DCC + - EX Project

[kiwi_al]

After seeing the aftermath of the Firebox saga, could we expect a similar outcome from this also.
https://dcc-ex.com/about/about-us/

Guess who is heading parts of this up? I'm really suspicious now.

[amato1969]

Wow, another "startup" ???

[C855B]

Does anybody need to borrow my 10-foot pole? 

[thomasjmdavis]

Does anybody need to borrow my 10-foot pole? 

Maybe we should start up a Kickstarter project to mass produce and sell 10-foot poles.  The model railroad community will need them in large numbers...

[Maletrain]

Maybe we should start up a Kickstarter project to mass produce and sell 10-foot poles.  The model railroad community will need them in large numbers...

Nah.  The engineering design is easy enough.  But, you just know that they would have to be 3D printed, these days.  So, the production start-up costs would be the killer. 

[ChristianJDavis1]

Nah.  The engineering design is easy enough.  But, you just know that they would have to be 3D printed, these days.  So, the production start-up costs would be the killer. 

You don't need to 3D print it if you just don't deliver.

[christoph]

You don't need to 3D print it if you just don't deliver.

Just deliver a digital image or something like this and let your customer figure out how to print it....

BTW: I just read the initial page of that DCC++EX project.  English is not my first language, but for my taste the text is too much filled up with euphoric wording.  I think the idea seems interesting, but I look at it from an engineering standpoint and not from marketing, and this text makes me cautious.  Nevertheless I will follow this project further because I want to learn more about using an Arduino for my projects.

One of the guys on the "team" list regularly posts in the European (German/Austrian) N scale forum  1zu160.net.

[Jbub]

I read through this last night and my thought was Digitrax does this with loconet and ESU with railcom. Plus they already have everything you need and you don't have to know how to program an arduino

[reinhardtjh]

I read through this last night and my thought was Digitrax does this with loconet and ESU with railcom. Plus they already have everything you need and you don't have to know how to program an arduino

The gotcha is that Digitrax doesn't support Railcom as they have their own Transponding.  Now, you could set up a standalone Loconet for using Digitrax devices on an ESU or other DCC system but then you need JMRI as a go-between. But that's still easier (for most) than programming an Arduino.  The allure about DCC++ EX is that they would or could be all one device, not even needing JMRI to connect them.

BTW: I just read the initial page of that DCC++EX project.  English is not my first language, but for my taste the text is too much filled up with euphoric wording.  I think the idea seems interesting, but I look at it from an engineering standpoint and not from marketing, and this text makes me cautious.

English is my first language and I thought pretty much the same.  I have a feeling I may know which on the DCC++EX team wrote it.  It's possible the project will be okay as there is another "Lead" developer that seems more responsible based on posts at Trainboard.  But there are certainly no guarantees.

[thomasjmdavis]

Caveat Emptor.

[conrad]

As I stated on the FireBox thread:

"Of greater interest to me is DCC++ EX where Cutting is one of two "lead developers".  If I install this software to replace my DCC++ original will I be in trouble?"

I've been successfully running DCC++ for 3 years on a small "test" layout.  I am intrigued by DCC++ EX.  Has anyone actually used it?

Conrad

[rodsup9000]

As I stated on the FireBox thread:

" If I install this software to replace my DCC++ original will I be in trouble?"

 Conrad,
 It's open source, so there is no problem with anybody using it.

[reinhardtjh]

If you have legitimate questions about DCC++ EX you might want to ask over on Trainboard at DCC++ which is the usual place for Flightrisk, the other DCC++ Lead Developer.

They are calling for beta testers for DCC++ EX V3.0 at the moment.

[FlightRisk]

I hope we have put this to bed now DCC-EX has a core team of 5 developers and at least 20 support people for testing, web page, support, etc. We work closely (daily) with developers for JMRI and Engine Driver and have tight integration and special features built into both. Many other phone based throttles now support DCC++ EX as well. We have been at this now for 2 years.

We have our own Discord channel and there are two Facebook groups (DCC++ And Arduino for Model Railroading and Arduino for Model Railroading). We try to post here and there to several of the train forums like this one, but Discord is our primary method of communication. Trainboard is a distant second since the amount of traffic on Discord is very heavy and most people find us there.

We have significantly expanded on the original concept in terms of features in the command station, support for other processors besides the Arduino, addition of LCN Wireless Accessory bus, other solutions like WebThrottle-EX and DCCInspector-EX, and probably the biggest thing that may change the way you run your layout, EX-RAIL Automation. I'll make an announcement post about that in a separate post in addition to the next version of DCC++EX which will be released in the next few days. Thanks to everyone here for there support, we look forward to what we can accomplish in the New Year.

Fred

Fred Decker
DCC-EX Team Lead

[Scottl]

Almost afraid to pull this one out of the dusty archives... 

I'm quite impressed with the DCC+ -EX elements on the website, there is clearly a lot of work that has gone into it and it has some attraction for me as I plan the details of my new layout (I like to tinker). 

Has anyone here pursued building or implementing a system?  Interested in opinions about the experience.