Hi Michel

Maybe what means that you are disappointed? No?

Thewolf

To be honest I'm impressed but it lacks the bells and whistles of a top end DCC system.

Then again if my memory is correct Marklin likes to keep their products proprietary. Which most likely is a good thing so that the user does not change the way the system is designed to run. Back to running my trains.

Bells and whistles "Special features that are added to a product or system to attract more buyers: Manufacturers still build luxury cars with all the bells and whistles." Cambridge Dictionary

Hi,

I have bought the book and there is tons of information in it.

I also first thought that I had made a mistake, but after the boot I was quite impressed.

Regards
Carsten

Hi Teewolf

There would not be the same book for cs2 regarding the conduct of trains?

Thank you for your reply

Thewolf

What is the mfx spec?
The maximum digital voltage is given as 22 V on current loco boxes.
The track voltage is about 16 V when using a standard MS2 configuration and about 22 V when using a standard CU 6021 configuration or a CS with a transformer.

The recommended track voltage is about 17 V for two-rail H0, about 15 V for N gauge, about 12 V for Z gauge.
Some Märklin H0 locos work better with 19 V or more.
For I gauge and 2m gauge people use even higher voltages.

Decoders drive motors with short pulses of the maximum voltage (track voltage minus losses in the decoder). Lower track voltages reduce the wear on the motor. Therefore the lower voltages for N and Z.
If a manufacturer makes one controller for all gauges, adjusting the track voltage is an important feature.
The ECoS comes with an adjustable power supply (and a standard plug).
The CS3 comes without power supply. Just buy a power supply with the correct voltage for your needs. 19 V DC will do for three-rail H0.
An adjustable power supply allows to start with a low voltage level to reduce motor wear, but increase the voltage in small increments when problems are encountered.

One downside of the ESU approach: the power supply ships with the lowest voltage level selected. Three-rail users that operate it without reading the manual and without adjusting the voltage will sooner or later encounter problems.
Power supplies with a fixed voltage avoid such support cases or such frustrating experiences.

Hello Minok,

Yes that is correct.

For myself I know a lot but I’m no expert so finding the correct answers is derived from standard(s) such as the NMRA for North America. Not knowing the standard for Europe I have a disadvantage in answering the question.

As I am not in a position of authority* to answer correctly please check out the NMRA specifications.

*I know but what I know is not from an established academic institution only from the school of hard knocks!

https://www.nmra.org/sit.../pdf/S-9.1.2_2012_07.pdf

Edited by user 20 January 2018 16:17:00(UTC)  | Reason: “To write is human, to edit is divine.” — Stephen King

Hello Tom, thanks for your reply.

Please remember I'm located in North America and I am referencing from NMRA/Marklin and North America DCC companies to get the facts.

So to make is understandable and easy to read below is a simple explanation how a DCC decoder works,

From “The NCE Information Station”:

DCC uses an indirect approach to control the engine speed. The motor is NOT connected directly to the track but is instead connected to a miniature computer device which itself applies a DC voltage to the motor to control the speed of the engine. The mini computer knows what voltage and polarity to apply to the motor based on digital commands sent to it over the track.*

*https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/200526469-What-is-DCC

At which voltage you set for the the scale is important.

Recommended voltages
Z-scale 9v
N-scale 12v
HO-scale 13.8/14v
O-scale 18v
G-scale 22v

With MY Marklin Central Station 3 and the Marklin 60065 switched mode power pack. The input is 120 volts / 60 Hertz and the output is 19 volts / 50 watts DC voltage.

ESU decoders for H0 gauge do not work this way, Märklin decoders for H0 gauge do not work this way.
Both use PWM to drive the motor.

A decoder that drives the motor with a constant reduced voltage either needs huge heat sinks or it must work like a switching-mode power supply.

The decoders I know use PWM to reduce the effective voltage passed to the motor without reducing the peak voltage passed to the motor.

Simple explanations sometimes oversimplify things.