Using Your Command Station¶
You need just two things that work together to operate your model railroad:
- The EX‑CommandStation (aka the DCC Command Station)
- A Throttle/Controller (also referred to as a Front-end or Cab)
Additionally you may want to program decoder/CVs, control DCC Accessories, use (Direct Current) DC. These will be covered in the Enhance section of the website.
The EX-CommandStation¶
The EX‑CommandStation is explained in detail in the EX-CommandStation (ready to run or self build) pages. It is either an EX‑CommandStation/Booster One Express or an microcontroller with a motor driver and a WiFi shield.
The Command Station accepts instructions from a controller and generates packets that are transmitted to your track and subsequently your trains.
The Throttle (Controller)¶
Connection Types
Your throttle (controller) can connect to the EX‑CommandStation a number of different ways, such as:
- WiFi
- Direct connection using a USB cable
- 2 wires to an Arduino serial port
- Ethernet
- Bluetooth
- Remote connection (VNC, MQTT, etc.)
Since the EX‑CommandStation simply accepts commands to turn into signals for your layout, you need something that sends those commands to run your trains - a controller. (It isn’t very practical to type something like
A controller can be a hardware device like a handheld throttle (also called a Controller or Cab), an App that runs on your phone, a Web Page, or front-end software like JMRI or Rocrail that runs on a computer or Raspberry Pi.
Throttle (Controller) Options¶
For further throttle and connection options, refer to the Throttle List page.
DCC Accessory Operation¶
TODO HIGH - Overview of DCC Accessory Operation
For further information, refer to the DCC Accessory Operation page.