Editing Digital Command Control (section)

==Advantages over analog control==
[[File:DCC decoder installed in an N scale LifeLike Berkshire Steam Locomotive.jpg|thumb|right|A DCC decoder installed in an {{nowrap|[[N scale]]}} steam locomotive]]
The great advantage of digital control is the individual control of locomotives wherever they are on the layout. With analog control, operating more than one locomotive independently requires the track to be wired into separate blocks each having switches to select the controller. Using digital control, locomotives may be controlled wherever they are.

Digital locomotive decoders often include inertia simulation, where the locomotive will gradually increase or decrease speeds in a realistic manner. Many decoders will also constantly adjust motor power to [[Cruise control|maintain constant speed]]. Most digital controllers allow an operator to set the speed of one locomotive and then select another locomotive to control its speed while the previous locomotive maintains its speed.

Recent{{When|date=February 2024}} developments include on-board sound modules for locomotives as small as N scale, made possible by advancements in [[smartphone]]s, which tend to use small yet high-quality speakers.

Wiring requirements are generally reduced compared to a conventional DC powered layout. With digital control of accessories, the wiring is distributed to accessory decoders rather than being individually connected to a central control panel. For portable layouts this can greatly reduce the number of inter-board connections - only the digital signal and any accessory power supplies need cross baseboard joins.