Hi everyone:
I just purchased a new FP7A powered chassis from Intermountain with a 21 pin Loksound decoder installed. The older Intermountain CP shell that I am going to mount on the chassis has a reverse light lense built into it. I want to illuminate the reverse light when appropriate. I also would like to install body mounted ditch lights which were used on some of the CP FP7As.
The decoder has a 21 pin socket so there is no harness attached, but the solder pads for a harness are built into the decoder. I thought that if I simply soldered wires on to the appropriate solder pads for the reverse light and auxilliary functions that I would get power to run the additional lights. Alas, that does not seem to be the case.
I have played with a few CV settings related to the reverse light but I still don't have any power where I want it.
I should also mention that when Intermountain installed the decoder they clipped off any wires coming from the DC light board socket that were not used for the installation. To clarify, there is a six pin socket that connects the DC board to the headlight and number board lights. There are only three wires required to power the headlight/number boards and Intermountain clipped off the remaining two unused wires from the socket (one position in the socket has no connector installed). I have tested the six pin socket leads including the clipped off connections but I cannot find any combination of wires that supplies power in reverse only. I have not tried to find ditch light power. I got a bit leery of poking around too much with the locomotive on live track.
I suspect that there may have to be some CVs changed to get the power that I want. Either that or Loksound has delivered a limited function decoder (at Intermountain's request of course) that won't support the functions that I need.
I have posted this message on the Loksound forum, and I have sent Loksound the question directly. I have also sent a message to Intermountain, but so far no responses. It has only been a few days and Loksound asks that they be given 14 days to respond to direct enquiries so I may be jumping the gun a bit here, but I figured that lots of you people know your way around decoders pretty well so why not ask you too.
Any suggestions?
By the way, next time I will buy a DC chassis and get my own decoder. Lesson learned.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Download the LokSound Technical Manual from the ESU-USA web site and refer to it to see if what you want to do is possible.
All Loksound decoders are identical in their function abilities. Unlike Soundtraxx who will use a stripped down version in factory installs.
Your Loksound decoder is capable of six individual function outputs, but they need to be activated and assigned a function key. The decoder in your engine only "required" the use of two functions, so only two are programmed to be used.
I just checked the sound file in my Lokprogrammer, and it wouldn't take much to reconfigure it. Any chance you could post a picture of the decoder ? If not, send me an e-mail and I'll help you through it.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Cacole:
I have spent a fair bit of time studying the manual and I have attempted to follow the instructions. So far no success. That's why I am posting here.
Hi Mark R:
Here are the pictures of the decoder. I attached the blue and yellow wires.
I used the picture in the introduction to the Loksound manual to locate the reverse light wires. It is exactly the same decoder in the manual picture.
I haven't tried to hook up auxiliary functions yet.
Thanks for your help.
You're on the right track Dave regarding the hardware modifications. You are going to need to add the purple and green wires to their appropriate pads for your ditch lights as well.
Activating and remapping these functions if you aren't using JMRI or have a LokProgrammer will be a mind-numbing experience. Loksound decoders use register CV's for the higher CV numbers - if you don't get the upper register CV's set properly before setting the base CV, you can create quite a mess that is hard to back out of.
Once you have everything hooked up, let me know which button you want to do what and I can give you a full run-down on what CV's you will have to set to activate thes functions and have them do what you want.
Hi Mark:
I very much appreciate your offer to help.
I have just put JMRI on my computer but I don't have the bits needed to connect it to a programming track yet. Perhaps rather than giving me the CV changes for the Loksound decoder a simple explanation of how to hook JMRI up would be a better use of your time. Then I can figure out how to do the programming for myself. I'm using an NCE Power Cab system.
I have a bit of experience with register CVs having used them when reprogramming a QSI decoder so I understand the concept. Please note that I said a "bit" of experience.
I will have to spend a little time thinking about which buttons I want to use. I am at the stage where I have several DCC locomotives and I would like to make the button assignments as similar as possible in each locomotive. The NCE system already has some of that worked out but I have a couple of decoders that do not respond properly to the dedicated bell and whistle buttons. I'll have to do an audit of what buttons control what functions for each locomotive first. I'm pretty sure JMRI would be useful there.
I would like to ask you a question regarding the Loksound Programmer. Specifically, will JMRI do the same job as far as CV adjustments? I know that the Loksound Programmer will allow me to install my own sound files but I don't see myself needing that capability any time soon, if ever. I am planning on using Loksound decoders wherever possible in the future but I don't have an interest in installing custom sound files.
Thanks
Me again Mark:
I just discovered that I had already purchased the NCE USB Interface needed to hook up to JMRI. Oh how I love my bad memory!!
I also found a USB A to USB B cable that came from who knows where.
Looks like I have the bits to enable me to start using JMRI!! So, give me a few days to try to figure it out. Any tips you would like to offer would be greatly appreciated.
You have to be careful using JMRI with Loksound V4 and Select. They are still working on things. You should be using the latest test version, the latest production release version won;t work. And with each new test release they get more of the Loksound stuff working. Eventually it will be 100%. Problem is, most of the issues are in the function mapping stuff - you should be ok setting up a couple functions as alternating ditch lights, it's mapping them to different F keys that gets complicated.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Sorry Dave - I can be of no help with the JMRI as I don't have / use it myself, but rather use the LokProgrammer. It is my understanding from following the Loksound Yahoo Group that the guys writing the code for the Loksound decoders in JMRI are pretty close to having the screens replicate those of the LokProgrammer. Just make sure you have the latest version of the software installed.
On your decoder, there are the following index registers ....
