On very simple layouts, you may be able to get a way with a single booster and rely upon its built-in circuit breaker. While this is not the recommended route, it is an extremely common set-up. However, there are reasons to separate your layout into different districts.
Even if you have got a very simple layout that doesn't require multiple Power Districts, you should use a circuit breaker. While a DCC System's booster typically has a built-in breaker, an unresolved short-circuit can eventually damage your system's booster or the system itself when the system and booster are integrated (ie - NCE PowerCab). Putting a DCC Circuit Breaker between the booster and track will protect the layout and wiring plus shield the system from the issue.
On layouts with multiple tracks or sections such as yards, it is beneficial to separate them into Power Districts. This is not for control, but to keep problems in one district from affecting other districts. A good comparison would be the wiring in your home. If you overload one circuit in your house, the breaker protecting that circuit will trip and cut power. However, all other circuits in your home will still function. This approach also lets you set lower trip-points for each Power District than your booster can provided. For example, you may have a 5A system, but don't want to wire everything for that amount of current or you are modeling a smaller scale where the track itself might not be able to support 5A. You can set the breakers trip points to something lower. As a whole, the system will still support the full 5A, but each Power District will only support up to the set trip point. Again, this is like a home. It is typical for a home to have 200A service, but standard circuits typically allow for a maximum of 15 or 20A. Each of the Power Districts you create will need to be isolated from one another via gaps in the rails or with plastic rail-joiners. Track power connections to each district will be fed from the output side of a circuit breaker. Each of those breakers will be powered by the main bus connected to your booster/system. If using a lower powered system such as the NCE PowerCab or MRC Prodigy Express, you'll want to select a circuit breaker that has an adjustable trip point so the system's breaker doesn't trip before the circuit breaker does.
Another reason to create additional districts is when additional power is required. In an instance where you cannot run all of your locos and/or DCC accessories, you'll need to add more power. If you've already got a 3.5A or greater system, you'll need to add a booster. Each booster will power its own Booster District via its own bus. Each Booster District bus can then power multiple Power-Districts each protected by its own circuit-breaker as described in the previous paragraph. Like with the Power Districts, Booster districts must also be isolated from one another. With boosters, it is typically best to use the same brand as your system. When a layout requires multiple boosters, a booster common is typically required to be run directly between boosters to avoid issues as trains cross from one Booster District to another. Each manufacturer has a slightly different means of accomplishing this, so their documentation should be referenced to ensure you do so properly.
NCE - PB5 Booster -- 5 Amp w/Power Supply
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MRC - Digital Command Control (DCC) -- Power Booster 8 Amp
If you've got an NCE PowerCab and simply need a more power, you can use their SmartBooster. This effectively converts the PowerCab into a 5A system instead of using its incorporated booster. If more than 5A is needed, additional standard NCE boosters can be added.
If you are unsure how to proceed, please send us an email at [email protected] and we can provide you with some recommendations.
