OliverHevvyIt is probably possible to build a Bluetooth receiver module that outputs a digital signal complatible with a DCC loco controller. So there is an evolutionary path, so to speak.
someone on another forum has developed a bluetooth system and is trying to find interest with manufacturers. RailPro and BlueRail are commercial products.
I don't believe bluetooth or wireless is an evolutionary (i.e. next logical step). DCC developed the use of small pico-processors both to control motors via PWM and decode signals from the rails.
I think it would be less than economical to add a bluetooth circuit that requires much more processing capability than DCC as the front-end of a DCC deoder. A more economical solution would be an integrated solution where the same processor is not only used for bluetooth but also motor (and anything else) control.
I realize there's a lot of interest in using smartphones which have bluetooth/wifi, but if power is still supplied thru the rails, why not use a wireless communication path to the DCC command station instead of upgrading/replacing all decoders. I know this may not be economical if you just have a few decoders, but most people have more than just a few.
OliverHevvyAnother _potential_ upgrade option would be to shift to either stepper motors or brushless DC motors. While it is not technically trivial, both offer a motor-speed feedback signal, so that you could tell the train in absoulte terms how fast to go.
the same fellow developing the bluetooth system is also using an optical wheel to count motor rotations for not only accurate speed but distance measurements. His goal is for a highly automated railroad (which sort of takes the fun out of it). Many decoders use back EMF to govern motor speed. Not sure the extra cost of both motors and drive circuits justifies the benefits.
OliverHevvythe use of a small battery to "smooth out" the power would be a useful addition to smooth operation. The battery would not have to be large, only big enough for seconds or minutes of operation. Just enough to de-glitch the power feed. A big capacitor might work as well.
the "Keep alive alternative" thread on this forum discussed just this -- that batteries require more space than capacitor typically used in "keep alive" circuits that not only "smooth out" operation but provide sufficient power to keep the motor moving across dirt spots or sections of track such as insulated frogs.
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading