I need to program a single Digitrax decoder for a customer - it's a DH-123.I read through the manuals online, and for the life of me, don't get all that HEX and DECIMAL programming .... I don't care to !!! I'm using an Atlas Commander, and just need to know the straight numerical values to do the following ....White wire controlled by F-0Yellow wire controlled by F-1Dimming controlled for both by F-4Lights are to be on steady regardless of direction.Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
O my God you have a long way to go, the last I used hex was in 1999.
To map the rear light to F1 set CV34 to 0 decimal and CV35 to 2 decimal.
For rule 17, set CV49 to 104 decimal and CV50 to 120 decimal.
Jack W.
Mark, the Hex thing threw me off. It is the old way to program and pretty much no longer used. Just uses CV's and there numbers. Say CV 3 = 4.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
Thanks guys - I don't use Digitrax ANYthing and their online programming instructions really threw me for a loop. I've been accustomed to just entering a number for each CV .... that HEX and Decimal stuff was rather confusing to say the least.
Jack - I noticed you said "decimal" with each reference number .... I assume you mean to just enter that number under each specific CV, right ?
No wonder I can never understand what they are saying when the Digitrax guys get together ! - It's all greek to me ! LOL
Mark.
Mark,
Digitrax includes decimal (base ten- normal numbers) and hex values in their manual. The hex numbers are the ones with the x in front. Just use the decimal value and ignore the hex value. Those are there because original Digitrax throttles used hexidecimal for programming and Digitrax firmly believes in supporting their legacy equipment.
Martin Myers
CV 29 =128/x80
Mark:
Most new users don't realize that the entry above contains two separate numbers.
128 is the decimal (base 10) number and it is all you need today.
80 is actually the same number expressed in hexidecimal (base 16) and the x just tells you that it is a hexidecimal number.
Just ignore the second number.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Ok - I'm catching on ! LOL
Last question (everything is now set) ....
Is there a CV for this decoder to adjust the level of "dimming" ? I'm using LEDs, and the difference between bright and dim doesn't appear to be very much. I personally use TCS decoders exclusively and they have an adjustable dimming CV that works great with LEDs - would like to do the same with this one.
Thanks again for the help,
I am afraid not. I also prefer TCS decoders.
jalajoie To map the rear light to F1 set CV34 to 0 decimal and CV35 to 2 decimal. For rule 17, set CV49 to 104 decimal and CV50 to 120 decimal.
There's something amiss here .... I set CV34 and 35 and 49 as per your instructions. This gave me independant control of front and rear light with dimming on front light only. When I set CV50 to 120, I lost independant control of either end - F0 turns on front AND rear and F1 does nothing ! (?)
If I leave CV50 set to 0, it works properly with the exception of the rear light dimming. I've gone over and over the online instructions but I just can't key it in - what is the final step I'm missing ?
CV62 controls the keep-alive level for dimming. It also controls the blink speed for flashing functions.
Another thing to thank our wonderful schools for - I guess no one learns different number bases any more.
DO not be so quick to think you can;t figure out hex or it is of no use. For CVs that perform more than one function (and Digitrax is not alone here), it is far, far easier to figure out what you need usign the hex values and then convert it to a decimal to actually program the CV than it is to try and figure it all out in decimal, because decimal numbers do not break up neatly in computer terms, and a decoder IS a computer. Simple conversion is right at your fingertips if you have Windows - just use the Calculator and set the View to Scientific. You can enter hex numbers and it will convert to decimal with one click.
Some decoders manuals provide tables for bitmapped CVs like the ones for controllign functions. However, the number of effects available on the Digitrax decoders, if you listed all possible options out in a table with the proper values, you'd have a 4-5 page table. Is it REALLY easier to go through 5 pages of a table than simply look at it and say I need 4F and then punch 4F into the Windows calculator and get your decimal equivalent? If you look at the Rule 17 example in the Digitrax decoder manual you will see where the 104 and 120 come from. It also shows the hex values. Go back up to the listing of possible effects and see how those hex numbers correspond exactly to each table entry. It's nearly if not completely impossible to figure out which settign is being used from the value 120. You think this is complicated, stay away from QSI sound decoders then.
As to your exact last message, what exactly are you trying to achieve, independent control of the lights without regard to direction, or do you want it to be directional as well?
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
One thing I want to point out in case you don't already know is that F4 will dim both headlights, but if F4 is off, then if the headlight opposite the direction of travel is on it will automatically dim.
CSX RobertCV34 should be 1, but everything else jalajoie said is correct. CV33 is the F0 forward output and CV34 is the F0 reverse output, so for F0 to control the forward headlight regardless of direction, both CV33 and CV34 should both be 1. Setting CV35 to 2 causes F1 to control the rear headlight. Setting CV49 to 104 enables rule 17 dimming on the front headlight and setting CV50 to 120 enables rule 17 dimming on the rear headlight. One thing I want to point out in case you don't already know is that F4 will dim both headlights, but if F4 is off, then if the headlight opposite the direction of travel is on it will automatically dim.
Everything works fine except when it comes to CV50. As soon as I enter a value of anything besides 0, F1 ceases to function and F0 controls boths lights ! (?) I also did a factory reset thinking something else was interfering, but still have the same results.
The dimming feature isn't very effective with the LEDs anyway, so I'll just leave it as independant constant from F0 and F1.
Thanks for all your help.
I don't use Digitrax decoders much and if I remember correctly, one can't have both independent control of lighting and dimming effect at the same time. I believe TCS decoders are much more versatile in this matter.
That would explain the results I've been getting, Jack.
After playing with this decoder for a few hours, it really makes be appreciate the versatility and ease of programming of my own fleet of TCS decoders !
Us computer types use HEX to describe things which are expressed as "bit maps." Each bit (a single 1 or 0) controls something different. As it turns out, the hexidecimal (base 16) representation is a cleaner, more direct way to express this kind of information. Looking at a hex number, I can immediately write down the setting of each individual bit. If I try to do the same with the same number expressed in decimal, my first step would be to convert it to hex.
If you've got a Windows computer, go to Accessories and select Calculator. If you don't see the Hex option, pull down View and select Scientific. Now, you've got a handy device to go from Decimal to Hex and back again.
Us older geeks once thought of HEX as some new-fangled idea. We used to program in Octal, or base 8. It's really not as good as HEX, though.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
All geeks know that the only reason we developed math in decimal is because we have ten fingers lol.
You would think that with computers being such a large part of our lives, and computers working only in binary, that we would now be teaching even basic arithmetic in hex from kindergarten up.
Before you go on about the ease of TCS programming - check the FULL TCS manuals for all teh features you can do. The basic sheets that come with the decoders are jus tthat - just the basics. And that section on setting BEMF on or off, or controlled by a function - I don't find that part of the sheet ot be ver intuitive at all. I think because it is a couple of bitmapped CVs and they try to simplify the instructions. Simplification can backfire sometimes.