Important Note: Due to the unique functionality structure of the CTC system, you will see an almost empty screen after downloading and installing. The “life” only comes in with the registration and operation of CTC modules (decoders).
CTC-App Downloads
CTC-App for Desktop
With CTC-App Version 4 our IR transmitters and NFC tags really take off!
You can download the installers for the CTC-App directly using the following links:
- Windows Installer v4.32 (110.46 MB)
- Linux Debian Package v4.32 (86.65 MB)
- Mac OS/X dmg Package v4.32 (123.71 MB)
NEW: From version 4.22, the window layout for PC has become significantly more flexible. New windows can be created via the “View” menu item. Contents can be dragged and dropped into other windows with the mouse by their title bar.
Installation Notes:
- See the installation guide.
CTC-App Android
The CTC-App is now available for 9.99 EUR in the Google Play Store or still available for free here for manual installation.
Notes:
- The configuration of CTC modules is currently only partially available on Android.
- We have chosen the fee in the Play Store to keep unnecessary downloads and resulting ratings low.
- Due to the Play Store certification process, the app always appears there a bit later than the desktop version.
CTC-App iOS (iPhone, iPad)
The CTC-App for iOS is now available in the App Store for 9.99 EUR. Currently, the app is only usable for control. For the configuration of the CTC modules, you still have to use a Mac or PC.
Notes:
- The function for registering CTC modules in the Wi-Fi is unfortunately not available on iOS, as Apple does not provide a suitable API for this.
- The configuration of CTC modules is currently only partially available on iOS.
- We have chosen the fee in the App Store to keep unnecessary downloads and resulting ratings low.
- Due to the certification process of the App Store, the app for iOS always appears a bit later than the desktop version.
Firmware
The firmware for the CTC modules is included in each version of the CTC-App for Desktop. You can find the exact version in the changelog below. A separate download is not currently planned.
Changelog
App Version 4.32, Firmware 20241026
NEW:
- Internationalization: Language can now be switched between German, English, and French.
- Product catalogs also include all three languages and are displayed according to the app language.
- SiFa functionality: Locomotive stops (optionally) automatically after a set time without connection to the app.
- CTC modules can optionally create a mini-Wi-Fi (max. 2 participants) - currently not configurable via the app.
- Control of digital signals connected to a Z21 central unit.
- Catalog “universell-loks.xml”: The driving light HB2 is now available for LowSide (switching the negative pole) and HighSide (switching the positive pole).
- Icons for multiple sounds added and “universell-loks.xml” adjusted.
- In several dialogs, the display of the IP address(es) was empty.
Android:
- Workaround for Google bug: Config files are now explicitly loaded from Wi-Fi. Android often sent HTTP requests over mobile data when the model train Wi-Fi had no internet connection. This was indicated by only the MAC address being displayed for the locomotives instead of their names, and the locomotive could not be controlled.
Bug Fixes:
- Various corrections to prevent occasional app freezes.
- Track image uploads occasionally lost data.
- Scripts: The selection of the question mark parameter was missing in CallCmd. The display of IfCmd and SetCmd was incorrect.
Firmware:
- CTC locomotive module PluX22 can now alternatively control SUSI via the train bus pins of the PluX connector.
- Logging buffer increased, so all messages from module start reach the app even with extensive configuration.
App Version 4.27
Bugfix:
- Crashes and freezes during trade fair operation (Wi-Fi disruptions)
App Version 4.26, Firmware 20240304
NEW:
- Routes can now be switched in the track diagram
- Wagons can now be manually coupled and uncoupled
- Locomotive control shows coupled wagons
- Wagon reader (NFC) sends a list of read tags instead of just the last one. Reason: Individual wagons were skipped when passing quickly.
- Locomotive uncoupler now also logically uncouples the wagons
Desktop:
- Tooltips for dock panes added
Android:
- Bugfix: Icons were not displayed in various places
Firmware:
- Bugfix: Servos no longer worked on the IO board
App Version 4.25 (Desktop only), Firmware 20240120
Desktop:
- Update to Java 21.02
Made system startup more robust:
- Made config loading more robust: Increased interval between two attempts when loading config files
- Commands regarding state changes of balises are only sent to locomotives whose config has already been fully loaded.
