FREE - TMCC & Legacy Information for MTH's Premium DCS Application!!

Nice!

Thank you Barry very much!!

Looks good, Barry. Just one comment:

Connecting DCS to both TMCC and Legacy Command Bases

If the DCS TIU is connected to both the Legacy Command Base and also the TMCC Command Base or the Base-1L Command Base, the MTH cable used is MTH item #50-1007 TIU/TMCC 6’ Connector Ca- ble or MTH item #50-1032 TIU/TMCC-Legacy 6’ Connector Cable, and the Legacy-supplied “Y” cable is also required. The following diagram illustrates how the DCS TIU is connected to a Legacy Command Base, and also a TMCC Command Base or a Base-1L Command Base.

You're correct as far as connecting a TMCC Command base as shown. But one should never connect Base-1L to the Legacy base as shown in the diagram. Connecting a Base-1L to the Legacy base won't work, is not supported and even if it did work, would add no additional functionality. 

Otherwise, thanks for sharing this valuable resource.

Rudy,

Thank you for the correction. I've made a note to that effect for future use of the document.

On a related subject, I've recently heard that a Cab-1L will interoperate with a Legacy command base. Can you confirm that for me?

Thanks!

A Cab1L will work with a Legacy base.  A Cab2 will not work with a Base 1L.  There is no database for it to connect to.

Marty,

Thanks!

Thanks for the update, I added it to my book!

Railsounds posted:

The following diagram illustrates how the DCS TIU is connected to a Legacy Command Base, and also a TMCC Command Base or a Base-1L Command Base.

Good info Rudy, but... no diagram.

John,

I believe that Rudy was referring to the diagram in the addendum.

Thank You Barry!

You're welcome!

Thank you . I appreciate the information and your effort.

Larry

Well noted. Thank you for this update Barry and Rudy.

Thank you for the updates!!

You're welcome!

Thanks!!

Thank you Barry for the helpful and informative updates. 

Thanks Barry!

I apologize if this question is in the wrong thread, but here goes...

When I wired my layout I did not know about MTH's DCS.  I wired for legacy with a single ground bus around the entire layout and 6 isolated 180 Watt Power House power districts.  Since originally wiring my layout I added LCS WiFi with ACS2s and BPC2s.  

Can I add the DCS hardware without having to rewire my layout?  The ability to fully control Legacy engines and DCS engines with one app is very enticing.  Having to rewire my entire layout to accommodate for DCS would be prohibitive.

thank you

Yes, no, maybe.  It's most likely one of those responses.

DCS can sometimes work just great with a situation like yours, sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get it to work, and sometimes you just have to do some "tweaking" to get it working.

Can I add the DCS hardware without having to rewire my layout?

The short answer is "yes", however, there are a few things of which you should be aware..

DCS is considerably more forgiving of less than ideal wiring schemes than initially thought. Typically, connecting DCS to an existing layout that isn't wired using a star or home run method will yield satisfactory results, however, there may be some issues or trouble spots.

Keep in mind that. although DCS operation will be determined by several factors, not the least of which is DCS signal strength, DCS will generally work satisfactorily with a signal strength of 7 or greater. If you connect DCS to an existing layout and experience problems, there are several remedies that may be easily applied.

It's extremely rare that a major rewiring is required in order to get DCS to work satisfactorily. For example, when I originally introduced DCS to my previous layout, I obtained very good results although signal strength varied between 6 and 8. This was a layout that was a wiring nightmare: solid core wire as opposed to stranded; 18 gauge wire; and true "spaghetti" wiring. It turned out that my use of lighted bumpers and track blocks were a big part of obtaining good DCS control.

Since 2003, DCS has improved exponentially. The current Rev; L TIU is much better at ensuring viable DCS signal strength and light bulbs, as I had in my bumpers, are almost never required.

I'd encourage you to give it a try. Even if your initial results are less than you'd like, there are several quick fixes that can generally get you where you need to be. Also, I'd encourage you to acquire a copy of either The DCSS Companion 3rd Edition or The DCS WiFi Companion 1st Edition, depending upon how you plan to operate DCS, with a. DCS Remote or the DCS Application. This will answer many questions in advance of adding DCS and will help you to avoid some possible mistakes.

Everything that you need to know about DCS is all in MTH’s “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition!" This book is available from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store!

Everything that you need to know about DCS WiFi is all in MTH’s “The DCS WiFi Companion 1st Edition!" This book is available from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store! Get the free TMCC & Legacy Addendum here!

So, I have a rev I tiu, which has a serial port, but no USB port. Up until now, I ran the wiu into this port.  Now I have acquired a cab 1, which works fine, and the 5018 cable.  Using the cab 1 and cable I was able to add a tmcc engine to my dcs remote.  

The problem is I can only use the serial port for either the cab 1 or the wiu.  I read the attachment, but I don't see any coverage for the older tiu with both the wiu and one of the Lionel devices.  What do I need to make this work? Is there such a thing as a serial port splitter cable, and if so can the tiu handle it?  

I am sure this has been covered somewhere already.  All constructive comments and criticism appreciated.

