ZIMO STACO2A Adapter Board - NEM662 Next18 Integral Connector to Hardwire w/ STACO Super Cap Stay-Alive Controller w/ 2x Micro 0.3F Gold Caps

Energy Storage (Capacitors & Gold Caps) for Zimo Decoders

• electrolytic capacitors - goldcaps - supercaps - tantals

ZIMO has energy storage solutions for all decoders, that means provisions for the substitute supply of the decoder and the vehicle equipment (drive, lighting, sound, ...) by capacitive components such as electrolytic capacitors, tantals or gold caps (supercaps) in all situations where the supply from the track is interrupted. The use of energy storage devices in vehicles brings numerous advantages with regard to

• continuing to run in case of contact interruptions due to dirty tracks and de-energised switch frogs,
• the avoidance of stopping on de-energised points in conjunction with a ZIMO special procedure
• the interference-free sound reproduction in case of wheel-rail contact problems (often the most important point in practice)
• the avoidance of energy losses due to HLU and RailCom gaps (which also exist without contact problems)
• the reduction of engine noise associated with HLU and RailCom gaps
• the improvement of the reception quality (readability) of the RailCom signal sent by the decoder
• the minimization of heating of the decoder, especially for motors with low ohmic resistance

The great variety of ZIMO decoders - between miniature types (for N and TT) and large scale types (for G and 1) - however requires different energy storage solutions: there are

3 categories (and also mixed versions):

• Decoders WITHOUT own provisions for energy storage (typical for miniature decoders):

• Decoders  WITH direct energy storage connection:

• 15 V variant: the capacitance to be connected (electrolytic capacitor, ...) must have a dielectric strength of 15 V.
• 25 V variant: the capacitance must correspond to the driving voltage, preferably the highest possible, i.e. 25 V.
• 5V-special solution of the MS580N18: two mini gold caps connected in series can be connected in this case.
• Decoders WITH INTEGRATED energy storage (typical for large scale decoders), consisting of 3 gold caps:

The category 1 (according to the above classification) includes: 

• many MX decoders (i.e. ALL EXCEPT MX633 ... 637 and MX644, MX645 and MX large scale decoders which are category 2),
• among the MS decoders (currently only sound decoders) the subminiature sound decoder MS590N18 and in some sense also the miniature types MS480 ... 490, 500, which offer a direct connection according to category 2, but which is limited to 1000µF*), which makes "category 1 - methods" more effective (see 1st and esp. 2nd picture top right).

The category 2 includes:

• the larger MX decoders, i.e. the types MX633 ... 637 and MX644, MX645 and the MX large scale decoders MX696; however, the permissible connectable capacitance for direct connection is generally limited to 6800µF,
• the PluX decoder MX645,  for this, electrolytic capacitors with a dielectric strength of 15 V or the SUPERCAP68 are sufficient, otherwise electrolytic capacitors from 25 V are permissible.
• most MS decoders up to H0 gauge, and indeed unrestricted MS440 .... 450 (any size of connectable capacitance from electrolytic capacitors and goldcap modules), restricted MS480 ... 490, 500 ( capacities up to1000 µF *), see above), and MS580N18 with special solution (5V double goldcap).
• *) instead of 1000 µF, up to 3000 µF can also be connected, if service-mode programming and SW update and sound loading are waived (resp. meanwhile the condensers are disconnected).

The category 3 includes

• the MX large scale decoders MX699 and all MS large scale decoders, i.e. MS950 ... 999.