Railstars

We’re Moving!

D.E. Goodman-Wilson — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:54:12 +0000

Just a quick note to let our loyal readers know that we are still alive! Non-Railstars-related things have been keeping us busy lately, including a pending move to San Francisco. Very excited!

DCCTrain Review of RAILbooster, pt. 2

D.E. Goodman-Wilson — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:56:46 +0000

Another video from Alex K of DCCTrain (a Railstars Authorized Dealer). This video is a great demonstration of RAILbooster’s superior short-circuit detection system.

Latest Aegaeon Prototype Boards In

D.E. Goodman-Wilson — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:56:13 +0000

Just received what is hopefully the last round of PCBs for the Aegaeon prototypes.

Yeah, these are going to be a challenge to assemble by hand. Click for a larger image.

RAILbooster in use

D.E. Goodman-Wilson — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:58:49 +0000

Alex K of DCCTrain (a Railstars Authorized Dealer) has posted the first of a series of videos showing how to use RAILbooster to divide his incredible Pennsy layout into power districts.

Product Updates

D.E. Goodman-Wilson — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 22:59:29 +0000

Just to keep my regular readers abreast of current happenings. First, the Aegaeon decoder firmware is very nearly complete. I hope to begin taking preorders for production in about a month, pending the remainder of the hardware testing. Io:turnout has been on the back burner, but is being moved forward as the Aegaeon project comes to a close. And, work on the necessary OpenLCB/NMRAnet protocols for the Northern Star digital command station continue, but this is a slow process, and so I am not entirely sure when we will be able to release this product yet.

NMRAnet in the Media

D.E. Goodman-Wilson — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 22:27:25 +0000

This month sees NMRAnet in the media in a couple of places. First of all, The Model Railway Show has an interview with our own Don Goodman-Wilson about NMRAnet. Second, Don Goodman-Wilson has an article in the Novementer NMRA Magazine, which should be arriving in your mailbox (if you are an NMRA member, anyway) any day now.

Online Store Once Again Fully Functional

D.E. Goodman-Wilson — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:44:42 +0000

If you tried to purchase from the Railstars Store recently, and found that the only payment options were check and money-order, we have fixed the issue. You may once again pay securely online with PayPal or credit cards.

NMRAnet Intro Clinic 2012

D.E. Goodman-Wilson — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 00:01:08 +0000

In this clinic, we provide a beginner’s view of how the new NMRAnet S-9.7 works, and how it can be deployed on your layout. We will offer a demonstration of the capabilities of NMRAnet hardware, and how to use it.

This talk was originally given at the NMRA 2012 National Convention in Grand Rapids MI, on 31 July 2012

When you’re done, watch the NMRAnet Demonstration Layout in action here.

NMRAnet Advanced Clinic 2012

D.E. Goodman-Wilson — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 22:18:09 +0000

Interested in learning about the nuts and bolts of OpenLCB / NMRAnet? Thinking about making your own hardware? In this clinic, we explore the workings of OpenLCB / NMRAnet at a low level, providing the foundation for designing your own hardware and software. Topics include: the OpenLCB stack; using CAN for transport; basic OpenLCB messages and protocols; designing higher- level protocols; best practices for hardware and software design.

This talk was originally given at the NMRA 2012 National Convention in Grand Rapids MI, on 1 August 2012

NMRAnet Officially a “Thing”

D.E. Goodman-Wilson — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 22:02:17 +0000

Last night the NMRA board of directors voted to adopt S-9.7.1 and TN-9.7.1, the first components of NMRAnet. Welcome to the future of model railroading! Keep up to date with news and progress on the official NMRAnet website.

Railstars would like to thank everyone who has worked so hard on the OpenLCB and NMRAnet groups, and of course the NMRA Board of Directors, especially Stephen Priest for calling a last minute board meeting to vote on the subject.