New to me DCS TIU and Remote working, but new issue (updated)

You MUST power the TIU either from the FIXED #1 input or the aux input.  You can connect the power from the fixed input in parallel with one or both variable outputs.  To use only the variable outputs, the best way is to use a small brick that outputs from 12V to 20V, AC or DC to the AUX power barrel jack.

There is a light you can see through the hole in the top that blinks out the TIU ID #, normally the default is one.

@gunrunnerjohn! We are not worthy! Haha. It worked! I swapped to fixed 1 and I've got track 1 up and running. I'm going to swap track 2 over to fixed and see if it will run too.

For the transformer, do you think it would be ok to just run the Z1000 brick to the aux barrel jack I can still run them on the variable?

Remember, the AUX power jack JUST powers the TIU internal logic, you also need power on any channel's input that you want to run to the tracks.

TallJ, you need THIS.

This video will answer a lot of your questions.

Thanks y'all! I got it worked out and everything has been great, except......

One issue decided to creep up. Everything has been working great since I got it figured out, but I'm having an issue on one of my loops. When I power up my inside loop (isolated from Track 1, and connected into the fixed voltage on input / output 2 of the TIU), anything thats on there starts up immediately. This has happened with a PS2 and PS3 engine, as well as a lashup. If I put it on the outside loop, it will start up and go fine with DCS on. I can even move it into the inner loop and they work fine with the remote. If I shut everything off and restart, same issue.

Is there anything I'm doing wrong? My biggest fear is that I hurt the TIU. I have some guests coming over tonight and I want to make sure everything is working right.

Thanks!

After you get your engine running on your loop with fixed one. Use the track signal test while the engine is moving. Leave it moving throughout the test and throw whatever you need turnout wise to get it onto the inside loop. At whatever point it crosses over to fixed 2. It should do it seamlessly without much change in the signal. A big change in signal strength. You may just have a wiring issue on the inner loop. To rule out a TIU issue. You could reverse the output channels.

Just have the one engine on the layout and no passenger cars when running the test.

@Tall J posted:

Thanks y'all! I got it worked out and everything has been great, except......

One issue decided to creep up. Everything has been working great since I got it figured out, but I'm having an issue on one of my loops. When I power up my inside loop (isolated from Track 1, and connected into the fixed voltage on input / output 2 of the TIU), anything thats on there starts up immediately. This has happened with a PS2 and PS3 engine, as well as a lashup. If I put it on the outside loop, it will start up and go fine with DCS on. I can even move it into the inner loop and they work fine with the remote. If I shut everything off and restart, same issue.

Is there anything I'm doing wrong? My biggest fear is that I hurt the TIU. I have some guests coming over tonight and I want to make sure everything is working right.

Thanks!

Possibly, this is what's happening....

In order for an engine to start in DCS command mode, it has to see what is known as the "watchdog" signal from the TIU. The TIU only broadcasts this signal for about 30-45 seconds after first being turned on.

Not sure how your layout and loops are wired, but if you power on the TIU and only the outside loop and then wait for more than 45 seconds to power on the inside loop, any trains sitting on the inside loop will have missed the watchdog signal and power up in conventional mode. In essence, your inside loop could be acting like an unpowered siding with a toggle switch and when you toggle on the siding after 45 seconds, any trains on that siding will have missed the watchdog signal.

Obviously, you can eliminate this issue by powering up both loops on initial TIU startup. You can also search this site for "watchdog generator" for additional info.

I should have mentioned this first as to what to try. Your engine is powering up in conventional mode on the inner loop. Did you try hitting Start Up while this is happening. As Richie mentioned. If both loops aren’t powered up at the same time. Your engine can miss the watch dog signal. But it should start with the remote if this takes place. I read an earlier post and thought you were running one power supply with the inputs jumpered from Fixed 1 to Fixed 2. This scenario will happen on sidings when a toggle switch is thrown.

The WD from the Rev. L TIU is only a few seconds in duration, the 45 seconds was an older version.  The WD is generated whenever an individual channel is powered, either on the input of the channel in active mode, or the output of the channel if running in passive mode.

Interesting - my bad - I thought it was only generated when the TIU was initially powered on.

So, if I had one loop powered by output #1 and three sidings connected, respectively, to outputs # 2, 3 and 4 on the TIU and each powered by a separate power source, as each siding was powered up the TIU would generate a new WD signal for just that siding and any train on that siding would come up in command mode ?

It's the TIU channel power that outputs the watchdog. If each channel is on a single siding track, that would be how it works.

If you have one TIU channel and multiple sidings, each with a switch, you'd still have the problem.  That's my situation, I have a total of 13 sidings, each switched.  I would need four TIU's to have each siding track on a TIU channel!

Here's ten of the sidings...

Then there's a hidden yard at the back of the layout.

For this scenario, I use my WatchDog generator board in the DCS Remote Commander boxes, they're at the top of the power panel.