capable of the timing requirements, a USB port is limited to 500ma. That's not going to be able to power much.
There are some PC's with USB ports that have a "quick charge" mode that provides more than 500ma, but they aren't ubiquitous and you still have the timing issues.
If you want to replace the EZ-Command, I'd suggest something like the Digitrax Zephyr.
The DCC signal which is applied to the track is pretty tightly specified with regards to timing. As such, it really needs a hardware controller like the DCC base station. Trying to get this right within a Windows environment would be difficult.
However, you can control the DCC system itself from a Windows computer using something like the JMRI interface. Several DCC manufacturers make the interface unit to plug into your computer, and the software is already available for free. I don't use it myself, but others will likely chime in with more info for you.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Command_ControlDigital Command Control (DCC) is a system to operate model railways digitally. Is there some sort of windows application I can install, (or code with c++, ect) to send out binary pulses from my USB port (by stripping the wire, then connecting the wire to the track) to control dcc trains?If I didn't explain well enough please tell me , ThanksP.S if this help's in explaining, I was looking for something that will replace this: http://www.amazon.com/Bachmann-Trains-Command-Digital-C...