DIGITAL Plus LZ100 NMRA DCC Command Station

DIGITAL plus LZ100 Command Station

lz100.gif (11485 bytes) The core of the DIGITAL plus professional grade systems is the Command Station LZ100. It coordinates the input devices (Hand Held Controller LH100, LH200, LW100,etc.) and is also responsible for generating the NMRA DCC signal and general data processing. Information is exchanged between Command Station and input devices via a 4-wire cable, XpressNET. The Command Station generates the control signals which are fed to one or more Power Stations (boosters) , which combines them with the necessary power and sends them to locomotive and accessory decoders.

The Command Station has no boosted output to connect to tracks. Accordingly it only needs a small transformer (15VA), which could be one you already have from a starter set. If you use a more powerful transformer, you can connect the Command Station and the Power Station to the same transformer. Please note however that a minimum of 13 volts AC or 16 volts DC is necessary to power the LZ100. If you are using a full complement of 30 XpressNET devices, the input power should be raised to a minimum of 30 VA.

To get started with DIGITAL plus, you will also need: a hand held controller ( LH100, or LH200 ); a power station ( LV101, LV200 or other power station from a different manufacturer); a locomotive equipped with a DIGITAL plus locomotive decoder or with another NMRA DCC compatible locomotive decoder; and a transformer providing 13-16 volt AC and 15VA output.

Version 3 of the LZ100 has been tested by the NMRA for conformance to its DCC Standards and Recommended Practices and has earned an NMRA conformance warrant.

Please select from the following

Connecting the LZ100
Data transfer between Command Station and input devices
LZ100 Command Station Manual in PDF Format
Version 3 Update

Connecting the LZ100

The DIGITAL plus units have removable multi-pin connectors with screw terminals, to make connecting wires easy. Wire Command Station LZ100 and Power Station LV101 together as shown below.

The DIGITAL plus Command Station LZ100 is connected to the AC output of the transformer with 2 wires at terminals U and V. If you use the digital transformers 6002 (Märklin) or 86002 (Arnold), you use their yellow and brown terminals.

Terminals J and K on the Power Station are for the connection to the track.

Plug the connector of the Hand Held Controller LH100 into the round 5-pin DIN terminal on the back of LZ100, marked XpressNET.
Connect the programming track to terminals P and Q. This track must be completely isolated from the rest of the layout.

At terminals C and D the data signal needed by the Power Station is available. These terminals are connected with the corresponding terminals on the Power Station with a twisted pair wire. You can easily make a twisted pair wire from two normal single wires that you twist together.

If terminal E on the Command Station is connected to terminal E on the Power Station, the Power Station is able to provide feedback about overloads. The Command Station will then turn off all other Power Stations and send the corresponding information to Hand Held Controllers and other input devices.

At terminals R and S the feedback bus is connected. Via this wire, which also must be a twisted pair, the Command Station asks for the state of for example turnouts or track occupancy detectors. For this purpose, feedback units are connected to this (Accessory Decoder with Feedback LS100 or Feedback Encoder LR100). For more details on connecting these units, please refer to the respective manuals.

If the Command Station is correctly installed and wired, and the supply power of the transformer switched on, the LED on the front of the Command Station lights up. If the LED flashes after the power up, then there is a wiring problem on XpressNET.

Data transfer between Command Station and input devices

The connecting wires from Command Station LZ100 to the input units, for instance Hand Held Controller LH100, or the Interface, are referred to as XpressNET.

Via this bus the Command Station and connected devices exchange information. A maximum of 30 devices are allowed on XpressNET. Each of the connected units has its own address, so that data exchange is problem-free. The protocol for XpressNET is in the public domain.

Directions for how to change the address of Hand Held Controller LH100 or another input device on XpressNET are found in the corresponding manuals.

XpressNET can be connected to the Command Station via either a 5-pin DIN connector or terminals L, M, A and B. You can connect the first Hand Held Controller directly to the 5-pin DIN connector on Command Station LZ100.

If you want to connect additional Hand Held Controller LH100 (or other input devices) to Command Station LZ100, then you use terminals L, M, A and B. Via the wires at terminals A and B, the units exchange data with the Command Station. Via the wires at terminals L (plus) and M (minus) the units are supplied with power.

From these terminals you run wires (XpressNET ) to the connecting panels. You can also solder the wires yourself to a female 5-pin DIN connector. These connectors are readily available in electronics stores.