Connecting Z21 Start to Booster

[Calnefoxile]

Dear Hive Mind,

 

Is there any way of connecting a Z21 Start (White) to an NCE Booster?? Is there a special cable required to utilise the B-Bus between the Roco Product & NCE Product??

 

I only ask because we tried to connect up the Z21 Start to the NCE Booster via the B-Bus sockets with a straight through 4-wire cable and the Booster is not seeing a signal from the Z21, when we connect the NCE booster to another NCE Product with the same cable everything is tickety-boo, which suggests the Z21 has an issue with the B-Bus socket or a different 4-wire cable is required, i.e. a cross-over of some sort??

 

Any clues??

 

Cheers

 

Neal.

[WIMorrison]

B-Bus is not a standardised connection and different manufacturers implement it differently. There are converters available from Roco to allow connection from B-Bus to other systems such as Massoth and older LDT boosters. I also know that the Roco B-Bus works with other European boosters, such as Digikeijs DR5033 or the YaMoRC YD7403.

 

Your other option may be to write to Roco and NCE to find out what the pinouts are for their B-Bus implementations and then create a specific cable.

 

[Ron Ron Ron]

There is a NMRA standard for Command Station outputs to external Boosters (Power Station in Lenz and NMRA speak).

That is the  “Power Station Interface”, the output of which is a “ Control Bus”.

The usual indication is connections labelled as C, D, E.

However it isn’t mandatory and some manufacturers use their own arrangements for either direct connection to Boosters, or routing the signal via their cab/ data network (e.g. LocoNet or ECoSlink).

The other option is to use Boosters that read the DCC signals off the track (Power Bus) output from the DCC system’s built in, primary Booster and use it to generate their own track (Power Bus) output.

 

Sorry that doesn’t answer your specific enquiry.

I’ve no idea about the z21 and NCE booster connections.

 

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Edited April 5 by Ron Ron Ron

[WIMorrison]

@Ron Ron Ron Unfortunately a z21 doesn't have a CDE connection which is why I didn't mention it , and I don't know if NCE does. 

[Calnefoxile]

Thanks all for the information. I decided to go with @WIMorrison advice and ordered a YaMoRC YD7403, not quite the power output of the NCE Booster, which is 5A, but at 3.5A it should be sufficient to keep a few sound fitted locos ticking over.

 

Thanks

 

Neal.

[Ron Ron Ron]

4 hours ago, WIMorrison said:

@Ron Ron Ron Unfortunately a z21 doesn't have a CDE connection which is why I didn't mention it , and I don't know if NCE does. 

 

I see that Roco list a B-Bus to CDE Booster adapter

Cat no. 10789

 

https://www.coastaldcc.co.uk/products/roco/z21-booster-adapter
 

https://www.z21.eu/en/products/z21/connections-z21/1246:793:1354:image:child:image

 

 

.
 

[Calnefoxile]

Ok so I received the YaMoRC Booster and connected it all up, but I don;t seem to be getting any signal from the B-Bus from the Z21.

 

I've got an RJ11 cable from a telephone which is a straight through cable, is this correct or is there a specific B-Bus cable needed??

 

Cheers

 

Neal.

[WIMorrison]

IRRC ideally you need a 4p4c connector at each end with pins 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 but you may be able to use a 6p4c connector using the centre 4 connections.

 

 

[GrumpyPenguin]

On 05/04/2024 at 17:55, Ron Ron Ron said:

 

I see that Roco list a B-Bus to CDE Booster adapter

Cat no. 10789

 

https://www.coastaldcc.co.uk/products/roco/z21-booster-adapter
 

https://www.z21.eu/en/products/z21/connections-z21/1246:793:1354:image:child:image

 

 

.
 

I use a Roco 10789 that connects to a couple of Lenz boosters and that works fine. (Z21 Black).