Serge NOEL
460 lines
23 KiB
Plaintext
460 lines
23 KiB
Plaintext
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<html lang="en">
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<meta name="generator" content="HTML Tidy for HTML5 for Apple macOS version 5.8.0">
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<title>JMRI: Signal Masts Repeater</title>
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<meta name="author" content="Kevin Dickerson">
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<meta name="author" content="B. Milhaupt">
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<meta name="Date.Modified" content="20200107">
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<meta name="keywords" content="JMRI help Signal Mast Repeater">
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<div id="mainContent" class="no-sidebar">
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<h1>Signal Mast Repeater</h1>
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<p>The Signal Mast Repeater tool allows you to configure one Signal Mast to follow the state
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of another, or for a change on either Signal Mast to force the other to the same state.</p>
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<p>Signal Mast Repeaters require that both Signal Masts must be of the same Signal System and
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the same Mast Type. Signal Mast Repeaters cannot be configured between masts of differing
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types or between signaling differing signaling systems.</p>
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<h2>Configuring a Repeater</h2>
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<p>The Signal Mast Repeater table is accessed via the "Tools" pull-down menu at the top of
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the Signal Masts Table window.</p>
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<h3>Adding a Repeater</h3>
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<p>When creating a new Repeater, and a Master mast is selected from the pull-down list at the
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bottom of the window, the Slave pull-down list will be populated with Signal Masts of the
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corresponding signaling system and mast type. If there are no valid masts then the option to
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select the Slave will remain disabled, with an empty list.</p>
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<p>Once both a Master mast and a Slave mast have been selected, the "Add" button may be
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activated to add the Repeater to the list at the top of the window.</p>
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<h3>Configuring operation of a Repeater</h3>
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<p>The "Repeat" function may operate in any of three modes which define the direction(s) in
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which the "repeat function" occurs. The direction of repeat for a given Repeater is
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configured in the upper part of the Signal Mast Repeater tool window using a button in the
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column named "Update" This column is typically found between the master and slave name
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columns. Activating the button sequences through the three available modes. Each mode is
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shown on the button by one or two arrow-like representations of the direction in which
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repeats are made:</p>
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<table border="2">
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<tr>
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<td class="ctr"><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterMaster-to-SlaveButton.png" alt=
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"Master to Slave repeat button image">
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</td>
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<td>indicates that Master mast aspect changes are repeated to the Slave mast.</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td class="ctr"><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterSlave-to-MasterButton.png" alt=
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"Master to Slave repeat button image">
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</td>
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<td>indicates that Slave mast aspect changes are repeated to the Master mast.</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td class="ctr"><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterBidirectionalButton.png" alt=
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"Master to Slave repeat button image">
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</td>
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<td>indicates that any Master mast aspect change is repeated to the Slave mast, and any
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Slave mast aspect change is repeated to the Master mast.</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
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<p>By default, a Repeater is enabled when it is created. It is possible to disable an
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individual Repeater by un-checking the box in the "Enable" column for the particular row
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containing the Repeater. This can be useful for debugging your Repeater's effect on the
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layout.</p>
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<h2>A use-case for a Signal Mast Repeater</h2>
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<p>In those cases where there are multiple routes between a "source" signal mast and a
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"destination" signal mast, with no intervening signal masts, the regular JMRI Signal Mast
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Logic "discovery" project will only identify <strong>one</strong> of the valid routes. JMRI's
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Signal Mast Logic ignores any other existing routes and does not generate any logic in the
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Source mast's logic for those un-discovered routes.</p>
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<p>The Layout Editor panel below shows a track arrangement where this Signal Mast Logic
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discovery shortcoming can be seen. For this panel, there are three different routes from
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signal RA2.</p>
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<p>JMRI's Signal Mast Logic "discovery" finds only two of the three routes:</p>
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<ul>
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<li>Route 1 - a route from RA2 to RA173, via switch 1 lined "reverse" (diverging) and
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switch 5 lined normal; and</li>
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<li>Route 2 - a route from RA2 to RA171, via switch 1 lined "normal" (straight)</li>
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</ul>
