Programming Track Wiring...


goscrewyourselves

goscrewyourselves

I'm the one
Hi Guys,

Yep your favorite pain the "behind" here with another wiring question specific to Digitrax.

I made up a "Programming Track", for obvious reasons, and followed the wonderful Digitrax instructions (from the Manual) for wiring it for programming - what else?

Here is how I wired up the DCS 100 for the "Stand Alone Programming Track:

IMG_0561_zpsaef932e0.jpg


Here are the Digitrax Instructions, straight out of the manual:

IMG_0563_zps3d4c56f3.jpg



My wiring of the DCS100 is "identicle" to the Digitrax Diagram; HOWEVER, NO power to the Programming track itself. Come to think of it, when I try to short the 2 Programming Wires out against each other, nothing happens there either?????

I have tried getting power with the DCS 100 in RUN MODE, on the OP MODE, touching the wires directly to the Programming Track and nothing, zip, nil, zilch, nadda!

What in heck am I doing wrong?

NCE Power Cab is looking much more inviting!
 
My DCS-100 works fine programming stuff on the program track but I never checked to see if the Prog outputs are live when you aren't in "Use The Program Track" mode.

Need to check that - tomorrow.

I've seen some folks say you have to be very careful shorting the main outputs to the prog outputs - suggesting that you should have a specially wired section of track before the program track with a switch that disconnects that section from all power.

Don't remember what Digitrax might have to say along those lines.
 
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fcwilt,

Thank you, my DCS 100 works fine when I try to program on the main layout, that hasn't been the problem. I also heard that some "extra" precautions had to be taken to have a "special part of the main layout" for a programming track, that is why I opted to have a completely "Stand Alone" not connected to the layout what so ever, other than wiring of course, programming track.

You mentioned something about having to "Use The Program Track" mode, where do I find that please, perhaps that is the problem I am having getting power to my programming track.
 
CSX Robert,

That explains everything then, might have been nice if that had have been included in the manual.

So, if I reconnect my programing track I should be able to program my loco's. I assume I do that in the normal way. Am I right in saying when I start to do the programming, the track becomes a live as will the engine?
 
Well, that presents a problem for me than as I don't have a Loco Net cable to run from my DCS 100 to my computer. Go figure huh. I'm just NOT suppose to do anything with this Digitrax stuff I guess :(

Addendum, regardless of anything, I did download JMRI 3.6 as it is compatible with NCE gear as well. All I need to do now is get the cable to run from my digitrax gear and one to run from my firth coming NCE gear. ONE of them has to work.
 
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Jerry,

I started going through your build (as per your link) and realized that I had followed that and was in awe of your wiring. I still am!

Bottom line though is that the Digitrax stuff is too advanced for my limited knowledge and experience with wiring and DCC. Yes, I do have all the Digitrax gear, SE8's, PR3 Extra's, BDL168's and god knows what else I have collected over the months in preparation for putting it all together. In addition to all of that I also have a number of Non Digitrax electronics as well SC2's for example and 3 different types of turn out machines. In short, I have enough gear to effectively wire two layouts with full DCC. Because of that, I am not and will not discard it.

What I want to do now though, is to be able to do the basic stuff - have power to my track, program my engines with individualized CV's instead of the factory default ones and run a couple of trains at once in opposite directions, nothing more for right now. Everything and anything else will come in time right up to having a layout that can be fully automated and computer controlled. That, may take 12 months to achieve and is a long term aim.

In order for me to have what I want to have now, I need things that I can understand and achieve. Things that I can accomplish without having to continually ask others about, and then hope they understand my problem and that I can understand any replies. From what I have read of NCE, I believe that I can achieve that aim, just as certain as I know I can't if I continue to use Digitrax at the moment.

Perhaps when I become more confident with DCC in general and more knowledgeable of it, I can revert back to Digitrax and be able to embrace those few extra capabilities of it and so with some confidence.
 
Tony this is how I do my programming track, simple enough but you really need to remember to throw the switch!
It means shutting down the whole layout to program but no biggie as you can still do ops program when needed.
I usually choose a yard track that is easy to access.
image.jpg
 
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Rico said:
Tony this is how I do my programming track, simple enough but you really need to remember to throw the switch!
It means shutting down the whole layout to program but no biggie as you can still do ops program when needed.
I usually choose a yard track that is easy to access.
View attachment 44971
Click to expand...

