Is Problem with DCS 4.3 corrected by DCS 5.0?

Funny MTH would say that.  From what Barry has said is 5.0 fixes a Super TIU bug, nothing about lashup issue.  I'm sure Barry will confirm or denie what I just said.

Sounds to me like one of the TIUs has slipped back into normal mode or has   had  a address change,   Wouldn't hurt to check out the  blinks  (each blink is the actual tiu number)    To make sure  all 5 tiu have added and set to   super. WE only have 4 tiu though and not 5. The only bug so far with 5 is the feature  reset,   After 14 years it's  now  not  working properly.

There was a bug in DCS 4.20 that if TIU #1 was in Super TIU mode, all TIUs were in Super TIU mode. DCS 4.30 and then 5.0 corrected this. This bug has never been discussed because I may be the only one on the forum who ever tripped across it!

It's possible that one of your TIUs (not #1) was in Super TIU mode but #2 was not. Under DCS 4,20, DCS would act like both TIUs were in Super TIU mode but when you loaded DCS 4.30, it would not. This could potentially cause the problem that you're experiencing under DCS 4.30.

DCS 4.30 did, also, implement an updated lashup process, as well., and corrected a handful of other issues. It's best, however, to got to DCS 5.0, since DCS 4.3- had a really rare (although really ugly) Super mode bug that was corrected in DCS 5.0.

Thanks everyone for responding.  Each time I loaded and reloaded DCS 4.3 I checked to be certain all TIU's were still in Super Mode and they were.  I also checked each TIU address.  I guess I will agonize a while, bite my tongue, grit my teeth, then crawl under the layout with my laptop and load DCS 5.0 and hope for the best.

The new problem with Feature Reset bothers me for I've had to use it several times over the years.  Is there a work around?

 then crawl under the layout with my laptop and load DCS 5.0 and hope for the best.

The next time that you do that, just put extension cables on the serial, ProtoDispatch and ProtoCast ports, and run the wires out from under the layout. It's not necessary to remove any wires from the TIU to update it. I haven't had to remove a TIU from under the layout to update it in the past 7 or 8 years.

The new problem with Feature Reset bothers me for I've had to use it several times over the years.  Is there a work around?

That's only with the DCS WiFi App. There is no issue with Feature Reset using the DCS Remote.

This and a whole lot more is all in MTH’s “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition", available for purchase  from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store!

Barry Broskowitz posted:

 then crawl under the layout with my laptop and load DCS 5.0 and hope for the best.

The next time that you do that, just put extension cables on the serial, ProtoDispatch and ProtoCast ports, and run the wires out from under the layout. It's not necessary to remove any wires from the TIU to update it. I haven't had to remove a TIU from under the layout to update it in the past 7 or 8 years.

The new problem with Feature Reset bothers me for I've had to use it several times over the years.  Is there a work around?

That's only with the DCS WiFi App. There is no issue with Feature Reset using the DCS Remote.

This and a whole lot more is all in MTH’s “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition", available for purchase  from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store!

 I don't have any DCS WiFi   App .  only dcs remotes.... I'm the one that discovered it shortly after  downloading version 5 and installing a sound  file in a transplant engine. The only work around is to re  give the engine  the  custom name after every feature reset. A bit of a pain in the butt.

Gregg,

The only work around is to re  give the engine  the  custom name after every feature reset. A bit of a pain in the butt.

Right - now I remember!

Gregg posted:

Barry Broskowitz posted:

 then crawl under the layout with my laptop and load DCS 5.0 and hope for the best.

The next time that you do that, just put extension cables on the serial, ProtoDispatch and ProtoCast ports, and run the wires out from under the layout. It's not necessary to remove any wires from the TIU to update it. I haven't had to remove a TIU from under the layout to update it in the past 7 or 8 years.

The new problem with Feature Reset bothers me for I've had to use it several times over the years.  Is there a work around?

That's only with the DCS WiFi App. There is no issue with Feature Reset using the DCS Remote.

This and a whole lot more is all in MTH’s “The DCS Companion 3rd Edition", available for purchase  from many fine OGR advertisers and forum sponsors, or as an eBook or a printed book at MTH's web store!

 I don't have any DCS WiFi   App .  only dcs remotes.... I'm the one that discovered it shortly after  downloading version 5 and installing a sound  file in a transplant engine. The only work around is to re  give the engine  the  custom name after every feature reset. A bit of a pain in the butt.

Can a dealer loader change the custom name of a transplant engine and make it permanent? That may solve the problem if it can.

Thanks Barry,

I wasn't sure if a permanent name could be changed by the dealer loader.

Someone enlighten me - what is a transplant engine.  I can only guess that it is a non MTH engine in which Proto 2 has been installed.  If so, I have two of them a Lionel 2-8-2 Mikado and a 3rd Rail 6-8-6 S-2 Turbine. 

Sure , I used the boards out of a good PS-2 engine(cheapie) and transplanted them into a Great Proto-1 engine instead of purchasing an upgrade kit.  (I'm not sure if proto-2 upgrade kits are still available.)  I made a dummy out the   donor engine.

Gregg,

  You sly dog you, now that sir was a seriously great idea.

PCRR/Dave

Thanks Dave.. 

I took the leap and upgraded the 5 TIU's with DCS 5.0 and ran two of my engines, one a PS2 and the other a PS3 around most of my track without losing control of them.  I'm afraid to call this a complete success since the model train gods may see it and retaliate with disaster.  Anyway, I kept DCS 4.2 on one remote and my spare TIU which I use on a troubleshooting and setup track just in case the feature reset problem crops up.

Another problem: I've been up to now using a 10+ year old Dell computer with Windows Vista to make DCS upgrades.  Because it has been acting "funny" I purchased a new Dell Inspiron 3542 laptop with Windows 10 on it.  Downloaded the DCS upgrade software and connected it (without a mouse attached) to the first TIU .  Upon opening the Downloader it could not find a Serial/Com port stating the computer had none. It does have 3 USB ports.  So I went back and loaded with the old computer.  Anybody faced this problem?  Could it be Windows 10? The Computer? Or the DCS Loader Software?

Thank you everyone for your guidance.

Great!!!  I'm not sure if it's my imagination or not, but I find version 5 very responsive. So far so good..  Run the heck out of it.  Note  This is TIU #3  above the layout.  

Just curious,, Were all you tiu the right number of blinks? or did you have to change anything?  

As for the software.... I never get it right the first time but it eventually  gets done... 

Thanks Gregg for the photo.  All my TIU's were correctly numbered before and after the upgrade by counting blinks and also doing a "Read" on the remote (before the upgrade).

I always have difficulty with the computer making the connection and have to try several times, but in each case the DCS Loader shows the available com ports and finally selects one.  With my new computer it doesn't show any ports at all and a popup screen states there are none on the computer!

Well, I've solved my Windows 10 not locating any serial/com ports and reporting that the computer has none.  The problem is that Windows 10 contains no serial/com port drivers.  So, connect the TIU to a USB port on the windows 10 computer.  Then open the "Settings" screen.  Click on "Devices", and then click on "Connected Devices"; Windows 10 will say it cannot connect even though displaying the USB port and state "Go to the Internet".  From there it will automatically download and install a serial/com port driver which will then access the TIU.  Maybe this deserves its own topic heading for general info.