PC Control of MTH Engines by Radio Connection to the TIU

One of the barriers to using the RTC program with a radio is the soldering involved in putting the radio together and the programming involved with compiling the RTCModem program for downloading into the radio.

Now panStamp sells a complete, assembled version of the AVR2.

I ordered several and I have ported my RTCModem code to run on it.

From the panStamp store, you need to order a few  items (you can use the links):

1.  "panStick 4.0" module and SMA connector assembed with option (very important) "panStamp AVR2 @  902-928 MHz"   PS0002.  panStamp supplies these components assembled and tested.  Now there is NO soldering necessary.
2.  "SMA articulated antenna" AN0003 
3.  If you want to get fancy, you can order a small plastic box "Enclosure for mini-carrier boards" EN0005

You will need a USB cable (USB A Male to USB Micro B) to connect the board to your computer.

Here is a photo of the radio as you can order it from panStamp.

Once you get the radio, I have worked out a small program which can directly download the compiled version of RTCModem into the panStamp.  You can find that program "XLoader" along with instructions at this link: http://www.silogic.com/trains/...Support.html#XLoader .

So, all you need is the little panStamp radio and the software and you're talking to the TIU?  That sounds pretty slick!   I tried to view your video, but the link is bad.

Yes.  I'll see if I can fix the links but I'll repeat them here:

http://www.silogic.com/trains/Technical%20Videos.html

http://www.silogic.com/trains/OOK_Radio_Support.html

About a year before DCS came out we used a laptop with a touch screen to run DCS.  The TIU was out but the remote was not out early on.  It was a monster  pain.  Today we have the remote and now Wi-Fi.

Home grown WIFI versus the MTH next generation APP?

Suggestion:  Wait for the MTH next generation APP to see what the full implementaion of DCS looks like.

Although I have the current MTH WI FI system my preference would be a next generation TIU that includes WIFI.

Since I use DCS Passive Mode I would be interested in a downsized version of the WIFI compatible TIU that does NOT include TIU input channels.

My radio was first implemented on a panStamp which is ATMega328 based. I then ported the code base to a standard ATMega328 Arduino board (the Infiduino which runs at 3.3v). This opened up a world of possibilities of what could be done using this non-PC based and battery operated approach.

I had developed a Retro Transformer - a standalone box containing a panStamp radio. This little box could control the main functions of MTH engines (startup/shutdown, speed, direction, horn and bell).

Another developer, Ray, used this same approach but he built up a Retro Transformer using an Infiduino and an Elechouse CC1101 radio. He sent me a video which I put on my web page:

http://www.silogic.com/trains/...dio_Support.html#Ray

I like this program controlling my trains. I ordered the radio stuff all the way from Spain. For some reason I got overrun with train problems and lost interest. I need to finish this project. 

It amazes me that some of you out there can do this stuff, my hat is off to you all. I thank you for posting it here and making it available for us to learn from (or at least try to). I have a lot of things I would like to do, but I am not sure I have the capabilities for some of them and this would certainly be one (way over my head here). Anyway, I really enjoy reading about it and following your work. Please keep it up, I will be lurking and trying to take in as much as I can.

Version 3.16 of the RTC program is available on my page. Major new addition is the support for Routes and Scenes. You can get it at:

http://www.silogic.com/trains/...ng.html#RTC_Download

Release notes:

1. I added a Super TIU mode selection on the setup window. This is my best guess at how it works but it remains largely untested because my layout doesn't need it. Feedback appreciated. Debug Mode only. If you don't know to get into Debug Mode, contact me.  I'll move this out of Debug mode once a few people use it.

2. I did some more testing and fixups on the code which allows the use of Engine #0 - the factory reset engine. You can control, rename and renumber factory reset engines. Debug Mode only. If you don't know to get into Debug Mode, contact me. I'll move this out of Debug mode once a few people use it.

3. I added the ability to create Routes and Scenes. They are not separate things as in the Remote but can contain both switches and accessories. Up to 256 can be created. Each can contain an unlimited number of switches and accessories (although only 500 (250 switches and 250 accessories) can be connected to the maximum 5 AIU on 5 TIU). They can be "Activated" to presets or "Reset" to defaults. Unlike the remote, you set an accessory to turn off when a Scene is activated.

