Welcome to the hybrid world of Dinamo model train control!
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Dinamo RM-C and TM44: the smart engine behind your model railway
Anyone serious about model railways knows that stability, flexibility, and expandability are essential. That’s exactly where the Dinamo system excels. With the RM-C and TM44, you have the building blocks for a modern, hybrid control system that effortlessly runs both analog and digital trains.
DINAMO stands for Digital Interface Network for Analog MOdel Railways. The term “Analog” originates from history, as Dinamo now also supports the DCC protocol alongside the original analog concept. Dinamo evolves with your model building hobby.
What makes Dinamo unique is the hybrid control: you can seamlessly run old analog locomotives alongside the latest digital models. No expensive or complicated conversion needed – just plug and play.
- Preserve your existing collection without compromise.
- Combine analog, digital trains, and even model cars.
- Groundbreaking stability through industrial RS485 technology.
Anyone serious about model railways knows that stability, flexibility, and expandability are essential. That’s exactly where the Dinamo system excels. With the RM-C and TM44, you have the building blocks for a modern, hybrid control system that effortlessly runs both analog and digital trains.
RM-C: the heart of the Dinamo system
The RM-C forms the link between your computer and all Dinamo modules. It connects easily to your PC via USB and controls the rest of your system through the robust RS485 bus.
Key Features:
Communication via USB: easy connection to your PC.
Reliable RS485 connection: interference-free, even over hundreds of meters.
Galvanic isolation (2.5 kV): optimal protection for PC and model railway.
Compact and ready to use: delivered in a sturdy housing, plug & play.
The RM-C supports all modern Dinamo modules: from the TM44 for train control to the OC32 for signals and lighting. Thanks to the different versions (RM-C/1, RM-C/1+, and RM-C/2), you can perfectly adapt it to your track design—from compact layouts to complete railway worlds!
TM44: smooth operation on four tracks
Where the RM-C is the brain, the TM44 is the muscle. This train control module independently controls up to four blocks. This means you can run multiple trains simultaneously, each with its own speed profile.
Advantages of the TM44:
Up to 4 independent track sections with current detection (CS) per block.
Supports both analog and digital: ideal for mixed collections.
Excellent driving characteristics: smooth acceleration, deceleration, and stopping.
Expandable: easily combine with additional TM44 modules for larger layouts.
The TM44 is directly controlled via the RM-C and is fully integrated into the Dinamo ecosystem. This way, you can not only control trains but also combine switches, signals, and even model cars (with MCC) into one control system.
What exactly is the TM44?
The TM44 is a module equipped with block control, 4 units to be precise. Four independent blocks with their own control!
Each block is equipped with a Digital DCC Booster with a power of 2.5 Amps. Each block also features a PWM control for analog locomotives, equipped with HFI technology to keep the lights on when the train is stationary. The PWM is not a normal pulse width control, but a very advanced control that can make an analog locomotive run as if it were digital. Of course, without the load control, but with very slow creeping behavior calibrated to scale speed below 1 km/h!
Additionally, each block output is equipped with an adjustable short-circuit protection, a reverse loop module, and 4 current detection outputs for block automation with software like iTrain.
Why choose Dinamo RM-C and TM44?
- Proven stable technology, developed by VPEB.
- Modular and scalable: from small layouts to complete club projects.
- User-friendly: easy to install and configure with DinamoConfig.
- Future-proof: always expandable with additional modules and features.
With the RM-C and TM44, you lay a solid foundation for a model railway that offers freedom not only today but also tomorrow.
How does Dinamo work?
Dinamo is a computer-controlled system, meaning it cannot function without software to control and manage it. There must be a party that tells the system whether a block should be controlled analog or digital and what polarity it has.
Therefore, the Dinamo system is not a manually controlled system, but an operating system to automate your model railway.
The most commonly used software to control Dinamo is iTrain, but programs like Koploper, WindigiPet, and RocRail also support this system. The RM-C is the connecting factor between the system and the computer software.
From the RM-C, you build the Dinamo network, where all modules are connected via an RS485 bus. All VPEB modules are compatible with this bus. Each module receives its own address via switches on the modules, so the RM-C knows exactly which modules are connected. The RS485 bus can be implemented with simple Cat5e internet cables (patch cables) or twisted wiring.
Blocks and detectors
Dinamo is a block-controlled system, meaning each block is galvanically isolated from the surrounding blocks. By galvanic isolation, we mean that at the beginning and end of each block, both rails are insulated. This way, each block can receive its own power supply from a block connection on the TM44.
In the image, you see that one rail of the block is powered from the A connection of the block. You can then randomly divide the B rail into 1 to 4 sections so that the trains in the block are detected by the software. The number of detectors needed in a block is determined by the control software used. Thus, detectors can be used as block detectors or switch detectors.
Getting started with Dinamo? What's next
Our dealers are happy to help you further! Dinamo is a great system, but some basic knowledge of electrical engineering is required. Unlike conventional digital systems, with a system like Dinamo, you go “all-in” right away. This means you can only drive once you’ve completed the automation. Simply connecting two wires and grabbing a manual controller is not an option. That said, it’s exactly the same work as when you automate a model railway with any other system. The difference is that with Dinamo, you have automation without the limitations and challenges that a conventional system offers.
You are not Alone!
Our dealers offer you a tailored consultation and can help you start your adventure. With support, assistance, training, and workshops, we help you with the application of the entire system. As a customer, you can also use the Dinamousers forum on this website, where you can present your questions and problems or exchange ideas with the Dinamo community.
Dinamo Classic
Dinamo once started as a DIY project. A system consisting of bare circuit boards that users had to equip with electronics themselves. Since 2006, former PicommIt has been able to market these modules ready-made. This greatly increased the system’s popularity, leading to the transition to the current system in mid-2012. The old classic modules can still be combined with the current system with some adjustments.
Incidentally, the Classic system is the only one adaptable for use with LGB scale. If you need this version, MCC ModelCarParts specializes in this.
Want to know more about the Dinamo Classic system and the origin of Dinamo? Click on this link
