DZ 2500 and data wire

I can’t speak to your exact situation but I did speak to Dennis of Zstuff about a faulty 2500 I had. I believe  he said at one point he had a batch of switches that could be faulty. He said to send it in for repair/replace. My switch was painfully slow in one direction. 

I plan to get 2 CSM2 in the near future.  Did you get the breakout boards as well?

My next email was going to Dennis.  He has sent me some replacements in the past.  I do have one new 2500 that I will try and see how that one works.

I did not go with the breakout boards, as all my switches were already installed & wired. Based on the image I can see that it might be easier to wire, as each wire has it own connection, but at $20+ per board and having 30+ switch machines, I did not want to spend $600+, just to make wiring a little easier/cleaner.

Tony H posted:

I have 30+ DZ 2500 switch machines and have started to hook them up to the Lionel LCS system.  Using the CSM2 which lets you throw the switches, and see the switch position, from your IPad, it is really cool, basically a mini control panel.  I have one machine that works fine, but as soon as I hook up the blue wire to the data wire, the machine won’t throw at all, even using the button on the switch machine.  I was able to program the first 4 no problem.  The other four still work when the problem machine is connected to the blue wire.  My guess is the machine, but wanted to see if anyone else has had this issue.

thanks

Tony,

I too have 30 DZ2500 switch motors on my layout.  Dennis had given me a suggestion when I was hooking them up.  Dennis also offers a unit called the Data Driver, it is a $20 pcba, which you would plug into the RS232 connector of the LCS.  (Eliminating the CSM2 modules all together!  The Data Drive will accommodate an infinite number to the DZ2500's)  As a result I can operate the switches from my handheld remote, manually, or a toggle switch on a control panel.  You would then connect all the blue wires to the Data Driver, and program them one at a time as connected no problem.  However IF you have a problem with ONE motor, then NONE of them would work.

BUT THERE IS AN EASY SOLUTION:   Divide your switches into groups, (I used 6 groups of 5 each).  Then run a "Blue Wire Buss" from the Data Driver to 6 toggle switches (in parallel).  Then connect the blue wire from each of the 5 switches to one of the toggle switches.  

Then if you have a problem with any motor the LED in the Data Driver will light (RED), and of course none of the switches work.  By turning the toggle switches off, one at a time, you will isolate which group has the problem motor.  When that toggle switch is off, the LED goes off, and the remaining switches are working again.  It is very easy to identify which switch motor in that specific group is causing the problem.  You can then disconnect THAT specific switch, turn the toggle back on, and EVERYTHING will be working, except that disconnected switch!!

Works great for me, for 3 yrs plus.

Sorry I didn't get this in sooner, hopefully it still may help.

Don, thanks.  I decided to keep the LCS hookup, since I can visually see them on my iPad, which I really like.  I did have his hookup first, but I went with the visual offering.  The one switch machine in question was bad, as I was able to replace it.  I have now wired 20 of the switch machines to the CSM2s.  Takes more time than his data driver, which I have now listed on eBay, but since I don’t have a control panel, this is a decent replacement.  I did already have the multiple data wires run, since I had read about the issue of having them all on one line.

Thanks Don,  reading this older post has been helpful, I have been running my 14 switches for a few years running one serial blue line connecting all switches to a data driver for Legacy, I had been using one on my older TMCC system and switched it out with an updated board for Legacy from z-stuff.      My problem occurred when I added the LCS Wifi modular off the serial connector on the data driver.   The switches stopped working.   The data drive either flashes red or shuts down.   I plan to try your solution to identify a bad switch motor, although all worked prior to my conversion to LCS wifi.  Fingers crossed.

Joe

Joe,  You may want to try changing the sequence of the devices you have connected to the serial port.  If I recall correctly I had a similar problem, and be changing which device was the "last" on connected made a difference.  Unfortunately, I do not have access to the layout I installed the DZ unit on, but IF you have it connected first, try connecting the WIFI module first then connecting the DZ unit to the serial port on the WIFI.  Or just the opposite way, DZ unit first, then the WIFI.  Sorry I can't be of more help.

Don

Thanks I will give it a shot!

Don,

Separately Checked both the iCab and Legacy Cab off the serial port of the Legacy base and they both switched all my units.   So you are correct regarding sequencing between the the z-stuff board and LCS wifi unit.    However, I can not switch the order as suggested since the lCS wifi unit only has one female connector.     I do have an older TMCC serial cable when I was running both TMCC and Legacy.    It splits from the Legacy base with a female and male connector.   I plan  to connect the Z-stuff board to the male connector which was labeled "serial" and buy a $3 male to male adapter and connect the LCS Wifi to female connector labeled "TMCC Base".   That way they will not be in series and should work.    (picture attached) I really don't need the Ipad layout with route switch controls since I only have 16 switches and a good control diagram.    Hopefully my 3$ solution works. 

Thanks for the insight.

a

I have wifi and DZ2500 in my layout and it works fine.  One thing I don't see in your picture is an SER2 module for running to your DZ2001.  I'd recommend connecting the LCS DB9 Cable with Power Supply either to the back of the Legacy Base or to the output of the Legacy/TMCC splitter.  Then attach the wifi and ser2 modules.  The DB9 connector on the ser2 will talk with the wifi module.  Hope that helps.

Thanks!

Tha problem originally occurred when you connected the LCS to the serial connector on the Legacy base in addition to the DZ control. That’s because the Legacy base has a very limited drive capability. DZ Stuff actually reduced the load of the DZ driver at one point because of the limited capacity of the Legacy base. The ser2 is Lionel’s answer to that issue.

If you get the Ser2 LCS module, you can power more serial inputs because it’s capable of driving much more than the Legacy base.

The idea of running the LCS with the TMCC connector might work since the Legacy base internally uses a different driver output for that TMCC connector. But you’re still limited if you need to drive anything else like a computer running Legacy System Utility. Ser2 is the best answer for driving more serial devices.

Thanks, as it turns out Don suggested the same but prior to ordering a Ser2 I used an older Y serial adapter  i had and a female to female serial couple and hooked the DZ 2501 directly to the base independent of the Wifi LCS.    It worked allowing  me to have two serial connections the Wifi LCS and the DZ control.    The iCab is finally working all my switches plus maty accessories of an older SC-2.    I will probably need to get a couple of Ser2s eventually to broaden operations, realizing limited serial signal strength as I add on, make sense??

Thanks again,

Joe

Sounds good!