LCS extension cable

Use this. You have to call to get it.

PDI joiner  691-JOIN-B00

That's a newer version than I'd seen before - it has a additional power jack!

Jim Sandman posted:

That's a newer version than I'd seen before - it has a additional power jack!

Yep.  It allows for adding a power supply if needed.

Wow Marty!  I really can't wait until you have everything hooked up.  I'm counting on you to provide the "mother of all demos" about LCS and what it can do!  Thanks so much for being a pioneer and sharing your experience!!

I have 5 of those in the LCS system as signal amplifiers. They work great. With 47 LCS devices and 220' of interconnecting cable it took 5 to get the signal high enough at each LCS device along the cable run. Lionel does not make a wye splitter unfortunately.

I would say your layout use may be an exception. That’s a lot of wire and modules. 

Tom @AmFlyer do you have any videos of your layout?  Would you share any examples of how you're using LCS?  

Marty, the PDI cables have a lot of voltage drop per foot. When Lionel helped us get the system working they said at the time it was one of the largest LCS installations. Locating the LCS devices at the items they controlled saved A LOT of wiring but it added length to the PDI run. For amusement here is the LCS one line diagram.

Ted, I use the LCS to control every item on the layout, there are no physical controls. This includes turnouts, uncouplers, action cars, block power and lighting.

Ted, here are screen shots of four of the seven Mimic pages in LCS for control of my layout. This may help understanding of how it all fits together.

AMFlyer that is simply amazing.  I thought I was doing good with about 6-8 lcs devices...

Jim

Thanks Jim. I think the LCS and its full capabilities are under appreciated by many layout owners. I have the LCS on three iPads so anyone who comes into the train room can have their own iPad and their own Cab2 (or iPhone). The system accepts the last command entered and then updates the device status on all the iPads. Since there are three custom made Sensor tracks on the layout I am really glad to see Lionel including the IR sensors in the new S gauge Legacy engines.

I spent a lot of money on this system but I saved a lot of time and money not having to buy and wire manual controls and build physical mimic style control panels.

Yep, that's what I thought.  I can definitely see myself using this, or possibly JMRI (which I have to research further.)  Thank you so much for sharing!!

What power supply is used with this PDI joiner?

Here is how mine are powered.

Amazing. I love What you have done. 

This is awesome, makes me feel good about all the effort we put into developing the hardware and ipad app!

Thanks Rudy, I am glad you like it, I sure do! I cannot imagine operating this layout without the LCS. I still have some emails from you sent back in 2016 when you and Jon were helping Mel to get this system operating.

Tom,

Thanks for sharing.  I also use LCS on my layout, although not so exotic as your setup!  As a principal designer of the system, I am slightly biased; however I find it much easier to use than a wired up control panel.   The iPad becomes a portable wireless control panel, how can you not love that!

Q:  did you transfer the layout screens between iPads once they were created?

jon

NBGT posted:

What power supply is used with this PDI joiner?

I believe it is the same adapter as the one in the starter cable kit.   Hopefully it is available from Lionel in addition to the joiner board.

Jon, yes I did. After all the screens were created and checked on one iPad I just added them to the two additional iPads using the LCS app built in functionality. It is very simple to do. The three iPads with the LCS app are pretty much dedicated to the train layout. One is a13" iPad Pro with Apple Pencil. It is obviously my favorite. I do not have the the WiFi module connected to my home internet, it runs standalone. I have never had a reason to access the layout through the home internet.

For info here are pictures of the devices as installed. The first picture is one of the three prototypes Jon Zahornacky sent us back in 2016. To the left the 12VDC regulator is visible. The next picture is one of three new production amplifiers we received 6 months ago by calling Lionel. We used these for an expansion of the LCS adding more BPC-2’s.

Resurrecting an old related thread...

Anybody know why the LCS connector is no longer available per Lionel Support?  Base3 supports LCS cable connections with a trio of ports but large layouts are still going to have long runs.  Is this part being replaced by something better?

@LionelAG posted:

Resurrecting an old related thread...

Anybody know why the LCS connector is no longer available per Lionel Support?  Base3 supports LCS cable connections with a trio of ports but large layouts are still going to have long runs.  Is this part being replaced by something better?

Obviously only Lionel can say why, but it's possible they just ran out of them and have not stocked new ones yet.

From my last order- the terminator appears to be in stock, however, the bus joiner power entry does not.

Vernon, you are correct that only Lionel would know.   I was told by support when I contacted them to try to order and they said they were no longer available, not just out of stock.  I hope the support person I spoke with was misinformed.

I really hope its just "out of stock" but that's not the info I got.  I can certainly wait like everyone else for parts to arrive.

Anyone else been told that these are no longer available?  Also, if someone has one or two, I'd love to buy them from you.

Maybe time to warm up my PCB layout program.

John, there could be a market for another one of your custom devices. It depends on the future availability of the Joiners and the actual capabilities of the Base3.

The LCS power supply only outputs 1.0A., it has to power the WiFi unit, 300ma, and all other devices in the LCS. The ratings are ASC2 and BPC, 50ma. STM2, 35ma. Sensor tracks, 15ma.

With the Base3 the WiFi unit is not needed, it is internal to the base. If each of the three outputs are rated for 1.0A then the Base3 could power at least LCS 60 devices. I have not seen any ratings for the Base3 so far. Voltage drop can be the other problem but with less than 1A of load that would likely not be a problem with anything less than 60' of PDI cable connected to each output, assuming the LCS devices are distributed evenly along the 60' run.

The board looks to be a simple rig, just straight through with a tap to inject power up the line.

Do you have one of the Joiner @gunrunnerjohn ?  If not I'd loan you one to be sure.

Jim

I have a couple of the joiners Jim, I got them for my expansion of the IRV sensor tracks, I grabbed a bunch before they all disappeared from store shelves.