Lionel Odyssey engine 4 PCB boards what does each one do?

The receiver board, AKA the radio board, AKA R4LC is the board that listens to the signals from the command base and translates them into loco commands, like go, stop, forward, reverse, speed, coupler commands, smoke on/off, horn, bell, and the like.

The railsounds board has the recordings of the loco sounds on it (horn/whistle/bell/chuff/prime mover).

The power supply board provides power to the railsounds board.

The mother board holds the smaller boards and provides interconnections between them.

Thanks RoyBoy  Now I can post what my problem is.

If this is a wireless tether tender, the 3rd board isn't the R2LC, but rather the AD-20 board.

Here's where the actual product number is very useful to help us help you!

It's a wireless tether. I believe the # of the board # is  691-PCB1039  AD20a/IR

# of the product 6-28072   Hope these # help

I believe the # of the board  is  691-PCB1039  ADa/IR    

The product # 6-28072  Hope these #s help

Correct, the R2LC, in case you're looking for it, is in the locomotive as is the DCDS Odyssey motor driver board.  The AD-20 for RS4 locomotives handles the IR receiving, and the coupler and reverse lamp.

It's a wireless tether

Yes, the "wireless" communication is using IR.

After reading your posts I think my problem is R2LC. I assume you didn't read my post stating my problem I probably listed it wrong.  Lionel Odyessy Cab #5444 no smoke or sound runs slow. I checked all plugs & wires Pulled the three boards reset them. pulled the 2 chips reset them. I now have lights, bell whistle, forward reverse (slow speed) I noticed on start up it goes forward without pausing Also when I reinstalled the chips I matched the angled edge with the one on the PCB board is there a right or wrong way other than that Is there a way to test the sound board. possibly changing the chips from a different engine I do this on a MTH PS1 engine when I think the chip is bad I appreciate your input.

OK, that eliminates the tender totally, the tender just does the sound.  All the motive power is done in the locomotive.

I have a home-brew test set for TMCC/early modular Legacy, that's how I test that stuff.  Still working on my later Legacy test set for RCMC boards.

If you have sounds, you have the chips in right.  If you put the chips in wrong, you get smoke, not sound.

The Lionel tender will do basic sound without being connected to the locomotive, usually if it will give you idle sounds and whistle/bell using a transformer, it's working.

Are you running with TMCC or in conventional mode?

JimmyT posted:

I assume you didn't read my post stating my problem I probably listed it wrong. 

Well, it wasn't in this thread, so I didn't see it.  You should continue in the same thread for a single issue, it's much less confusing.

Thanks for the info. I tried the tender by itself. I get bell & whistle no other sounds in either R/S or signal sounds mode. I'm using conventional Z4000   I haven't  tried my Lionel TMCC early version.

When I coupled the engine back to the tender, slow speed backward & forward, bell & whistle,lights   No smoke, or idle sounds

At least I haven't seen or smelled smoke from any of the boards. Thanks for the heads up about staying with the same thread.

OK, you need to first find out what's wrong with the locomotive.  Slow speed has nothing to do with the tender.

Is the R2LC  is that what I would call the radio board. Am I correct in assuming the R2LC is the brains and the DCDS driver the workhorse?  Is there a way to test either the R2LC  or the driver without a test unit? My other thought would be to check the motor. 

Obviously, the first step is to swap the R2LC with a known good one, it's a simple socketed board.  The DCDS is frequently more complicated to swap out and test.

Testing the motor isn't a bad idea, you can do that with a DC power supply by unplugging the large 6-pin black plug from the DCDS and then connecting the DC supply directly across the motor.  It's much more revealing to have a DC supply with variable voltage and current metering to determine the health of the motor.