I purchased two True Line Train MP36 in Metrolink livery. The units did not come with factory sound, so I added ESU Loksound Select 73900 with sound file 91494 to both units. I use a NCE Powercab and JMRI to program the decoder and the one thing that I am scratching my head over is the lighting.
I believe that each light can be controlled individually but I can't figure it out on JMRI. I was wondering if anyone with these units, or someone who has experience programming with Loksound, can share some advice?
Ideally, this is what I would like to do with the lights available:
Reverse Direction: 2 red LED's on front pilot illuminate but I don't want the rear light to come on. This would simulate PUSH configuration
Forward Driection: 2 headlights and 2 ditchlights. I would like the ditchlights to alternate when the horn is triggered but go back to solid on when the horn isn't activated
Individual Control: Rear light, front numberboard, cablight
Any help you can offer is appreciated!
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~Excellency in the Details ~
Some of the sound files that LokSound has the lighting already programed to flash the ditch lights.
Not sure if this is one of them.
Anyways you really need to look at the Select Manual.
It is a tough read but will help if you at least give it a once over.
Ditch lights should be on AUX 1 and AUX 2
Look at pages 29-30-31 Any time you try to change a CV that is 257-511 you must change a shift registor, CV 32 set to 0
Would take me all night to type this out so you must do some reading.
back again- I don't think that youhave enough lighing outputs to control all of what you want to do. You have only 6 lighting outputs to work with.
Each out put could handle more than one light(LED) So one output could control the H/L (s), one output the rear light (s). The ditch lights will need two out put so they can flash. So that leaves you with 2 more out puts to work with.
woodone, thank you for responding!
I have the Loksound Slelect manual - the 48 page one (there were many different manuals on their website!). I will read through it. I am getting confused with the AUX inputs and how they relate to functions. For instance, JMRI says there are 10 AUX options and for the forward and reverse lights there is a "Mode 1" and "Mode 2". I don't know the difference between them! Further, from trial and error, F6 controls a numberboard light but the manual says it should be controlling ditchlights.
If there are 6 outputs for the lighting, this is what I want to do then: One output for headlight, two for the ditchlights, one for red markers, one for rear light, and the final could be used for both the cab light and numberboard. Now the question, what functions correspond to the 6 outputs
The manual isn't going to be of much value for the file you are using as you are working with an OEM file that deviates from the normal Loksound set-up.
As for what functions correspond to the six outputs, well, that's entirely up to you.
Right out of the box, for that file F0 controls the directional front / rear headlights. F6 controls the ditchlights when in forward direction only. F7 controls the number boards. F14 controls the cab light.
There are no functions assigned to the red marker lights. Are they even lit, or have you installed lighting yourself ?
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Forgot to ask .... did you use a 21-pin Loksound decoder, or an 8-pin >
Mark,
I used a 21 pin board that just plugged into the OEM board. I essentially upgraded the DC only unit to the way it would have been if I purchased them with sound (I think - I don't have a factory sound version to compare with but I reached out to Loksound and got what they recommended)
So, with the board installed out of the box, F0 controls headlights as you said. When the unit is forward, both headlights and ditch lights turn on and are steady all the time. In reverse, the red markers on the nose light up as well as the reverse light.
F6 controls the one numberboard light. Only while unit is in forward direction. Also, when it is turned on, the two ditch lights dim automatically which I find to be strange
F7 doesn't do anything that I can tell at this point in time
F14 doesn't turn off the cab light for me. That one stays constantly on.
Odd .... that's not how file 91494 is configured. (?) Where did you get the decoder from ? Has anyone done any modifications to the function mapping ?
So, all you've done is take the decoder out of the package, plug it in and start trying functions ?
That's what I was thinking too! I have the bulletin for 91494 in front of me and some things just don't match up.
I ordered the board online through a hobbyshop deal where they would put the requested sound file on the decoder before sending it to me. I requested the 91494 file and that is what was hand written on the reciept and on the box the decoder came in. I plugged the board in, plugged the speaker in and that was it. Now i'm trying to figure out the functions
(http://www.ebay.com/itm/141110483461?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)
Have you tried to do a factory reset?
