OpenLCB™
Development Documentation IndexOpenLCB™
Development Documentation IndexThis is the head page of the OpenLCB documentation web.
If you are a novice, or just want a simple user-view, without technical detail, see the "First Look" page, or the“Brochure”.
If you want a more in depth summary, with some technical detail, see the General Description.
If you want to know how OpenLCB fits in with your layout, see the Use Cases.
If you're interested in the gory technical details, see the Technical Introduction and read on below.
The information on the rest of this page is being migrated to new documents on the“OpenLCB Standards and Technical Notes” page. You should look there first for information, only coming back here for information on things we haven't formalized yet.
Use Cases and Typical Equipment (This has become an NMRA draft document on another page)
Common Communications Protocol
(including node IDs)
Globally assigned ranges (spreadsheet) (pdf)
Additional Communications Protocols
Additional Functional Protocols
Configuration Description Information format for information about how to configure a node.
Abbreviated Default Configuration Description Information for quick reads of a small amount of information from a node
Teach/Learn Configuration Protocol for self-contained configuration of producer/consumer nodes.
Early proposal for a general-purpose Reservation Protocol.
NMRA 2010 Convention Demo Notes and Diagrams
Examples:
CAN-TCP-CAN-TCP example - worked example of routing discovery across several links
There was some discussion of a “common CAN physical layer”, e.g. a common hardware platform, at the NMRA 2010 meeting and after. Although this effort eventually failed, it may have been revived at the NMRA 2011 meeting. For more information, see our page on OpenLCB proposals to the NMRA.
On Node ID Alias Size – a note on the issues underlying the decision to have N bits in a Node ID alias
Note on the statistics of Node ID alias collisions
Some notes on MTI assignment, priority and how code handles things
Binary serial links include several types.
(see preliminary Role of Ethernet note below)
Non-normative notes containing background information on decisions, etc.
(Not yet complete) Note on writing the XML for “Configuration Definition Information” (CDI)
Numerology - discussion of reasoning behind decisions on field sizes
Routing - development of routing protocol.
LocoNet Connections - how to map and connect OpenLCB to Loconet
External Connections - how to map and connect OpenLCB to external systems like DCC, XPressNet, etc
Use With DCC - discussion of adapters between OpenLCB and DCC controls
Signaling - discussion of using OpenLCB for layout train signals
Control Points – initial discussion of using OpenLCB to model North American signaling “control points”
Discovery of Topology - discussion of how to discover the module connections in a large modular layout, and what to do with that information
Earlier Locomotive Control and later Train Control notes – looking into how to eventually implement locomotive control (throttles) over OpenLCB
RFID Usage – looking into how to transfer RFID information over OpenLCB
Ident Method – development of a method for identifying a specific node to configuration tools via some user interaction.
Display Protocol – lightweight protocol for driving simple displays e.g. on throttle nodes or placed around a layout.
Role of Ethernet – role of direct (not via IP) Ethernet connectivity
On Software Structure – Some discussion of how various structures for computer programs work with OpenLCB
On Using Producer/Consumer Events– Discussion of how Producer/Consumer Events can be used on a model railroad.
On Layout ID – discussion of the need for a unique “Layout ID” string
Logging – a proposal for a common error logging and retrieval technique
Bootloader – a proposal for a common node bootloader technique
Wireless – discussion of protocol issues when communicating over weak wireless links
Non-normative examples of using the proposed protocols.
Blue/Gold Configuration Protocol for self-contained configuration of producer/consumer nodes.
Examples of use by modular clubs and discussion
Start of Day operations for managing layout state.
OSI model layers - discussion of how OpenLCB maps to the OSI networking model.
Node Management - examples of various forms of network management.
CAN-TCP-CAN-TCP example - example of routing access across several links and CAN segments
Segment Startup - calculation of traffic during the startup of a CAN segment
Crossing Gate example – how a model railroader can first encounter OpenLCB when building a crossing gate
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