Lenz DIGITAL plus LC100 User manual

LC100 XpressNET Converter 1
DIGITAL plus
The XpressNET DCC Converter LC100
connects input devices from other
manufacturer's NMRA DCC systems
with any XpressNET based system.
This allows reuse or expansion of
other systems with DIGITAL plus.
Any devices that send the standard
NMRA DCC format to the track can be
connected to the LC100.
LC100
XpressNET DCC Converter
Art. No. 24100
Revised 4/00
Submitted to the NMRA for
C&I testing

2LC100 XpressNET Converter
The function of the LC100 XpressNET
DCC Converter
The LC100 "listens" to the track output of the other digital system.
DCC commands that would normally be send over the track to
your engines and turnouts are instead sent to the LC100. The
LC100 looks for changes in the data received, and sends those to
the command station that is conected to the XpressNET. The
communication is strictly one way, no information can be send
back to the 'foreign' digital system.
The advantage of this set up is that you can use any input device
as a Cab on your XpressNET based system as long as it uses the
standardized NMRA DCC track signal.
For example, you will be able to use a dispatchers panel built from
switchboards to set your turnouts, or you could set complex
routings through the interface.
XpressNET-address
The LC100 is fixed to the XpressNET-address 30. Therefore, no
other device connected to the XpressNET can use the same
address. You might have to change the address on your LH100 or
LH200 Handheld, your Tower Cab (LW100) or on the Computer
Interface (LI100). The procedure is described in the appropriate
manuals.
If you need to use 2 LC100 units, they have to be programmed to
different addresses. Please contact LENZ for further advice.

LC100 XpressNET Converter 3
DIGITAL plus
Connecting the LC100 to a "foreign" DCC System
The connections to the LC100 are always according to the same
principle, independent of the other digital device:
The terminals that connect the other digital system to the tracks
is connected to the screw terminals labeled "Gleisanschluß
central unit=" on the LC100, as illistrated in figures 1 and 2.
Please switch off the supply voltage to the digital system before
connecting to the LC100. (Disconnect the power lines from the
wall plug)!
Connecting the LC100 to XpressNET
The terminal connecting the LC100 to the XpressNET is located
on the right hand side of the unit. Please connect the four poles
(L, M, A, B) on this screw terminal with the identical terminals on
the Command Station LZ100 or LA152, or using an XpressNET
XpressNET port on your system
The connection does not need to be directly to the Command
Station, but can be done at any point on the XpressNET, for
example at a connector plate LA150/151. As always, when wiring
an XpressNET extension, the cables L and M and the cables A
and B have to be laid out as a twisted pair.
Now you can reconnect the supply voltage to your XpressNET
based system and also to the other digital system.

4LC100 XpressNET Converter
Using ROCO and LGB Digital
Figure 1 Connecting the LC100 to a ROCO "Digital is Cool"
or LGB "Multi Train Control" DCC System
Controlling locomotives
The locomotives using the addresses 1 to 8 can be moved as
usual with the 'loco mouse'. If the desired locomotive is not
selected by another 'loco mouse', you will have immediate
command over the selected locomotive. This might result in
sudden changes in speed and direction of travel.
If you select an address that is already selected on a LH100
Handheld, the display on this Handheld will start to blink.
You can control the locomotives at addresses 1 to 8 from the 'loco
mouse'.
Please select the modus '8 Digitalloks' on the LGB central unit,
since the information for a conventional engine cannot be send
from the LC100 to the LZ100.
If you want to control a locomotive with an address higher than 8,
you can consist this locomotive to an address between 1 and 8
and then control it from the LGB or ROCO system.

LC100 XpressNET Converter 5
DIGITAL plus
Emergency Stop
Triggering an emergency stop on the 'loco mouse' leads to a shut
down of track voltage on the connected DIGITAL plus System. The
LED's on the 'loco mouse' will start to blink, and a message is
posted on the Handheld LH100.
Pressing the emergency stop on the 'loco mouse' again will
release the 'Emergency Stop' condition.
Information about an emergency stop triggered from the DIGITAL
plus system, a short circuit on the layout or too high a power draw
is not send to the 'loco mouse', therefore the LED's will not start to
blink.
Using Arnold and Märklin Digital=
Figure 2 Connecting the Arnold or Marklin Digital=
system to the LC100
Controlling locomotives
As usual, the desired locomotive address is entered on the control
80(f). Control of the engine is transferred immediately, therefore
the speed and direction information is send instantaneously to the
engine. This may lead to sudden changes