Index: 256 (CV31=1, CV32=0) CV's 257 to 312
Index: 257 (CV31=1, CV32=1) CV's 257 to 314
Index: 4096 (CV31=16, CV32=0) CV's 257 to 506
Index: 4097 (CV31=16, CV32=1) CV's 257 to 470
Index: 4098 (CV31=16, CV32=2) CV's 257 to 512
Index: 4099 (CV31=16, CV32=3) CV's 257 to 512
Index: 4100 (CV31=16, CV32=4) CV's 257 to 384
As you can see, that encompasses a LOT of CV's ! Trying to decipher function mapping manually from the manual is not a simple task. You really need assistant software to ensure to get what you want - especially when trying to activate de-activated functions - that's more than just re-mapping.
Randy:
Thanks for the heads up re JMRI and Loksound. I have a few QSI and Soundtraxx decoders so JMRI will still be useful for those.
Mark:
Thanks for the Index/CV chart. I understand the principle but as you said, actually figuring out what values are needed in what CVs is a challenge. I think I am about to invest in a Loksound Programmer.
I bit the bullet and just ordered the Programmer. Please don't tell my wife!
Your secret's safe wih me Dave.
Mark!
I knew that I could count on you!
Seriously, I just spent about an hour re-reading and re-re-reading the Loksound Select manual and I'm sorry to say that it fails miserably with respect to details. I wonder if that is deliberate so they can sell more Programmers?
If it is then they just sucked me in too. Oh well, I guess that is the price of admission.
Well, when you allow any of 29 functions to control any function wire, any sound slot, and any action possible in the decoder 'script', it's a little hard to be exact. The sheer number of combinations is perhaps a bit overhwelming, but that's the price of flexibility. The only decoder more flexible are the Digitrax ones, and they require you to learn actual programming of the microcontroller to achieve it, not just figure out which CV to set to which value. I'd hate to see how thick the manual would be if they actually listed every possible combination for you. It's a lot, but it is fairly logical - there is a pattern to the madness, because there has to be for it to be able to be programmed into the controller chip.
So far I don;t consider the programmer as much of a cost - I have no intentions of using any other sound decoders, mine are all Loksound and will continue to be Loksound, so I can obtain them from any source, not just those resellers who will load a sound project in them, and just load whatever I want. Luckily I don;t need any complictaed function setups, my prototype didn;t go in for all the extra flashers and warning lights, and my era is well before ditch lights.
I seem to recall the guy that is doing the JMRI programming for the Loksound decoders claiming there was well over 5000 combinations of function button / sound slot / physical functions !
The biggest problem is that not every sound file is set up identical with what sound is in what sound slot, which throws an even bigger wrench into the works ! On the ESU site, each sound download does list what sound is in each sound slot, so you have to keep cross-referencing from what is actually in the decoder file to the chart(s) in the manual. Miss one column and you have a huge mess on your hand.
I'm sure it's very difficult to try and translate the extreme complexity of these decoders into something understandable for those that still can't set the clock on a VCR ! The programmer does make programming them a breeze though.
Does the Loksound Programmer comes with all the bits necessary to hook it up, or are there things that I should be ordering now so I can use it when it arrives? I have ordered it from Tony's Train Exchange. First Class Mail usually takes two - three weeks to get to Canada.
Dave - The programmer comes with the needed cable to hook to your computer and the power supply. All you have to do is download and install the programmer software from the ESU site. There is also a download for the drivers, but ESU doesn't recommend using them unless your computer can't find the programmer on its own. The ESU drivers *might* conflict with your computer's drivers if you don't need them. Try it first without them. I'm running XP Pro and didn't need them.
You can download the programmer software now if you want to play with it before your hardware arrives just to familiarize yourself with it.
Thank you.
I will have a look at the software.
If you ordered it new like that, you should be good to go as soon as it arrives. I bought mine on ebay and it came with an older USB to serial cable which ESU does not support under Windows 7 (despite it having a perfectly good driver - really not sure what the issue could be). I just swapped it with the USB to serial cable I bought at Radio Shack, Lokprogrammer is happy, and the cable that came with it works perfectly fine driving my serial Locobuffer. ESU has long since swapped which USB to serial cable they ship with the unit, so there will be no issues.
Thanks Randy
Update:
I got the Lokprogrammer today. I have just spent about three hours trying to figure out how to use it. I understand how to do CV changes but I apparently need more information.
Specifically what I want to do is enable the reverse light function on a Loksound Select decoder factory installed from InterMountain which is in an FP7A.
The decoder did not come programmed with the reverse light function working despite the fact that InterMountain installs reverse light lenses in their FP7A units.
According to the function mapping on that particular decoder, Intermountain has the rear light function configured to be turned on by F5, which they have attached to the number boards. They have Aux2 (purple) configured as side number boards (?) also controlled by F5. F6 is configured for the nose mounted MARS light run from Aux3 (seems odd to me as they aren't using Aux1).
All that being said, the reverse light IS active and being used - it's just being used for something else besides a rear light. Based on the function mapping, there should still be an open Aux1 available (green wire). (?)
Loksound decoders are set from the factory quite logically, I always wonder how / why manufacturers to to like to have their own set of odd "standards".
OK everybody!
I managed to find a solution!
I have spent many hours trying to decipher the Loksound manual and experimenting with various CV settings. Finally there was an "AH HA" moment and things came together!
I have the locomotive set up so that F7 turns on the backup light and dims the headlight at the same time. If the headlight is off, F7 still controls the backup light.
I won't go into the CV settings because the situation is very rare but if anyone wants them send me a PM and I will post them here.
Thanks to Mark R. and Randy for all your assistance.