The Route/Scene windows works in a similar manner to the LashUp Window.

Right Click on the Route/Scene window for Help.

4. I cleaned up the operation of the AIU Control window. Now double clicking on an accessory or switch will toggle the state of that device. The state is now shown with a cute Icon rather than works.

5. Added "All" Accessory and Switch operation to the AIU Control Screen. Turns On/Off all accessories connected to the TIU or sets all switches connected to the TIU to straight/diverge. ALL switches and accessories connected all AIU connected to the selected TIU. Debug Mode only. If you don't know to get into Debug Mode, contact me. I'll move this out of Debug mode once a few people use it.

Mark

I've setup a mailing list for anyone interested in the Remote Train Control [RTC] program.

I'm going to use that mailing list to send updates on the program's status and to have users field and answer questions.

Recently on that list, I announced that v3.17 was released (right on the heels of v3.16) to fix a visual problem with the Engine List.

If you would like to subscribe to that list, send an empty email to
remote-train-control+subscribe@googlegroups.com

To just visit the group to read the messages, click here:
https://groups.google.com/group/remote-train-control

I've released a new version of the RTC program on my web page:

http://www.silogic.com/trains/...ng.html#RTC_Download

v0.0.3.18 AKA v0.3.18.0

0. I changed the version numbering scheme because I find that I am
sending out RTC to my alpha testers between releases. I need a way to distinquish
these. This would have been v3.18 but I just moved the numbers one position
to the left. So this is version 3.18.0. I will use the last digit position
for intermediate releases.

1. On the Operations screen, the Boost and Brake buttons will increment/decrement
the speed by 1 Smph if clicked. If held down, they will increment/decrement the
speed by 1 Smph every second. I also made them a little larger so my aim on my
touchscreen did not need to be so precise.

2. I spent the last week finally digging into the way that Engines report which
hotkeys that they respond to. In response to an Interrogate command, the Engine
reports back 80 bytes of data. 26 of those bytes indicate hotkeys based on bit position
where there is a '1' bit. I was able, using the RTCEngineE Arduino program, to set
all of those bits to '1' and feed them to a Remote. The Remote then listed all
of the hotkeys when I pressed the "S4"/"more" button. I've been able to detect 70
hotkeys and the exact bit in the Interrogate command response that causes
that hotkey to be displayed by the Remote. Once I could do that, I could just
press the hotkey on the Remote and watch (again using RTCEngineE) exactly
what command the Remote sent for that hotkey function.

Using what I learned, I modified the Operations and Sound Control Windows to
show only controls for hotkey functions that are actually supported for each
engine. So if the engine does not support the Crossing Signal, for example, that button
will not appear in the window.

This includes switches and buttons on the Operations Window for:
    Firebox Glow (LFB)
    Headlight (something different than the HDLT button on the Remote)
    Mars Light (LMA)
    Ditch Lights (LDI)
    Interior Light (LIN)
    Marker Lights (LMK)
    Beacon Light (LBE)
    Number Boards (LNB)
    Running Lights (LRL)
    Track Inspection Lights (LTI)
    Auxiliary Lights 1 (LA1)
    Auxiliary Lights 2 (LA2)
    Auxiliary Lights 3 (LA3)
    Crossing Signal (SXS)
    Pantograph Menu (MOP)


And on the Sound Control Window for:
    Coors Delivery (Start/Stop/Doors Open/Doors Close) (CDS, CDO, CDC)
    Boiler Startup/Release
    Train Wreck (STW)
    Coupler Slack (SCS)
    Coupler Close (SCC)

If you want to understand the gruelling details of the hotkey encoding,
on my web page, look for the file "Command ('Ixxx') Response.xls". I haven't
completed this yet. Some of the hotkeys, like Engine and Idle Sounds,
are not used by RTC so I haven't yet determined their exact bit position.
I'll do it when I need it.

I'd appreciate feedback on how well this works. If you look at the hotkeys
on a Remote, RTC should show the same set of hotkeys from the list above.
Remember though, I don't have hotkeys for Engine Sounds or Idle Sounds and
other hotkey functions are handled in the background by RTC.

RTC does not handle Doppler or Trolley functions. RTC does not yet handle
the quillable whistle but I know the hotkey commands to do it. Let me know if
you have an engine with such a whistle.

