[Feature Request]: Wireless DCC communication Battery driven Locs (gardenrailway)

[TjerkBerg]

Problem/idea statement

The basic idea is to use DCC-EX to run a gardenrailway with batterypower instead of trackpower. The idea is to install a motorshield in the loco. The battery will power it and the motorschield is directly connected to the DCC module of the train. A recieving wifi module is connected to the data input of the powershield in the loco.

DCC-EX will runn on it's Arduino and the data output is connected to the transmitting wifi module instead of a motorshield.

A schemactic view is attached.

Depending on the track layout the wifi modules can directly communicatie (max 6 I red). If it is to large, a wifi network must be used.

I am curious about the possibilities to support this and realize it!

Alternatives or workarounds

I don't use it yet. It is a new start.

Additional context

No response

[habazut]

On the receiver: You can not directly connect a wifi module to a motor shield as you need some CPU to convert the data packets on Wifi to a data stream for the motor shield.

On the sender: Today there is no functionality which converts DCC bytes to Wifi packets.

What you can however do already today is to put the CS into the loco and then each loco is like a layout with one loco available. I have done that as a quick "hack":
https://www.stacken.kth.se/~haba/slamra/dcc/ex/locodrive/index.html

Harald.

[darrelllamm0]

Hi, I have a "battery power, radio control" or "dead-rail" solution using a WiFi-equipped EX-CommandStation. See my webpage https://oscaledeadrail.com/a-low-cost-wifi-equipped-dcc-base-station-for-the-prominiair-transmitter/ for details. I donate part of the sale of the transmitter to DCC-ex. The transmitter cost, including the WiFI-equipped EX-CommandStation, is modest. The receivers are also inexpensive. You can see my offerings on eBay by searching for "ProMiniAir." You can even change CVs wirelessly using Program on the Main (PoM) or Service Mode programming.