I am having issues with new TCS decoders. I use JRMI to load the speed table, and when I read it back, it is not the settings I used. I manually set CV93 to 230, I read it back a moment later and the value on my throttle says 057. Not sure what gives, this has been happening on every model I have installed in the last several weeks. Trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Any one else? Any ideas? And yes I have contacted TCS about this too.
Dave, what command station do you use? Can you turn on the JMRI command tracing to see what is being sent and received? It is almost like there is a SHR 3 (Shift Right 3 bits) command being executed. What if you tried setting the CV on the main and then reading it back on the program track? Does setting address bits work? (Lots of stabs in the dark, just thinking of ways to maybe verify / isolate issue). Do you have another command station or programmer you can try with?
I have the DCS200 Super Chief System. I have tried all the ways to set the decoder's CV. Tested on Programming Track, and on the rails. Used both the throttle and JRMI as well with no difference between any permutation. I have a friend of mine who is an expert DCC installer having the same issues as well.
Wow, totally weird! Does it do the same if you program directly from the throttle (not certain, in first post, if the "manual program" was still via JMRI or from throttle). My only idea is if via JMRI, check via throttle. Might be a bug in the JMRI write operation that cropped up. With a Digitrax command station, the JMRI LocoNet trace program can show all the commands and data sent and received. I haven't had to program any TCS decoders since early this year, so don't have any new ones to try to replicate.
Hi Rick, It does not make any difference, direct with the throttle also does the same as through JMRI. It is totally bizarre. I have no issues programming Digitrax, Lenz Silver Minis, ESU, Soundtraxx and Zimo decoders. It is only the TCS decoders.
Found a pattern. It looks like the decoders I got are New/Old stock. They all have a born on date of 6/2014.
Hi Rick, I have spoken with a few other folks, and they are all seeing the same and other similar anomalies. It all centers round the Release 88 code base in the whole gamut of TCS decoders.
Must be my turn for headaches because now I am seeing issues with a few Digitrax decoders. This is a bit different though. They work fine until I give them a speed table. They respond on the programming track, I can read back all of the CV settings with the throttle correctly. But on the track, it just sits there. Lights on, but they won't turn off. No movement at all. I reset the decoder and everything runs just fine on the defaults. I give it the locomotive's road number as the address and it still works fine on just the default CV settings. I reset it multiple times and it is still the same behavior. TO BE CLEAR this is only happening on a few of the Digitrax decoders that I bought recently. It is not not happening to the any of the older decoders. I tested about 100 locomotives with Digitrax decoders, and only 2 newer ones showed this behavior. So this is looking more a problem with the Micro-Code in the decoders. Either the code in the PROM's is bad, or a bad processor. It is interesting that after years of installing and programming decoders, it has all hit the fan just now. With over 1100 good decoder installs, I guess it is my turn, statistically, to see some of the bad ones. Looks like a couple of decoders are going back...
Well late last night, I figured out the Digitrax issue, and the two decoders are working fine now. It had to do with my automated programming script. My template was marked as 4 byte addresses. The problems were with new locomotives with 2 byte addresses coalesced into 4 byte addresses. Once I changed the address to 2 bytes, they worked just fine. So this was all on me! Still having issues with the TCS decoders though.
David: I've had issues with the TCS Z2 decoders which I've used over the years in small US steam locomotives and in Japanese steam locomotives. This started to happen in the last year or so. One of the issues is the BEMF which I eventually was able to correct with much consternation. Before I started to use the TCS decoders I used Lenz mini silver decoders for many years which I hard wired to steamers as well as many diesels. I am now using the ESU Lok-Pilot decoders instead of TCS decoders for motor control and ESU Select Micro Lok-Sound decoders for all sound installations. I stopped using all Digitrax decoders over ten years ago. Staying cool and having fun with it..... Shades
Hi Shades, Well we have a lot in common. I started using Lenz Silver Mini's, but then the only manufacturer that had the board decoders was Digitrax. I run a small steam fleet, and I was mostly diesel. On the diesels, about the only manufacturer for the entire fleet was Digitrax. I went with them for a several years because the TRIM feature allowed me to easily speed match the locomotives. But then I ran into huge problems with their reliability. Fortunately, about that same time is when TCS started with their board replacement decoders. Unfortunately, they did not support TRIM until 20112. I mostly stopped installing decoders for a while and only installed TCS decoders in locomotives like switchers and yard locomotives which only ran singly. When TCS implemented TRIM, I jumped into the TCS camp. I have many TCS decoders installed in the diesels and was going along very happily. Then came the downfall of TCS that started this thread. With the Version 88 release, all sorts of things went haywire. I have switched all my wired installs to use the Zimo MX621 decoders, and I am as pleased as I can be with these decoders, and even use them with some of the big diesels like the Atlas SD60's by modifying the original light board. I looked at the LokPilot, but the Zimo has a better price point. I see their motion control as being a dead heat. While I am with you on the ESU sound units, unfortunately I have several SoundTraxx sound units already installed, but that will not happen again. I have started to use the ESU products for sound applications. I still have had no response from TCS on these issues. This lack of customer service has turned me off, and I will not use them again.
I have one TCS decoder, I just fired up that loco for the first time in about 6 months and it held all settings
Dennis : In contrast to your roster, I have a very large steam fleet. My diesel roster includes most of the diesels in the transition era through the early 1960's Lately I've added some modern diesels mostly Kato and a few from FVM. My steam fleets numbers about 300 individual steamers. Before using the Lenz silver mini's, I used the Lenz 521W which was the precusor of the Lenz silver min decoders. The 521W's were great decoders considering when they were released, and I all the 521W's I hard wired in steam and diesels are still functioning well today. Barstow Rick knows my locomotive roster well and I helped him start with DCC a few years ago. Hope you can get a few answers form TCS, but their support system is suspect at best. Staying cool and having fun with it....... Shades
