Hi!
MM protocol was developed on behalf of Märklin in the early days of digital MRR.
DCC protocol was developed at the same time on behalf of Märklin.
mfx was developed 20 years ago on behalf of Märklin.

Having these three protocols in modern controllers, you can use anything made for Märklin H0 tracks.

Hi Jean, thank you for your comments, as usual to the point, in particular where you mention "smaller layout". Obviously I missed the developments whilst my riding my motorcycles and helping the wife raising our children. (I tried to introduce trains to them but they have obviously something wrong in their genes as no interest in either trains nor motorcycles ... )

To come back to my point in question, I have been reading quite a number of discussions here to make up my mind as to what to do and although all very interesting there is too much "opinion" and too little "facts". I have read other peoples questions that started whole discussions about what people like or think but no real answer to those questions. What I need is this trafo will work with these decoders but not those, these can do analogue but not digital and visa versa. Like a spreadsheet with columns and lines with "YES" and "NO" what does work and what doesn't. Is there anything like that here on the forum as a "sticky" as that is my question.

Anyway, Perhaps I will be the next train enthusiast riding off into the dark hoping that I have made the correct choices and not wasted my dosh,

For now I will be building on my little modules and see how things run

Cheers,
Cor

To adopt digital or not is not necessarily a binary choice.

My setup allows both modes of operation. My switches and signals are controlled digitally (with Märklin K83 decoders), but I can switch the track power of various track segments between digital and analog (with Märklin K84 decoders). I can even run a digital locomotive simultaneously with an analog locomotive when really necessary.

To keep track of my trains, I use contact tracks hooked to CAN Digital Gleisreporter units; note that contact track sensing is independent of what kind of track power is being applied, and indeed will work even if there is none as long as the tracks are connected to the ground potential.

So I use happily both digital and analog locomotives, achieving roughly the same level of automation in both with the help of Rocrail. Several other members of this forum have adopted a similar approach.

All in all, I think that digital operation is wonderful, but it is flexible enough to also accommodate analog locomotives, adding a great amount of value also to them. Having said that, I have converted a few analog and especially DELTA locomotives to full digital, but in general I find that a well-functioning analog locomotive gains quite little from the conversion.

If I had a multilevel layout with grades, I might think differently, because the load balancing that comes with digital (with c90 and beyond) would simplify the operations on a hilly ground immensely. To me it is the most important value added by digital.

I think you will find that all the mLD/3 decoders are the same, the only difference is in the interface connection.

One comes as a 21 pin mtc plug on decoder, and comes with a matching back plate that you do all the connections on.

One comes with an NMRA 8 pin plug that is designed to plug straight into a loco that is already fitted with an NMRA 8 pin socket.

One comes with wire leads for soldering straight into the loco.

I think there are another couple of options as well.
Personally I would suggest you get the version with the 21 pin MTC connector. as it makes replacing the decoder easy without needing to resolder anything. It also makes it easy to change to a sound decoder if desired.

Thank you for your message.

Do you have manufacturers part numbers for those components that will do the job as that is what I am after.

Cheers,
Cor?

Whilst reading the responses from various forum members I still continue to search the web and found this little gem.
I think that this is the sort of information that helps little old noobs like me on my way.

https://www.bogobit.de/decoder/dectype.html

If there is more of this about then please send me links of them so that not only I but perhaps someone else can benefit from it.

Thanks everyone in advance.

Cor