Welcome to the OpenRemise project, which aims to provide an open source DCC solution for operating your entire model railway layout. OpenRemise combines the ease of use of commercial systems with the dedication of a hobbyist project. This means that no electronics or soldering knowledge is required to set it up, the whole system is almost plug and play. After initial setup, all further operation is carried out conveniently via a web interface on e.g. your smartphone, tablet or PC.
"S3Main"
- Warning
- Please note that OpenRemise is under active development. For a full overview of already available and planned features, see the regularly updated Features section.
Features
- Available
Open source hard- & software
Both the hard- and the software are freely available under copyleft licenses. They do not contain any proprietary bits and everyone is free to use or modify it as they see fit.
🔌 Plug&Play
The entire system is almost plug and play. Only at the beginning does the firmware have to be flashed onto the board. A user-friendly tool for Windows and Linux is available specifically for this purpose. All further ongoing operation is possible via the Frontend in all common web browsers. Check out the demo to try it out.
DCC
DCC is the only track protocol supported, but in the most compatible yet still cutting edge way. Changes to the standards are adopted quickly while maintaining backwards compatibility.
Z21
The Z21 protocol became a kind of lingua franca for model railways thanks to its open documentation. For this reason, it is also fully supported by OpenRemise.
⎓ Adjustable current limits
4 adjustable current limits (0.5, 1.3, 2.7 and 4.1A) ensure operational safety. The lowest limit is also implicitly applied in service mode.
Decoder updates
All ZIMO MN-, MS- and MX mobile decoders can be updated.
🎵 Sound
All ZIMO MN-, MS- and MX mobile decoders can be loaded with sound (or general projects).
3rd party support
The WiFi and USB interfaces allow a variety of 3rd party support. For example, OpenRemise can be used with the following apps
-
Z21 App
The well-known Z21 app from ROCO is fully supported. Among other things, it allows you to control locomotives, create layouts and also program CVs.
-
JMRI
Probably needs no introduction. Every model railroader's favorite set of tools. Can do everything, maybe not very beginner-friendly.
-
ZCS
A CV programming tool specifically for ZIMO decoders.
-
Rocrail
Cross-platform software for controlling layouts.
-
ZIMO ZSP
The ZIMO Sound Programmer, used to create, preview and modify sound projects. It also supports updating decoders or loading sound via USB.
-
Z2X-Programmer
A relatively new programming tool that is still in its early stages, but already works very well.
-
... and probably many more
- Planned DCC
DCC support isn't complete yet. First of all, accessory commands are not yet implemented.
Decoder updates
tams elektronik has already provided information on their decoder update procedure. An implementation in the future is very likely.
SUSI
The hardware has a standard SUSI bus interface. It would be conceivable to allow SUSI modules to be configured or tested directly.
Bus systems
Sooner or later, a fully-fledged command station will need to be connected to existing bus systems in order to integrate handheld controllers or section modules. It is currently not clear which buses will be supported, but XPressNet, LocoNet, LCC and BiDiB would be possible. Feedback on this is welcome.
IPv6 support
Currently only IPv4 is supported, but IPv6 would be possible.
🇩🇪 German translation of the frontend
The Frontend is currently only available in English. As a native German speaker, this is a bit embarrassing...
- Not planned
Access point operation
OpenRemise is designed to be integrated into an existing network. Access point operation is not planned for the time being, but contributions would be accepted.
Other track protocols
Contributions are welcome, but I will certainly not implement any track protocol other than DCC.
Decoder updates
Doehler & Haass deserve an honorable mention here, as although they were keen to help with the implementation, but their update procedure cannot be implemented so easily due to technical limitations of the OpenRemise hardware.
Analog operation
Over my dead body.
Motivation
- Todo
- Compare OpenRemise to other open source projects like DCC-EX or Z21PG.
