Reference

WiThrottle Protocol VS DCC-EX Native Commands

Suitable For Level: Engineer Hat

EX‑CommandStation supports both the WiThrottle protocol and the DCC-EX Native protocol / commands.

This page describes the difference between the WitThrottle Protocol and the DCC-EX Native protocol / commands.

WiThrottle

‘WiThrottle’ is a trademark owned by Brett Hoffman.

‘WiThrottle’ is also an iOS app developed by Brett Hoffman which has similar capabilities to Engine Driver.

The ‘WiThrottle protocol’ is a communications protocol developed by Brett Hoffman. It is used by JMRI, Engine Driver, the WiThrottle app and a number of other apps and DCC Command Stations.

WiThrottle Servers

WiThrottle stands for ‘WiFi Throttle’, and a ‘WiThrottle Server’ is just software running on your JMRI computer, DCC-EX EX-CommandStation, or dedicated device. It’s called a ‘Server’ because it allows you to connect to it and it ‘serves’, or services, requests from another application. That application is called a ‘Client’.

The wiThrottle Protocol itself is a standard for how WiFi throttles can communicate with the WiThrottle Server, much like the DCC standard is a standard for how data packets communicate with decoders. What this means for you, is that Engine Driver and other apps can talk to any WiThrottle compatible server, which in turn can talks to your DCC encoders in your locos.

DCC-EX Native protocol / commands

When the DCC-EX team designed the DCC-EX EX‑CommandStation they found the wiThrottle Protocol too limiting and came up with a new protocol referred to originally as DCC++ but later as DCC-EX Native Protocol or DCC-EX Native Commands.

Engine Driver, EX‑WebThrottle, JMRI and a few other apps can use the more powerful DCC-EX Native Protocol when connecting to a DCC-EX EX‑CommandStation.

Engine Driver can also use the DCC-EX Native Protocol to connect to a DCC-EX EX‑CommandStation via JMRI but you need to enable the ‘DCC++ over TCP Server’ in the ‘DCC++’’ menu in Decoder-Pro.

Which Should You Use?

The WiThrottle Protocol is adequate for running trains, throwing turnouts/points and selecting Routes.

What the WiThrottle Protocol can’t do is CV programming, Track Manager changes, and system configuration.

The DCC-EX Native Commands can do these and more.

So if you have the option to use a controller that uses the DCC-EX Native Commands it is worthwhile doing so. However if you can’t then the WiThrottle protocol is just fine for running the average layout.

You can refer the throttle/controller table to see which controllers support DCC-EX Native Commands.