Thank you,

JHZ563

What you need is a 9-pin serial splitter cable, with 1 male end and 2 female enfs. The male end plugs into the TIU and the 2 cables plug into the female ends.

These are available on Amazon.com for a few dollars each.

Barry Broskowitz posted:

What you need is a 9-pin serial splitter cable, with 1 male end and 2 female enfs. The male end plugs into the TIU and the 2 cables plug into the female ends.

These are available on Amazon.com for a few dollars each.

Thank you sir.

Barry,

We are lucky to have someone as helpful and knowledge like yourself.  My wife and I are ready to build a 6 x 36 layout using Leagcy/LCS and DCS.  She really understands all the wiring and keeps me out of trouble.

To everyone on this forum, thank you and keep up the flow of information.

Hubert and Marti

We certainly are lucky to have Barry around here to help us with DCS and he is always willing to try and help us as well! Many other forum members are great help to us all as well. Great place to hang out here.

You are also very lucky to have a wife that is good at wiring and that also would really be a great asset. I would say that is pretty rare in the model train hobby and you are very lucky! Get her a dozen roses and be extra nice to her!! 

This information is nothing short of FANTASTIC !!!! Thanks to Barry and the rest of this well respected group of fans.

I do have a question .is it necessary now to buy the mth Wi fi device any more?

looks like the wiring drawing does not show it ,so getting the premium app and the Lionel wifi plus the legacy base and upgraded to 6.0 TIU and remote will do the job?

thanks a lot to all of You in this great forum

jorge

Yes, in all cases the WIU is required.

Thanks Barry,your knowledge is always appreciated .so let me put it this way and you can tell me if it is correct please.

in order for me to run lionel legacy and tmcc trains in my lay out I need:

DCS REMOTE VERSION 6.0

TIU UPDATED TO VERSION 6.0

LIONEL 6-81326

LEGACY COMMAND BASE

MTH WIU

MTH PREMIUM APP

A BUNDLE OF CABLES

LOTS OF MONEY

OF COURSE YOUR NEW BOOK WITH ADDENDUM

AM I right or missing  Something 

thanks a lot Barry,my best regards.

jorge

Jorge,

If you want to operate Legacy engines in Legacy mode, you also need the Lionel SER2 module and power cable.

Thank you so much Barry

jorge

just when i thought this was getting easier.  . . 

Hi  Barry

the SR2 will need the 6-81499

poower cable correct?

thanks again,this is getting fun and a little complicated not to mention expensive

all toghether is running well over 12 hundred bucks!!!

 Thanks again and best regards

By now I'm sure a lot of people have bought the SER2 and necessary cables to run Legacy engines in Legacy mode using the MTH premium app. Can anyone, even a single user, say that they have been able to get Legacy diesels to automatically ramp RPM's in response to throttle adjustments using the IPHONE version of the app?  I just can't get RPM ramping to work unless I do so with manual adjustments. All other features like quilling horn work perfectly. Am I the only one with this issue?

GregR posted:

By now I'm sure a lot of people have bought the SER2 and necessary cables to run Legacy engines in Legacy mode using the MTH premium app. Can anyone, even a single user, say that they have been able to get Legacy diesels to automatically ramp RPM's in response to throttle adjustments using the IPHONE version of the app?  I just can't get RPM ramping to work unless I do so with manual adjustments. All other features like quilling horn work perfectly. Am I the only one with this issue?

From @Railsounds from a post in July...  Rudy is Lionel's sound engineer and works with JonZ and is a resident of Dr. ZW's home for Legacy Users.

In Legacy mode, the locomotive only ramps RPM when it gets an absolute Legacy run level command. This command is separate and unique from Legacy absolute speed commands. (TMCC gives you a different result because in that mode, the same relative throttle up/down messages cause changes to both speed and sound.)

It would be my guess that the current MTH support for Legacy products sends absolute speed commands, but never sends absolute run level commands. On a related note, I would be interested to know if Legacy steam locomotives change their chuff laboring in the TIU/WIU environment, or if they sound at a fixed labor.

Absolute run level commands and engine laboring commands are sent from the CAB2 and also from from Apps like Lionel iCab and HighRail. Perhaps MTH will add this functionality in a future version--the commands are published in freely available Legacy command protocol document.

Rudy Trubitt

Thanks Marty. I remember that post and it sounds like a good explanation for why this issue is occurring. I was wondering if I'm the only one with this problem. If it's just me, that might explain why MTH hasn't fixed the bug (although they have many other bugs on their to do list which haven't been corrected either). Hopefully a version 2.01 will be released to address these things. 

Okay....following this with interest.  Novice in this area   Hopefully I'm on base here...........?

I have the MTH WIFI installed and working well.

I have a Lionel Sensor track installed with an SER 2.

The 9 pin serial port on the TIU is of course available.  (My TIU is new - Rev L)

However, I have a TPC 400 using the 9 pin serial port on the SER 2.

Therefore I cannot hook up the TIU 9 pin to the SER 2 - 9 pin.

I believe an MTH 50-1032 is recommended between the TIU and the SER 2.

How would I solve this?

Thanks Guys

Dave

Gotta like diversity, gotta love shared knowledge

Thank you gentlemen.