Model trains and scenery heavily depend on electronics. In this section, information about electronics and configurations can be found.
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Train layout lighting with Home Assistant + ESPHome
Lighting plays an important role in the appearance of the model. Controlling it using Arduino and relays is possible, but once you want to configure colors and brightness, the complexity increases. Home Assistant (HA) already supports many devices and allows you to manage scenes: WiFi/ZigBee bulbs, switches, and ESPHome. The final result is that from…
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Z21 + DCC-EX and iTrain (low-cost signal control 0.7€/output)
This post explains how to increase the number of controllable signals of a model railway from iTrain in an economical way, with an approximate cost of 0.7€/output using DCC-EX. I control the locomotives and turnouts with the ROCO Z21 application or from iTrain. The problem is that to control traffic signals and building lights to…
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DIY Programming on siding track with Z21 Starter
I sometimes want to program CV to one locomotive without the need to remove other locomotives from the track (POM). To avoid this, added a siding with a DPDS connected to the Z21 white. This allows to bring a loco to the siding, change the switch, program the loco and after changing the switch again…