super TIU mode with new WTIU

Any luck? I have the same question

I have not received my WTIU yet. It is probably with the second batch.

The guide says this should be doable.  Page 5 of the guide.

My question is why do you want to replace your TIU with a WTIU if everything is working now?

I am having signal issues using the app with TIU 3. I have full control with TIU 1 and 2 . The trains continue to run when they enter TIU 3 district based on the last signal received from either TIU 1 or 2.Once the trains come back to TIU district 1or 2 I regain control.

I am interested to compare the results of the TIU WTIU combination using the app vs the remote.

@amtrack5899 posted:

I am having signal issues using the app with TIU 3. I have full control with TIU 1 and 2 . The trains continue to run when they enter TIU 3 district based on the last signal received from either TIU 1 or 2.Once the trains come back to TIU district 1or 2 I regain control.

I am interested to compare the results of the TIU WTIU combination using the app vs the remote.

Ok so you are thinking you have some sort if issue with TIU 3, it sounds like?

Did you take TIU 3 out of super mode and try it by itself?  Only saying because if it's some other issue besides the TIU then buying the WTIU won't resolve it.

I am in a similar situation running two TIU with WiFi.   In 2020,  I ordered a rev L to replace my original rev g TIU, but that order was cancelled and became the WTIU.   I do run them in super mode and using the MTH network.  Once my WTIU comes in, I will replace my oldest TIU and use it for the holiday tree layout.  I will test this out later this week.    

When I asked Steve Nelson regarding super mode with the WTIU, he told me that super mode would not be available when using the WTIU.  That is why (in addition to my desiring to use my 8 handhelds) I have ordered two WIUs.

My WTIU came in this week and I have been testing it.   I run 2 TIUs using and the WTIU replaced my older rev G TIU.   I configured the WTIU and my rev H (with WIU) to run in supermode.  I had no issues in getting the engines to respond on both TIUs using the APP.  

what is a track interface device ?

@Bob is cool! posted:

what is a track interface device ?

Bob,

Do you mean "Track Interface Unit"?

   Or, specifically "Track Interface Device"?

Mike

Devise

Update on super TIU mode with 3 WTIU.  I had connecting issues using the WPS buttons to connect the 3 WTIU’s. I consulted with Steve Nelson AKA “Mr Muffin” and I am now using a TP link wifi router. The make or model of the router probably doesn’t matter , this is just what I found online. The 3 WTIU’s are connected to this router with ethernet cables.

I made a 9 foot test track and it is separated into 3 , 3 foot isolated blocks. One for each WTIU.

I did have to put the WTIU’s in super tiu mode. I experienced poor communication between the WTIU’s in regular mode. All of the channels have been set to fixed and the wi/fi mode is set to mth on all WTIU’s. The wifi mode is probably immaterial since I am using an external  router.

I am still in the testing stage but everything seems to be running quite well. Every once in a while I get a “ Request Failed an error occurred while programming engine startup/shutdown.” I can simply select either cancel or refresh and the message goes away without issues.

Has anyone else experienced this error message or is it specific to my set up?

Thanks

Rich R

Rich. I have not experienced exactly what you are referring to with that error message etc. I am interested in your setup as this is different than what the WTIU online manual indicates. It was my understanding that one WTIU is set to MTH wifi mode and the others to HOME wifi mode. But I understand that you are physically wiring them to the router with Ethernet. Please keep us updated on what you are finding down the road. Does seem to defeat the purpose of a WiFi “W”TIU. There is not way I can set up my layout this way as my router is upstairs, the layout is downstairs and the WTIUs and on positive sides of the layout. We shall see what happens with firmware. Just wish I didn’t have to get under and press the WPS buttons EVERY time I ran trains.

Mike

Hi Mike, I am not using my home wifi system . This is a separate router that I bought specifically for the trains. This router is not connected to the internet . This router is connected to the 3 WTIU’s via ethernet cables. The ipad connects to the router via the routers wifi and the router manages the connection to the 3 WTIU’s. Think of it similar to Lionels Base 3 access point.  I don’t plan on putting it on the layout until all of the bugs are worked out.

Steve Nelson from MrMuffins said that this is how he has his layout setup.

Thanks

Rich R

@amtrack5899 posted:

Hi Mike, I am not using my home wifi system . This is a separate router that I bought specifically for the trains. This router is not connected to the internet . This router is connected to the 3 WTIU’s via ethernet cables. The ipad connects to the router via the routers wifi and the router manages the connection to the 3 WTIU’s. Think of it similar to Lionels Base 3 access point.  I don’t plan on putting it on the layout until all of the bugs are worked out.

Steve Nelson from MrMuffins said that this is how he has his layout setup.

Thanks

Rich R

Thanks Rich, makes sense now. Keep us updated on what you find as you test.

Mike

I don't understand if the router isn't connected to the internet

You do not have to be connected to the internet to run trains. You are simply using the routers WiFi and not the multiple WTIU”s WiFi.

