MT40 Open Source DCC Decoders

[Madsing]

I am following the posts of MT40 for a while now and they are interesting. MT40 has released a set of N-gauge DCC decoders for Kato locomotives and Tomix trains, they are listed here: http://wiki.mt40.info/doku.php?id=mobiledecoder2:top. The decoders support BEMF and Railcom. 

What makes them particularly interesting is that they are open source. The schematics, PCB files and source code of the firmware are available from that page. In addition, they use ATtiny1606 microcontrollers and the firmware is compatible with the Arduino development environment. They even explain how to modify and upload new firmware to the decoders. Potentially a lot of interesting things to learn!

The decoders can be purchased from their Booth shop: https://mt40.booth.pm (I don't see any way to buy from overseas, though).

This is their Twitter account:

 

 

[cteno4]

Very interesting! I was wondering when ATtinys making into stuff like this! 
 

jeff

[chadbag]

Way cool.  The order cart page says you can checkout using Buyee for worldwide shipping but when I clicked it it said my cart was empty.  I didn't pursuit that further but ordered 4 different ones (2 of the K3066RA one v1 and one v2, one of the DD13 ones, and one K3057 ones.  These are to try out.  (Shipping to my wife's sister, who'll eventually forward them to me when they send the next care package (which could be months).

 

I also will download the PCB and also the firmware open source stuff.  I'm interested in modifying the PCB to fit other needs etc...  This is very interesting.  And is a lot cheaper than buying the TCS decoders KATO compatible decoders.

 

Thanks!!

 

ETA:  I wish this had been found and posted a few weeks ago when we first got here so I could have gotten them and taken them with me when we return this coming week 🙂  (not blaming Madsing for withholding or anything).

Edited December 31, 2022 by chadbag

[chadbag]

Amazingly, despite the website saying they took 5-7 days to ship, or something like that, I had a ship notification by email last night and this morning Yamato delivered the package.

 

 

I'll have to find some time to try them out when I get home.  I had a DD13 I was trying to adapt a TCS to (unsuccessfully as I had the wrong sub model of the correct decoder and shorted something out) so I will try this on one of my DD13 and also see what I have that still needs to be upgraded using standard light boards type decoders.

 

[Madsing]

Wow, good news! Please tell us how it goes (when you find the time 😀)

[Madsing]

Hello everyone,

 

I've completed my first MT40 DCC decoder install this weekend. I have installed a K3066RA-LED (https://wiki.mt40.info/doku.php?id=mobiledecoder2:k3066ra) into my (relatively) new Kato DE10 (7011-3).

The Kato DE10 is tricky as it is very difficult to securely isolate the motor contacts from the chassis (they make contact at many different points). So, this time I decided to disassemble the motor and just solder two wires to its contacts, then to the DCC decoder. See photos below.

 

My first tests of the MT40 K3066RA are very positive.

• Writing and reading CVs works very well (I am using a Z21)
• The locomotive moves very smoothly, even at very low speed (I have kept the default values for all three BEMF CVs).
• I programmed basic acceleration and deceleration and this works well.
• In addition to the two headlight white LEDs mounted on the PCB, that particular decoder has five (!!!) LED outputs, typically used for four red tail lights (forward / backwards and left / right) plus one interior / cabin light. I have not tested them as it would be very difficult to install tail lights on that particular loco, but I plan to do that in the future. 
• Each of the LEDs has individual brightness control (16 levels) using CVs.

I will purchase more of these decoders and use them for future DCC installs.

 

Marc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bc6]

Thanks for the great pics and instructions looking forward to using an MT decoder in upcoming DCC installations.