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<p>JMRI Signal Mast Logic Discovery for RA2 fails to automatically discover the last
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route:</p>
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<ul>
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<li>Route 3 - a route from RA2 to RA173 via switch 1 normal and Switch 3 reverse and Switch
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5 reverse.</li>
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</ul>
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<p>Each of the three routes is separately discussed below.</p>
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<h3>Example Route 1</h3>
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<p>This route is from signal RA2, via switch 1 "reversed" (thrown), and switch 5 "normal"
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(closed), to signal RA173, and is shown below.</p>
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<img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterRoute1.png" alt=
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"an example showing a properly-discovered route from signal mast RA2 to signal mast RA173.">
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<p>Route 1 was properly discovered by the Signal Mast Logic and is shown in the top row of
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the Signal Mast Logic window image, below. the Route 1 logic is enabled (checked). Under the
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conditions shown in the image above, Route 1 is currently an active route, as indicated by
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the associated check marks. Examination of the conditions shown above shows that RA2 is
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presenting a "Diverging Clear" aspect (Red over Green over Red).</p>
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<img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterRoute1SMLogic.png" alt=
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"an example showing the signal mast logic for the properly-discovered route from signal mast RA2 to signal mast RA173.">
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<h3>Example Route 2</h3>
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<p>This route is from signal RA2, via switch 1 "normal" (closed), and switch 3 "normal"
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(closed), to signal RA171, and is shown below.</p>
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<img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterRoute2.png" alt=
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"an example showing a properly-discovered route from signal mast RA2 to signal mast RA171.">
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<p>Route 2 was properly discovered by the Signal Mast Logic and is shown in the second row of
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the Signal Mast Logic window image, below. The Route 2 logic is enabled (checked). Under the
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conditions shown in the image above, Route 2 is currently an active route, as indicated by
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the associated check marks. Examination of the conditions shown above shows that RA2 is
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presenting a "Clear" aspect (Green over Red over Red).</p>
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<img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterRoute2SMLogic.png" alt=
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"an example showing the signal mast logic for the properly-discovered route from signal mast RA2 to signal mast RA171.">
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<h3>Example route 3 (the undiscovered route)</h3>
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<p>Route 3 is not discovered by the Signal Mast Logic. This route is from signal RA2, via
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switch 1 "normal" (closed), switch 3 "reversed" (thrown) and switch 5 "reversed" (thrown) to
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signal RA173, and is shown below.</p>
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<img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterRoute3.png" alt=
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"an example showing two different routes from one signal mast to its destination signal mast">
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<p>Note that signal RA2 does <strong>not</strong> give an indication better than "Stop" under
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these conditions, because there is no Signal Logic entry which discovered the path from RA2
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to RA173 via this route.</p>
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<img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterRoute3NoSMLogic.png" alt=
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"Signal Mast Logic automatically generated by the 'discovery' process">
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<p>Note that neither of the two rows of the Signal Mast Logic table shown above are marked as
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"Active", because the route requirements of these two Signal Mast Logic entries are not
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met.</p>
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<h2>Why Signal Mast Logic discovery misses the third route</h2>
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<p>When discovering signal mast pairs between which to create Signal Mast Logic, JMRI
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<strong>finds only one path</strong> between a given signal mast pair. JMRI's discovery
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process <strong>then stops looking for other paths between those two signal masts</strong>,
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and moves on to discovery for another signal mast pair.</p>
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<p>There are a variety of technical reasons for this behavior, and, at least for the near
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future, there is no expectation that this behavior will change. A workaround is needed.</p>
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<h2>The workaround</h2>
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<p>That explanation of the problem contains a hint on how to resolve the problem - JMRI's
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Signal Mast Logic works with unique pairs of signals. This implies that a signal mast which
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duplicates the behavior of RA173 might allow Signal Mast Logic to be created for the
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undiscovered route from RA2 to RA173.</p>
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<p>The duplicate of signal mast RA173 turns out to be a great idea! And it is the beginning
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of the solution!</p>
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<p>But a given point on a Layout Editor panel can only have <strong>one</strong> signal mast
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governing movement in a given direction. That means that the duplicate signal mast
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<strong>cannot</strong> be tied to the same spot on the panel. And, in a roundabout way, it
