Description
ESU 50116 Mobile Control Pro Wireless Handheld Controller For ECoS/Z21/CS3
The Mobile Control Pro is ESU's latest answer to the question of how to combine the advantages of smartphone technology with the needs of model railway control. The Mobile Control Pro is essentially a compact Android-based tablet equipped with controls for controlling your locomotives and solenoids. The connection to the digital command station is established entirely wirelessly via Wi-Fi. A specially designed app by ESU can communicate directly with a variety of digital command stations. The Mobile Control Pro is therefore not limited to use with ESU command stations.
Open Platform
The Android 10-based Mobile Control Pro is just as easy to use as your smartphone or tablet: with the help of a high-resolution screen and touchscreen. The operating system ensures standardised, understandable operation. The Mobile Control Pro is equipped with a powerful quad-core ARM processor with a large memory that can store a large number of apps. The built-in radio module supports the common Wi-Fi standards in the 2.4 GHz range as well as the well-known Bluetooth standards. Thanks to the standardised radio interface, trouble-free operation of your model railway layout is guaranteed at all times. With the help of Wi-Fi repeaters, the radio range can be easily extended if necessary.
The built-in lithium polymer battery—which is easily replaceable if necessary—is sufficient for approximately five to six hours of operation. To charge, simply connect your Mobile Control Pro to your mobile phone's USB charger or any other USB port.
With the help of the pre-installed Aurora app store, you can install additional Android apps at any time. A Google account is not required.
Ergonomics
When you hold the Mobile Control Pro in your hands for the first time, you'll immediately notice its outstanding ergonomics: All controls are within easy reach with one hand, and the most important functions can even be reached "blindly." Your eyes remain focused on your layout and your trains. This is made possible by the central, motor-controlled rotary control with end stop. With it, you can precisely adjust the locomotive speed and change the direction of travel. Two buttons on the left and right sides of the device are provided for switching functions. These can be used as an alternative to the touchscreen.
A highlight is the “slider” installed on the right side: With the help of this analog control element, you can now sensitively brake your locomotives equipped with LokSound 5 decoders and thus control them even more realistically.
ESU
The Mobile Control Pro is perfectly designed for use with ECoS and CabControl digital command stations: The command station synchronizes all data with the wireless handheld controller, so you don't have to enter any data locally. The names, addresses, and correct symbols for solenoid accessories and routes are also displayed. All information you enter in the ESU command station is automatically transferred and synchronized. Up to 16 Mobile Control Pro devices can be operated.
WiThrottle™
But that's not all: The Mobile Control Pro app also connects to all digital command stations that have a built-in WiThrottle™-compatible server. This means you can use the Mobile Control Pro with a Uhlenbrock Intellibox Neo, a Digitrax® command station with an LNWI module, or an NCE command station with a WiFi Trax WLAN adapter. MRC / Gaugemaster command stations with a WiFi adapter or Yamorc are also included. Depending on the functionality of the WiThrottle™ server in the aforementioned command stations, the locomotive fleet can either be used directly. Alternatively, locomotives can also be created locally in the Mobile Control Pro.
Z21®
The Mobile Control Pro can also connect directly to ROCO's Z21® command stations. However, all locomotives must be created and managed locally on the Mobile Control Pro. Unfortunately, the Z21® does not have a centrally managed locomotive database.
Märklin® Central Station 3®
Owners of a Märklin ® Central Station 3 ® can also use Mobile Control Pro. The app can directly access the entire locomotive inventory of the central station and displays the locomotive icons and images just as they would on the central station.
Control Locomotives
The Mobile Control Pro can, of course, be used to control locomotives. Depending on the capabilities of the command station, all relevant data is retrieved from the command station and used wherever possible. All essential locomotive properties such as the locomotive name, locomotive symbol, function key assignment, and function key symbols can be displayed and changed as needed. Up to 31 function keys can be activated per locomotive, which can, of course, be individually configured as permanent or momentary functions.
Switching Magnetic Items
The switching of magnetic accessories is also possible – depending on the control centre. When operating with an ECoS control centre, all magnetic accessories and routes located on the interlocking system can, of course, be switched. Naturally, the distinction between two-, three-, and four-aspect magnetic accessories remains fully intact, and the correct symbol is also shown on the display.
Clever connection
The Mobile Control Pro uses the Wi-Fi standard to communicate with the control center. Therefore, you must connect the control center to a Wi-Fi network. If you already have a Wi-Fi router (e.g., AVM® FritzBox®), you can easily connect the ECoS to it.
If you don't want to connect your model railway to your home network or if you want to remain flexible for exhibitions, this is no problem either: On request, we can supply a mini access point for the Mobile Control II, which can be easily set up in just a few steps using the ECoS.
In other central units, such as the ESU CabControl or the Intellibox Neo, the Wi-Fi connection is already built in at the factory; in this case, you can connect the handheld controller directly to the Wi-Fi network provided by these central units.
Future-proof
ESU is continuously developing the Mobile Control Pro app. New app versions can be downloaded to the handheld controller using your Windows® computer or are installed automatically, provided the Mobile Control Pro has an internet connection.
(WiThrottle™ is a registered trademark of Brett Hoffman)