That would set the decoder to the defaults of the 91494 download.
Not a lot of information about the 21 pin Select that I can find.
The Select manual does not even show the 21 pin version.
Other than "more stuff" being in the connector, they really aren't any different. I wonder if they have any intention of selling 'motherboards' like TCS has for the WOW, since the other side of the 21 pin connector does not readily lend itself to soldering wires like an 8 pin socket. Or if it's a case of "well, since you have to solder wires anyway..". More locos are coming with 21 pin connectors, which is nice because it elmininates the need to solder to extra pads on the decoder, like most Atlas/Athearn format decoders.
What always struck me as interesting is that the Select Direct is essentially a Select Micro mounted to the larger board to get the additional connections - look at a Select Micro, on the opposite side of the wires, are the solder pads for the 21 pin connector!
Since there technically are enough outputs to set up the lights as desired, what needs decoding is just which 'wire' is connected to which lights. Kind of odd that it's not behaving per the design of the project - but it could be that the dealer loaded the chosen project but did not reset it - that's a good suggestion, to reset the decoder so it is definitely using the project's defaults, not a more generic default. It may not be exactly correct, but it should be closer and it should match the project's reference sheet.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
More tinkering tonight with this and I am going to post a few screen shots of what I see when using JMRI. I am very new to this so any advice you have is appreciated.
For the function mapping page, what is a mapping row and how does it correspond to functions? For instance, by trial and error I know that F1 controls the bell which corresponds to mapping row 3. But i can't tell what each mapping row does without trial and error
Here is what I see for function outputs. Again, I don't know what the difference is between [1] Mode and [2] mode. And the headlight, rearlight, and AUX outputs all have these two mode options Finally, as for the CV tab, I know there are indexed CV's, but I don't know what the difference is between 16.0.XXX, 16.1.XXX, 16.2.xxx, and 16.3.XXX. Not to mention that for CV 259, 267, 275, 283, 291, and 299 that control the light outputs, they are missing in the list of CVs!! Again, I am appreciative of your help!
Here is what I see for function outputs. Again, I don't know what the difference is between [1] Mode and [2] mode. And the headlight, rearlight, and AUX outputs all have these two mode options
Finally, as for the CV tab, I know there are indexed CV's, but I don't know what the difference is between 16.0.XXX, 16.1.XXX, 16.2.xxx, and 16.3.XXX. Not to mention that for CV 259, 267, 275, 283, 291, and 299 that control the light outputs, they are missing in the list of CVs!! Again, I am appreciative of your help!
Finally, as for the CV tab, I know there are indexed CV's, but I don't know what the difference is between 16.0.XXX, 16.1.XXX, 16.2.xxx, and 16.3.XXX.
Not to mention that for CV 259, 267, 275, 283, 291, and 299 that control the light outputs, they are missing in the list of CVs!!
Again, I am appreciative of your help!
The mapping rows are either the logical or physical outputs. Row 1 is the front headlight, row 2 is the rear headlight, row 3 is the bell, row 4 is the horn. Those first four are certain. The rest "should" be cross-referenced based on the chart on the ESU site, but, as you've already proven, they don't match.
You can determine was a good portion of them are simply by trial and error .... try the function button and you will either hear or see something .... or not. It's the "or nots" that you are going to have trouble determining what they are. Those will be the logical functions - notch up, notch down, switching mode, etc.
F4 is turning something OFF when the button is activated. F16 and F17 are configured like that in the factory file. Your F17 looks ok, but your F16 is backwards. Also your F5 and F8 are activating TWO different mapping lines, which is incorrect as well. There should not be two mapping lines (logical or physical) in that file controlled by a single function.
Something is seriously wrong with how your decoder is set up. I honestly think the decoder should have the file re-installed by a competent individual. You're going to spend hours trying to get that fully resolved - and that's to say that it's even the correct file in the first place.
Did you ever try doing a reset?
If that does not make thing work I would get the decoder reprogrammed.
If the functions don't match the functions listed on the speck sheet there is something WRONG!