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also means that Signal Mast Logic discovery <strong>is unable</strong> to automatically
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identify the alternate path to the the duplicate of RA173.</p>
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<p>Proceeding from this point requires manual work - it is necessary to manually create the
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Signal Mast Logic entry which we would have preferred that Signal Mast Logic discovery would
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create. That's where the "Add Signal Logic" button on the signal's "Signal Mast Logic" window
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comes into play.</p>
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<h2>Workaround for the example</h2>
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<p>The steps to work around the Signal Mast Discovery shortcoming described above are:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>Create a duplicate "destination" signal mast;</li>
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<li>Configure the duplicate mast as a Signal Mast Repeater for the primary destination
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signal mast;</li>
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<li>Place the virtual signal mast on the Layout Editor panel;</li>
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<li>Manually create the required Signal Mast Logic;</li>
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<li>Test the logic.</li>
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</ol>
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<p>The steps are detailed here:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>Create the duplicate destination Signal Mast
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<ol>
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<li>Open the <a href="SignalMastTable.shtml">Signal Mast Table</a>, via
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"Tools"->"Tables"->"Signal Masts".
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</li>
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<li>
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<a href="AddEditSignalingLogic.shtml">Add</a> the dummy signal mast to be a
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near-identical of the physical signal mast, which is RA173 in this case. For ease of
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reference, choose a name that is similar to the mast being mimic'd - in the case
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here, "Virtual RA173".<br>
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This dummy mast must use the same "signaling system" as the mast it is to mimic, and
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it must be of the same "mast type". The Repeater need not use the same "Mast Driver"
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type.<br>
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If no physical representation of the repeated mast is required, the Mast Driver type
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of "Virtual Mast" may be used. If the chosen Mast Driver type uses one or more a
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hardware addresses, be sure to use address information which is not already in-use by
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any other layout hardware or other virtual masts.
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</li>
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</ol>
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</li>
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<li>Configure the duplicate Signal Mast to repeat the physical Signal Mast
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<ol>
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<li>Select the "Tools" pull-down on the Signal Mast Table's tool bar. Select
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"Repeaters". This opens the "Signal Mast Repeaters" window, and pre-populates the
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"Master" signal list at the bottom of the window with all available signal masts.</li>
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<li>At the bottom of the window, select the "Master" signal - in this case, mast
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"RA173". The tool will then pre-populate the list of "Slave" signal masts which use the
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same signaling system and mast type as the selected Master mast.</li>
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<li>Select the "Slave" Signal Mast to act in conjunction with the selected Master
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Signal Mast - in this case, mast "Virtual RA173".
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<p><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterCreation0.png" alt="repeater list">
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</p>
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</li>
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<li>Activate the "Add" button. This will place a new line in the table of repeaters at
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in top section of the window.</li>
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<li>The arrowhead within the table entry for "RA173" and "Virtual RA173" determines
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whether changes to one signal mast will be reflected by the other mast. By default, a
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change on one mast will be reflected on the other, as shown by the button shown
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below:"<br>
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<img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterBidirectionalButton.png" alt=
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"Master to Slave repeat button image">
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<p>Click on that button to cycle the arrowheads so that there is only one arrowhead,
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and it should point towards "Virtual RA173". This means that changes to RA173's
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indication will be reflected upon Virtual RA173, but that changes on Virtual RA173
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will not be reflected upon RA173. This is shown below.</p>
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<p><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterCreation.png" alt="repeater list with row">
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</p>
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</li>
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<li>You may now close the Signal Mast Repeater window.</li>
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</ol>
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</li>
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<li>Optionally, place the duplicate Signal Mast on the Layout Editor panel.<br>
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(Note that placing the the duplicate Signal Mast on the Layout Editor panel provides no
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obvious functional advantages for this Repeater use-case, and is done mainly for
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debugging purposes.)
