In our October 2015 issue, I introduced you to three of the more sophisticated digital control systems designed for model railroading. Included in this discussion was the Roco/Fleischmann Z21, the ESU (Electronic Solutions Ulm Gmbh & Co.) ECoS (Electronic Command Station) II and the Marklin Central Station 2.
This month I will explore in more depth, the Z21. The Z21 comes in two versions; the black cased Z21 and the white case small z21. According to the Roco website, “The z21 for beginners has the same features as the Z21 for experts with only a few smaller connection and configuration limitations”. As I only have a Z21, I cannot confirm this but I am aware that there is no LocoNet, Sniffer-Bus, or programming track ports on the z21.The z21 is most often found in Roco and Fleischmann starter sets along with a train and some track. Reynauld's in Elburn, IL lists a Roco starter set with an HO electric loco, 4 freight wagons, an oval of track, and a z21 for $340. Somewhat cheaper than the Z21 alone at $419.
The Z21 digital center has ports on the rear for power in from the provided power converter, main track, programming track, sniffer bus, booster bus, LocoNet, Feedback bus, X-bus, local network, and CAN-bus. The CAN-bus or controller area network protocol is designed to allow micro controllers and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer. CAN-bus is most commonly used in automotive electronics. There are 2 additional X-bus ports on the front panel. Included with the Z21 is a WLAN router and power supply. Mine is a TP-LINK 300Mbps model TL-WR841N. These go for around $20 on ebay. Not important here, but as this router will also work with the ESU ECoSII or the Marklin CS2, keep that in mind.
Setting up the system right out the box is fairly straightforward. First you need to configure the router. Included in the package is a CD with a Windows based setup wizard. Since I’m a Mac OS user, I needed to go to the web based setup. You connect the router to the internet, open your browser to the tplink login, configure a name and password for your network and save your settings. The next step is to download and install the appropriate free smartphone or tablet app. The Z21 supports iOS or Android devices. For me that means going to the Apple App store on both my phone and iPad, finding the free Z21 app and installing it. The phone app and the tablet app are a little different. The tablet app is required to download and install various cab control views and to process the video from special camera equipped locos. The phone app has some limitations due to the small screen size. Here is the main start up page on the tablet app:
Before you can run any trolleys or locos, you need to power up the Z21 Black box, connect it to the main track, connect the Z21 to the router with the supplied CAT5 cable, connect your tablet to the WiFi network you just set up, open the Z21 app on your tablet, select the App settings, connect to the IP address of your Z21. Now you can select the rail vehicle settings. This is where you add and configure a new loco to your available stock of motive power. Just type in the required parameters such as name, address, type of decoder (DCC or Motorola), max speed, and add a picture icon. This app allows you to use a pre-existing file on your device or use the camera to take a picture on the spot. With a little practice you can get just what you want. (I really like this feature) The library of locos supports an unlimited number of entries. This screen also allows for configuration of any functions that may be available in the decoder. You can set up which function does what and test their operation if the loco is on the track. One thing about the Z21 system is that your loco settings are saved and contained in your mobile device, not in the digital center. This allows you to add and change loco settings off-line without the layout up and running. Here is a photograph of the loco setup page:
Should you wish to transfer your complete set of rail vehicle and track control settings to another device (such as to a friends phone so he can run your trains), you can export your layout via WiFi to his device. This is also useful to create a back-up in case your mobile device undergoes some sort of calamity. In order to run your loco, you switch to the steering board. Scroll through your locos to find the one in question. Select it and a panel of functions will appear next to the throttle. Swipe up the scale to move the loco. Activate the various functions as the situation requires. To configure an MU operation, you first establish a table of traction settings for each loco. This is accomplished by basically timing how long it takes a loco to cover a set distance at different speeds, then the Z21 uses this information to adjust the loco speeds to a common value. The more information you give the Z21, the smoother they will run together. In addition, you can toggle the track control panel. Decoder equipped switch machines can be configured and displayed on a graphic of your layout. Here again, you can use the camera in your device to capture your layout. This is all set up from the Track control settings. On my small test layout I have 2 turnouts controlled by Tam Valley Singlet DCC decoders and servo drivers. The switch type and other parameters are all configurable in the Track control settings. You also configure signals and create routes in the Track control settings. In the following photo, you will see the steering board and the track controls side-by-side on the same screen. This is a capability of the tablet app which is not available on the phone app due to limited screen size.
One feature which is only available with the tablet app is the ability to download prototypical cab views for various locos. At this time, most of those available are European prototypes, but there are many US locos available as well. If you are lucky enough to have the appropriate camera equipped loco, the video will be displayed through the cab window as you move down the track. In the cab view, the various controls and switches are interactive. Here’s the cab view of a typical European electric loco:
The programming capabilities are extensive. With a loco on the programming track, you can read and write CVs and addresses. I don’t have a booster, but when connected to the B-Bus, they supply the needed extra power for larger layouts. You cannot operate a non-DCC equipped loco on address 00 as you can with a Digitrax system. You can however use a wired hand held throttle such as a Roco multiMAUS connected to the X-bus. In the Z21 settings menu, you can configure the maximum track voltage and read the real-time current draw on your layout. Although the Z21 system is not well known in the US, even by the European Train Enthusiasts, it is a fully capable DCC system with lots of cool features. It may not be the DCC system your Grandpa would buy, but it’s worth considering if you are into embracing new technology and hope to excite the next generation of trolley modelers. For more information, be sure to check out this Roco web site: http://www.z21.eu/en/What-is-Z21/HIGHLIGHTS
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