ERR Cruise Commander M not working

Where did you try and splice in serial data from your RS board. Pin 2 on the Cruise M 10 pin connector or directly to pin 24 on the R2LC? 

Pete

I spliced it into the blue wire that gets soldered to pin 24.

Pin 24 would have been my first choice. It should have not blown the Cruise M in any case.

Pete

Why did you use the CCM, that is for use in the TMCC locos as a replacement board. I would’ve used a regular cruise commander 

Because I couldn't get one.

This was a last resort. But it's odd that connecting a sound system from the same company would cause the commander board to fail.

Try buffering the serial data to the sound board with this arrangement.  The older CC-M didn't like the lower amplitude serial data that was produced when the sound board optical isolator was added to the mix.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Try buffering the serial data to the sound board with this arrangement.  The older CC-M didn't like the lower amplitude serial data that was produced when the sound board optical isolator was added to the mix.

I will try this when I get home.

Could I have damaged the Cruise Commander M board?

Probably not, it's a known issue when you connect the RailSounds board to the serial data with the CC-M.  There was a change and the new CC-M versions had a better input circuit sensitivity to handle the issue.

I tried running it with the sound system removed, and the engine still won't move. I checked the outputs of the R2LC board, and they were all functioning correctly.

Does that setup go to the sound system, or the motor drive?

Before you add that buffer circuit, try to get the R2LC and Cruise M to make the engine run again without Railsounds. You shouldn't need extra circuitry to make that happen. If you have any older TMCC engines you could try and swap boards to see which one isn't working. Also unplug your Command or Legacy base and see if it runs in conventional. Shouldn't need serial data for that.

Pete

If it doesn't run without the RailSounds board connection, maybe there is some damage or a wiring issue still lurking in the setup.  Did you actually swap the R2LC?

I tried two different R2LC boards, programmed both, and it's the same story. Sound system works, engine won't move, even without sounds. Track power is coming in via the j3.

Doesn't sound good, not sure what happened if it was working before.

Agreed. To be on the safe side I ordered a 691 DCDE B01 from Lionel this afternoon. I have hopes it will work the same, as it looks the same in the picture.

The Lionel part is based on the older CC-M, and my experience is that it usually requires the buffer circuit to support more than just the motor driver on the serial data bus.

Itr may require a buffer to drive a wireless tether but it doesn't require a buffer to drive a Railsounds board. The engine Lionel used it in has a wired tether but no buffer.

Pete

Pete, sometimes it does require a buffer.  I did a pair diesels with two of these boards, and they needed the buffer to drive the RS boards and the cruise module.  I also had the same issue with the TMCC Camelback with the wired tether, same solution.

Interesting. I have used about ten of these and never needed a buffer. I never used the TMCC version with a wireless tether though. The motherboards for the Legacy version has a buffer on board for the wireless tethers.

Still curious what blew the OPs Cruise M.

Pete

The wireless tether installations have always needed the buffer for me, but I ended up having to use one on several wired installations.  FWIW, the new single board RS (RS-Lite) has an optical sensor on the input serial signal and loads the serial data more than previous RS electronics.

Well, it looks like it's all a moot point now. I tried to run Railsounds in conventional mode, and now the chuff sound doesn't work. All other sounds do. I tried disconnecting the reed switch, and touching the wires together produced no sound.

Whatever ruined the Cruise Commander M also ruined the Railsounds Commander.

Sounds like the serial data got something nasty on it and cooked the serial data path.

I replaced the Cruise Commander M with the DCDE driver, and the engine will run in both directions, but only at full speed. 

Also, it does this whether the R2LC cable is connected or not.

Did you program it with the proper engine code?

Yes. I used code 4, steam engine with Railsounds. I haven't yet put the new Railsounds board in yet.

Sounds like the new module isn't seeing the serial data.

New development. I swapped my new R2LC for the one in my FM that has an old TAS board. Now both engines run fine, plus my TAS board will now power the Railsounds Commander in my FM.

Any ideas about why this might be?

I think for the 'M" you had to be at R2LC08 version at a min?

shawn posted:

I think for the 'M" you had to be at R2LC08 version at a min?

Yes, an R2LC07 plus a Cruise Commander M results in rocket speed as soon as the Cab-1 red dial is moved.  I had this happen once when upgrading an older loco.  Swapping in an R2LC08 resulted in smooth 100 step cruise.

Well, as John has said, sometimes these could be old boards. Not sure if it was an 07 that came out of the TAS module, but it runs th Cruise Commander M better than the newer boards.

Now that the engine will move, I was considering putting a dummy loco board in to power the sound system.

The one I have looks like the rcdr boards available from Lionel, but there are about twenty different rcdr boards listed, and several of them look like the dummy loco board. Any ideas which rcdr board is the correct one?

I wanted to resurrect this thread, because I just found out my CC-M installation ended in the train rocketing down the tracks.  I now know it’s because I have the R2LC07 board. 

What are my options?   Return my CC-M & exchange it for the R4LC equipped cruise commander?  Take my chances on a -08 board from eBay or new from ERR or Lionel?

Thanks for any input...

Tom

I wouldn't buy the board on eBay, you have no idea what you're getting.  If I need an R2LC, I buy it from Lionel.

Thanks John.  

One more question...is there any real world advantage in upgrading to R4LC?  I don’t have any features on this “vintage” tmcc locomotive that would benefit from it, and I’m assuming a R2LC-08 is all I would need.

Is this a correct assumption?

Thanks again. 

Tom

None at all.  The R4LC that ERR uses is functionally identical to the R2LC-08, AAMOF, it has the same software loaded.  If you put a Legacy R4LC in there, it's likely the CC-M would cease to function.