As an aside, in looking in detail at hotkeys, I can see a lot of erroneous
hotkey information in the Engines. For example, I see many cases where
a Marker Light hotkey is reported by the Engine but that Engine did not
have any Marker Lights. I have a Doddlebug that reports a Pantograph Menu.

3. Hotkeys not tested because my engines don't have them:
    Beacon Light
    Running Lights
    Firebox Glow
    Mars Light
    Auxilary Lights
    Pantograph
    Coors Delivery
    Boiler Startup/Release

4. On the Operations Window, I deleted the "LIN Light" switch as it
now is handed by the hotkey code. I added a "Sounds" switch which
will mute the engine sounds.

5. Generally cleaned up a lot of labels and Hints.

6. I realized that if communications fails while playing back a saved
recording, I needed to do something drastic. So now if comm fails (after
the set number of retries), RTC will send an Emergency Stop to all TIU's.

7. Dumb typing mistake in the LashUp window code prevented start up of a
good LashUp.

8. I generally made buttons bigger where I could mostly to help when
using a touchscreen.

9. Rule 17 lighting - almost. My P&LE GP-7 #1501 (PS3) headlight dims when
it is stopped. A nice feature not even listed on the MTH webpage (but
the webpage advertises lighted marker lights and there are none). I've added
a setup option to RTC which automatically turns off the headlight when your
engines are stopped. Not exactly correct but its there if you want to
use it. Defaults to off, if set, it applies to all engines.

Version 3.20 of the Remote Train Control program is available on the web page.

http://www.silogic.com/trains/RTC_Running.html

The big addition are Hot Buttons. This a window of 20 buttons that you can program to perform most any operation, on any engine, on any TIU or AIU. So if there are functions that you do over and over, on any TIU or to any engine, you can setup this window to do that function with one click of a button. You can popup this window and keep it on the screen to use as needed.

The program and source code are freely distributed under the Gnu Public License v3.0.

Mark

v 0.3.20.0

1. Added Hot Buttons:

 Up to 20 Hot Buttons can be defined. Once defined, a click on the button will immediately send that command. To open the Hot Buttons Window, click on the [Hot Buttons] button on the Main screen.

 To edit a button, right click on that button. Fill in the fields:
  - Button Label that will appear on the Hot Buttons Window. Use "&&" for "&", ie "P&&LE".
  - Command to be executed selected from the drop down Command List
  - TIU Number 1-5
  - Engine/Lashup Number: Engines 1-99, All Engine Operation 100, or LashUp 101
  - for AIU commands, the AIU Number 1-5 and the Port Number 1-10
  - for LashUps, the LashUp String - engine numbers separated by commas, using a minus sign to indicate Reverse Running.
  - for engine sounds, enter the sound number 1-255

Press the [OK] button to accept that command.

To undefine a button, right click on it, press [Clear] and then press [OK].

A special function "Playback of a Recorded File" lets you associate a recorded file with a hot button. When you press the button, the recorded file will play. You can cancel playback by pressing the [Cancel] button on the playback popup. You can repeat the playback by checking [X]Repeat.

The program, internally, maintains the Command list. If you want to add a command, right click the Hot Buttons Window outside of the Hot Buttons themselves and select "Edit Command List". Each line in this list is a command. The format is "Command Description"="Command". Press [Done] to save the edited list. The edited list is saved in the RTC folder with the name "HotCommands.txt". You can delete this file at any time to return to the internally maintained list.

2. Moved position of Quick Controls button

3. The buttons for Startup All Active Engines and Shutdown All Engines have been removed. To perform these functions, right click on the Main Window and when you get the popup menu, you can select these functions.

4. In the setup, you can select [X]Allow 255 Sounds. This sets the Engine Sound knob on the Sound Controls window to show sounds 1-255 on the knob. With this, you can play all 255 sounds in the engine. On the remote, "S01" hot key selects sound 177, "S02" selects sound 178 and so on. The 1-255 number corresponds to the index into the sound file as shown by the ADPCM program. http://www.silogic.com/trains/ADPCM.html

4a. For touch screen users, I added up/down buttons to both the Engine and Idle Sounds knobs. With a touch screen, the knobs are too hard to accurately control. The knobs themselves may disappear someday.