- Reduced search for new networks (broadcast scan) to 5s. Only on slow PCs will the interval be automatically extended to 30s.
Bugfix:
- Replacing config and IO-config only worked on the development PC because the file path was incorrectly assembled.
- Selecting from the filesystem did not work for replacing config or IO-config.
Firmware:
- Removed logging for HTTP accesses and firmware updates as it could lead to hangs.
App Version 4.24
General:
- Locomotive control shows the first locomotive (as soon as one is found). Previously, the window was initially empty.
- Clicking on switching buttons (including in the track diagram) shows a wait symbol until execution is confirmed by the CTC module.
Desktop:
- In the config dialog, an option is presented when adding parameters, especially helpful for DCC address and DCC function assignment.
- Config dialog: The horizontal splitter between parameters and details is now movable.
- Clicking in the locomotive list opens a new locomotive control for the clicked locomotive.
- Various optimizations in dialog layout.
- Representation was sometimes poorly readable with dark colors.
- Pop-up windows (e.g., confirmations) now open near the mouse pointer.
- Dialog layout is now saved in the app directory (instead of the temp directory).
- Alternative config files added for “Replace config” and “Replace IO-config” as well as standard config from old locomotive-G and turnout-G.
Z21 Emulation:
- Implementation now fully comprehensive for model railway control software (tested with iTrain).
- New: Balises as occupancy detectors.
- Bugfixes for switching turnouts and signals as well as locomotive travel direction.
App Version 4.23 (Desktop only), Firmware 20231218
Desktop App:
- Initial layout shows module list instead of an empty window
Bugfix:
- Creating a depot did not work (could not save).
- In operation as a Z21 central unit, forward and reverse were swapped for locomotives.
App Version 4.22 (Desktop only), Firmware 20231218
Desktop App:
- Transition to Java 21
- Docking framework built-in, i.e., window contents can be freely arranged and also moved to new or different windows.
General:
- NFC reader for wagon recognition is now fully supported.
- Display of recognized wagons in the “Block list” window.
- Management of wagon data in the “depot”.
- Wagon images can be stored on switching modules.
- Minor optimizations in load control and braking behavior.
- Locomotive starts again after stopping at a red signal, even if it has passed the balise.
Firmware:
- NFC reader can now also be connected to the CTC turnout module (previously only to the CTC multi IO board).
- fileCfg.xml discarded - is now generated directly from the content of the filesystem.
- HTML page slightly revised
App Version 4.20 (Desktop only), Firmware 20230911
Improvement of messages in the config dialogs:
- Log output in config dialogs made editable, so the content of the log output can be copied to the clipboard with Ctrl-A / Ctrl-C (for support requests).
- The log output of the firmware update is no longer overwritten after the restart of the CTC module.
Turntable included in product catalog “universell-sonstiges.xml”, see also article Connecting Fleischmann Turntable.
Firmware Bugfix:
- The second motor did not work for Loko-G. Issue resolved by enabling multiple use of pins for the same purpose (the Dir pin on Loko-G hangs on both motor drivers (ports)).
App Version 4.19, Firmware 20230902
General:
- Support for SUSI sound modules, see user manual Chapter 9.1 - “Sound with SUSI interface”.
- CTC modules forward log messages via UDP. The display is in the config dialog of the CTC app, see “Log output” in the user manual Chapter 4 - “Configure modules”.
- In the IO-config, pins can now be used multiple times and thus be utilized for a port or individually.
- New button to replace the IO-config. To avoid errors, the IO-config now includes firmware name and version.
- The button to delete the config has been replaced with a button to reset the config.
- Support for motors connected to two half-bridges
- Support for the Sinus motor driver from rail4you.ch
- CTC app now provides the original config files of the CTC modules.
Product catalogs added:
- universell-licht.xml supplemented with “LED on logic”
- universell-loks.xml supplemented with SBB headlights with 3 connections and locomotive sound groups
- Build script fetches configs from the sketch folder
Firmware:
- MotorAction controls a second motor synchronously if it is defined as a second port in ItemConn. To do this, “Double motor” must be selected in the product catalog.
