# What is DCC?



## deboardfam (Oct 8, 2010)

I was hoping to find a sticky in here with a general description as to not show my complete lack of knowledge on this hobby, but hey wont know if you dont ask and learning is the point of the forum right.

I understand the idea that DCC is just basically a controller that is customizable. Where can I find some general info on DCC and product descriptions etc?


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## TapRoot (Oct 3, 2010)

Hey deboardfam! Im so new to the DCC I stil havent bought a system yet, but the last week has been a reasearch nightmare...Ill try to post some more links as I remember them (I never saved the links...dunno why) 

anyways tons of great people here to help just be patient

http://www.dccwiki.com/Main_Page

http://www.wiringfordcc.com/wirefordcc_toc.htm

http://www.nmra.com/beginner/dccbeginners.html


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

DBF,

This is one of the best descriptions on how DCC works that I've seen:

http://www.loystoys.com/info/how-dcc-works.html

Basically, a series of power pulses that get interpreted via the decoder chip onboard each loco, much like the funny bar-code things that are stuck on a package of something you buy at the store. The spacing of the pulses dictates whether the message is inteded for any given loco, along with the specific instructions intended for that loco (increase speed, etc.)

Good luck,

TJ


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## Bman (Aug 24, 2010)

deboardfam, I don't know if it will help you but I did make a video for Taproot on the first steps of programming a decoder in a loco using the Digitrax Zephyr DDC starter set. The link is located in the thread titled "Some inside info needed" here in the DCC Forum

Just don't laugh at me!!!! I promise I'm not going to Hollywood anytime soon.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

No laughs from the peanut gallery. I watched ... GREAT video!

TJ


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## deboardfam (Oct 8, 2010)

Wow, thanks for the info guys. I will definately dig deeper and watch that video when I get home from work. 

In short, you can control locos seperately. So if I want loco A to pull off to the side while loco B passes it going at a higher rate of speed it is all possible with DCC. That is awesome.


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