Hi there, I've been using the vanilla DCC++ software for about a year. And over here you guys have developed DCC-EX. I just got wind of it in the JMRI user group. So there are a few obvious questions: What are the benefits of migrating? Will I face any interesting migration issues with my existing DCC++/JMRI 4.19.4 setup? And is there anything else I should know about when contemplating the change? If there are existing links to answers for this, fire away! Thank you, Charlie
The biggest is having active community based support for the project, unfortunately Gregg has gone quiet and the code base has effectively been abandoned as he was the only authorized maintainer for it on GitHub. There have been a number of features added to DCC-EX as well, namely support for newer Arduino boards (Nano as example), support for WiFi connectivity in addition to serial connectivity, support for more motor shields/boards without requiring code changes, NMRA compliance fixes (PROG track related). There are also a few features being discussed for the future. That would depend on if you are using an Uno or Mega. The DCC-EX code was forked from my DCC++ / ESP8266 code base which was initially developed with the Mega in mind, @FlightRisk has been working on fixing the Uno compatibility (Sorry for breaking it!).
Thanks for the comprehensive answer! I have a Uno, so I might pass for the time being. But if the old code base is dead, this will be the way to go eventually I suppose. I'll be keeping an eye on it. Charlie
If you are using Gregg's original DCC++ you might consider trying what is now called Base Station Classic. It is Gregg's version that the guys worked on to hopefully improve areas of Gregg's code that still had some problems in some situations (maybe some of the developers that worked on this could go into more detail). You can download it with Dex's installer and I have info on how to use it if that is needed and the link to it is here... http://1fatgmc.com/RailRoad/DCC/page-4.html I'm going to switch to this as I think it might help with some problems I've had programming decoders using Gregg's original code, Sumner
DCC++ EX is working on the Uno again in the development branch. I'll do more testing with turning other options on. For example, enabling an I2C display pushes us back into dangerous territory with memory on that board. Most people don't need anything beyond the "base" Base Station The display is just a fun add-on and is mostly only valuable if you have networking and are testing and debugging. You get much more reporting from a good front-end like JMRI. And if you are doing all that, you probably want a Mega. The Mega's are only $10-$15 more, I think? And if you buy a clone, they are only $6-8.
Just for my understanding, there is the "original" DCC++, then the DCC++ Classic, and now the DCC++ EX (Extended)....is that correct? So if I have the original DCC++ working on a Mega with Deek motor shield (or LMD18200), can I upload the Extended version right away and that's it?
Hi @french_guy I notice a LOT of French Train friends on here! Glad to have you. Yes, there is Gregg's original version on his site. We took that and made minor changes and called it DCC++ Classic. DCC++ EX is the version we have adding things too and continue to work on. If you try that, you should try the development version since we fixed writing CVs that was broken in the master version. We should be merging those changes soon, but we are doing more testing.
I might be a specific case.....Yes, I'm French but in the US since 2005 (for work) with a 2 years trip in Brazil in between (work as well). But anyway, I discovered Trainboard in 2006, and love this forum I used Dex website to upload DCC++ Classic into a Mega, and also into a Uno R3 i have laying around. Will I find the development version of EX in Dex as well? Maybe I can play with the Classic version on the Uno+Deek Motor shield, and the Extended version on the Mega + LMD18200 I'm planning to use DCC++ with JMRI installed on Raspberry Pi 3 B Thanks
Dex's installer gets what is in the master branch. I will push the development branch there by the weekend. You can also just select it from the branch button on the left in GitHub, unzip it, and upload it with the Arduino IDE. I have the same setup as you with a Raspberry Pi. I also use a laptop.
