Supported Digital Systems

TrainController™ supports all major digital systems. There is no other software providing such wide range of support as listed below. However, depending on their market share the particular systems receive different levels of support as listed below.

The following list provides an overview, to which extent particular digital systems are supported by TrainController™. This list is not meant as ranking of the particular systems. The grouping does not only follow technical reasons, but is frequently affected by economical, marketing-related, legal or other reasons, too.

Category A:
the following systems are fully and in the long-term supported by TrainController™ without any limitations. The functionality of our software may be expanded if new functions of the digital systems require this.

Digitrax LocoNet through MS100 or LocoBuffer including support of Digitrax Transponding
Lenz Digital Plus (all interfaces including the new USB device)
Maerklin Central Station (including support for MFX locomotives)
ESU ECoS
ROCO Digital (new interface 10785)
ZTC
RCI of Oak Tree Systems (supports also operation of conventional engines without train decoder)
Trix Selectrix (including support of Train Detection with occupancy detector MUET 8i)
Uhlenbrock Intellibox (extended protocol - not only Maerklin emulation!)
Tams EasyControl
Fleischmann Twin Center
Muet Digirail (including support of Train Detection with occupancy detector MUET 8i)
Rautenhaus Digital (including support of Train Detection with occupancy detector MUET 8i)
HSI-88 by Littfinski DatenTechnik (low cost feedback system compatible to Marklin S88, including support of train detection via TD-88)
North Coast Engineering Master Series (binary protocol)
Zimo (new binary interface protocol from Version 3.0 and train detection via MX9 modules)
Massoth
Hornby
CT Elektronik (Tran)
MoBaSBS

Category B:
the following systems are partly supported by TrainController™. Bugs are fixed if necessary and in the long term. Further development has stopped with release of TrainController™ 5.8 C1. That means, our software will not be extended, even if the digital system is extended by new functionality.

HELMO Inter-10 (supporting train identification using transponders)
Maerklin Digital (Central Unit 602x with Interface 6050/6051; but not Central Station)
CTI-Acela

Category C:
the following systems are partly supported by TrainController™. Bugs are fixed if necessary, if reported until March 31, 2008. Further development has stopped with release of TrainController™ 5.8 C1. That means, our software will not be extended, even if the digital system is extended by new functionality. After March 31, 2008, these digital systems will be treated like the systems in category D.

EasyDCC
CTI (connection without ACELA)
MpC (Gahler & Ringstmeier) (supports also operation of conventional engines without train decoder)
North Coast Engineering Master Series (old ASCII protocol), Wangrow System One (old ASCII protocol)
Lionel TrainMaster
Fleischmann FMZ
Zimo (old ASCII protocol - up to Version 2.x)
MegaDecoder
TracTronics SECSI
HELMO Inter-1 (supporting train identification using transponders)
PC Interface Board 8255 (for operation of turnouts and feedback sensors connected to optoisolator boards)
Edits

Category D:
the following systems are not officially supported by TrainController™. These systems can be operated with TrainController™ "as is" without warranty for proper operation and without legal coverage. Bugs, if any, are not fixed. Please understand also, that we cannot process any support inquiries for problems in conjunction with these systems. We reserve the right to discontinue the possibility to operate these systems "as is" at any time without prior notice.

DiCoStation by Littfinski DatenTechnik (according to the manufacturer this system can be operated by TrainController™ by selecting "Intellibox" as digital system)
all other systems, that can be operated with TrainController™ and that are not listed above.

It is possible to operate up to 12 digital systems simultaneously.

Please refer also to our information about officially supported digital systems and devices.

TrainController™ also provides an offline mode, which allows trial operation without a connection to a real railroad.

Interface functionality chart:

The following chart provides an overview of what you can do with the computer interface of your digital system in conjunction with TrainController™. This chart just compares the interfaces of digital systems and those features of the according digital system, that can be accessed through the particular interface and that are being used by TrainController™. This chart is no digital system comparison chart. It is also not meant as an aid to determine the 'best' digital system nor as decision guidance for purchase of the 'best' system. There are many other factors,too, that account for the quality and qualification of digital systems. Thus you should read the chart with care and you should not simply count the tick marks in each column. It does, for example, not make any sense to compare full featured digital systems like Lenz with a specialized feedback system like LDT HSI-88 by counting the tick marks. It may also make sense to combine two specialized systems each with limited functionality, that complement one another. This chart should just provide information, which features of TrainController™ can be used with a particular computer interface plus according digital system and which cannot. The chart describes the particular systems only from the point of view of the usage by TrainController™.

This chart is no benchmark test. No responsibility is taken for the correctness and completeness of this information.

Marklin 6050 / 6051 / 6023

Lenz LI 100(F) / LI101F

Lenz LI USB

Maerklin Central Station

ESU ECoS

Roco 10785 with Lokmaus

Roco 10785 with Multimaus

Digitrax Command Station via LocoNet

NCE (binary)

Uhlenbrock Intellibox

Fleischmann Twin Center

Tams Easy Control

Trix Selectrix

Müt Digirail

Rautenhaus SLX 850 with SLX 825 / SLX 852

Rautenhaus SLX 852 stand alone

Hornby

ZTC

EasyDCC

Zimo (from Version 3.0)

Massoth

CT Elektronik (TRAN)

RCI

CTI Acela

MpC

LDT HSI-88

HELMO Inter-10

General

Connects to a serial port

Connects to a USB port

Connects via Ethernet

Connects to internally installed hardware board
(only supported on Win 98)

Locomotive Control

Can control digital locomotives with on-board decoders

Can control locomotives with stationary block decoders (especially made for this purpose)

Can control the absolute direction of each loco

Can report back the speed of running trains
on request (X)
or automatically/as event (XX)

Supports automatic pass of manual loco control between the on-screen computer throttle/+SmartHand™ and the throttle of the digital system

Can report back status changes of loco functions
on request (X)
or automatically/as event (XX)

Access to
Loco database
in Central Unit

Creation of new train records

Change of existing train records

Deletion of existing train records

Reading of existing records and creation of train objects on the computer

Accessory Control

Can control turnouts, signals and other accessories

Can report back status changes of accessories
on request (X)
or automatically/as event (XX)

Feedback Control

Reports back status changes of feedback sensors on request (X)
or automatically/as event (XX)

Supports train detection