JE> In article , JE> Robert Heller wrote: JE> JE> > Stevert , JE> > In a message on Thu, 05 Jan 2006 03:54:06 GMT, wrote : JE> > JE> > S> Robert Heller wrote: JE> > S> JE> > S> > Oh, 'old' PCs (eg '386, '486, early Pentiums, etc.) are dirt JE> > S> > cheap, and can be cheaply upgraded with larger hard drives and an older JE> > S> > Linux distro installed -- these machines can be easily used to control JE> > S> > MRR layouts. And yes, software does exist to run a serial-port based JE> > S> > C/MRI off them. See
formatting link
JE> > S> JE> > S> Or take a look at the free JMRI software. It will run C/MRI as well as JE> > S> most if not all of the popular DCC systems. There are at least a few JE> > S> folks who use JMRI to integrate both (eg, use C/MRI for detection, JE> > S> signalling, and turnout control while using DCC for locomotive control). JE> > JE> > One of the problems with JMRI is that it uses Java, which is notorious JE> > slow
/ bloated, and is thus problematical on older / slower
/ JE> > less-well-endowed (eg memory / disk space) machines. The Deepwoods JE> > Software system, which is also 'free' (GPL), is far less memory and CPU JE> > cycle intensive (being in C/C++ and Tcl/Tk. JE> JE> Does it run on Mac Classic and OSX, Windows, AND Linux?
Except for the low-level serial I/O code, it should compile on any modern system. And the low-level serial I/O is 'isolated' -- these modules can have an O/S specific code chunk swapped in easily.
JE> JE> JMRI does.
Yes, I know. It is just slow. JE> JE> > JE> > S> JE> > S>
formatting link
> S> JE> > S> Around here even some not-so-old PC's can be had for free. Cruise the JE> > S> neighborhood the evening before our town has it's annual "Spring JE> > S> Cleanup" trash pickup. You'd be amazed at the stuff some folks just JE> > S> throw out... JE> > S> JE> > S> Stevert JE> > S> JE> > JE> > \/ JE> > Robert Heller ||InterNet: snipped-for-privacy@deepsoft.com JE> >
formatting link
||FidoNet: 1:321/153 JE> >
formatting link
/\ JE>
\/ Robert Heller ||InterNet: snipped-for-privacy@deepsoft.com
formatting link
||FidoNet: 1:321/153
formatting link
/\