Getting started with PanelsDCC

PanelsDCC is not a traditional desktop application, neither is it an iOS or Android app. Configuration is cloud based while control is local and accessible from any device with a web browser connected to PanelsDCC Control.

What you need

• A Raspberry Pi on your layout, with PanelsDCC Control and PanelsDCC Connect installed.
• A supported DCC command station, physically connected to the Raspberry Pi. Currently DCC-EX (via USB) and Hornby Elite (via USB) are known working. See Connecting your DCC controller/s for more information.
• Your own devices – phones, tablets, laptops, desktops – with a modern web browser to connect to the Raspberry Pi over your network.
• A PanelsDCC account so you can configure trains, accessories, and panels.

Step 1: Install PanelsDCC Connect and Control

Install both apps on your Raspberry Pi — either from a fresh OS image or on an existing Raspberry Pi OS system.

Prerequisites

• Raspberry Pi 2 Model B or newer. For a larger layout, or more trains and accessories, a Raspberry Pi 4 or newer is a better choice.
• microSD card. 8 GB is enough when the Pi has no screen of its own. Use 16 GB or larger if you want a desktop on the Pi.
• A computer with a microSD card reader (or an adapter)

The usual way to use PanelsDCC is with no screen, keyboard, or mouse on the Pi. The Pi sits by the layout, and you open PanelsDCC in a web browser on a phone, tablet, or computer on the same network. That works on every supported Pi, including a Raspberry Pi 2 Model B, and an 8 GB card is enough on any of them.

A desktop — a screen, keyboard, and mouse plugged into the Pi — is optional. It needs a Pi newer than the Raspberry Pi 2, the Desktop version of Raspberry Pi OS, and a 16 GB card or larger.

Option A: New SD card with Raspberry Pi Imager

Follow the standard Raspberry Pi Imager flow. After you pick your Raspberry Pi, Imager will recommend an OS. Choose the 64-bit option when it is offered. A Raspberry Pi 2 only offers 32-bit, and that is fine.

Choose the version without Desktop when you will use a phone, tablet, or computer instead of a screen on the Pi. That is the right choice for a Raspberry Pi 2, and for an 8 GB card. Choose Desktop only if you want a screen on a newer Pi, and use a 16 GB card or larger.

In Imager, step by step:

1. Open Raspberry Pi Imager.
2. Choose your Raspberry Pi device.
3. Choose the OS Imager recommends — 64-bit when it is offered, without Desktop if the Pi has no screen, or Desktop on a newer Pi if you want a screen on the Pi.
4. Choose your SD card, then click Next.
5. When asked about OS customisation, click Edit Settings.
6. On the General tab, set hostname, username/password, Wi‑Fi, locale, and timezone.
7. For hostname, we recommend panels-dcc so your URLs are easy to remember.
8. On the Services tab, enable SSH if you want remote access (optional).
9. Save settings and write the image to the card. Do not put the card in the Pi yet.

Before first boot:

1. Download the PanelsDCC vendor-data file:

Download vendor-data

2. Imager may eject the card when it finishes. If it does, unplug the card and plug it back in, then open the SD card’s boot partition on this computer. It is usually labelled bootfs. This folder should contain files like user-data and meta-data.
3. Copy the file there as exactly vendor-data (no filename extension). If your browser saved it as vendor-data.txt, rename it.
4. Eject the card, put it in the Pi, and boot. For install to succeed the Pi must be able to reach the internet — plug it into a router, or make sure it joins the Wi‑Fi you set in Imager.
5. Leave the Pi running. First boot updates the OS, installs PanelsDCC, and may reboot once. This can take 15 to 30 minutes.
6. While it installs, open http://panels-dcc.local/ (or the same with your chosen hostname) on another device on the same network to watch live progress. That page takes a while to appear. The Pi finishes its own first-time setup before it starts installing PanelsDCC, so wait about 5 minutes and be patient if nothing loads at first. You will be moved to port 8080 so Control can use port 80 when it is ready. When the Open PanelsDCC button appears, use it for Control.

There is no on-screen “finished” message on the Pi itself. After waiting, go to Step 2 — if Connect and Control open in the browser, the install has succeeded. If they do not load yet, wait a bit longer and try again.

Option B: Pi already running Raspberry Pi OS

If the Pi is already set up, install the latest PanelsDCC Connect and PanelsDCC Control with one command:

1. Ensure the Pi has internet access.
2. Open a terminal on the Pi (or SSH in).
3. Run:

curl -fsSL https://panelsd.cc/install.sh | sudo bash

The script downloads and installs everything automatically. Then continue to Step 2.

Step 2: Post-install checks

Once that works, continue to Configure Wi‑Fi, then the manual getting-started path (controllers, first train, your PanelsDCC account). When that checklist is complete, move on to Chapter 2 — Configuration on the Panels DCC website.

Step 3: Using the Pi directly (optional)

If you prefer not to use another device on the network, you can run everything on the Pi itself. This needs a Pi newer than the Raspberry Pi 2, the Desktop version of Raspberry Pi OS, and a 16 GB card or larger. A Raspberry Pi 2 is used from a phone, tablet, or computer only.

• Connect a screen, keyboard, and mouse to the Pi.
• After install, use the desktop shortcuts for PanelsDCC Connect and PanelsDCC Control.

That is especially useful for changing network setup in Connect (for example switching between home Wi‑Fi and hotspot mode).