LCC - Layout Command and Control

NMRA LCC (Layout Command Control) is the NMRA's adoption of OpenLCB (Open Layout Control Bus - an open standard developed by the OpenLCB group) for layout control. We have joined the growing number of manufacturers offering hardware to support LCC, and see it as the future of layout control.

NMRA LCC is a messaging system that products use to help you control your layout in a simple manner, with less wiring. It works in parallel to the train control system, whether that is DC, DCC, radio, live steam, etc., .... It can be thought of as doing for layout control what DCC has done for train control. Although it is useful on small layouts, LCC is designed to be scalable, and powerful enough, to control very large layouts, such as those in museums or built by modular clubs.

LCC setup is fully supported by JMRI and other software tools, but a computer is NOT required to control a layout with LCC. Physical access to modules to operate setup buttons or set jumpers is generally NOT required once they are installed don the layout.

All of the software required to use our products (e.g. JMRI) is available as free download.

For more information see our Introduction to LCC/OpenLCB (v1.3 September 2024)

If you want to get started with LCC, we offer a number of items at a discount in the LCC Starter Kit.

Check out our YouTube channel for how-to videos.

Please check back regularly for updates and additional documents.

Product Flyers

• LCC Starter Kit
• IO-LCC 16-channel I/O node
• SERVOIO-LCC 16-channel I/O node
• USB-LCC USB to LCC interface
• PI-LCC Raspberry Pi LCC interface
• POWER-LCC power point
• TERM-LCC network terminators
• ButtonLED test board
• SBOOST-LCC LCC connected DCC smart booster

User Guides

• LCC Starter Kit v1.1 07/03/24
• USB-LCC USB-LCC interface. Version 1.4.1 for Firmware v1.4 04/11/24
  
• PI-LCC Raspberry Pi LCC interface. Firmware v1.3 03/06/24
  
• IO-LCC 16-channel I/O. Firmware version 2.1 29/10/24
• SERVOIO-LCC 16-channel I/O and servo control. Firmware v2.1 29/10/24
  
• POWER-LCC power point. Updated to v1.1 01/03/24
• ButtonLED test board

Errata

• USB-LCC USB-LCC errata 1.4.1 September 2024
  
• PI-LCC PI-LCC errata
  
• SERVOIO-LCC/IO-LCC errata 2.2 November 2024
  

Firmware Updates

See the individual product errata for information on issues fixed.

See the individual product errata for important notes before attemtping to upgrade.

Download and unzip the firmware .hex file and use the JMRI LCC Firmware update tool to apply it to the node.

• USB-LCC v1.4 Network speed issue fixed.
• PI-LCC v1.3 intenenace release to align with USB-LCC.
• SERVOIO-LCC v2.2 Fix for JMRI sliders for servo position setting
• IO-LCC v2.2 Fix for JMRI sliders for servo position setting

R-Pi OS Images

How to create Bookworm image for R-Pi 4 and R-Pi 5
Download Raspian OS Bookworm images for Pi-LCC - updated December 2024

• R-Pi 4 Bookworm with Wayland
• R-Pi 5 Bookworm with Wayland

Notes in the OS images

1. These images have a shrunken file system. On first boot they will expand the file system to occupy the whole of the SD card and then reboot. Please allow time for this process if trying to connect remotely.
2. Images are hosted on Google Drive.
3. Images use Wayland and are tested with TigerVNC for remote access.
4. Images are compressed with xz and can be wriiten to SD cards using the Raspberry Pi Imager.
5. Pi 4 images should also work on model Pi 3 model B+ (but we haven't tested them).

External LCC/OpenLCB Links

• The OpenLCB Group
• NMRA LCC standards OpenLCB as adopted by the NMRA

On-line fora

• NMRA LCC user group User focussed
• NMRA LCC user group WIKI User focussed
• OpenLCB Discussion Group Developer focussed

Book

• Introduction to Layout Command Control focussed on RR-Cirkits products but the concepts are applicable to any LCC hardware.

For previous documentation and firmware versions, see the LCC Document Archive