New DCC decoder hardware/software project.

[bicknell]

It's not quite fully baked, but I'm ready to announce one of my recent projects:

https://github.com/bicknell/DCC-Mobile-Decoder

In there is a DCC decoder development board (Breadboard-1) and DCC decoder software for it creating a development platform for writing DCC decoder software on a PIC18 micro-processor.

Also inside is an initial take on a N scale decoder, 9mm x 25mm, with all solder connections. No specific software for it yet, but the reference software will work with minimal changes.

My hopes is to foster a decoder development community where people contribute new hardware designs (e.g. drop in decoders) using a (relatively) common software platform.

Enjoy!

[Bryan]

Leo, I’ve moved this to the DIY sub forum with permanent redirect from the DCC sub forum, and made it a sticky thread (for now).
PM me if you think there’s anything else I can do to help with the project.

[bicknell]

What I am hoping for is others to be interested. If even just 2 or 3 people wanted to build on what I have started it would go so much faster and be so much better.

The most useful thing anyone can do that doesn’t want to directly participate is to share this in different forums, chats, club news letters, etc.

[Army-Gandydancer]

While am not much help, I wish you luck. It is always nice to have more options available.

[bicknell]

Want to get started RIGHT NOW? With parts you may have ON HAND?


https://github.com/bicknell/DCC-Mobi...rence/Manual-1


There's how to make it work on an 800 tie point breadboard near you. This is in fact how I started, and how I do most of my development.

[Sumner]

I guess this might be a case of if I have to ask, maybe I shouldn't as I probably can't contribute anything. But is this a mobile decoder I could build to go into an engine and/or a stationary one that I could use to throw something like a turnout or something else?

In the githup link just above there is reference to a photo ( under 'connecting it all up) but it isn't coming up for me. I'm probably interest on some level, probably couldn't help on development but maybe on building and testing if things are laid out in a manner that I could do that.

I'll be following so keep going on the project and thanks for doing it,

Sumner

[bicknell]

I didn’t take the photo yet. Will add that in a day or two.

This project is focused on mobile decoders. It’s just getting off the ground, but theoretically the future you could order your own boards from the designs in here, flash them with the software, put them in a loco and go. It’s not quite there yet, but that’s the goal. And since you have the software you could then modify it.

A stationary decoder is about 97% the same. The biggest difference is they are generally set up with more inputs and outputs that handle higher currents to drive signals, switch motors, block detection, etc. Stationary designs already exist, Google OpenDecoder for example. Perhaps in the future some stationary designs will get added here too.

Right now the project is probably most interesting to people who like to tinker with electronics and code. As it becomes more mature less of that tinkering and knowledge will be required. If you haven’t built things on bread boards before I wouldn’t recommend starting here just yet….but maybe soon we can have something more novice friendly.

[bicknell]

I have a photo up now at https://github.com/bicknell/DCC-Mobi...rence/Manual-1

[techhobbies]

Pretty cool. I may be interested in picking up on this sometime this winter/spring. I'm going to do a lot of my model lighting/automation using 5V micros right now, but maybe this is a good other potential choice. At the very least, it will help me with some other stuff if I use it for some practice. I like the breadboard version and will probably put one together in January just to play with it.

Have you considered something like a Pi 2040 instead of the PIC? I actually started to write a small DCC decoder for the 2040 about 18 months ago when I wanted to try to put a design into a caboose, but never went anywhere with it. While the PIC is cheap and easy, the Pi isn't much more expensive, and gives you a bit more flexibility. Just a thought.

[bicknell]

A key design consideration is that decoders lose power….a lot. Think of dirty track. It may be on and off 10 times a second.

That would be bad for a RPi. Or anything with a “real” OS. The advantage of the micro is there is nothing to boot, it just starts the code again in microseconds.

a 2040 might work for a stationary decoder, but I don’t think it’s good for mobile.

[bicknell]

I just committed support for Address, Direct, Register, and Paged programming in Service Mode!

I also added a resistor to the hardware design so that the board can do CV read back without having to have a real motor attached.

[bicknell]

I just added "lighting effects" support, at least basic effects. Strobe, double strobe, blinking headlight. Still need to figure out the patterns and tune things like a MARS or Gyralite -- but the code is there and knows what to do.

Really the only thing left to have a basic functional decoder that could be used is read back support. It programs fine, but can't read back yet.