- DCC functionality brought up to version 6.1.0 of the “DCCInterfaceMaster” library by Philip Gahtow.
Bugfixes:
- Display error (doubly drawn symbols) fixed in the track diagram
- Locomotive firmware crashed if Cfg.xml was empty or invalid (contained no motor)
Bugfixes for two-motor locomotives:
- During calibration, the sensors of both motors were sometimes mixed.
- The distance calculation of the locomotive always summed both motors.
- The sensors are now measured all at the same time in the locomotive, instead of sequentially.
- The second motor was always delayed by one cycle (20 ms) during speed changes compared to the first.
App Version 4.17 (Desktop only)
- Motor settings now edit the parameters of the set motor mode (direct or PID)
- Locomotive firmware: “Reaction” parameter added
App Version 4.16 (Desktop only)
Bugfixes:
- Firmware for CTC locomotive module-G accidentally contained debug code and was thus unnecessarily slow
App Version 4.15, Firmware 20230604
- NEW (Desktop App): WiFi monitor shows a locomotive’s signal strength as a graphic over time.
- Firmware: CTC modules send the MAC address of the Wi-Fi router they are connected to in the status (display in Wifi monitor).
- Desktop App: Dialogs with diagrams now adjust the diagram size when changing the window size.
- Error messages when entering names now indicate that spaces are not allowed.
- Wagon recognition: An NFC reader can now be connected to the CTC multi-board, which is mounted under the track to recognize wagons using an NFC tag. Currently, the read ID is displayed under “Sensors”, more functionality coming soon.
Bugfixes:
- Desktop App: Sensor calibration no longer worked correctly (since version 4.12).
- Locomotive firmware: Target braking was too weak at the beginning of the braking process and thus too strong towards the end.
- Firmware: Adapted permissible lengths to Wi-Fi standard: SSID (32 characters), Wi-Fi password (63 characters).
App Version 4.14, Firmware 20230329
- Configuration of CTC modules: Selection dialog for locomotive command (instead of free text input)
- Expanded Z21 LAN protocol so that the hand controller LoDi-Con from Lokstoredigital works.
Bugfixes:
- Android: Occasional crash when tapping on the track diagram (while it was being updated)
- Firmware: Command “Stop” (Halt, Pause, Continue) did not work
App Version 4.13, Firmware 20230225 (CTC locomotive module-21mtc only)
Note: Only for Desktop (Linux, Mac, Windows), due to defective firmware (see below)
Bugfixes:
- Firmware for CTC locomotive module-21mtc was defective
App Version 4.12, Firmware 20230115
- Sensor calibration now works in shuttle operation.
- Large configuration dialogs supplemented with scroll bars, so they work on screens with low resolution.
- Allowed deleting of PosID in the track diagram.
Bugfixes:
- An error in the base library had caused various buttons (e.g., Upload Config) not to work.
- Changing automation: Adding a route was not possible
- New product catalog “universell-sonstiges.xml” with uncoupler (track)
- For logging, a new file is started daily; old log files are deleted after 30 days
- CPU load under Windows further reduced
- Motor settings: Representation of motor states and receiving motor data repaired
- Display of locomotive status was sometimes incorrect
App Version 4.11
Note: Only for Desktop (Linux, Mac, Windows); firmware unchanged
- universell-loks.xml expanded with various headlight variants
- Upgrade to Java 17.0.5
- Improved display of NFC balises in the selection dialog: 3-character PosID instead of tag ID
- New button to delete the trigger in the trigger configuration
Bugfixes:
- Configuration of test track had taken NFC tag ID instead of the 3-character PosID
- Selection of Trigger.sourceID had taken the NFC tag ID instead of the 3-character PosID
- Selection of Trigger.sourceID sets “any module” (*) if no trigger specified
- Occasionally, locomotive name was displayed twice in the track diagram
App Version 4.10, Firmware 20221022
- New color violet for balises for the command “Reverse” (‘R’).
- Dialogs “Track Plan Editor” and “Config Editor” reduced in size, so they remain usable on small screens with 768 lines (e.g., MS Surface tablet).
