Protocols; Digital Formats; Railcom - tams elektronik B-6 Manual

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2.4. Protocols

2.4.1. Digital formats

The Booster B-6 is multi-protocol capable, it can transmit data (via both the DCC compliant
and BiDiB interfaces) in the following formats:

DCC

Motorola I and II

m³ and mfx: The B-6 transmits control commands in m³ and mfx format, but no mfx
feedback.
DCC-A
The RailCom-based extension of the DCC format according to RailCommunity Norm RCN-218
enables the automatic registration of vehicle decoders with the central unit.
→ RailCommunity standard RCN 218 (at: www.railcommunity.de)
Currently (as of April 2023), the B-6 is not able to forward the automatic registrations of
vehicle decoders to the central unit, as the required standard defining the data transmission is
still in progress. In a later software version the Booster B-6 will support registrations via DCC-
A. The update will be available for download free of charge.

2.4.2. RailCom

RailCom cutout
The Booster B-6 can provide the so-called RailCom-Cutout, which enables the transmission of
feedback data in RailCom-monitored sections.
When using the B-6 with central units that send a DCC signal and are not RailCom-capable,
the RailCom-Cutout can lead to disturbances in the data transmission. Some older DCC vehicle
decoders and some current DCC decoder types (especially from US manufacturers), which are
not designed for use with RailCom, do not react correctly to run commands when RailCom
cutout is switched on. With non-RailCom-capable DCC sound decoders, the sound reproduction
can be disturbed.
Therefore, the B-6 offers the possibility to switch RailCom on or off (RailCom is switched on in
the delivery state).
In the case of pure Motorola central units, interference with data transmission through the
RailCom cutout is excluded due to the principle.
Integrated global RailCom detector
A global RailCom detector is integrated in the Booster B-6, which receives feedback from
decoders in channel 2. According to the RailCom standard, channel 2 is reserved for feedback
from decoders to whose address a DCC command was previously sent.
The RailCom feedback messages are forwarded by the B-6 via the BiDi data bus to RailCom
display devices or the PC.
→ Section 2.6 "Use with BiDiB"
Booster B-6
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