Loco Engineering — Open wireless platform to control trains, layout accessories (signals, level crossing), and any movable vehicles on a layout

[loco.engineering]

Hi everyone. I’m working on a new open wireless platform to control trains, layout accessories (signals, level crossing), and any movable vehicles on a layout. I call it WCC (wireless command control). Every decoder communicates with other decoders over the air that’s why you need just plug DC power into your layout. No command stations and boosters are required - just install a decoder inside a train or connect a decoder to a signal, open a browser on your laptop or mobile device and you can already control your layout. DCC is still can be used in case you already have a layout with DCC.

I would like to get your feedback, and ideas to know what features should be included at the beginning and what later. The protocol will be fully open with code examples so users who like to code can develop their own decoders and controllers. WCC decoders will be available from December 2023 - January 2024, documentation about the protocol with code examples on Arduino and how to develop your own decoder will be available in December as well.

Below you can find more details about how it works, a schematic, and a photo of a decoder prototype - production candidate (currently the size is 11 x 39mm, after we release the main version, we'll add special versions for Kato). Also, you can get more info at https://loco.engineering

Main features

 

- Two-way wireless communication between all decoders - trains, cars, and layout elements "talk" with each other

- Decoder functions, CV, settings, and logic can be changed directly from a web browser

- No boosters, additional wiring, command stations, and CV programming required

- Can run on DC, AC tracks, and a battery

- Detect train location and add complex interactions with NFC tags (for scale N NFC tags (5 mm x 5 mm) should be placed on a train, and readers (small circuits) should be placed under rails)

- No vendor lock-in anymore - WCC is an open protocol with clean documentation, code, and hardware examples for Arduino

- Loco.Engineering decoders can be used with classic DCC systems, so you can buy one decoder and try it on your current layout

- OEM and the white-label app even for small model train manufacturers

- The easiest and probably cheapest way to convert your DC layout to the interactive layout

- Over-the-air sound and firmware updates - you shouldn’t remove the train case to update sounds and firmware

- Everyone is able to create custom controls and throttles

- Low-cost - sound decoders cost €50 or $55. You don't need any additional tools to control decoders or to program them.

- Designed, developed, and produced in our workshop. Zero outsourcing and full control of development help us to deliver updates and new features very often.

- Updates and new features every week, fast friendly support

Feel free to leave feedback here or contact at hey@loco.engineering
Project's website: https://loco.engineering

[chadbag]

It'll be interesting to see if this takes off or how well it works.  Good luck!     I'd be interested in adding support to an iPhone/Mac control app I am writing, eventually.

 

 

[Mutro]

Thanks for posting. For my Japanese steam locomotives, it'll be nice if smaller than a Blunami BLU-2200 decoder, easier to install and hopefully much less expensive.

 

[chadbag]

@loco.engineering Any update on this?

 

[loco.engineering]

Currently we're waiting for PCBs for the final version. Hope everything will be available from June on our website

[UnfinishedKit]

@loco.engineeringhow is this going?

 

I really like the idea of WCC and wanted to buy a decoder to test it, however everything is out of stock on your website. Will there be decoder available soon?

 

I’m most interested in the N scale one. 

[loco.engineering]

sure, they will be available, but unfortunately, we don't have decoders that fit N scale anymore due to the required space needed to reduce heating (wireless communication introduces additional load, which results in extra heating). Currently, all train decoders are 15 mm × 30 mm. It's possible that we will be able to make them 13 mm × 30 mm, but not smaller.

Edited March 14 by loco.engineering

[UnfinishedKit]

I presume you mean mm, not cm. 13mm I can work with. Given I’m mainly looking at multiple units I can distribute things along the train.  Even 15mm can work. 
 

I ordered a Seeed xiao ESP32S3 dev board to have an explore of the software, but I will definitely order a decoder when available. 
 

I found this useful looking test rig on aliexpress, so will start here before moving it across to a train. 
 

https://a.aliexpress.com/_mtFnbVz

[loco.engineering]

yes, mm, of course. thank you, fixed.

[UnfinishedKit]

@loco.engineeringi got this up and running, sort of on the,  xiao seeed ESP32S3, which I’m targeting because it will fit unmodified on a slight angle inside most Japanese N multiple unit bodies and also has internal battery charge/discharge capability.

 

It took a bit to get it working as it and my Mac seem really picky about which usb cable and port it is using. I can only get it to boot as an accessory decoder, but can log into the web server. When I make it a train decoder it gets stuck in the boot process. it seems there is an error reading the train preferences file, from looking at the serial output
 

 

Struggling to get it up with the debugger running it seems to get stuck on a hardware breakpoint at the end of the setup loop (line 49). I’ll write a proper bug report, if it turns out to be a bug and not user error. 

 

 

I’m not a massive arduino expert but it may be that there’s something up with the pins it’s trying to initialize in train mode, due to the pin multiplexing on the seeed. What’s the best way to comment out pins and still get the code to compile? At this stage if I can strip it down to motor control, I can start there and build back up. 
 

I’ve also borrowed a WROOM based board to see what I can do there. 
 

in the meantime I’ve been testing battery based RC with the gubbins from a 15 dollar RC car. Not enough power from the tiny battery, but it works. 
 

 

[UnfinishedKit]

Yes, was the sound pins. They can’t be 35, 36, 37, they need to be 40,41,42 to

map onto what you had. 
 

now I have a decoder up and running - time to bodge together some motor control. 

[UnfinishedKit]

One thing I can’t do is save WCC message IDs against states and I’m not quite sure how WCC Events map onto WCC Message IDs

i also think I’m missing something in the Send Event Dialog