6LC100 XpressNET Converter
in speed and direction, as the settings for speed and direction are
stored in the central unit=. A change in direction on a LH100
Handheld is not send to the central unit=. Similarly, none of the
auxiliary function settings are send from the LH100 Handheld to
the central unit=. Therefore, the headlights on an engine might
shut off when the engine is called up from the control 80(f).
If desired unit is already under control of another control 80(f), the
display panel will be blinking. There is no information send to a
control 80(f) if the locomotive address is already dialed in on a
Handheld LH100. Instead, the display on the LH100 Handheld
starts blinking.
A control 80 can control locomotive addresses from 01 to 80, a
control 80(f) from 01 to 99.
Please use the mode "analog off", since control information for a
conventional engine cannot be transferred from the LC100 to the
LZ100.
Setting turnouts:
Turnouts are set as usual either by pressing the push button on
the keyboard or, for a route, on the memory unit. The LED on the
keyboard is switched on or off, but the indication might not be the
same as the real setting of the turnout. The turnout might have
been set from a DIGITAL plus Handheld or the LW100, and this
information is not fed back to the central unit=.
STOP and GO:
Pressing the red control button on the control 80(f) switches off the
power to the entire layout, and the red LED on the central unit
goes off. This is equivalent to the emergency off "NOTAUS" or off
"AUS" states in the DIGITAL plus system. This modus will be
indicated on the LH100 Handheld (depending on the software
revision of the Handheld as "NOTAUS' or "AUS").
Pressing the "GO" button switches the power back on, and the
indication is erased from the Handheld. The emergency off
condition can also be annulled from the Handheld LH100 (see the
manual for the LH100).

LC100 XpressNET Converter 7
DIGITAL plus
The central unit= will not know if a NOTAUS or NOTHALT is
triggered in the DIGITAL plus system. The LED on the central
unit= stays on. If you want to remove the emergency condition
from the control 80(f), you have to press first the 'stop' and then
the 'go' button on the control 80(f).
Connecting the LC100 to other NMRA
DCC systems
The LC100 can be used to connect any NMRA DCC system to the
DIGITAL plus XpressNET. Simply connect the track output of the
remote DCC system to the input for the LC100 as shown in figures
1 and 2.
One word of caution. The LC100 currently can only translate
speed and direction commands, function commands, and switch
machine commands. It can not translate programming commands
or advanced commands such as consist setup, or 128 speed step
commands.
NMRA DCC Commands Supported
The following NMRA DCC commands are currently supported by
the LC100.
Locomotive Addresses 1-99
14 Speed Step Speed and
Direction Commands 14 speed step on of "foreign" system will be converted to the
current locomotive speed step
setting on the XpressNet
system
Function Group 1 1-4
Accessory Addresses 1-64
Emergency Stop If the "foreign" system stops
sending packets the LC100 will
consider this an emergency
stop indication.

8LC100 XpressNET Converter
Warranty
Lenz GmbH does everything it can do to ensure that its products are free from
defects and will operate for the life of your model railroad equipment. From time
to time even the best-engineered products fail either due to a faulty part or from
accidental mistakes in installation. To protect your investment in Digital Plus
products. Lenz GmbH offers a very aggressive 10 year Limited Warranty.
This warranty is not valid if the user has altered, intentionally misused the Digital
Plus product, or removed the product's protection, for example the heat shrink
from decoders and other devices. In this case a service charge will be applied for all
repairs or replacements. Should the user desire to alter a Digital Plus Product, they
should contact Lenz GmbH for prior authorization.
Year One:A full repair or replacement will be provided to the original purchaser
for any item that that has failed due to manufacturer defects or failures caused by
accidental user installation problems. Should the item no longer be produced and
the item is not repairable, a similar item will be substituted at the manufacturers
discretion. The user must pay for shipping to an authorized Lenz GmbH warranty
center.
Year 2 and 3:A full replacement for any item will be provided that has failed due
to manufacturer defects. If accidental user installation or use caused the failure, a
minimal service charge may be imposed. Should the item no longer be produced
and the item is not repairable, a similar item will be substituted at the
manufacturers discretion. The user must pay shipping to and from the authorized
Lenz GmbH warranty center during this portion of the warranty period.
Year 4-10:A minimal service charge will be placed on each item that has failed
due to manufacturer defects and/or accidental user installation problems. Should
the item no longer be produced and the item is not repairable, a similar item will be
substituted at the manufacturers discretion. The user must pay shipping to and
from the authorized Lenz GmbH warranty center during this portion of the
warranty period.
Please contact your dealer or authorized Lenz GmbH warranty center for
specific instructions and current service charges prior to returning any
equipment for repair
Hüttenbergstraße 29
35398 Gießen, Germany
Hotline: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
http://www.lenz.com
Lenz Agency of North America
PO Box 143
Chelmsford, MA 01824
Phone: [phone]
Fax: 978 455 LENZ
[email protected]
This equipment complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference,
and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
Please save this manual for future reference!
© 2000 Lenz GmbH, All Rights Reserved