I purchased three new WTIU’s with the idea that I would put them in super-TIU mode, replacing three older TIU’s.  As noted above, Page 5 of the online manual provides instructions on how to do this, but after several tries without success I tried to figure out what steps might be missing.  (Having a long history with the DCS system, like many of us I have realized that MTH sometimes leaves out critical steps in their initial instructions).   After a bit of trial and error, I finally got all three of the WTIU’s in super mode.  The step that seems to be missing on page 5 is that each of the WTIU’s must first be put into super mode (just like with the older handheld remote and older TIU’s where the process was much simpler).  To do this, before going through the steps as described on page 5, I turned on each of the WTIU’s by itself in MTH mode (not home) and linked my ipad to the Wi-Fi signal produced by that WTIU.  After opening the DCS APP and getting the “run my trains screen”, tap the “more” tab at the bottom of the main screen.  This takes you to a new page with “advanced features” at the top.  Tapping that takes you to another page with a “systems setting” tab.  Tap that one and you get four more choices including “TIU settings.”  When you open that one, you get a screen with several familiar TIU options, including a button to activate “super TIU” on that particular TIU.  Hit that button then back out of all of the screens.  Turn off power to the WTIU that you just put into super mode and repeat the process for all of the other WTIU’s that you want to put into super mode.  (Remember you have to keep changing the WIFI network that your smart device is connected to so that your device is communicating only with the WTIU that you want to put into super mode). After that, follow the instructions on page 5, including putting the “non-master” WTIU’s into home mode.   Once I did all this, I could power up all of the tracks on which I had DCS engines, and issue the "read" command (the circular arrow at the top left of the main screen.  With that all of the DCS engines that were powered were moved to the "active" list and could be run successfully.  Sorry for the length of this post.

PRK

@PRKTRAINS thanks for the detailed post. Yes you are correct on your steps and that all works, but…… I am having to push the WPS button on each WTIU every time I start them up to run trains so they link up. Being that they are under the layout that’s a pain for my old back. Do you have this issue? Someone has suggested leaving the WTIUs powered up all the time and turning only track power off??? I really don't like leaving things on like that. Any suggestions on your experience with three units are  welcome.

Mike

Yup - you are entirely correct.  The same thing just happened to me when I tried it just now.  I never tried a second time after getting it to work when I did - guess I was too excited (or my wife yelled at me to come down for dinner).  We need to get some instructions from MTH about how to make the non-master WTIU's have the master WTIU address as their default when they power up.  That would, I think, avoid the tedious step of redoing the WPS connection every time.  One wonders if this could be accomplished with a firmware update?

PRK

I have 3 WTIU’s but I used a router and connected all of the WTIU’s with ethernet cables. This eliminates the WPS issues . I do have to run in super TIU mode. What is interesting is when I power everything up and wait a couple minutes for the blue lights not all of the WTIU’s are read. Sometimes I have to refresh a couple of times to get the app to see all of the WTIU’s.

Rich R

@amtrack5899 posted:

I have 3 WTIU’s but I used a router and connected all of the WTIU’s with ethernet cables. This eliminates the WPS issues . I do have to run in super TIU mode. What is interesting is when I power everything up and wait a couple minutes for the blue lights not all of the WTIU’s are read. Sometimes I have to refresh a couple of times to get the app to see all of the WTIU’s.

Rich R

If you statically assign an IP address to your WTIU's (either with LuCi or through your Router), the WTIUs will always have the same IP address and the app (at least in my experience) always looks at the last known good IP addresses that were assigned to your WTIUs from your previous running session. With static IP addresses, the app will find them faster and more reliably as your WTIUs are always in the same place on your network.

If you assign the WTIU a static IP address in the LuCi console, the bootup time of the WTIU (or WIU) should decrease as the device doesn't have to Request and wait for an IP address to be assigned from your router.

@PRKTRAINS posted:

Thanks so much for this!   i have several really dumb questions.  It sounds like nothing else changes in this setting except for the individual IP addresses for the WTIU’s that will become static, i.e. the other instructions are still valid?

So here are the dumb questions:

#1.  Does each WTIU get its own unique IP address?  

#2. in the vernacular of MTH does that include the “master” WTIU? 

#3: Is it easier to use LUCI or my system router to change the IP’s to static?  (I have no idea how to use my router to assign a static IP address to a WTIU - but come to think of it I have two sons-in-law who are both computer experts!)

Thanks again

PRK

So here's a question......... I want to keep my WTIU's in the same config I have now which is: WITU 1-set to MTH network mode, WTIU 2-set to home mode. I have too much trouble having the WTIU's on my home network. BUT, could I connect the WTIU's together with an Ethernet cable so that they would not have to have the WPS button pressed every time I turn them on? IS this an option, and would it work is the dilemma?

Mike