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<ol>
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<li>Place the new virtual Signal Mast somewhere on the Layout Editor panel. It is
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necessary to select the "Signal Mast Icon" radio button, and select the newly-created
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dummy mast in the adjacent selection box.</li>
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<li>Place the icon onto the panel in some location which makes sense to you. I chose to
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place it immediately below RA173, as shown below.
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<p><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterIconPlaced.png" alt="Icon Placed">
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</p>
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</li>
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<li>You might wish to right-click on the virtual Signal Mast and select the option to
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"hide" the Signal Mast icon when not in "edit" mode. For the purposes of this example,
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the icon remains un-hidden.</li>
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</ol>
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</li>
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<li>Create the Signal Mast Logic for the undiscovered route.
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<ol>
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<li>Right-click on RA2 and select the "Signal Mast Logic: RA2" selection. This opens up
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the "Signal Mast Pairs: RA2" window (For further help, see <a href=
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"AddEditSignalingLogic.shtml">Adding/Editing Signal Mast Logic</a>.)
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</li>
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<li>Select the destination mast "Virtual RA173".
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<p><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterCreationSelectDestination.png" alt=
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"Select destination">
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</p>
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</li>
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<li>Add the "Blocks" associated with the route.
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<ol>
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<li>In the "blocks" section, select all of the blocks between the entering signal
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RA2 and the leaving signal (Virtual) RA173 which are on the "undiscovered" route.
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In this case, blocks 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8 are on the "undiscovered" path. They must be
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entered as "Unoccupied", since signal RA2 <strong>must not</strong> indicate
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anything other than "Stop" if any of those blocks is occupied. This configuration
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is shown below.
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<p><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterCreationBlocks.png" alt=
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"Create block entires">
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</p>
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</li>
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</ol>
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</li>
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<li>Add the "Turnouts", and their positions, associated with the route.
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<ol>
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<li>Select the "Turnouts" tab. "Include" each of the turnouts, and each one's
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required direction of throw, for those turnouts on the route of the undiscovered
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path between the entering signal RA2 and the leaving signal (Virtual) RA173. In
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this case, Turnout 1 must be "closed" (normal), Turnout 3 must be "thrown"
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(reversed), and Turnout 5 must be "thrown" (reversed) on this route. This
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configuration is shown below.
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<p><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterCreationTurnouts.png" alt=
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"Create turnout entries">
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</p>
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</li>
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</ol>
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</li>
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<li>If necessary, add any opposing "Signal Mast(s)" associated with the route. This is
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often a requirement for signals in CTC territory.
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<ol>
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<li>If you find it necessary to prevent absolute signal RA2 from clearing when
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opposing absolute signal LA4 displays anything less-restrictive than "stop", then
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Signal Mast LA4 must be included in the RA4 Signal Mast Logic's "Signal Mast" tab.
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RA2's Signal Mast Logic entry must require that LA4 is at "Stop". This
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configuration is shown below.
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<p><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterCreationMasts.png" alt=
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"Create mast entries">
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</p>
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</li>
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</ol>
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</li>
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</ol>
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<p>The resulting Signal Mast Logic list for RA2 appears similar to the image below,
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although the "Active" logic item may be selected differently, or no "Active" item may be
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shown, depending on layout conditions.</p>
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<img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterFinalSignalMastLogic.png" alt="FInal SML list">
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</li>
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<li>Select the "Update Signal Logic" button to make the changes to the RA2 Signal Mast
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Logic.</li>
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<li>Save your work! See <a href="../../../../html/apps/LoadStoreWork.shtml">Loading and
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Storing Your Work</a>.
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</li>
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<li>Exit the Layout Editor "Edit" mode.</li>
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</ol>
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That completes the changes!
