rail sounds & ERR DC commander

It should, all the RS2.5 board needs is serial data.  The wild card is if you're using it for steam, some versions of the RS 2.5 boards didn't get the chuff via the serial data and needed a direct chuff input.

@KEALgopher posted:

will RS 2.5 work on ERR  dc commander in TMCC?

Yes, it should be fine. Basically, just connect the serial line from the DC Commander to the appropriate pin on the RS2.5 board.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

The wild card is if you're using it for steam, some versions of the RS 2.5 boards didn't get the chuff via the serial data and needed a direct chuff input.

Kinda/sorta, but maybe not really. Early RS2.5 systems (first two years or so) will not respond to chuffs on the serial line, that's true. They were only designed to chuff with a hall-effect sensor, cherry switch or reed switch attached. This is a limitation of the PIC chip installed on the board, not the board itself. (PIC chips below RS25S24 are generally the ones affected.)

Having said that, is there ANY case where the DC or AC Commanders encode the chuff on the serial line? I wasn't aware that was a function of those boards.

TRW

@PaperTRW posted:

Kinda/sorta, but maybe not really. Early RS2.5 systems (first two years or so) will not respond to chuffs on the serial line, that's true. They were only designed to chuff with a hall-effect sensor, cherry switch or reed switch attached. This is a limitation of the PIC chip installed on the board, not the board itself. (PIC chips below RS25S24 are generally the ones affected.)

I don't see where you're saying anything different than I did, "The wild card is if you're using it for steam, some versions of the RS 2.5 boards didn't get the chuff via the serial data and needed a direct chuff input."

I realize it's the chip that has the issue, but unless he's going to swap chips, it's a moot point.  

@PaperTRW posted:

Having said that, is there ANY case where the DC or AC Commanders encode the chuff on the serial line? I wasn't aware that was a function of those boards.

Every AC or DC Commander I've installed in steam has encoded the chuff on the serial line.  I just solder the chuff input to the back of the R2LC connector on pin 17.  The R2LC has always been able to encode the chuff, at least all the versions ever shipped with the ERR stuff.  It's true they didn't wire it to the screw connectors, but that's strictly a very minor inconvenience.

Gentlemen, thanks for the INFO.

Can the power AND the Data be supplied by a cable between the two FOUR pin connectors on the ERR and the Sound  Board?  If so pin 1 to pin 1 ,2-2 , etc.

Again Thanks, Les

Yes, power and serial data are available on the ERR Commander boards and you can feed the RS 2.5 board directly with that power and serial data.

Here's the pinout of the RS 2.5 4-pin connector, note that the 5VDC line is an output and you won't be using it here.

The ERR Commander boards, AC, DC, Cruise, Cruise-Lite all have the same pinout of the 4-pin sound board connector..

• Pin-1 - Center Rail
• Pin-2 - Ground
• Pin-3 - unused or logic horn/whistle
• pin-4 - serial data out

Note that pin-3 won't be used here, it should be unconnected.

THANKS

I am assuming the pin arrangements are the same on the ERR and the Rail sound cards. I know which the power wires (along with common ang power locations)  on the Audio card (deleting the 5VDC line of course).

Les

Actually, no.  The ERR RailSounds Commander has a connector for the same TMCC motor driver boards (AC, DC, Cruise), but it has two connectors on the other end that plug into the proper (only ones that match) connectors.  You can download the RS Commander document from 3rd Rail to see how they connect.

Great information here.  Just need to double check.  I have an 18045 with Railsounds 2 that I am installing an ERR AC commander in.    The wiring looks the same as the RS 2.5 above.  The schematic matches, without an orange wire.       Connecting AC commander sound connecteion wires 1 to red, center rail, 2 to ground and 4 to the violet or serial data.       Is this the correct pin numbering on the AC commander board?  Also which is Hot/3rd rail for the rear coupler, 1 or 2?

The backup light  and rear coupler are grounded to the body of the tender.

I would like not to let the smoke out.    Thank You

The AC Commander and the Cruise Commander have the same sound interface pin numbering.

One of the screw connectors on the Cruise Commander (#2) is labeled "Chuff In" in the instructions. I'm guessing that that's where the output wire from the IR detector reading the tach tape goes. Am I correct? Do I also/instead need to connect directly to the Railsounds board?

@Ken Wing posted:

One of the screw connectors on the Cruise Commander (#2) is labeled "Chuff In" in the instructions. I'm guessing that that's where the output wire from the IR detector reading the tach tape goes. Am I correct? Do I also/instead need to connect directly to the Railsounds board?

You do one or the other- NEVER BOTH.

You either connect chuff input at the cruise commander, and it sends the serial data chuff to the sound board

OR

you only connect chuff signal input to the railsounds card.

Never both.

Also, the chuff generator literally shows this connection http://henningstrains.com/Chuf...tor_Installation.pdf