I am now updating the Base 3 database when changes are made to an engine/train's speed, momentum, diesel run level (rpm), engine labor (efx), smoke level, and train brake via TMCC commands. All changes are reflected back from the Base 3. Only speed and momentum changes are correctly reflected on the Cab 3. I've made @Dave Olson aware.
I'm not sure if the Base 3 maintains the fwd/rev direction state of a train or engine (relative to motion, not the direction an engine is facing in a consist). Would be nice to sync this state as well, if possible.
So, to recap progress (and I may repost this separately), here is what's working:
- All TMCC-style commands can be sent via Ser2 and/or Base 3 except for consist creation and modification (See V1.21 of the Legacy Command Protocol document)
- All 3 byte Legacy/TMCC2 commands can be sent via Ser2 and/or Base 3 except for consist creation and modification (Also in V1.21 of the Legacy Command Protocol document)
- Almost all multibyte Legacy/TMCC2 commands have been implemented. They can be sent via Ser2 and/or Base 3 (multibyte commands include smoke levels, dialog controls, advanced lighting controls, etc, see V1.21 of the Legacy Command Protocol document)
- Ability to define a sequenced command (maybe I should call this a component command) that allows you to issue multiple commands with specified time delays and repeats, as needed. For example, I've developed ones to perform the grade crossing whistle blows that happen when you use an IR track, and that do a sequenced speed increase that includes engine and tower dialog. These mimic the "official" railroad speed buttons on the Cab 2 and Cab3, but include the tower and engineer dialogs issuing the speed-up (or slow down) dialog, the change speed command, then the engineer acknowledge dialog.
- All TMCC and Legacy commands broadcast from the Ser2 and echo'd to the console.
- All PDI commands broadcast from the Base 3 can be echoed to the console
- All broadcast TMCC, Legacy, and PDI commands can be "subscribed to" and callback functions can be invoked when specific actions occur (this feature is used to support state management as well as console echoing)
- Switch, Accessory, and some Engine/Train state are maintained.
- State is initialized at startup by querying LCS modules and the Base 3 itself
- Client/Server mode is supported where the code on one Raspberry Pi can service multiple connected clients. Clients can send and receive commands and state updates as if they were the server module. Only the server needs connection to an LCS Ser2 and/or a Base 3.
- TMCC state changes are pushed to the Base 3 (and Cab2/3 controllers) automatically
- A command line interface is provided that allows all TMCC and Legacy trains, engines, switches, accessories, and routes to be operated and monitored. This same program is used to perform TMCC/Legacy/PDI command echoing.
- Most implemented commands can be issued via the command line interface.
- Support has been added for the LCS BPC2, STM2, Ser2, and ASC2 modules.
- Software support exists to issue all of the common LCS PDI commands (Firmware, Status, Config, Info, Clear Errors, Reset, and Identify). It is a TODO to make these commands available via the command line interface.
- Helper methods are provided to simplify the association of buttons, LEDs, toggle switches, joysticks, rotary encoders, and pots to TMCC and Legacy commands and dynamic state. This means you can associate the commands to throw a track switch to buttons on a Raspberry Pi, and have an indicator light that correctly reflects the switch state, even if thrown another way (e.g., the black Lionel controller, your Cab2, derail prevention feature, LCS STM2, etc). This was the raison d'être for the project
- Higher-level methods exist to control Lionel Culvert Loader/Unloaders, Gantry Crain (some work left to finish here), Smoke Fluid Loader, Generic Route, Generic Switch, Generic Accessory, Power District, and Engine.
- Ability to define buttons, lights, components, etc. in a startup file that is loaded when the command line program runs; this is where you will "define" the physical components on your control panel and associate them with the TMCC/Legacy operations to perform when the controls are manipulated.
- All code is in Python3 and runs and has been tested on Python 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12 (the most recent version supported by the Pis is 3.11) and is up on Github today.
Remaining work:
- Package the code to enable downloading from PyPi. This will allow folks that don't want to download source code to install the executable that makes all this work.
- Documentation (sigh)
- More tests
- Implement logging (remove print statements)
- Modify sequenced speed commands to look at engine state, so if you give a speed change command, the engine gracefully ramps up to or down to the new speed)
- Add generic support for rotary encoder
- Complete Dialog Control commands
- Build a control panel
-- Dave
