The S3Main is the first command station of the OpenRemise project, which aims to provide an open source DCC solution for operating your entire model railway layout. Although the project is still in an early stage, it already contains some features that are a novelty, such as firmware and sound updates of decoders or an integrated web interface.
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:
Z21App
JMRI
ZCS
Rocrail
ZIMO ZSP
Z2X-Programmer
... and probably many more
Further information such as tutorials, demos or an FAQ can be found on the project homepage at www.openremise.at.