- In the config dialogs, the script icon is now displayed with scripts.
- When adding scripts and changing script names, a suitable icon selection is displayed
- Broadcast addresses are now read only every minute, as this caused considerable CPU load under Windows.
Bugfixes:
- Correction for 20 or more NFC balises still did not work.
- When “Automatic on” was enabled, the set speed in the app was not transmitted if the locomotive was stopped.
- Updated config files shipped with the installation.
Note: Version numbers 4.08 and 4.09 were used for internal tests.
App Version 4.07
Improvements:
- Desktop only: Menu item “Config Backup” saves the config files of all CTC modules in a folder.
Bugfixes:
- Correction for 20 or more NFC balises did not always work.
- Poll interval and trigger type were missing in the sensor config dialog.
App Version 4.06
Improvements:
- Z21 protocol: Turnouts can now be switched with the Wi-Fi mouse.
- The Z21 Android app now also works.
Bugfixes:
- With 20 or more NFC balises, all CTC modules crashed (too large sync message).
App Version 4.05, Firmware 20220828
New:
- The Roco Z21 Wi-Fi mouse (or compatible hand controllers) can now be used to control CTC locomotives
- Locomotives connected to a Z21 (or compatible central units) can be controlled by the CTC app
Improvements:
- Input validation for all IDs/names
- Note if no icon exists for a script name
Bugfixes:
- Automation: Shuttle train operation did not work
App Version 4.04, Firmware 20220814
Note: Only for Desktop (Linux, Mac, Windows).
Improvements:
- When creating routes, a list of names is displayed for which icons exist
Bugfix:
- Configuration of the automation with NFC balises did not work
Firmware bugfix:
- Control of the clock hand direction did not work for locomotives with two motors
App Version 4.03, Firmware 20220609
App Version 3.17, Firmware 20211110
Note: Only for Desktop (Linux, Mac, Windows).
Firmware bugfix:
- The firmware crashed when NFC balises were placed in the track diagram, but the position ID was left empty.
App Version 3.16
Note: Only for Desktop (Linux, Mac, Windows).
Bugfix:
- Motor sensor calibration no longer worked with IR
App Version 3.15, Firmware 20211031
Note: Only for Desktop (Linux, Mac, Windows).
Firmware bugfix:
- The firmware crashed when not all sensors were assigned an IO pin
App Version 3.14
Note: Only for Desktop (Linux, Mac, Windows).
Bugfixes:
- Changing the position of an NFC balise in the track diagram was not uploaded
- In the new “Change Automation” dialog, a product could not be deleted
App Version 3.13, Firmware 20210930
New:
- Product catalog extended
- Displayed turnout position can be based on sensor feedback (point sensor) (from firmware 20210930).
- Triggers can now also be set for NFC tags, e.g., to stop before a red signal (from firmware 20210930).
- Actions can be set to switch routes.
- Wi-Fi icon for modules now also shows signal strength (from firmware 20210930).
Bugfixes:
- Status messages were truncated for CTC modules with very many actions.
- On config upload after image upload, the config was written to the wrong place in the module.
- Names can now also contain umlauts.
Desktop:
- Java updated to version 17.
Android:
- Config dialogs are now fully available.
Firmware:
- Sensors support operation via polling or interrupt
- The motor sensor now works more precisely (values are smoothed)
App Version 3.12, Firmware 20210707
New:
- Motor calibration now based on mm/s. This allows for targeted braking, e.g., before a red signal.
- In the locomotive control, it is now displayed how far (mm) the locomotive is from the last read ID.
- Communication (sync message, broadcast) made more robust.
- When deleting a config, the new name for the CTC module is asked right away.
- For light and effects, there is now also a control panel in the app.
- The product catalog has been divided into several thematically sorted catalogs.
Android:
- The configuration of CTC modules is now fully available on Android, but only really usable on tablets.
iOS:
- With the first version of the app, only control is possible. For configuration of the CTC modules, you still have to use a Mac or PC.
Firmware:
- Revised motor control for calculations based on mm/s.
App Version 3.11
Was only for Android due to technical issues while uploading to the Play Store.