CBUS - A universal layout control system
CBUS is the product MERG (the Model Electronic Railway Group*). CBUS has gone through many stages of evolution and refinement including some major changes in direction, but MERG are now at version 4 and feel it is sufficiently developed to formally introduce the scheme, not just for MERG members but the world at large.
It was to develop a system for comprehensive layout control based on a general purpose Layout Control Bus (LCB). The fundamental tenet was that of ‘simplicity’ without sacrificing ‘universality’– a difficult juggling trick. It had to be affordable and easy to install and set up by non-technical users. It also had to cover the range from small, simple home layouts to the largest and most complex club layout imaginable.
So what are the functions of a layout control system. You can divide these into two basic categories.
1
Control of devices (outputs)
2
Detection of ‘states’ (inputs)
Examples of (1) are changing turnouts (points), signals, power to block sections, turntables, level crossing gates, layout lighting, setting routes, controlling the speed and direction of locomotives (by DCC or analogue DC) and any other electrical or electro-mechanical devices that may be on a layout.
Examples of (2) are control panel switches, block occupancy detectors, bar code or RFID readers, turnout direction sensors, turntable position and track detectors.
At the basic level, we wanted our system to both look and operate like a conventional ‘hard wired’ system having a control panel with switches to operate turnouts and simple route setting.
It also had to allow use as a ‘CAB bus’ for DCC systems so handsets (CABs) could be connected to a DCC command station using the same wiring. At the other extreme, it had to allow full computer control, using multiple computers if necessary, and a fully automated layout with many thousands of inputs and outputs.
Want more information? Please ask Dave or Dennis.
www.merg.co.uk
CBUS is the product MERG (the Model Electronic Railway Group*). CBUS has gone through many stages of evolution and refinement including some major changes in direction, but MERG are now at version 4 and feel it is sufficiently developed to formally introduce the scheme, not just for MERG members but the world at large.
It was to develop a system for comprehensive layout control based on a general purpose Layout Control Bus (LCB). The fundamental tenet was that of ‘simplicity’ without sacrificing ‘universality’– a difficult juggling trick. It had to be affordable and easy to install and set up by non-technical users. It also had to cover the range from small, simple home layouts to the largest and most complex club layout imaginable.
So what are the functions of a layout control system. You can divide these into two basic categories.
1
Control of devices (outputs)
2
Detection of ‘states’ (inputs)
Examples of (1) are changing turnouts (points), signals, power to block sections, turntables, level crossing gates, layout lighting, setting routes, controlling the speed and direction of locomotives (by DCC or analogue DC) and any other electrical or electro-mechanical devices that may be on a layout.
Examples of (2) are control panel switches, block occupancy detectors, bar code or RFID readers, turnout direction sensors, turntable position and track detectors.
At the basic level, we wanted our system to both look and operate like a conventional ‘hard wired’ system having a control panel with switches to operate turnouts and simple route setting.
It also had to allow use as a ‘CAB bus’ for DCC systems so handsets (CABs) could be connected to a DCC command station using the same wiring. At the other extreme, it had to allow full computer control, using multiple computers if necessary, and a fully automated layout with many thousands of inputs and outputs.
Want more information? Please ask Dave or Dennis.
www.merg.co.uk