5th March 2025
Mike Wakefield explained how to make a budget DCC controller using Arduino boards.
A DCC controller for less than £50(ish)
I have 3 questions to ask you…
1. Would you like to operate your layout using Digital Command Control (DCC) but put off by the cost of controllers?
2. Is it possible to produce a DCC controller for a small outlay when the well-known manufacturers out-of-the-box controllers’ cost from £149 for the basic Bachmann EZ Command Control to £285 for the Hornby Elite to £544 for the Marklin 60226 controller?
3. Is there an alternative lower cost option available?
At our March meeting Mike Wakefield delivered a fascinating and enlightening presentation on how to build your very own DCC controller for around £50 (ish) - What's not to like 😊
Mike wanted to find an alternative that would…
· Be really affordable?
· Have very few limitations?
· Something he could build himself using parts he was already familiar with?
Why are DCC controllers so expensive?
· They have to do so much more then a simple DC controller, for example:
· Be able to select the address of the loco you want to control.
· Be able to alter the address of the loco.
· Be able to show, by lights or a screen, which loco you are controlling.
· Be able to adjust which way is forward and which is reverse.
· Be able to switch functions on and off.
· Be able to set up double-heading.
· Adjust the speed curves.
· Control points, signals, turntables and the like.
· And so much more.
There is a high cost of developing the necessary hardware, software and manufacture compared with the number sold.
So what do you need?...
a) A cheap mass-produced electronic board…
· The Arduino Mega board and add-ons
b) A suitable power supply
· An existing controller’s power supply
c) Some free software (open source) already written and available for the board
· DCC_EX
d) A PC/ laptop/ smartphone either Android or apple
· Computer and/or smart phone.
e) A suitable box or case to enclose the hardware
· Plywood or plastic box or use a 3D printer.
An Arduino is an open-source electronics board that uses hardware and software to read inputs and turn them into outputs to switch on lights, activate servos, control motors, and more. You can load a program into it so it behaves in a certain way. For DCC-EX you need an Arduino Mega as it has the most RAM.
Step 1…
Purchase an Arduino Mega board and a Motor Shield (shield expansion board) or you can purchase a complete kit.
Step 2…
Connect the Hardware – carefully push the motor shield male pins into the female sockets on the Arduino board (with the exception of the VIN pin which must be bent out). Connect the USB cable to the Mega board and the other end to the computer.
Step 3… Download the Arduino IDE software from www.arduino.cc/en/software
Step 4... Download the CommandStation-EX software from www.dcc-ex.com
Step 5…
Download the Web Throttle (EX-WebThrottle) from CommandStation-EX software
Step 6…
Transfer the DCC-EX software to the Mega board
Step 7…
You are now ready to run a train and you’ve done all the hard work. The Mega board is permanently loaded with the DCC-EX software and you’re running trains.
Optional extras – you can add Wi-Fi by connecting a Wi-Fi shield on top of the Motor Shield so you now have the Mega Board, Motor Shield and Wi-Fi Shield unit.
If you want to use your phone as the throttle, you can either use an Android or an Apple smart phone to control your loco. The DCC-EX software has been written for both. Android is currently slightly more advanced than Apple.
The iPhone option is called WiThrottle. and the Android version is called Engine Driver
From a Power perspective, to reduce the 15 volts from the motor shield down to a lower voltage the Mega can handle, you can use a Buck Converter to reduce 15 volts down to 5 volts.
So what has been spent so far…
· Arduino Mega board £18.99
· Motor Shield £15.99
· Wi-Fi shield £14.99
· Buck converter £4.05
· Total spend… £54.02
But you could spend more on extra pieces of hardware to improve your controller further…
To display some information, you can add an LCD display or even an OLED display to your controller.
If you have a large layout or run many locos at once, the 2-amp motor shield may not be sufficient. If so, you’ll definitely need the 5-amp motor shield for £42.99, which has been designed and manufactured by DCC-EX themselves.
If this has inspired you to try using DCC-EX and build your own DCC controller for around £50 please…
· Search YouTube for DriverDTrains for how-to-do-this videos. · Visit the DCC-EX website https://dcc-ex.com · Visit https://chesterfield-models.co.uk/ · Email Mike at mikewakefielduk@btinternet.com
·
If you would prefer to have someone else build and program the Arduino board and accessories for you, then you can buy the whole thing, already pre-assembled, with a 5-amp power shield and LCD display included, (the DCC-EX Arduino System Basic) directly from Chesterfield Model Making & Miniature Electronics (CMMME) for £79.
Mike also has his PowerPoint presentation available HERE which has much more detail to inspire.
Thank you Mike for a thoroughly fascinating presentation.
Trevor Oakley.