5. Totally rewrote the recorded file playback routine. Now when you select a recorded file for playback from either the Setup window or the Hot Buttons window, the playback runs as a separate thread. That means you can do other operations or even other playbacks while the playback is running.

I use your RTC instead of the remote.  I look forward to using the new version!

Version 3.21.0 of RTC is available on my web page:

http://www.silogic.com/trains/...ng.html#RTC_Download

Updates:

1. Hot buttons would not work if you had no AIU, ouch. Fixed.

2. Bug fixes in Quick Controls. Enhancements in Quick Controls.

3. General code cleanup and communications speed up.

4. General improvement in how Conventional Mode works. RTC now puts
the channel into Variable mode when you select the [VarX] button.

5. Added a button on the operations screen that causes the bell to sound with
the Horn/Whistle and with the Crossing Sound. The setting of this button is saved.

Now this button and 3 others have been relocated on the operations screen:
    Rule 17 Lighting - turns off the headlight when stopped
    Ring Bell w/Horn - causes the bell to sound with the Horn/Whistle and
        with the Crossing Sound
    Auto Bell/Whistle - relocated from a switch. Sounds the horn/whistle when
        engine is starting moving from a dead stop
    Auto Labored Smoke/Auto Rev Exhaust - For steam engines, increases smoke
        output when laboring. For diesel engines, increases exhaust output
        when Revs are increased.

The settings of these 4 switches are saved with the engine.

6. Super TIU Mode operation improved. Setting screen added from "Super TIU Mode" button
on Setup window.

7. Added the ability to increase the size of the Quick Controls window. It also increases
the size of all of the buttons and controls for easier touch screen use. The size can
be set to 1.0, 1.1, ... 2.0 of the normal size

The 3.22.0 version of the RTC program is available on my web page:

http://www.silogic.com/trains/...ng.html#RTC_Download

Here are the v3.22.0 release notes:

1. I found the Hot Buttons to be so useful that I added 4 more windows of them so
their total is now 100. Right click on [Hot Buttons] to bring up a popup menu
where you can select from the 5 windows. Left click on [Hot Buttons] brings
up buttons 1-20 just as before.

2. Added support for Alternate Sound, SAH. This button, on the operations
window, plays sound 243. If the engine supports the SAH button, it will appear
automatically on the operations window when the engine is started up.

3. Yet another attempt to fix the sticky buttons problem. In the Windows message
based execution environment, I delayed the processing of the mouse button up message
until after the mouse button down message processing is complete.

Mark,

I received the Panstamp receiver today, and got everything going after some trial and error. I discovered that the range on my Panstamp wasn't nearly as good as the MTH DCS Remote but never the less it worked quite well once I got that figured out!

Seeing how the Panstamp works, is it possible to interface to a z4000 remote receiver?  The DCS remote can talk directly to the receiver, so in theory it should be possible, right?

Thanks for all of your hard work on this project!!! 

H1000

Glad you got it working. The radio in the panStamp has both a more powerful transmitter and a more sensitive receiver than the radio used in the remote & TIU. You should find that the range is better than than the remote.

I've not looked at the Z4000 receiver so I don't know how it communicates. I don't have any Z4000 hardware.

When I purchased the Panstamp, I opted for the SMA connector and the Antenna. I was in the next room on my desktop when testing and had to have the Panstamp held in in a certain position and location for it to work reliably.  The DCS remote was next to it and didn't seem to have any trouble. 

My main issues resulted in the program continuously popping up and saying "TIU not responding" & "Check Track". Once I held the Panstamp a little higher in the room it seemed to work a lot better. However, in my typical operation I will have a laptop in the same room with the Panstamp located much closer to the TIU.

H1000

I've added Proto (or Quilling) Whistle support to the RTC program. I made a video:

ADPCM Video 6 - In my train room - operating the Proto (or Quilling) whistle SPW with my RTC program

You can watch this video on my web page at:

http://www.silogic.com/trains/ADPCM.html

Very nice, again! So it's in the version 3.23, right?

Engineer-Joe posted:

Very nice, again! So it's in the version 3.23, right?

Yes

please contact the san diego 3 railers.

we would like to talk with you.

bigdodgetrain posted:

please contact the san diego 3 railers.

You can email me at the email address on my web page.

Nice that you are moving so far ahead. 

With the help of a few of you, I've been able to figure out how to access the RAM memory in the engine and what some of those memory locations mean.

