Locomotive Interface Pinout
NEM651 (6 pins)
Signal |
Color |
Pin |
motor right |
orange |
1 |
motor left |
grey |
2 |
track right |
red |
3 |
track left |
black |
4 |
light front |
white |
5 |
light rear |
yellow |
6 |
Note: The light can either be connected against the right track or common (+).
Common is unfortunately not on the interface, you can either use the rectifier on the decoder (with an extra cable)
or create it externally with two diodes from the track signals.
Plug: round or rectangular pins, 1.27 mm grid
NEM652 (8 pins)
Signal |
Color |
Pin |
Color |
Signal |
motor right (+) |
orange |
1 |
8 |
red |
track right (+) |
light rear (-) |
yellow |
2 |
7 |
blue |
Common, (+) |
F1 (may be open) |
green |
3 |
6 |
white |
light front (-) |
track left (-) |
black |
4 |
5 |
grey |
motor left |
Plug: round pins, 2.54 mm grid
21 pin interface (not normed, referred as MTX)
In 2005 a 21-pin interface was introduced by Märklin / ESU.
The extensions were made mainly to interface brushless motors
(in term of Märklin called: 'super soft drive sinus').
Unfortunately, a number of manufacturers of DC locomotives implemented this interface as well
- even if no brushless motor is used, but a smooth running motor with 5 poles.
Signal |
Color |
Pin |
Color |
Signal |
hall sensor 1 |
- |
1 |
22 |
red |
track right (+) |
hall sensor 2 |
- |
2 |
21 |
black |
track left (-) |
hall sensor 3 |
- |
3 |
20 |
black-white |
Decoder GND |
F4 (Aux) |
- |
4 |
19 |
grey |
motor left (-) (or phase 1) |
TB Clock |
- |
5 |
18 |
orange |
motor right (+) (or phase 2) |
TB Data |
- |
6 |
17 |
- |
motor phase 3 |
light rear (-) |
yellow |
7 |
16 |
blue |
common, (+) |
light front (-) |
white |
8 |
15 |
green |
F1 |
speaker 1 |
brown |
9 |
14 |
violet |
F2 |
speaker 2 |
brown |
10 |
13 |
- |
F3 |
connector coding |
|
11 |
12 |
- |
Decoder VCC (3V3 or 5V) |
|
...decoder PCB... |
F4 (Auxiliary) comes directly from the controller, normally a MOSFET stage is required.
The plugs on the pcb inside the locomotive, jack on the decoder.
PluX22 / PluX16 / PluX12 / PluX8
A new standardized interface (09-2007), which is scalable for differently sized decoders
and features of these decoders.
Signal |
Color |
Pin |
Color |
Signal |
GPIO C |
- |
1 |
2 |
- |
F3 (Aux3) |
GPIO B, TB Clock, SUSI |
- |
3 |
4 |
- |
GPIO A, TB Data, SUSI |
Decoder GND |
black-white |
5 |
6 |
blue |
CAP (+) |
light front (-) |
white |
7 |
8 |
orange |
motor right (+) |
common, (+) |
blau |
9 |
10 |
grau |
motor left (-) |
connector coding |
<none> |
11 |
12 |
red |
track right (+) |
light rear (-) |
gelb |
13 |
14 |
black |
track left (-) |
speaker 1 |
brown |
15 |
16 |
green |
F1 (or light front) |
speaker 2 |
brown |
17 |
18 |
violet |
F2 (or light rear) |
F4 |
- |
19 |
20 |
- |
F5 |
F6 (other) |
- |
21 |
22 |
- |
F7 (other) |
|
...decoder PCB... |
Legend: dark grey: Plux8, dotted border: Plux12, middle grey: Plux16, all pins: Plux22
The pin on the right side are so arranged that a NEM651 decoder can be fitted.
Pitch: 1.27 mm, Inside the locomotive is the jack, on the decoder are the pins.
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