Sound & Light decoder wiring

[gdelmoro]

Thanks Mark, I’m brand new to decoder installations so I didn’t understand how the f1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 pads worked until randy explained.

[Mark R.]

Online manual ....

http://tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Literature/Motherboards/AK-MB1.pdf

Mark.

[gdelmoro]

Yes i checked he TCS site but didn’t find the information Randy provided. Thanks Randy that is very helpful.  I guess the instructions i received for the TCS didn’t have details about ditch lights. 

 

[rrinker]

DCC fundamentals time.

For lighting functions, the blue wire, or the common pad (some boards even label the pad BLUE since on a wired decoder the proper color code is blue), is the plus side of the circuit. Each function 'output' is actually the negative side of the circuit. Front lights are labeled FWD, FRONT, or WHT because on a wired decoder, the color code is white. Rear lights is something like REV, or YLW because on a wired decoder, the color code is yellow. Additional functions are often labeled F1, F2, etc. Color code on a wired decoder are purple (violet) and green. And that's the limit for a wired decoder, that's all the wires you cna have with 9 pins. But a board decoder (or even a wired one) can have more than 4 function outputs, so those end up being solder pads where you can attach your own wires.

Each function output can only do 1 thing. It can be steady on, it can flash, it can pulse, it can blink. But not at the same time. So if you want alternating ditch lights, each ditch light needs to be hookd up to its own function, AND that can't be the same one as the headlight because if you configured it to flash, the headlight would flash too. 

Pretty much every decoder instruction sheet shows you how to do ditch lights, on wired decoders they always have you hook the lights to the violet and green wires, and then they list the CVs you need to set to make them into alternating ditch lights. You aren;t required to use those specific functions, but it means the CVs you change would be different.

                             --Randy

 

[mbinsewi]

Gary, have you checked out the TCS web site?  I know nothing about TCS, but just a quick search came up with this:

https://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Atlas/RS-3%20Sound/Atlas%20RS-3%20_WOW121-Diesel%20and%20AK-MB1.html

Don't know if this helps you, but TCS should have more instructions for their decoders and boards.

Mike.

[gdelmoro]

richg1998

 

 

gdelmoro

Is the FWD and REV pad on a decoder for the front and rear headlights AND any other lights on the front (ditch, classification) or rear (Marker)?

OR

Do other lights need to go to separate pads on the decoder.

 

 

 

 

Well front and reverse are obvious. Other lights to other pads.

What decoder are you asking about?

All my decoders came with clear instructions.

Rich

 

TCS WOW AK-MB1

[BigDaddy]

If those other lights are supposed to do something different from the headlight, as in flashing ditch lights or turn on/off separately, they need to go somewhere else. 

[richg1998]

gdelmoro

Is the FWD and REV pad on a decoder for the front and rear headlights AND any other lights on the front (ditch, classification) or rear (Marker)?

OR

Do other lights need to go to separate pads on the decoder.

 

Well front and reverse are obvious. Other lights to other pads.

What decoder are you asking about?

All my decoders came with clear instructions.

Rich

[gdelmoro]

Is the FWD and REV pad on a decoder for the front and rear headlights AND any other lights on the front (ditch, classification) or rear (Marker)?

OR

Do other lights need to go to separate pads on the decoder.