60174 booster(s) can use with the 60216 - Marklin.

Can the 60213 connect to the 60216? What ref number is the cable between the 60213 CS2 and 60216 CS3plus?

There are no operational differences. The only difference is that you need a CS3+ to be able to use the device as a remote controller, the CS3 does not have (one of) the necessary connectors to support this. You can also use a CS3+ as a remote booster. I'm not sure that those features are worth the 150 euro difference in price.........



- I agree!



I believe there will be at least 1 more software update for the CS2, Marklin originally suggested that it would be late 2015, but as that hasn't happened we hope it is not too far away.

I think that is because 60213 was the original version of the CS2. 60214 was touted as a 60213 with the updated software that allowed DCC running and additional CS2's to be used as a remote controller. Therefore, a 60213 that had the updated software applied to it effectively became a 60214!

I don't think it does. I've just been playing with my 60123 cable (I don't have a 2nd CS2 but brought the cable in case I/we wanted a 2nd CS2 connected to our club's CS2). I wanted to see if it would work via a 60125 terminal box (the label on the 60123 cable says it does), as the 60123 is only 2 metres long, you need some method of extending it to have a remote CS2 any decent distance away from the master CS2.

Anyway, there is one socket on the 60125 that the 60123 plugs into (the single one on one side of the 60125 - 2 other sides have a pair of sockets and the 4th side has the incoming cable), and the other end plugs directly into the 6 pin socket on the CS2 that has a square with an arrow pointing inwards as a logo. The 60123 can also plug directly into a CS2 using the 9 pin plug end.

See https://www.marklin-user...onnect-a-CS2-to-Cs2.aspx



I agree fully, why they didn't use a RJ45 ethernet cable (like they did with CS1) instead of the Mickey Mouse method they did use, I'll never know. Whether it is a hardware limitation with the CS2 - CAN bus related?? (unlikely I would have thought) or a nefarious plot to make us all buy expensive cables and terminals (more likely), common sense seems to have not prevailed.

Lets take a step back for a minute.

There is nothing new in the inter-connection of the CS2 to the 6021, the CS1 or with, other CS2s or with PCs (including smart phones as mobile throttles)
The CS3 appears to be a simple variant of the CS2<->CS2 inter-connect, which is via the system bus. (using the 60123 cable)

As to the marketing blurb that neglects to include the 60213, this may be a typo. . . . . .
However I think there is a need to differentiate between "will work" and "will work with limitations"

To this end I note the following.

The 60213 is NOT the same as the 60214 (As with the 60173 NOT being the same as a 60174). The track output for 60213 and 60173s needed to be isolated at BOTH the rail(Brown) and stud(Red) when crossing booster sections.
Refer http://www.maerklin.de/d...ationen/booster-upgrade/

So in this case the limitation inferred may be that the 60213 is not 100% compatible as a booster. If may (should?) be operationally OK as just a slave throttle or layout/memory console. BUT there may also be a software/resource limitation whereby the internal memory/processor is not able to be updated to a level that will allow functional interoperability. I would hope that a software connection would at the very least be be possible, but it maybe of reduced function if there is a resource issue.



Tom has already referred to the fact that an ethernet connection does not provide for 100% in sync track signal (Ethernet is, in this respect asynchronous , and IP is a loosy protocol) . This is why the (early) architecture diagram that included the CS1 connection, via an ethernet connection, specifically showed that its section of track was NOT connected to the layout controlled by CS2 and boosters. While the content of the signal information may have been the same the pulses/timing could never be guaranteed to be sychronised.

It is imperative that, at any transition from one booster section to another (including the CS2/CS3 internal booster), the track signal be in sync and only a fixed clock via the system bus will provide for this. You can forget about a network communication protocol ever achieving this!

For those that care, you may want to research the Connect-60212 product - This was an adapter for the CS1 to connect to the CS2 via the system bus (e.g. see in the 2008/9 catalogue). This may have provided the in-sync alignment we are talking about but it was never ever delivered. instead we ended up with the TCP/IP connection we have now over the ethernet.


The 6017(6015) legacy support also needs to be analysed. . .
Depending on which version of information you read, interoperability, like the original CS1 interoperability, was depicted with a totally separate section of track - i.e. you should not run a train from a CS2 track section into a 6017 section.
While we know , from experience, that this "can" be made to work it has its operational problems. Also we have to appreciate that the CS2(or CS1) with its mFX read-back capability puts an onus on decoders to send information onto the track that the 6017 was never designed for. So while the 6017 and the locomotiev decoder may be able to "tolerate" it, there is prudence to be had from relegating the 6017s use to a separate circuit (e.g. the k83/k84 accessory bus)

I think they have done a sensible thing with the function icons - hide them away so you can have a track diagram on the screen to allow operation of the points etc, then pop out the functions by touching the loco item when they are needed. It doesn't make sense to have the loco controls cluttering the screen and the track diagram hard to get at when you need it. The loco speed on a bar graph makes a heck of a lot of sense instead of the graph used on the cs2.

