Serge NOEL
180 lines
9.1 KiB
Plaintext
180 lines
9.1 KiB
Plaintext
<!DOCTYPE html>
|
|
<html lang="en">
|
|
<head>
|
|
<meta name="generator" content="HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Apple macOS version 5.8.0">
|
|
<title>Using DecoderPro</title><!--#include virtual="/help/en/parts/Style.shtml" -->
|
|
<!-- DecoderPro Styles -->
|
|
|
|
<style>
|
|
.dp-center {text-align: center;}
|
|
.dp-right {text-align: right;}
|
|
</style>
|
|
</head>
|
|
<body>
|
|
<!--#include virtual="/help/en/parts/Header.shtml" -->
|
|
|
|
<div id="mBody">
|
|
<!--#include virtual="Sidebar.shtml" -->
|
|
|
|
<div id="mainContent">
|
|
<div class="dp-center"><img src="images/Logo.gif" alt="JMRI DecoderPro Logo" height="117"
|
|
width="163">
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
<h1 id="Top">Using DecoderPro®</h1>
|
|
<a id="Setting_Up"></a>
|
|
<h2>What are the Programming Modes?</h2>
|
|
|
|
<div class="dp-right">
|
|
<p><a href="Programmer_Setup.shtml">Previous |</a> <a href="Basic_Start.shtml">Next</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p><a href="index.shtml#Basic%20Programmer">Back to Index</a>
|
|
</p>
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
<hr>
|
|
|
|
<p>Prior to using the programmer you need to have completed the previous section (<a href=
|
|
"Start_DCC.shtml">Getting Started</a>), have your computer connected to your command
|
|
station/booster with the required interface device for your DCC system, you are now ready to
|
|
actually program a decoder that has been installed in your locomotive.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p><br>
|
|
On opening DecoderPro, the main page will be displayed:</p>
|
|
|
|
<div class="dp-center"><img src="images/Splash_Screen.png" alt="splash" height="308" width=
|
|
"496">
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
<p>There are four buttons near the bottom, the first one which is:</p>
|
|
|
|
<p><span class="textbutton">Service Mode (Programming Track) Programmer</span> <a id="ServiceMode" href=
|
|
"Programmer_ServiceMode.shtml">Service Mode</a> (programming track) Programmer - We
|
|
will start with this button to program your locomotive on the dedicated programming track.
|
|
and the Service Mode Programmer (Programming Track) Programmer Setup window opens.</p>
|
|
<p><strong>Note:</strong> not all systems may support this option.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p><span class="textbutton">Operations Mode(Main Track) Programmer</span>
|
|
<a href="Programmer_OpsMode.shtml">Operations Mode</a> (Main Track)
|
|
Programmer - or Programming on the main(POM). This lets you program
|
|
a specific decoder on the layout, even while it is operating.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p><span class="textbutton">Help</span> - Accesses the help files</p>
|
|
|
|
<p><span class="textbutton">Quit</span> - Exits the program.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p><a ></a>Click on <span class="textbutton">Service Mode (Programming Track)
|
|
Programmer</span></p>
|
|
|
|
<blockquote>
|
|
<blockquote>
|
|
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="images/Set_Up.png" alt="set up" height="452"
|
|
width="556">
|
|
</p>
|
|
</blockquote>
|
|
</blockquote>
|
|
|
|
<p>The first item at the top of the service mode programmer pane is a selection for the mode
|
|
used to program your decoders. This is a legacy to the olden times and rather technical, but
|
|
fortunately DecoderPro has matured to the point that it is quite good at selecting the best
|
|
mode for you. It uses the selection of command station from your Preferences selections,
|
|
combined with the decoder manufacturer and type selections (which we'll get to real soon
|
|
now). Just accept what's there as a good start. And, fear not, for each pane in the
|
|
programmer has a button which can be used to change programming mode if you have a problem.
