Cross Platform operation?

[diburning]

Can decoders of different brands like NCE work on a layout with digitrax?

 

[Squidbait]

As long as the decoders are NMRA compliant, they should work. Some people have reported some problems with programming different brands with different systems, but for the most part, they all play well together.

 

[60103]

All decoders are supposed to work with all control systems. There may be occasional programming problems.
What won't work together are different brands of control systems. You probably won't get NCE, Digitax and Lenz throttles and power supplies to work interchangably (I know that Lenz is sold under other names, so those should work). But if you take your loco to a buddy's place or the local club it will run there.

 

[Fluesheet]

Just to add a couple more comments, there are some decoder brands with unique features that will only work on systems by the same manufacturer. An example is Digitrax's "transponding" feature on some of their decoders which allows a Digitax command station to know where on the layout the train is. Command stations of other brands wouldn't have a clue what to do with that specialized information.

On the other hand, the NMRA compliance that Squidbait referred to means that that same Digitrax decoder's core features - such as address, start voltage, momentum, etc. will work on any Lenz, NCE, EasyDCC, Zimo etc. system. (and vice versa for decoders of those other brands on a Digitrax system).

Check out the following site - lots of good stuff here:
http://www.wiringfordcc.com/intro2dcc.htm