If only they had applied this screen system to the cs2 - maybe in the update that gives us the 32 functions, but I'm not holding my breath.



You don't need to be an octopus. But I do wonder what useless things they see these functions being used for. They already seem to be putting useless things on functions with only 16 functions available.



I think at least two of those versions were to get around hardware problems that they hadn't anticipated (but possibly should have!!). The last version was to provide a higher output power for G1 and LGB. I would think that the lessons have been learnt, and there will only be the cs3 versions we see in the NI brochure until it is time for a cs4.



I suspect that one of the cs3 products will drop out in time. I cannot see the rational for the difference between them. If the idea was to use the cs3 as controller in the mega start sets ((and why are there no mega start sets announced in the NI?) it is not cheap enough. I still get the feeling they should have one with a single control knob and built in wifi to allow cell phones and tablets to be used as controllers with the app without additional hardware.

Maybe they will come up with a 29001 kit that will have a cs3 instead of an ms2 ...

Excellent Analysis !!! respect !!!

Yes, Tom is correct. My 60214 has the same hardware version as a 60213 (v3.1), so they are similar (no galvanic isolation, 2.4 amp booster) apart from the software version installed OOB. I think it was hardware version 4.2 or 4.3 (something like that) where the 60214 had galvanic isolation and a 5 amp booster.

However, I can use my 60214 with the 60174 boosters, in fact I have two 60174 boosters to the layout and no track connection from the 60214 CS2.

so how tell tell which 60214 you have? ... the 1 like 60213 or like 60215?

What arguments one can have to buy a CS3 instead of a CS3+?

1- If one wants to have one or more slave CS3, then the CS3+ is the only option
2- If one already have S88 (6088 or 60880) modules and insists in connect them directly to the CS3, although that is not necessary if a L88 60883 (80 euros max.) is used. IMHO the L88 is preferable.

I am not having more ideas to justify it and considering just the ones above I think very few of us need the + version.

Do you know more reasons to buy a CS3+?

Then you will have Grey matter coming out of your CS3 than rather than Dark matter!

I agree with you, and I'm afraid that we will see many versions of CS, before we see an almost borderless screen, like new monitors and tablets.
It is absolutely true, if I say that I prefer to use all from my ipad than from cs, do not say that the best configuration for me, was, is and will be a pc with large touch lcd monitor !!!

I think the equal version to older CSs is the CS3+ (60216) , the other version 60226, is a limited version, and so far we haven't see the small letters under it. So maybe there are more limitations than the ones we know. I'm afraid that the interconnections will be limited to more things, maybe no connection from pc, or maybe will not offer connection to tablets (these are thoughts and no rumors, I do not know really what other limitations may have), who knows !!!. We should better wait to see it live !!!

Also I can not understand why the old CS2 (60215) remain more expensive than the new CS3+ (60216) !!!

Whomever the Moderator is that hamfistedly locked my topic on the video and credited it steventrain as first posting is quite wrong as arnpao from Italy posted it first.

I was going to add the information from my post above to it, which meant it became a factual thread not filled with idle speculation and guesses about Maerklin's new Controller

Also there's only one "n" in my name

I agree with the comment regarding the slight screen size increase. I also wonder what the real connection is between the CS3 and a PC; the scematic shows it as being direct, I think it is via a router or switch. Marklin should be a little more forthcoming regarding these marketing tools and videos.

yeah - but the 6021 went through a number of software updates, you just don't know which one you have, and it wasn't ever published that there was a change. I guess if it was sent back to Marklin it might have been upgraded if the fault was something related to the software, but the only way to update it was to change the pre-programmed microprocessor chip.

Nope. Two USB ports for USB devices, one USB port that only provides power.

So there are three ports that can be used to charge smartphones or My World trains, but only two can be used for mouse, keyboard, and thumb drive.

Actually, I don't believe that is true......(I haven't tried this myself)

If I recall correctly, this tip came from Tom (H0)

"Typing "94" and then "93" should flash the LED once, twice, or thrice - depending on the firmware of the 6021"

Maybe rather for the smartphone and tablet users.
Wireless control with a charger wire is not really wireless - but playing is not over when the battery is low.

How about a charge port for future plug and play wireless controllers that Märklin might be planning to come out with in the future, like the ESU one discussed here on another thread? Save a bit on having a dedicated iPhone or iPad to use a s a controller. After all you might want to answer calls when you control your trains.
- Mark

Perhaps that's one of the reasons behind of the SD card slot. If both ports are busy, you can upload sounds/updates using it.

There's a few minutes on the CS3 in Episode 76 of Marklin TV. In the video Marklin confirms that the difference between the CS3 and CS3+ are the S88 port options and the ability to use the CS3+ as a remote controller.

The SD Card slot can be used to increase the internal storage of the CS3 from 4Gb to 32Gb.

CS3Plus video - Moving loco icon from loco list to control knob by touchscreen at 2.08

Hi,



Plug in a wireless nano router into the network port and use the USB Port near to it for the power of the Router/Access Point - now you have a CS3 with WLAN - does it make sense?

Kind regards
Jörg