Sudden "hanging" of DCC Layout

[NP01]

Hi! I have been working on computer control on my HO layout, the "Fracisquito Valley Railway". I have a Zephyr Extra and on UT4 throttle. One SE8C currently only driving switches. A PR3 connecting Loconet bus to a PC running JMRI. 

Problem is, all of a sudden, all 5 engines would stop responding to any of the throttles. They are all powered up and making sounds. This happened twice. The first time one of my engines was running and it quit responding so just kept going. 

In both cases, recovery required several minutes of fiddling. Nothing seemed to work except taking off and putting back on all engines AND hard-reboot of the Command Station. 

In one case I was using WiThrottle and in another case I was not. Has anyone seen something similar?

NP. 

[rogerhensley]

Well, I do know that you can overload the throttle count by putting more throttles in than you are allowed. You then have to reset all of the throttles. I would suggest you take a look at that,

[Stevert]

The Zephyr Extra has what, 20 slots, so having five locos won't "overload" it.

I'd suggest having JMRI's LocoNet Monitor running while you're operating your layout to log the LocoNet activity.  Examining the log at or just before the situation begins may give you a clue.

[jrbernier]

NP01,

  There is not a lot to go on here.  The Zephyr will support up to 10-12 engines, and the Zephyr Xtra will support something like 20-22 engines.  Since the engines did not lose their lights or sound, there was no short on your layout.  A couple of things come to mind:

• SlotMax - you have exceeded the maximum # of engines(and have not dispatched off engines you are no longer using).  The system will force off engines after about 60 minutes.  The UT4 does not have a display to show  if you have used up all of the 'slots'.
• The power is 'suspended' - there is power to the track, but no DCC packets are being sent out.  From JMRI on your computer you can restart the power.
• You have a script running that is tying up you system.  What are you doing with the SE8C besides controlling the turnouts.  Is there a 'script' checking them?
• You are using an old computer and it is running out of memory and hanging the command station.  We had this at our club, and old computer attached to the Loconet was set to monitor slots and was left running JMRI - The next week, trains did not run.  Ending the program freed up the command station and everything started running again.

Jim

[rrinker]

 CHeck the track power light on the Zephyr. Was it on, blinking, or off? Based on the symptoms, I'm going to guess it was blinking - this indicates the 'idle' state where there is power on the track but no DCC packets being sent - so the locos would light up and have sounds but not be controllable. Press the track power button, or use the track power option in JMRI to turn the track power fully on (solid light) and everything should run fun.

              --Randy

 

[NP01]

Hi team,

Thanks so far, and here are the details:

1. SE8C is only doing turnout control for now and I have no scripts, blocks detection or signalling. I am in the slow process of getting there. 
2. The PC is reasonably OK, did not appear non responsive. 
3. The track status light was RED, indicating track power ON. I cycled the track power using the front panel push button to no avail. 
4. Loconet monitor was on, and showing packets such as "Set speed of loco in Slot 6 to 0" going by every now and then. 
5. Loconet monitor showed packets being sent in response to throttle commands. It's just than engines did not do anything. 

Complicated!

NP.