If you are not using the Program Track outputs but programming "On The Main" you don't need to have a program track.

What is your reasoning behind that wiring?
 
Biggest reason is that some decodes don't accept ops programming.
Another is a safe guard to keep from resetting all your locos to the one you're working on should you forget to go ops.
I'm not sure if the DB150 works with the programming outputs, at least I've never had luck with it.
I know it has the connections labeled for configure a&b but it's not clear just what they're for.
 
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Rico said:
I'm not sure if the DB150 works with the programming outputs, at least I've never had luck with it.
Click to expand...

My bad - I didn't look closely and thought it was a DCS-100 and you weren't using the program track outputs.

Didn't even know the DB150 didn't have program track outputs.
 
I don't have any problem programming locos using my throttle on the Digitrax. It might be a little more tedious than just entering stuff into a computer via keyboard, but it's certainly not difficult with that setup. I originally had a Zephyr hooked up back when, and that WAS a big pain in the butt because you had to literally punch in every single number for every single thing. With the DT402 you can just turn the knobs to switch between both CV's and CV values, so it's really easy as far as I'm concerned. It actually works beautifully when doing speed-matching on the main because you can just dial it up or down as needed to get them matched perfectly without having to continually enter numbers. Coming from the Zephyr to the DT402 I'm sure made it seem easier than it would be to somebody coming at it cold, but just hang in there and get used to it and I think you'll be happy.
 
Mike,

I am "hanging in" at the moment, despite buying the NCE gear.

Please can someone confirm I am doing this "Programming thing" right for me.

1. Power up the DCS100
2. Mode to RUN
3. Select PROG on DT402 (screen shows Ad2 = ???)
4. Press RIGHT HAND knob (screen shows Ad4 = ???, which s what I want)
5. Dial in Loco NO - 3236 in my case (screen shows Ad4 = 3236)
6. Press ENTER on DT402

Then:

1. Select LOCO on DT402
2. Dial in the LOCO NO/Address
3. Press ENTER

Somehow, that doesn't look right to me, but I don't know why.
 
Step 7 should be it asking Ad4on?=y and you'll then press the "Y +" key. That action changes the CV39 value to allow 4-digit addressing, which is really just extraneous information. All you need to know is to hit the "Y" key when it asks. By the way, it will KEEP asking that even after you hit the Y key. It took me a while to figure out that it just does that, and it's not an error. Just hit the Y key and wait for it to finish writing.

Step 8 should be to hit the EXIT key (wait for it to finish writing, of course, and Ad4on?=y to leave the display) to leave programming mode and return to operations mode. Then you can continue with your next three steps.

Other than those two steps, you seem to have it.

BTW, you can enter the loco addresses directly on the keypad instead of dialing them in. While I find that programming CV's works easiest by dialing in, the loco addresses seem to me easier to just type on the number keypad. That applies for both programming the address in program mode and for selecting the loco address in operations mode.
 
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Mike,

I am not getting your STEP's 7 or 8. After pressing ENTER, the screen flashes with something that is too quick to read and goes back to showing the address I entered?

Sorry, I am assuming that everything that I have done (1 - 6) is correct though.
 
Are you on the programming track or on the main?

I only use direct and ops programming myself, but Digitrax defaults to paged mode. To change the modes use ONE of the following:

Step 3a: For direct mode (programming track), press Program twice more so that "Pg" (looks like "P6" actually) in the display changes to "Ph" and then to "Pd"
Step 3a: For operations mode (programming on the main), press Program three more times so that it changes from "Pg" to "Ph" to "Pd" and finally to "Po". Note that if you are programming on the main, you will have to select the CURRENT decoder address before entering program mode (LOCO, Select #, ENTER as steps 2a, 2b and 2c if you will). You can then proceed with the other steps.

Maybe that'll fix things up.
 
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Should follow MikeOwnby's directions but also all you have to do is put loco on program track and get to Pg mode and once in Pg mode if you simply hit enter it should read the address of the loco and give you its present address and you can then re address it to what ever you want. Digitrax has a real learning curve and takes lots of practice to get to know the ins and outs. Wait until you decide you want to change a horn or bell etc , then it gets to be fun. You may find this shortcuts card handy.dcc shortcuts.jpg
 
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