RailKernelRelease 12.01 — NS1201

CALF compatibility testing

CALF is RailKernel’s practical hardware test for Command stations, Accessories, Locomotives and Feedback. A connection is only marked as CALF-tested after the complete chain has been exercised with real hardware—not merely because a protocol connection could be opened.

Why CALF?

A connected status says very little. A command station may accept a connection while decoder programming, initial accessory states or feedback events still behave differently. CALF gives every integration the same repeatable acceptance test and makes our compatibility claims concrete.

The complete CALF test

C — CV and decoder programming

  • Read an arbitrary decoder
  • Run an extended CV read test
  • Write and verify a CV
  • Change the decoder address
  • Persist the read CV values with the locomotive

A — Accessories

  • Switch accessories in both directions
  • Read or restore their initial state
  • Follow changes made on the command station
  • Follow changes made by another controller or software client

L — Locomotives

  • Read the locomotive decoder
  • Drive in both directions and stop
  • Operate locomotive functions
  • Follow externally generated speed, direction and function changes

F — Feedback

  • Obtain the initial feedback state after connecting
  • Receive occupied transitions
  • Receive free transitions
  • Reflect every state correctly in RailKernel

CALF test matrix

A check mark means that the complete category has been tested with hardware. A question mark means that support exists but the complete CALF test still requires suitable hardware.

Command station or native protocolCALF
Märklin CS3 / CS3+ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
ESU ECoS ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Roco Z21 / z21 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
YaMoRC YD7010 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Generic / Native — Z21 LAN ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Generic / Native — LocoNet ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Generic / Native — XPressNet ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Lenz ? ? ? ?
Uhlenbrock Intellibox ? ? ? ?