I`ve been messing around trying to get a good install of JMRI on a Windows 7 laptop for days now without success. Tried JMRI`s website and their how to section a number of times with no success. It`s related to the driver issue. No driver gets installed and I can`t seem to get the driver from JMRI to install either.
I`m so desperate that I`m even trying to get it to install under Linux .... I really have to be desperate to do that
Anybody have any hints out there.....
Regards
Dennis
CDN Dennis
Modeling the HO scale something or other RR in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies Alberta, Canada
Is it JMRI that you are having the issue with or whatever interface you are using to connect JMRI to your layout/program track? "Driver issues" imply hardware to me. So what is the interface are you using? JMRI the software should install with no problems as long as you have an up to date version of JAVA on your PC.
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
What interface are you using? That's where the driver gets installed.
I've run Windows 7 64-bit since the day it came out and all my stuff works - Digitrax PR3 and a USB to serial cable to use my old serial Locobuffer. Also have an ESU Lokprogrammer and their software running for my sound decoders.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I have two laptops: One with WIN7 and one with WIN8. Both run JMRI fine with either a LocoBuffer USB or a PR3 interface to my Digitrax DCC system. Some questions:
You may need to find the 'port' on your PC that is being used. With my Digitrax PR3, I see this when I do the following: start-control panel-system & security-system-device manager-ports. Click on Communications Port - Under the 'general tab' I see Digitrax, Inc. Note the port # - In my case it is COM4.
Now, can you at least get JMRI to install? If not, start over and make sure you have the most current version of Java installed. The JMRI web site has a link to it.
If you can get JMRI installed, you will need to configure the port : In the edit tab, select preferences; you need to enter the system manufacture/type, connection, and that port#. If you do not have an actual connection to a DCC system, you can select the Loconet Simulator to get something running.
Try the above and get back to me if you still have problems.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Sorry Simon, I neglected to mention that the interface is a LocoBuffer USB that I bought from Digitrax.
Your JAVA comment twigged something in my mind so I`ll check that and see if that is the problem.
Thanks for your feedback!
Dennis,
There should be a 'driver disk' included with your LocoBuffer USB. Digitrax does not make it. RR-CirKits makes the LocoBuffer USB. Go to their web page to get the current WIN7 FAQ and the device drivers :
http://www.rr-cirkits.com/
Linux would be a very good option, I love it. No driver installation needed using Ubuntu
Where abouts in Alberta are you? I'm up by Edmonton and could help if the above doesn't cure your issues.
Peter
You have to install it at least twice. I have it on win7 and xp. The reason it has to be installed twice is the usb and com/ports both need configuration. I use locobuffer too. It's on their website.
It's in their FAQ and other places.
http://www.rr-cirkits.com/faq/faq.php?answer=18&cat_name=001%20-%20LocoBuffer-USB&category_id=4#18
Richard
Thanks for the ideas guys. I got jrmi installed on com 3 under windows. It now talks to the LocoBuffer but I get a communication error between the LocoBuffer and the Digitrax Controller.
Question: What controller switch setting should I be in? Run or OP?
Question: Which RJ12 connection? A or B?
Thanks for the help so far.
My DB150 has been reset to factory using CV 39
The DB150 should be in RUN. OP is used only to set the DB150 settings themselves, or do things liek the OpSw 39 reset - OP on mode means OpSw.
The A and B jackes are internally connected in parallel, it does not matter which one you use.
In the Locobuffer-USB instruction sheet there are 'sanity check' instructions to verify that you have communications between the computer and the Locobuffer. Only if this checks out would you be able to connect to the DB150.
In JMRI preferences - besides the COM port setting, there is also an option to pick which Digitrax command station you have. This will need to be set to DB150 for it to work correctly.
rrinker The DB150 should be in RUN. OP is used only to set the DB150 settings themselves, or do things liek the OpSw 39 reset - OP on mode means OpSw. The A and B jackes are internally connected in parallel, it does not matter which one you use. In the Locobuffer-USB instruction sheet there are 'sanity check' instructions to verify that you have communications between the computer and the Locobuffer. Only if this checks out would you be able to connect to the DB150. In JMRI preferences - besides the COM port setting, there is also an option to pick which Digitrax command station you have. This will need to be set to DB150 for it to work correctly. --Randy
Thanks Randy you've done a great job of giving me clear concise information. For some reason, I am having problems reading and re-reading the manual. Must be old age comprehension or lack there of.
Anyway I'll probably be bugging you again as I move along. I already know what I've been doing wrong so far..
Thanks so much
I had issues with the JMRI and the PR3 on Windows 7 64 bit. I was setting my train room to run my trains via a smart phone and was trying to test it out first but could never to get it work. My old computer that is being used in the train room that runs XP had zero issues.
I've used my PR3 with Win7 64-bit since Win7's public beta and I've never had a problem.
However, I can cause (and recover from) the dreaded "Java Platform SE binary has stopped working" issue at will. All I have to do is set my preferences to the wrong COM port, restart, and voila! "Java Platform SE binary has stopped working!"
To fix it, all I have to do is reset my preferences to the correct COM port and restart. No more issues.
Now, I'm not saying everyone who has that problem has their preferences set improperly, although that may be the answer in some cases.
Rather, I think that under some circumstances, certain USB port hardware may cause an issue that some part of the code cannot deal with. Setting my preferences to the wrong (non-existent) COM port mimics that situation and causes the error.
My suggestion is to disable any power profile in either Windows or the machine's BIOS, that might cause the USB ports to go into a "sleep" or other low-power state.
That is indeed the ONLY time I have a problem. It's either Java (my thought) or JMRI which simply cannot deal with the loss of the srial port. Some simple testing ought to reveal of the device is connected before attempting to send data - which is why I think the issue is with Java, as the core JMRI programmers would not have missed such a fairly basic coding issue.
It really only happens on my laptop, when the whole machine goes to sleep - even witht he USB set to not power off, once it comes back awake I have to reboot before JMRI will ever see the PR3. It wasn;t an issue until the time I was runnign a train with WiThrottle on the club layout and the laptop went to sleep (although I had it set to NOT sleep when plugged in!). Oops, no more control. I had to grab my DT400 and steal the address to get my train stopped. Deliberately setting the wrong COM port, well, don't do that!
Last show, it all worked great - I had both my PR3 and Lokprogrammer connected and was setting locos with JMRI and also redid some Loksound decoders with the Lokprogrammer.