|
|
For further details on programming mode <a href="Basic_Mode.shtml"><strong>click
|
|
here</strong></a>.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Now let's determine the type of decoder that's installed in the locomotive that you would
|
|
like to program.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>The decoder identification is entered by using the selections in the middle of the
|
|
page.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Since we want to know what type of decoder is in the locomotive, we can either look up
|
|
what was listed when it was entered in the roster stored in this computer, or we can ask it
|
|
what it's manufacturer and firmware version are. The first is method is <span class="textbutton"
|
|
>Ident</span>.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 518px; height: 452px;" alt="ident" src=
|
|
"images/Basic_Ident.png"><br>
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>The Ident button was clicked and the locomotive was located on the programming track, in
|
|
this case an Athearn N Scale FP-45 locomotive with OEM Tsunami Sound decoder which is the
|
|
Roster.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p><strong>IDENT</strong> is used to identify a locomotive that is already stored in your
|
|
computer's roster file. You can use the drop down arrow to display a listing of locomotives
|
|
in your roster, and then select the desired locomotive from the list. An alternative is to be
|
|
lazy and click the <span class="textbutton">Ident</span> button.
|
|
The program will then query the locomotive to get it's address which is
|
|
linked to the roster entry. The DecoderPro roster entry includes the decoder type used when
|
|
it programmed the locomotive. If it gets a valid address, but there is no roster entry with
|
|
that address, then you will get an error message.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>The other is <span class="textbutton">Read type from decoder</span> .
|
|
You can use one or the other, but they are mutually exclusive.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 518px; height: 495px;" alt="read type" src=
|
|
"images/Basic_ReadType.png"><br>
|
|
</p>
|
|
|
|
<p><strong>READ TYPE</strong> is the other method located in the center of the page. If you
|
|
click on <span class="textbutton">Read type from decoder</span> ,
|
|
the system will query the decoder to get the manufacturer and firmware version number. From
|
|
this information it will highlight all the decoders which are known to match. There may be
|
|
several, usually with differences in the physical shape and size to fit in a particular
|
|
locomotive's shell, or a few more "bells and whistles". When confronted with a large
|
|
selection, you can either remove the shell to try to read information printed on the decoder
|
|
itself, or just select one of the ones with the fewest letters in the model number. (Letters
|
|
are often used to separate the shape differences which have no bearing on the electronic
|
|
functions of the decoder.) Just be aware that some functions that DecoderPro allows you to
|
|
program may not be fully operable.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>As noted above, these methods will work only with command stations which are capable of
|
|
reading back the contents of CV's, and the process does take some time. Many lower end and/or
|
|
older systems and decoders do not provide readback capability. If the command station cannot
|
|
read CV's from the programming track, you will have to select the decoder manually by using
|
|
the large selection box in the middle of the page. With it you can select the manufacturer,
|
|
family and specific model of the decoder. This manual method may be the best and fastest way
|
|
if you know for sure "What's in there".</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>If you have a decoder that doesn't appear in the listing, you may want to check to be sure
|
|
that you are using the most up to date version of DecoderPro, because manufacturers are
|
|
adding models almost faster than the team can enter the new decoder definitions into the
|
|
files. You can choose a manufacturer's version which is as close as you can find, or if
|
|
you're only interested in basic programming functions, use the NMRA© decoder which is a
|
|
generic file of the CV's contained in their standards.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>The last item on this pane is the Programmer Format entry. It is preset by your
|
|
Preferences entry, but you can select other programmers using the drop down arrow. For now
|
|
use the <strong>Basic</strong> programmer, because you won't be able to do much damage if you
|
|
make mistakes. We'll get into the other programmers later on.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Once you have selected a decoder, or DecoderPro has done it for you, the
|
|
<span class="textbutton">Open Programmer</span> button
|
|
will become activated and you'll be able to move on with Service Mode Programming.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>When you are on the <strong>Setup Pane</strong> and click on the <strong>Open
|
|
Programmer</strong> button, the selected Programmer window will open. All programmers, Basic,
|
|
Comprehensive and Advanced, open to the Roster Entry pane.</p>
|
|
|
|
<p>Now lets open the <strong><a href="Basic_Start.shtml">Basic Programmer</a></strong>, which
|
|
is now completely set up with a decoder and the Basic programmer is selected.</p>
|
|
|
|
<div class="dp-right">
|
|
<p><a href="Programmer_Setup.shtml">Previous |</a> <a href="Basic_Start.shtml">Next</a></p>
|
|
|
|
<p><a href="index.shtml#Basic%20Programmer">Back to Index</a><a href=
|
|
"index.shtml#Basic%20Programmer"></a>
|
|
</p>
|
|
</div>
|
|
<!--#include virtual="/help/en/parts/Footer.shtml" -->
|
|
</div>
|
|
<!-- closes #mainContent-->
|
|
</div>
|
|
<!-- closes #mBody-->
|
|
<script src="/js/help.js"></script>
|
|
</body>
|
|
</html>
|