Electronics and DCC

TCH wrote:

have downloaded Decoder Pro to my main computer in the house and it works well. however when transferred to my old W98 computer in the train room I can`t get it to work because the java version won`t work on the old computer. have tried the java site and can`t download an earlier version.  any help on how to get the earlier version ? thanks trevor

http://java.sun.com/products/archive/

You'll have to figure out which version you need, but they're all there.  

cwclark wrote:

Buy a cheap old computer at goodwill, or a yard sale.  Set up a Draft N wireless network.  It will reach that far.     I don't need a wireless connection . All i did was hook up an old computer that a friend of mine gave me to the internet in the house, downloaded java and decoderpro, took the old computer to the train room building, and wahlaa!...I have decoderpro connected directly to my loconet programming track with locobuffer II and it works just fine.

That was actually my suggestion.  Since the 7 computers in my home are all networked, I just assumed that people with more than one would want them networked ..... forgive me.

PS:

Don't you want to be able to join this on line forum from the "train room"? 

Phoebe Vet wrote:

PS: Don't you want to be able to join this on line forum from the "train room"?

Now how can i get anything done in there if i'm on the computer all day? Besides my hands dripping with paint or plaster is kind'a rough on the keyboard....

thanks Arjay 1969

thats exactly what I was looking for

trevor

Version 2.0 is out.

Downloading now.

Downloading 2.1.1 to see what has been changed.

David B

davidmbedard wrote:

Downloading 2.1.1 to see what has been changed. David B

Do I sense a bit of "One upmanship" here?

Just teasing.

Now all I need to do is find that widget that connects track to the whatchamacallit on the back of this here box for the choo choo...

2.1.1 is a production version, not meant as a stable-as-downloaded version.  It does give me some insite to what is comming up though...

David B

Hello David, Just downloaded v.2.0 (just released) and it works wonderfully! Thanks so much for the great tutorial! You're a great asset to this new forum! I look forward to more "goodies" from you. Thanks again!

Paulie

ShadowNix wrote:

Sweet, so basically, Dave, you use this tool as a way to know what CV's to punch down in the basement (or wherever) where your programming track is, correct?  That is a GREAT idea (so I won't be flipping thru like 10000 pages of manuals! Brian

This is a great idea, thanks for sharing!

In process of programming one switcher.

The bottom of the screen consistently says:

Programmer Error, Timeout talking to command station.

Is this something I should fix?

At the end of the session, I find the program most useful in simulated loconet and writing down the cv's which show up to be changed by color.

I was able to get the two NW switchers changed to long addresses and consisted together.

I do have much to learn before I can make full use of an actual loconet connection. I think eventually one of the computers will be connected to the loconet and one could upload sheets to the engine on the program track.. but not there yet.

Which DCC system are you using?

When it says "Error-Timout talking to whatever", it will go back and re-try that CV after it has written all the other CVs.

On the other hand, make sure you have your system and such selected under the preferences menu.

David B

Just the DCS 200 over the loconet.

Approx how long does it usually take to write all sheets?

With the kind help of the JMRI group I managed to solve my own errors in the preferences menu of the JMRI and successfully wrote the necessary configs like the address and the like to the engine via the write sheets panel without any errors.

 I even disabled the first loco of the fleet from operating on analog power. It is my experience that analog power screws up the unit and requires a reset.

If I can do this, anyone can.

Let's see..

It was the RR-Cirkits Locobuffer USB that was purchased from Tony's Train Exchange recently and came with a USB cable, telephone wire and basically went straight into the Superchief without any further errors once the preferences of JMRI matches my connection on com 3 and properly talking to the engine.

I know that within a few days Im going to probably add a second engine and attempt to build a consist of two engines.

I think that I will just configure the second engine by itself, set the direction to reversed and MU it as necessary from the DT400.

Oh one other thing... this Proto SD7 was sooo new that it was not showing up on the JMRI decoder list. However it idented properly as to manufactor. That was enough for me to build a roster entry for it.