One of the elements I will be including in the WVR is a lighting system. I’ve been looking into DMX512 as a system to control my “Stage Lighting” on the railroad. DMX512 is a serial interface with 512 channels used in theatre lighting and stage shows and since my model layout will be a stage for trains to operate it is a natural fit. Each channel controls an input into a decoder which in turn can control a device such as a light or a relay.
The components used are relatively inexpensive and easily found. They daisy chain with only one control cord. There is computer freeware available to control the system, however I have an affinity for the Arduino microprocessor, so I will probably use that to control things via a DMX512 shield. I plan to control LED strip lights, model building lights, and possibly room lighting as well with this system.