3. Connection of the LoDi-8-GBM v2 to the S88.2 bus

As already mentioned several times, the LoDi-8-GBM v2 has the new S88.2 bus. This is provided by the
LoDi S88 Commander FX . You can connect up to 96 LoDi-8-GBM v2 to one
LoDi-S88-Commander FX. 

If the module is operated on an S88.2 bus, the following features are available:

• Occupancy notification of the individual blocks with display
• Short-circuit detection of the individual blocks. This is done via another register, which means: If a short circuit is detected on output 1.1, for example, 1.9 is reported as being occupied. The short circuit can already be displayed on every model railway control system. 
• Current measurements per signaling channel, with a display option in the software.
• Setting the short circuits per signaling channel.
• Setting of the current detection threshold per signaling channel
• RailCom recognition of channels 1 and 2 per message channel (max. 8 locomotives per message channel).
• Freely addressable, now the module keeps its address, there are no more shifts!

4. Connection of the LoDi-8-GBM v2 to the s88 and s88N bus

The LoDi-8-GBM v2 is equipped with the new S88.2 bus, which does not mean, however, that the module cannot also be operated on conventional control panels with s88 or s88N.

These functions are available to you when operating on the old s88 bus:

• Occupancy notification of the individual blocks with display
• Short-circuit detection of the individual blocks, here via an additional register, which means:
  If a short-circuit is detected on output 1.1, for example, 1.9 is reported as being occupied. The short circuit can already be displayed on every model railway control system.

Here you can see the connection of a LoDi-8-GBM v2v to a µCon-s88 master. It doesn't matter whether the LoDi-8 GBMs are connected to bus 1, 2 or 3, they behave like normal s88 modules.

Here you can see the connection of a LoDi-8-GBM v2 to an LDT-HSI. Of course, any kind of

s88N modules can be hung in between.

It is possible to connect the LoDi-8-GBM v2 to a conventional digital command station. To use the devices on an older control panel without the s88N connector, you need an adapter.

We offer the LoDi S88 adapter for this purpose, which can be used universally

5. Connection of the LoDi-8-GBM v2 booster voltage

In the first example you can see the  LoDi Booster powering the LoDi-8-GBM v2.

Please make sure that the red wire. i.e. the  + connection is connected to the respective right booster terminal at output A and B. If the red cable is on the other side, this can affect the RailCom signal. 

A complete representation, in which the buses of the modules are also shown.

Your wiring could look like this, for example. Of course, you can also have several signaling modules supplied by one booster section. 

6. Connection of the LoDi-8-GBM v2 to the 2-rail track

An occupancy report for the 2-rail track is easy to implement with the LoDi-8-GBM v2, always depending on how many feedback sections you need for your model railway control. 

In our diagram, we are now assuming one detector per block; of course, entry and brake detectors could also be required or wanted. If you are interested in our cable drives that we use click here under " Useful Info "

7. Connection of the LoDi-8-GBM v2 to the 3-rail track

The 3-rail system is very common among model railroaders. This is exactly why the 3-wire driver is important to us. With the LoDi-8-GBM v2 it is possible to run MFX® and DCC on one track.

What advantages does this bring?

• Feedback or block exact position of the vehicles
• You place a locomotive on the track, the computer recognizes it and automatically inserts the locomotive into the block. 
• Monitoring of the switch route
• Short-circuit report feedback exact
• Power consumption feedback exact 

The locomotive only needs a RailCom transmitter for this. If you already have another decoder installed in the locomotive that can do DCC, you can run it directly in DCC.

Most decoders on the market support RailCom. 

Another note:

Motorola has to stay out of this. If you don't want to do without Motorola, you have to use the conventional solution with the ground message.

For this we have developed the LoDi-RM-16+ , which even offers a ground return to the track (diode trick).

Please note, however, that no specific locomotive message can be evaluated  with this variant of the LoDi-RM-16+ .

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

First of all, let's look at the wiring of the 3-wire system.

A little rethinking is required here, which we will briefly explain to you here: (Similar explanation under LoDi Booster Section 7)

Imagine the center conductor simply becomes ground. Since the ground on the track can always be one, you don't have to separate the new ground either.

Which means the center conductor is always connected together. 

If you have already disconnected the center conductor on an existing layout, it can be reconnected or you can run the booster sections with ground isolation. 

An occupancy report for the 3-rail track is easy to implement with the LoDi-8-GBM v2, always depending on how many feedback sections you need for your model railway control. 

In our diagram, we are now assuming one detector per block; of course, entry and brake detectors could also be required or wanted. If you are interested in our cable colors used, click here under " Useful Info "

Here we have separated the track on the right and left and leave the middle conductor connected. In this variant, the shackles do not have to be separated on the C track, for example. In this variant, however, only power consumers are recognized, which means only locomotives or wagons with a pick-up shoe. 

Another variant is the wagon report. This means as soon as you park a car in a feedback area, a message will be generated. To do this, however, we have to separate the connection from the left to the right rail, as with C Track. 

Both sills are still isolated in one block, but now a resistance of 10 kilo ohms is installed between the middle conductor, i.e. the ground (blue), to the not-current-carrying sill purple. 

Here you can see another example image in which a long, single-track section has been subdivided with several blocks or sensors. A resistor is now installed in each section. 

The points are not separated, they are simply wired as shown in the diagram above.

Switches are not separated, in principle this can be done with some effort, but we advise against it.

8. Specifications

Dimensions: 

Length 130cm

Width 115cm

Height 4.5cm

Weight: 169 grams 

The feedback can be supplied from 12 to 24 volts at the digital terminal.

! Pay attention to the information provided by the manufacturer of your digital command station or booster!

Loadable by consumers with short-term 5 amps and permanent 3 amps per output. 

Suitable for all common track sizes. 

9. Setting up the LoDi-8-GBM v2 in the LoDi programmer

Here is how to set up the LoDi-8-GBM