Some words on my web page and a link to the current version of a document that I'm writing.

http://www.silogic.com/trains/RTC_Running.html#RAM

I haven't used this program for some time now. I lost my older computer finally (crashed) and had to go back to an even older one downstairs for sound file changes, etc.

I'll have to boot it up and see what version of RTC is in there. (I think it's the 3.23 in my post above).

What is the latest version now? 4.0 out yet?

I read your page about the program changing to keep up with MTH's change from DCS 5.x to 6.x. I'm just not sure if we're using your program

3.27 or wait for 4.0? ( or beta 3.99?) I didn't see the proper link?

 I see something about the older versions won't work with the new 6.x versions of DCS?

MTH changed the commands for LashUps in DCS v6.00 (I think to better mesh with the WIU).       Version 3.27 of RTC was the first to support the new command format. But it was only an issue with LashUps.

Version 3.99.x is the latest on my web page right now. Its going to become v4.00 as soon as I get some feedback about its operation. If you search for "v3.99" on the RTC_Running.html page, you should see the download link.

That version uses some of the RAM mappings that I figured out and it has the Lua scripting language so everyone can automatically control their trains.

One new window available from the Operations window popup menu is "Engine Status" which uses the RAM mapping to show the status of lights on the engine. It also shows the trip odometer in almost real time and the set/instantaneous engine speeds.

SanDiegoMark posted:

With the help of a few of you, I've been able to figure out how to access the RAM memory in the engine and what some of those memory locations mean.

I noticed one of the parameters in your documentation is the "scale factor."  I've known for a long time that the number of motor revolutions per distance traveled is embedded in the loco's "personality file."

Could you use your program to tell me which MTH locos have the lowest gear ratio (or at least the maximum number of motor revolutions per inch?)  This is super-important to the operating characteristics of a loco, but it's not usually published in the specs.  Being able to read it from a downloaded "personality file" might save me the need to take it apart and count the revolutions manually. 

I also thought about inferring the ratio by swapping the file into a known loco, and measuring the magnitude of the error in speed and distance, but this is still a lot of work.  Thanks!!

You can actually find that out yourself. On each engine's page, there is usually a Support page with a link to the Sound File. Download that file and look at bytes 0x08 and 0x09. That is what I call the Scale Factor but I really don't know what it is or what it does other than enabling my RTC program to calculate the DOD and DTO values as I describe in my RAM mapping document.

Engine RAM Mapping.pdf

I'd be interested in seeing the results of your analysis.

Mark I haven't been an active programmer in a long time.  What would you suggest as a simple hex code reader?

This Hex Editor works for me and its free:

https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/

Mark, when I click the link for 3.99 it just takes me to a description on another page?

http://www.silogic.com/trains/...ng.html#RTC_Download

On that other page, you are in a section titled "Getting the RTC Program". A few lines down there is a link "Here is the Beta version RTC v3.99.4". Click on that and you should have a zip file that contains the executable and a few other support files.

It is in plain site. How do you expect me to see it? 

  Sorry, got it now.

Ok... I downloaded several sound files and looked at bytes 0x08 and 0x09.  I think byte 0x08 might be a representation of motor revolutions per distance traveled.  It seems to be "54" (decimal 84) for all diesels.  Every MTH diesel I know of has a gear ratio of 10.5:1, and wheels that are about 0.875 over the traction tires.

So what is byte 0x09?  Well, in order to determine motor RPM and train speed, the tach sensor has to count stripes, or at least interpolate the motor RPM by measuring transitions between light and dark marks on the flywheel.  The relationship between number of transitions and train speed is a function of the RPM, but also of the flywheel diameter, the number of stripes, and the width of those stripes. 

I know from my own experience that the flywheel diameter varies by application, even among diesels.  @gunrunnerjohn, is it true that all locos have 24 stripes from the factory?  I know that you've researched the characteristics of the sensor... From your experience, as the motor RPMs increase, does the tach signal increase linearly, logarithmically, exponentially, or ??

Bottom line, if I were to swap the file into a known loco, the error between the observed speed and the commanded speed could be due to a different gear ratio.  But it could also be due to a different flywheel diameter, stripe width, number of stripes, etc.  Why don't they just put the gear ratio on the darn box!?