IF I connect my CS2 to my CS3 plus is all I need the connecting cable. Having done that will the CS2 then allow shuttles etc to be set up and operate using the S88 which is directly connected to the CS3 Plus by picking up all the signals from the CS3 PLus .


Basically all I need is the connecting cable and nothing else to operate the CS2 with all the facilities provided by the CS3 Plus S88.

I have had a look at the Marklin book but not quite find the answer.

Many thanks for any help

Dave.

Yes
When connected the CS2 will be automatically set to slave mode.

Yes. Sensors connected to the CS3 is the preferred way
CS2 shuttle will need to be (re)defined to use the CS3s S88 ports

Note: while sensors still connected to the CS2 are seen by the CS3 (as an external sensor host, like a L88) , and are usable for most other CS3 activities, my experience is that they cannot be used as a CS2 shuttle if directly called from the same (slave) CS2 (Get a warning message about sensors scan not being complete which is both wrong and irrelavent)

Note: as per CS2 Shuttle lmitations, all sensors in a shuttle must be on the same controlling device (you cannot have a shuttle with a sensor on the CS3 and another on an L88.

I do not understand this comment
Do you mean proper signals or are you alluding to S88 signals from sensors that remain connected to the CS2. if so then no, see above

I do not think so. Your CS 3+ is the master, then your CS 2 has to be the slave. You have to configure this in the CS 3+ section systems settings. The same is with the S88 modules. All these devices have to be setted up and defined in the CS 3+. You see in your CS 3+ an overview of the complete network for your layout, even if the attached appliances are switched off. So the GFP 3 of the CS 3+ will communicate with the relevant information with all other connected and used CS. In the “Workbook for a CS 3” is written, only one CS is responsible for the administration of the complete CAN bus and the transformation of the track signals with the GFP (Gleisformatprozessor). In the menu for a slave CS you find the field “status query interval” (hopefully Maerklin has translated this field Status-Abfrage-Intervall with the same words) with a preset time of 5 seconds. It is recommended to keep this 5 seconds.While extending this time to 8 or 9 seconds it may cause trouble, because the signal will come sometimes too late. If you reduce to 4 or 3 seconds the author wrote the data may increase too much and the processor is getting slower in the calculation.
As you see in the

System architecture CAN bus

all devices are connected with the CAN bus, which is centralized in the master CS 3+. Also the CS 2 slave is only attached to this bus, but there are no direct cabling from the S88 to the CS 2.

I am looking forward to hear about your experience, if you connect a S88 directly with the CS 2.

A schematic as I understand it

Hi David

It is a bit late and in German but here is a video about this.
Yes you need a 60123 cable nothing else.
You have to set the CS2 as a Slave and select all but one (layout) as in 1:00 into the video

Hope this helps
Cheers
Jean