Programming a Loksound V4 on MRC Prodigy Advance 2

[rrinker]

 Mine came with the Prolific cable but supposedly they don;t any more. There are drivers for the Prolific cable for Windows 7 but the Lokprogrammer software wil not load with it. I just swapped out my old Radio Shack USB to serial cable that I had on my linux box for my Locobuffer and it worked fine. The Prolific cable works fine under Linux for the Locobuffer.

 Interesting side note from the JMRI forum, someone was having problems connecting to an NCE syste, with a Prolific adapter, depsite the drivers being loaded and the virtual COM port appearing when the cable us plugged in. Makes me wonder if there's something odd about them on Windows 7 despite there being a driver.

 If other CVs like the address are reading back, then programming commands are being accepted by the decoder - the problem is that direct access to the CVs is not, and those higher number ones for function remapping are not directly available. Hence the index CVs, which are really quite easy if you read what it says. They simply apply an offset to the CV number you are trying to program, not at all as complex as the QSI indexed CVs. IE< if the system cannot directly set CV300, there is an index setting that simply adds an offset of 127 or 255 to the CV number - so instead of 300 you program CV45 with the index set, which adds 255 to the CV number ot get CV300.

              --Randy

[maxman]

Mark R.

In a nutshell ....

You don't want this one (53450)  ....

 

 

A lot of people are successfully using the 53451, but I'd suggest getting the 53452. Both require a maximum power supply of 20 volts. If it doesn't come with a power supply, a laptop supply rated for 16 or 18 volts works great and can be had for dirt cheap .... and works better than the US supplied power supply.

Mark.

 

Thanks for posting the picture.  However, you identify that as a 53450.  ESU calls it a 50450.  According to the ESU website, the 53450 and 53451 are identical except that the 53451 comes with a USB adapter cable.

 

Things would have been much easier if they had just printed the part number on the device somewhere.

[locoi1sa]

I hope we did not scare away the OP. It seems we highjacked his thread and probably should have started a new one. To the OP I apologize.

  I had to look at my programmer. It does not have the European CE marking on it anywhere. From what I learned from my main DCC supplier was that the original 50450 programmer was only supplied to European dealers to program the earliest sound decoders. By the time ESU set up shop in the USA they were already into the second programmer and the 3.5 version decoders. I would think that getting one of the original programmers would be a lesser chance than the Powerball jackpot. I have the version 2 software and the version 4 software in separate folders on my computer so I can program older and newer decoders.

          Pete

[Mark R.]

You're right Pete - typo on my part.

I agree, the odds are pretty slim you'll find one of those old versions for sale, but then, if you're talking Ebay, then all bets are off !

Mark. 

[NSDash09]

Pete- you're fine. I appreciate the help. I'll probably end up with a programmer sooner or later and i will want the right version.

"For ditch light type 1 try changing CV31 to 16, CV32 to 0. This indexing will allow you to program lighting effects. Then CV 279 to 130 if you have LEDs or 2 for bulbs. Then CV287 to 131 for LED or 3 for bulbs. If this works when you blow the horn then we can work on remapping on/off to F4.

Just make sure that you change CV31 and 32 first.

Pete"

Good news and bad news. Bad the ditch lights don't flash with the horn. However, with my select the lights need to be on in order for them to flash with the horn. I still can't control Aux 2, so i believe i will need that on before the ditch lights will work. Good news, the aux 1 is no longer acting as a mars light like it was from the factory so something happened!

[NSDash09]

Good news! With help from Matthew Herman and a little discipline when looking at the manual and I figured it out.

Index 4096 (CV31 -> 16, CV32 -> 0)

CV 275 -> 9

CV 279 -> 3

CV 283 -> 9

CV 287 -> 2

Index 4098 (CV 31 -> 16, CV 32 -> 2)

CV 380 -> 128

CV 410 -> 12

PS: I've had the solution for a little while, just never got around to posting it. It did NOT take 3+ weeks to get information from ESU. They were very helpful. Just wanted to make sure that was clear.