Electronics and DCC

Thanks, for the very helpful tutorial, I have a MRC Prodidgy2, a simulated connection will have to do until the MRC computer interface becomes available.

davidmbedard wrote:

Deleted

Bummer. I had some time last night, so i sat down to install DecoderPro and try it out. I remembered seeing this great tutorial, and breezing through it at the time, making a mental note to stop back when I was ready...looks like i missed the bus! I was able to get it up and running, but I can't quite figure out how to enter the information so that my decoder configuration will match my needs. (I am running without a connection to my layout).

Here's  the situation. I have installed a DH165AO in a BB Athearn F7. I wired a Yeloglo LED to FOF to use as the headlight, a 1.5V GOW bulb to FOR to use as a Mars light, and 2 GOW bulbs in series with appropriate resistors wired to F1 as classification lights...

FOF is fine as is.

FOR - I need to make this come on in the forward direction, but I'm not sure what option to select from the drop down boxes on the lighting tab. I've tried several combinations, and plugged the CVs into the decoder, but the only success I had was by using the function mapping tab, and switching it so that tab 2 was checked in the FOF row...unfortunately this resulted in the LED fading out when the FOR was fading in (Mars function) even though I had set the FOF as strictly "on" - no special effects...I'm sure I'm missing something...

Also for F1 I'm not sure how to handle the set up. Every other decoder I've had (ok, the other decoder I installed) was a simple 2 function deal FOR/FOF...i would like the F1 to come on whenever F0F does...would this be accomplished on the function mapping tab or is there someway to manage it on the lights tab?

I would like to understand how to "think" like DecoderPro, so if someone could explain the logic behind clicking this tab instead of another I would consider myself greatly enlightened. I really want to learn this it seems like a great tool - if i could only get my brain around it.

Thanks

FWIW davidbedard rocks

David -

 I read this tutorial and bookmarked it.  Now there is actually no tutorial, only the questions and discussion of it.  Has it been posted somewhere else?

Paul

Anybody have a copy of this tutorial? Or has this ship sailed?

Thanks,

Bobby

Reposted. 

Let me know if I have missed anything.  I managed to get it into one post box rather than the 4 I used before.

David B

David,

Thanks for doing that: Both the original post(s) and the recent reposting/conglomeration.

Tom

You could also try these DEMOS..

http://www3.telus.net/public/ulvestad/Simulator%20Setup/Simulator%20Setup.html

http://www3.telus.net/public/ulvestad/Programming%20new%20decoder-output/Programming%20new%20decoder.html

 Yearly bump

David B

 Dave, thanks for the Tutorial, I just installed the Hardware and the software as you listed when you started this tutorial. I have not tried to use it yet, I am way under the weather. Today is the first day my temperature has been under 101.4 for sometime and still not up to speed.

 I printed out the begin of the tutorial for install. From what you have listed I must know what decoder a engine has. While I was at Simon 1966 house he was able to install one of my engines on his test track, and the (I think this is right) Loco Net II was a able to read what engine maker and decoder was in it. Not sure what is system is except it is Digitrax and is the older versions of the PR 3 I bought.

 Can the PR 3 I bought read the decoder like his system can?

 Next, I want to control the trains by computer at some point. I bought the power supply, I think it is a PS 13, sorry I don't have it handy but it is the right one. To hook the PR 3 to the bench, can I just use the RJ11 connections on the PR 3 to hook up the DB 150? Do the RJ11 send information 2 way or 1 way from the port? In other words is one side input and the other side output.

 Do I need any other hardware to run the trains by computer? Do not want to control routes with turnouts for now, just run the engines.

 I sorry I fought you tooth and nail over converting to Digitrax. I still think the E-Z is a good way to get started, the MRC booster, Hummmmmmmmmmmm, it will never be powered up here again. Speed control of the DT 400 is so much better than I have ever had before.

 Your Digitrax convert and humble pie eating friend Ken  

 The PR3 can read the decoder ID just like the Zephyr with a Locobuffer or a Super Chief with a Locobuffer or any of the combinations that connect the programming track to the computer. There is a bit of manual effor tinvolved in some decoders - all the DH163 decoders return the same ID, for example, so you have to select if you have the DH163D, DH163AT, DH163L0, etc. It's only important if you want to know EXACTLY what decoder you have in there - the entire DH163 series programs exactly the same, so if JMRI says you have a DH163A0 and you really have a DH163L0 installed, it will work perfectly fine.

 As for hooking up the PR3 - it operates in two modes. In one, it acts like an interface to Loconet and thus your DB150 - using the phone jack. You only need 1 cable to run between the PR3 and the DB150. Using JMRI with things wired like that, you can use JMRI to send commands to stationary decoders, use the on-screen throttles to run additional trains, or put the DB150 into program mode and program decoders (write only, the DB150 cannot read CV values and adding the PR3 and JMRI does nothign to change that WHEN CONNECTED THIS WAY (I put that in caps to keep people from going "but..." before reading the next part!). The other option for the PR3 (and you can easily switch back and forth) is to use a power supply with it and connect a pair of wires to a piece of track to use as a program track. In this mode, you can use JMRI to program decoders (READ and WRITE). You can easily switch between both modes (I think even inside JMRI there is an option to do it), but can only do one at a time

                              --Randy

I will echo Randy's comments on the PR3, this is indeed a very clever device.

I did installed two of them for friends both using Digitrax Super Chief, installation is simple and so is switching back and forth between stand alone programmer or MS100 mode. It is also possible to switch mode within JMRI see the following JMRI guide.

 http://jmri.sourceforge.net/help/en/html/hardware/loconet/PR3.shtml

So far I did Read/Write with ease Digitrax, NCE, QSI and Blue Line decoders.