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The Reader's Digest version for the novice... The experts most likely don't make these mistakes.

The curly phone cord must have four (4) wires.  Some have 2 wires.  LOOK CLOSELY.  Took me 2 days to figure this out.

If your computer is having a difficult time using the TIU USB connection (FT232R USB UART) and finding a COM port connection on the DCS loader, go to Protosound2.com and download the Windows USB drivers.

I spent countless hours all day Sunday and today, messing with a windows machine running Windows 7 and a MAC running Windows XP performing all sorts of upgrades and running scripts which did nothing to help.

I'm sure for those that do this regularly, this is all second nature.  But when you only upgrade once every 12-18 months, it can be hard to remember all the undocumented steps of what you did last time.

Have Fun!

Ron

 

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Barry Broskowitz posted:

Just an FYI...

Everything you need to know to make updating DCS easy is discussed, in detail, in The DCS Companion 3rd Edition and also in The DCS WiFi Companion 3rd Edition.

@Barry Broskowitz    Barry, you know me, we have talked by phone, and you know that I have all your books and that you have my undying respect. However, I gotta tell you ... I could NOT find reference in your book to the available drivers at MTH's website. I might have missed it. 

I just had to thank @Ron045 for the link. That did the trick for me and my Microsoft Surface Pro, running Windows 10 Pro, using a Sabrent USB-RS232 9-Pin connector. Even Sabrent's drivers did not work, but those at MTH's site DID work (and they are 3 years old). 

So now the TIU is updated to 6.1 as is the remote. The WIU is updated as well ... BUT ...

I am still l having problems.

DCS signal quality is a "1" all across the layout. With that, I re-strung my track power wires and re-connected all my lock-on units, and STILL the signal quality is a "1."

A multi-meter test shows solid 17-18v throughout. 

I gotta think it's the wire. 

-- Dr Joe 

Barry Broskowitz posted:

Joe,

I could NOT find reference in your book to the available drivers at MTH's website. I might have missed it. 

While not referring to the MTH drivers specifically, page 192, paragraph 4 discusses installing available software drivers before using a serial to USB cable.

Feel free to amend your book with my info Barry.  My residuals are cheap. 😉

Last edited by Ron045
Dave Zucal posted:

ROND45, you may have a bad TIU channel. Have you tried a signal test with all your other TIU channels, to see what the results are? Also try testing with another engine to see if the results are the same.

@Barry Broskowitz sent me some tips this morning, which I will get to. Your comment about a bad channel are intriguing. I did blow a fuse on fixed channel 1 and the out-posts were somewhat melted; so, I swapped in some posts from a variable channel that I never use. Bottom line - you could be right about the channel, the blown fuse notwithstanding, although power is coming out and going to the track. Perhaps the signal is not?

Many thanks. 

 

Thank you all for this thread!  I did my first upgrade to TIUs and remotes via USB to serial adapter and the upgrade itself went smoothly, up to a point. (I was at version 4.x previously).  These are an old TIUs (serial only).

Now, I have 2 tracks that aren't working (on 2 separate  output ports on 1 TIU).  I can't find/run engines on these two tracks.  When I use the engines to do Signal check I get 10s.  But when I try to get voltage it reports 0.0. Yet with multimeter I get 18 V.  Likewise, lighted cars sitting on the tracks are just fine.  One of the engines works fine on another track (just to rule out engine issues).

Did those two outputs somehow get fried during the upgrade? 

Any suggestions? What happens if I do a TIU reset?

Thanks, as always!

Brad

ounce  have done the software upgrade to 6.1 you need to reset both tiu n remote back to factory specs, then try to make them work again ok! also you should buy the DCS companion it's an excellent book for dcs problems written by Barry. you can download it to thumb drive or buy book if they sell it still since Barry has Passed! you might be able to buy on amazon!

The DCS Companion 3rd Edition: Broskowitz, Barry: 9781517374396: Amazon.com: Books



Alan

Last edited by Alan Mancus

I will definitely be buying Barry's book!  I was on here quite a bit during the early 2000's and Barry was SO very helpful to me (and I know to many others).  Now that I have some time on my hands, I am back and was so sad to see of his passing.

Back to topic... I figured it out.  On a whim, I reversed the +/- on the back of the TIU on those 2 outputs and now all is well.  Apparently I need to color code them!

One last question now... the instructions say to remove TIU connections to tracks prior to upgrading.  I upgrade the TIUs in place, so is removing the track connections really necessary?

I strongly suggest you remove all other connections to the TIU.  I know from experience with dozens of them that works well, and I also inspect that leaving things connected to the TIU during the upgrade can't be a good thing.  It's pretty easy to simply pull the connecting plugs, why risk it?  I can't say it won't work as I've never tried to upgrade with a bunch of stuff connected to it.

@RJR posted:

Resets haven't been needed when upgrading since back in the early years of this century.  BTW, it is always a good idea yto have all the data---locos, settings, etc---backed up to a computer and kept current.

Yep, I believe it was going from 2.xx to later versions.  Of course, I may have the versions wrong, but it was a long time ago.  I upgraded a 3xx to 4xx and later 6.1, and never reset anything.

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