MTH 20-3714 Big Boy PS3 issues

By any chance are you trying to replace a PS3 sound file with a PS2 file? Just thought I'd ask.

No, the other Big Boy, from 2015 is PS3. PS2 and PS3 are interchangeable.

thanks

I forgot to add, it does not work with my original back file the engine came with, same results.

Well...to start of with....I have moved this to the correct forum as it likely will be answered by those individuals that may have an answer and frequent this forum... 

 Could it be that your computer is doing something else? Did you follow the instructions? Close all other programs?

I'm not good with computers but if it is that, maybe also unplug it (or disconnect) from the modem or router. It sounds like there's a communication loss with the engine?

I would expect there to be some kind of error message otherwise.

I would connect the TIU to a short piece of track and not use the layout. Nothing else connected.

It is posted to use DC power when working with PS3 sound files.

 Is the TIU a version L? or if older are you using a serial cable adapter?

What version of the MTH loader are you using?

I have revision L TIU, I am using loader ver. 5. I have reprogrammed many diesels before withe the same TIU , laptop and USB/serial cable with no issues. On my Big Boy I even used another laptop with the same failed results. I'm not sure if my USB serial cable is USB 1 or 2. 

What is DCS signal strength?  If less than 10 may be issue.  DCS/DCC switch in DCS? G

Try it again powering Fixed 2 input then use Fixed 2 output to the tracks. You will have to power the TIU through the AUX port if you don't have it powered that way already. One of my TIU's has a difficult time changing sound files through Fixed 1, but works great through Fixed 2.

GGG posted:

What is DCS signal strength?  If less than 10 may be issue.  DCS/DCC switch in DCS? G

It was ten, I have a small test loop of O-72 track.

Dave Zucal posted:

Try it again powering Fixed 2 input then use Fixed 2 output to the tracks. You will have to power the TIU through the AUX port if you don't have it powered that way already. One of my TIU's has a difficult time changing sound files through Fixed 1, but works great through Fixed 2.

Okay, I'll try that, thanks!

Richard, you may also want to break your 072 loop from being a complete circle. Just pull apart a section of track until your done with the download.

Hello, I have tried all recommendations, a separate programing track, AUX power supply, etc. This is the error I get. Today I got the furthest, at 45% complete. This is a brand new engine it ran fine all features and sounds worked. I can re-program other engines without incident. I only wanted to change the sound file, and now my engine is hosed!

It is normal for the program to retry writing a sector at a slower speed I believe. I have seen that message many times.

 I have not had one fail, unless the board was damaged or totally scrambled.

A loop of track is not a piece of track for programming 

Richard,

Does the process stop or are you stopping the process? If left alone, it will typically complete the upload. The message that you posted is informational and is not, per se, an error message.

If you use DC voltage for track power the process will often be smoother with fewer slowdowns.

TRAIN COLLECTOR 2 posted:

hello all,

I just bought a new Big Boy # 4014 and was not happy with the sound file. In PRoto Freight Sound mode it has a fireman checking in for a phone call as a siding is occupied. I want the sound file from a prior Big Boy #4014 a few years back that has the Proto Freight Sound mode where they talk about #4014 being restored and how easy it is to run the restored engine.

I first backed up the sound file, no issue. Then I downloaded the sound file from MTH on the older Big Boy w/PS3 and tried to download into my new Big Boy and it never completes. It seems to get stuck on "erasing block......" the furthest it got was 31%

Luckily I can move the engine back and forth, but some sounds are there and a garbled and no lights. I am running TIU ver. 6.10 and remote as well. I even installed the loader on another laptop with the same results.

I have tried to run the update at least 25 times.

Please help, I hate send a brand new engine back to MTH and be 3 or 4 months without my Big Boy.

Great site, thanks for the help and suggestions   

 

It sounds like you are blaming someone here for what you are doing? You tried 25 times before you sought help!

Blaming? Who am I blaming? And yes, installing the sound failed. I tried again, I checked my connections, rebooted the TIU, cleaned my test track, rebooted my laptop. Installed the MTH Loader ver.5 on another laptop, with the same results, so yes. All in all about 25 attempts to change out a different sound file. Not sure how your coming to conclusion of me blaming someone. After a few failed tries, I will keep trying, as I have done this successfully before with other engines. Though I'm not an expert English writer, I hope I have not offended someone. I'm to look over my spelling and wording to see where I blame someone, can't find any.

But thanks for your input.

Barry Broskowitz posted:

Richard,

Does the process stop or are you stopping the process? If left alone, it will typically complete the upload. The message that you posted is informational and is not, per se, an error message.

If you use DC voltage for track power the process will often be smoother with fewer slowdowns.

Hi Barry.

The process seems to stop. I have only left it alone for about 2 or 3 minutes as the window app say "if process stalls for more than one minute, hit cancel and start over" So that is what I have been doing. Should I try again and leave it alone and if it takes a few hours or so and runs by itself? At this point I will let it run overnight if it works.

I'm going to have to look for a DC transformer and try that. thanks again!

 

Richard,

Should I try again and leave it alone and if it takes a few hours or so and runs by itself?

Yes, by all means let it run to conclusion. What you're seeing is a slowdown, not an error message.

Richard,

I agree with Barry. I recently installed a PS3 Chain & Sound file to an upgrade kit on a project engine. It took just shy of 75 minutes.  I have uploaded files to engines in the past that have taken much less time.

Not sure why but maybe somebody can explain why some uploads/downloads are faster than other and give a best case setup for uploading/downloading files to your engine.

A lot of patience and little luck is all that you need here.

H1000 & Richard,

Uisng DC voltage for track power can significantly speed up chain and sound file transfers.