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<h3>Testing the workaround</h3>
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<ul>
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<li>Click on Turnout 1 until it is "closed" (normal, straight route, ...). Click on Turnout
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2 until it is "closed". Click on signal RA171 until it gives an indication which is
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less-restrictive than "Stop and Proceed". You should get an indication greater than "stop"
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on RA2. If not, make sure that the sensors associated with the blocks in the path are all
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"unoccupied" (i.e inactive).</li>
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<li>Once you get RA2 to automatically upgrade from "Stop", click on RA171 to cycle thru its
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available indications and watch to see which indications show on RA2. Note that the "Speed"
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settings for the turnouts and the blocks in the path can all affect the indications seen on
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RA2. See below.</li>
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<li>Line switch 1 to its diverging position, and line switch 5 to its straight position.
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Click on signal RA173 until it gives an indication which is less-restrictive than "Stop and
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Proceed". You should automatically get an indication greater than "stop" on RA2. If not,
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make sure that the sensors associated with the blocks in the path are all "unoccupied" (i.e
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inactive).</li>
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<li>Once you get RA2 to automatically upgrade from "Stop" for this path, click on RA173 to
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cycle thru its available indications and watch to see which indications show on RA2. Note
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that the "Speed" settings for the turnouts and the blocks in the path can all affect the
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indications seen on RA2.</li>
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<li>Then test the route which was not found by the "discover" process. Line Switch 1
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"normal", Switch 3 "diverging" and Switch 5 "diverging". This should activate the
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manually-entered route in the Signal Mast Logic, and should allow changes to RA173 to
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affect signal RA2. This should allow RA2 to properly display something other than "Stop",
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as shown here.
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<p><img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterRoute3Functioning.png" alt="Show route 3">
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</p>
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</li>
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</ul>
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<p>The speed settings for the turnouts and blocks in a given path all can influence the
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aspect shown on the signal. The slowest speed on any part of the route will limit the signal
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indication to one which allows that speed (or some lower speed, if that specific speed is not
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available by signal indication).</p>
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<p><strong>Note:</strong>If the individual turnouts are left at JMRI's "default" values, then
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any route with a diverging turnout will automatically force the signal to a maximum speed of
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"restricting" for the route. To achieve the images shown above, it was necessary to change
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the turnout "diverging" speeds (in the Turnouts table) to be at least "Slow", as shown below.
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For the selected signaling system, that was sufficient to allow the signal mast logic to
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choose "Diverging Clear" (Red-Green-Red) for those routes where a switch required a diverging
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route.</p>
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<img src="images/SignalMastRepeaterTurnoutSettings.png" alt="Turnut settings">
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<h3>A General Note on Signal Repeaters and Multiple Routes</h3>
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<p>This concept can be extended to situations where "n" routes are available from one signal
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mast to another signal mast. With "n" routes, discovery will only find one of those "n"
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routes. Using the workaround described above, it is necessary to create "n-1" signal mast
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repeaters for the destination mast. And it is necessary to manually create "n-1" Signal Mast
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Logic entries from the source signal mast to each of the virtual copies of the destination
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mast. (The example given above is described the case where the value of "n" was 2.)</p>
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<h1>See Also</h1>
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For related information, see:
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<ul>
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<li>The <a href="../../../../html/tools/signaling/index.shtml#tools">Signaling</a> main
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|
help page.
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|
</li>
|
|
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<li>The <a href="../../../../html/tools/signaling/AspectSignaling.shtml">Aspect Signaling</a> help page.
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</li>
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|
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<li>The <a href="../../../../html/tools/signaling/SignalMasts.shtml">Signal Mast</a>
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|
documentation.
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|
</li>
|
|
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<li>The <a href="SignalMastTable.shtml">The Signal Mast Table</a> help page.
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</li>
|
|
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<li>The <a href="SignalMastAddEdit.shtml">Adding Signal Masts</a> help page.
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</li>
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|
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|
<li>The <a href="../../../../html/tools/signaling/SignalMastLogic.shtml">Signal Mast
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|
Logic</a> introduction.
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|
</li>
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|
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<li>The <a href="SignalMastLogicTable.shtml">Signal Mast Logic Table</a> help page.
|
|
</li>
|
|
|
|
<li>The <a href="AddEditSignalingLogic.shtml">Adding/Editing Signal Mast Logic</a> help
|
|
page.
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|
</li>
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|
</ul>
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