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Loconet Checker difficulty

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  • Member since
    October 2001
  • From: Sumner, WA
  • 242 posts
Loconet Checker difficulty
Posted by MRRSparky on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 12:26 PM

I gather that Loconet Checker is primarily used to troubleshoot Digitrax systems.  I've recently downloaded it and was not able to get it to work. 

I receive an error message that says, "Cannot find commandstation."  I can't find any way to change a setting to resolve this.  I've sent a message to the developer with no reply yet.  Can anyone help?

  • Member since
    January 2001
  • From: SE Minnesota
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Posted by jrbernier on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 1:41 PM

  Since it cannot find the command station, the interface to the Loconet must be configured wrong.  What are you using?  I have a LocoBuffer USB and have not had a problem.  You can also use a serial port/cable or maybe a Digitrax PR3.

  I normally use Decoder Pro and that will show me the slots/packets as well.

Jim

Modeling BNSF  and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin

  • Member since
    October 2001
  • From: Sumner, WA
  • 242 posts
Posted by MRRSparky on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 12:17 PM

As I said in my query, I am using a recently-purchased LocoBuffer-USB.  I suppose it is possible that it is defective.  I will double-check that DecoderPro works with it this afternoon.

You wrote about configuring the interface.  How do I do that?

  • Member since
    December 2001
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Posted by Stevert on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 1:40 PM

MRRSparky

You wrote about configuring the interface.  How do I do that?

 

 

Instructions are Here.

 

Steve

  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Charlotte, NC
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Posted by Phoebe Vet on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 6:26 PM

What is Loconet Checker and why do you need it?

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

  • Member since
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  • From: Sumner, WA
  • 242 posts
Posted by MRRSparky on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 10:12 PM
LocoBuffer is a free utility noted on Digitrax's web page.  It allows you, and Digitrax tech support, to look at the actual data traffic on the Loconet when you are having problems in either sending or receiving packet information.  I haven't gotten it to work yet, but apparently it is a really good trouble shooting tool.
  • Member since
    September 2007
  • From: Charlotte, NC
  • 6,099 posts
Posted by Phoebe Vet on Thursday, December 3, 2009 7:18 AM

MRRSparky
LocoBuffer is a free utility noted on Digitrax's web page.  It allows you, and Digitrax tech support, to look at the actual data traffic on the Loconet when you are having problems in either sending or receiving packet information.  I haven't gotten it to work yet, but apparently it is a really good trouble shooting tool.

I believe that you are mixing your terms.  LocoBuffer is not a free utility, it is a device for connecting your Digitrax system to a computer.  You probably meant Loconet Checker.

What kind of problems are you having with Loconet that you need a diagnostic utility?

Dave

Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Metro East St. Louis
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Posted by simon1966 on Thursday, December 3, 2009 7:48 AM

MRRSparky
As I said in my query, I am using a recently-purchased LocoBuffer-USB.

You did not mention the Locobuffer USB in the query?

It may well be something like a COM port issue.  When you installed the Locobuffer USB on your PC, Windows will have assigned a COM port to the device.  If you did not make a note of the COM port during the installation, then you can usually check such things in the Device Manager.  I don't personally use the Loconet checker application, preferring to use the tools in the JMRI suite, but I suspect that there has to be a setting in the application where you can choose the COM port.

Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum

  • Member since
    October 2001
  • From: Sumner, WA
  • 242 posts
Posted by MRRSparky on Thursday, December 3, 2009 9:31 PM
I have been using Decoder Pro for a number of years and am very happy with it.  I was not aware there was a tool in Decoder Pro that does the same thing as LocoNet Checker.  I just checked and it appears there is one.  I will fool around with that to see if it accomplishes what I need.  Thanks for the thought.  I certainly don't need any extra software running around loose.

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