Barry, When DC is used, must you do anything to the engine as far as the switches that control 2 rail and polarity or DCC?

Dave,

When DC is used, must you do anything to the engine as far as the switches that control 2 rail and polarity or DCC?

No, there's nothing special to do as regards the engine itself.

The only caveat is when using DC with Fixed #1 Input, you should not use AC to power the TIU via the Aux. Power port.

---

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This and a whole lot more 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!

Thanks Barry

Barry,

Thanks for the advise, I will simply let it run longer. I also need to buy your book. For kicks, I got one of my SP Tunnel Motor and backed up the file, then put in a SD50 D&RGW file and it worked flawlessly. Then I put back my original sound file that was backed up, all worked flawlessly. It's now time to put my toys away as I was using a spare bedroom to set up my carpet layout. Now I have guests coming this weekend, so I will have to continue next week. I will post my results and let er run for hours if I have to. I was hoping to get my Big Boy running this weekend as I wanted to run it on my clubs layout in San Diego, oh well have to wait for another trip. Thanks for the input everyone! To be continued......

There is some sort of system issue of it takes 75 minutes.  Large PS-3 files maybe 20 minutes, but it should be slowly but constantly moving forward.  Is it possible you don't have good signal strength for this specific load?  Or some background program running on the computer that is causing the computer to run slow?  G

G,

I thought 75 minutes was a bit too long as well based on previous experience.  The progress was slow but steady, never gave any errors and the engine worked flawlessly when the programming was complete.

My setup is as follows: 80 watt Williams conventional AC transformer powering FIXED input 1on a TIU (Ver. L), FIXED output 1 to a 30 inch piece of realtrax using a 18 gauge wire with banana plugs on both ends. Signal level was a 10.

I have seen some wacky problems when using my spare older TIU (Rev. G) when programing PS3 engines with the same setup and always had the best luck using the newest Rev. L.

I tried a couple of different computers but my current primary machine used is my Windows 10 laptop that has a DB9 serial port built right in so I don't need a USB to SERIAL dongle.

Should downloading a file from an engine take just as long as uploading or longer?

That could be your problem quite a few people are having trouble when using windows 10!

try using windows 7 works much better when transferring sound files or other uses!

Alan

H1000,

All things being equal, downloading a sound file from the engine takes longer than uploading one to the engine.One reason is because downloading from the engine downloads theentire area where the sound file resides, which can be as large as 2 meg for a 3 volt PS2 engine and is always 4 meg for a PS3 engine.On the other hand, uploading stops when end of file is reached and many, if not most, sound files are smaller than their allowable maximum size.

repair technician posted:

That could be your problem quite a few people are having trouble when using windows 10!

try using windows 7 works much better when transferring sound files or other uses!

Alan

I am going to do some experimenting with that. I did use Windows 7 from my desktop and had the same result. I think I am going to dig out my old Windows XP laptop and give it a try to see if that makes a difference.

Keep in mind that while Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 all differ greatly in appearance, the kernel OS still operates very similarly. Using Classic Shell, one can make Windows 10 look and function like any previous version of Windows going back to Windows 2000.

That makes sense Barry, the loader only uploads the sections memory that need to change which is less than the entire memory space available.  Downloads grab everything in the entire memory whether the memory block is occupied or not.

I ask because I plan to do some testing with this with some different variables and would rather just use the download speed from an engine as my benchmark instead of possibly messing the file of a good engine. It still can as I think in an ideal situation a file download from an engine should still take less than 75 minutes.

I thought I had read somewhere at sometime that using really long wires between the TIU and the programming track would also improve reliability and communication speed during these uploads.

H1000,

It still can as I think in an ideal situation a file download from an engine should still take less than 75 minutes.

Downloading a PS3 sound file from an engine can take a long time, I am told, although I've never had occasion to find out first-hand.

I thought I had read somewhere at sometime that using really long wires between the TIU and the programming track would also improve reliability and communication speed during these uploads.

I've been told that, as well. However, I've never needed to resort to that tactic.

Barry Broskowitz posted:

H1000,

It still can as I think in an ideal situation a file download from an engine should still take less than 75 minutes.

Downloading a PS3 sound file from an engine can take a long time, I am told, although I've never had occasion to find out first-hand.

I thought I had read somewhere at sometime that using really long wires between the TIU and the programming track would also improve reliability and communication speed during these uploads.

I've been told that, as well. However, I've never needed to resort to that tactic.

 I have seen it take longer than smaller PS2 files. I never had it take anywhere near that long. I still believe there's communication problems. If it's the system or the computer causing the issue?? I don't know from here.

Resurrecting a dead thread here. I'm having a similar issue when loading a sound file into my Premier PS3  GS4. The sound file loaded flawlessly in about 20 minutes in a different PS3 engine, but on the Daylight it's currently at 50% and has been paused while "removing a sector" for quite a while now. I'll let it go for a little longer but I can't understand why it would work in one engine but not the other. 

did you try using DC to flash the engine codes or send the sound file your trying to load. dc helps improve the signal smoothly and with few or no sector errors!

Alan

I have run into these problems with PS3 steam boards.  It makes no difference if:

• I use AC or DC.
• Use a test fixture
• Use a direct harness
• Use different PC operating systems

I have had to send multiple boards back to MTH.

This does not happen with diesel boards.    

That's frustrating. I'll try it again but I'm not expecting good results. 

@ES44AC posted:

That's frustrating. I'll try it again but I'm not expecting good results. 

What is the model number of the GS4 engine and what is the model number of the engine you are trying to upload the file to?

Also, what revision of TIU are you using to upload the file? Is it an "L"?