Question on best use of the Controller Hardware with WinDigipet Marklin 6021 and

[Casand]

All,
I would like to hear from you learned folks what the best approach would be to run my controller hardware and transformers / boosters.
Currently I have running and configured with WinDigipet 2018 Small Edition:
6017 Marklin Digital Booster  QTY 1
6002 Marklin 52VA Transformer   QTY 2
6021 Marklin Digital Control Unit   QTY 1
6051 Marklin Digital Interface   QTY 1

Above hardware was purchased some 30 years ago and running with Digipet 4.01 (non windows all those years ago).

I resurrected the Marklin Model railway some 4-6 months ago and purchased WinDigiPet 2018 Small about 4 months ago and started to make the transition from one - s 88 Decoder (16 Feedback contacts) to (4 s 88 decoders (64 Feedback Contacts) and 9 k 83.  Reaching the limits of the 2400 bits/sec of the 6021/6051 combination to the Computer.

I have upgraded my 13 locomotives (Delta and older Digital decoders) to 5 Pole motors and Marklin 60972/60982 (Primarily) and 60760 decoders (approximately 13 engines).

Now to my question – I will inherit shortly a INTELLIBOX 650 DIGITAL UHLENBROCK which I plan to incorporate as the main controller to WinDigipet. I am hoping this puts less strain on the Feedback Connector load as the RS232 interface can go up to 19200 bits/sec (8x faster).

Question(s):

•   Can I still run the Marklin 6021 control unit (connected to the Intellibox 650) and have a total of three locomotive manual controls (two on the IB 650 and One on the 6021)?

•   I have not received the IB 650 yet but I suspect it will be running the orginal Software – i.e not the Intellibox Software Upgrade V2.000 für Intelliboxen 650, 65000, 65050 und IB-Control 654 und 65400.  Is it worthwhile to upgrade to the V2 software ?

Thanks in advance for any input /pointers you can give


Andy

[Markus Herzog]

Hello Andy

•   Can I still run the Marklin 6021 control unit (connected to the Intellibox 650) and have a total of three locomotive manual controls (two on the IB 650 and One on the 6021)?

Yes.

•   I have not received the IB 650 yet but I suspect it will be running the orginal Software – i.e not the Intellibox Software Upgrade V2.000 für Intelliboxen 650, 65000, 65050 und IB-Control 654 und 65400.  Is it worthwhile to upgrade to the V2 software ?

Yes, the V2.000 for the IB 650 etc. offered many interesting functions.

Regards
Markus