MTH WTIU Connections

From the grainy pictures I saw online and from YouTube videos, I don't think it does. I'm guessing you need to add a USB to SERIAL adapter to get the needed DB9 port for a SER2 connection.

Another thing I noticed missing is the remote input port to hardwire a DCS remote to the WTIU.

I'm wondering if more is included in the box with the WTIU that wasn't displayed at York.

@H1000 posted:

From the grainy pictures I saw online and from YouTube videos, I don't think it does. I'm guessing you need to add a USB to SERIAL adapter to get the needed DB9 port for a SER2 connection.

Another thing I noticed missing is the remote input port to hardwire a DCS remote to the WTIU.

I'm wondering if more is included in the box with the WTIU that wasn't displayed at York.

The remote port I knew about.  The gentleman at the booth said they are working on a cable just for that. Not sure where that would attach.

He also told me we'd need a USB to serial cable to use the SER2 but when I went to the WTIU info page on the MTH website it listed a 232 port under "features" so now I'm not sure.  I asked the folks from Patrick's to ask tomorrow while Mike is there to clarify if I don't get an answer here from Dave.  The other question is, if you do need a USB to serial adapter is the MTH 50-1032 cable still needed as well?

From the MTH WTIU webpage...

Product Features

Well, they are still advertising the 50-1032 TMCC/LEGACY Cable as available so I think we do. It would make more sense to keep production of that cable and use an off-the-shelf USB-Serial adaptor rather than building a new specialty cable that does both.

I think the features page is out of date.

@H1000 posted:

Well, they are still advertising the 50-1032 TMCC/LEGACY Cable as available so I think we do. It would make more sense to keep production of that cable and use an off-the-shelf USB-Serial adaptor rather than building a new specialty cable that does both.

I think the features page is out of date.

I agree that the cable is most likely required.  I also suspect you're correct about the page being out of date.  I'll know more tomorrow hopefully from Pat's.

I'm surprised that they are still working on a cable to connect a remote, as we heard about this requirement years ago.  I suspect there will be a lot of call for this connection.  Any chance we know the pin outs so we can build our own?

Bill

@ogaugenut posted:

I'm surprised that they are still working on a cable to connect a remote, as we heard about this requirement years ago.  I suspect there will be a lot of call for this connection.  Any chance we know the pin outs so we can build our own?

Bill

I got the impression they are working on that now so it's not a current product.

If someone is going to tether their remote...what's the point of the WTIU?

The WTIU is the only game in town.  TIU no longer available.  Some of us  have several old remotes and would like to use them.

@SD60M posted:

If someone is going to tether their remote...what's the point of the WTIU?

Well for someone in Marty's situation where his REV G TIU died and he needs something new to connect his remote to.

@SD60M posted:

If someone is going to tether their remote...what's the point of the WTIU?

@ogaugenut posted:

The WTIU is the only game in town.  TIU no longer available.  Some of us  have several old remotes and would like to use them.

The point is as @ogaugenut pointed out and people ask about it and I want to give an informed answer.  I have a remote and yes if I can have it tethered near the TIU it may come in handy to grab.

I refuse to give up my true wireless remote, so I have a stack of TIU's in the closet in case one of the two in use bite the dust.

OK for those interested and don't have a stash of 50 TIUs in their closet, from the demo at Pat's Trains, I found out that the WTIU does NOT have a serial port.  You will need a USB to serial adapter and MTH cable 50-1032 to connect to a SER2 with Base3 or Legacy.  An off the shelf adapter should work but I understand MTH will also sell one.

Now this could be an issue as the remote when tethered (if you so desire) will also use the USB connection via a special MTH cable.  The gentleman, Bradley, who was explaining this is going to check with the software folks if a USB hub would work.

I wasn't there unfortunately but I heard it was a really good day with some good information passed!  Thanks to Mike and Bradley for doing these stops!

@MartyE posted:

I agree that the cable is most likely required.  I also suspect you're correct about the page being out of date.  I'll know more tomorrow hopefully from Pat's.

I saw the online video posted by Pat's and if I heard them right, MTH will be selling a special cable to be used with the TMCC cable to be connected to the WTIU. They didn't indicate that a regular USB to Serial dongle cable would work.

@H1000 posted:

I saw the online video posted by Pat's and if I heard them right, MTH will be selling a special cable to be used with the TMCC cable to be connected to the WTIU. They didn't indicate that a regular USB to Serial dongle cable would work.

I asked one of the guys that works there to specifically ask.  They told him an off the shelf would work.  So another mystery abounds.  The only thing I can think of is they'll add the 50-1032 cable properties into their usb adapter. 

Hi guys,

The USB port on the WTIU is going to be used for at least three different features.

1 - The DCS/TMCC link

2 - The DCS remote tether

3 - A bluetooth audio link for the ProtoCast and ProtoDispatch features

A USB hub will be required to use more than one of these features at the same time.  I haven't had a chance to try them for myself, but it might be necessary to use a powered USB hub to handle all three at once.

The DCS/TMCC cable (50-1032) is still required.  It's inserted between a USB/Serial adapter and the SER2 or Base3.  The pinout on the SER2 and Base3 are custom to Lionel, so the 50-1032 cable is still needed to swap around the pins.

One thing to be aware of is that not all USB/Serial cables will work with the WTIU (or the WIU for that matter).  The device driver in the WIU and WTIU will not properly handshake with the latest firmware in the Prolific 2303 chipset adapters.  Older models with the 2303 chipset work great.  Infact, for many years MTH specifically recommended adapters with the 2303 chipset.  If you have a UBS/Serial adapter that already works with the WIU, it will work with the WTIU.  I've also had good luck using one of the newer FTDI based adapter.  Here's one for $12 on AMAZON that works well.

Dave

Thanks Dave!

@Dave Hikel posted:

The DCS/TMCC cable (50-1032) is still required.  It's inserted between a USB/Serial adapter and the SER2 or Base3.  The pinout on the SER2 and Base3 are custom to Lionel, so the 50-1032 cable is still needed to swap around the pins.

One thing to be aware of is that not all USB/Serial cables will work with the WTIU (or the WIU for that matter).  The device driver in the WIU and WTIU will not properly handshake with the latest firmware in the Prolific 2303 chipset adapters.  Older models with the 2303 chipset work great.  Infact, for many years MTH specifically recommended adapters with the 2303 chipset.  If you have a UBS/Serial adapter that already works with the WIU, it will work with the WTIU.  I've also had good luck using one of the newer FTDI based adapter.  Here's one for $12 on AMAZON that works well.

Dave

Everyone will also need to keep something else in mind. The most common build of these USB to SERIAL adapters has a male connection, as does the DCS/TMCC cable. In addition, everyone will need to buy a DB9 female gender changer to connect these two cables.