DCC Control via iPhone?

D

dhudson

New Member
May 29, 2008
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Maybe I'm setting the bar too high on this one, but my iPhone would seem like a great portable DCC controller.

Of course, it has no serial (other than comms via USB with a cable), but it does have WiFi, and could communicate with TCP via a server connected to the LocoNet.

The reconfigurable touch screen would give it a distinct advantage over any of the fancy (expensive) controllers on the market, and a good design would make the whole affair much more intuitive than the existing controllers (too many buttons, too many cryptic readouts, too many instructions).

Thoughts? Leads? Sounds like a killer app (on the train side) to me!

dh
 
I am sure someone is working on it...! There were applications available for past models of Palm devices that turned them into infrared wireless throttles. I believe Digitrax offered something at one point...

Using an iPhone makes for an expensive throttle though... ;) :eek:

Andrew
 
No comment here on the feasibility of the idea. But I would like to drop my jaw for a moment at the way the hobby has changed over the past 15 years - just the idea of controlling a layout with an iPhone!!! Who would have thunk? I had thought of contolling a layout with a computer way back during the Commodore 64 days. It was more of a novelty of figuring out how to do it, and the best I could figure for practicality would be staging automated trains (possibly for a museum display layout). But to contol a layout with a cell phone!! Wow.

Kevin
 
Thanks for the responses, all. Yes, it would make an expensive controller if that was its only function, but I already own it, I use if for email and phone calls many times daily, it can communicate wirelessely two ways (GSM or WiFi), it has a fairly robust web browser, and now a public development interface.

...not to mention that I'm also using it to track my complete inventory, and maintain a "wanted" list. It also makes a handy tool when I'm out bargain hunting, as I have a web browser right there in my hand, and can check prices, availability, etc.

My goal is actually to reduce cost and complexity through integration.

dh
 
dh,

I figured you musta had it for some other reason! ;)

Can you see the day though when the cell providers add "Model Railroad Throttle" to the list of functions with phone, video, camera, mp3 player...? Nah, me neither! :) :D

Godd luck, and let us know what you find out.

Andrew
 
Good point, Andrew: We can barely get Apple to support Word, Excel, etc.... much less Digitrax/et.al.

I certainly don't have the time, but maybe someone out there is listening... :-)
 
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