THE LCS THREAD - Post LCS Questions, Info and Updates HERE

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

A curious LCS problem.  Now, I know that I used to be able to drive a new Legacy engine over the track sensor and it would automatically populate the road name, number, engine type, etc.  However, for some reason, that functionality no longer works for me.

I thought my sensor track was broken since I was using the IRV2 and the sensor sleds.  However, I programmed it for a crossing signal in one direction and that worked just as it should automatically when I crossed the sensor in the correct direction.  I thought maybe it was an issue with my engine, but another one has the same problem.

Have I forgotten something basic to make this functionality work?  Who's on first?

Check that you haven't disabled automatic updates.

@Dave Olson posted:

Check that you haven't disabled automatic updates.

That cured it, thanks!

Oddly, my one engine that I originally noticed it with still doesn't update, the 6-84268 SD40.  It triggers the sensor since it does the crossing signal as it goes over it, but it doesn't load it's info.  Where is that stored, in the RCMC?  It puzzles me how it could trigger the crossing signal and not be transmitting the engine data.

The good news is all the other engines worked.

I disabled my updates too once. Actually, I wondered how that happened since I never even knew that you could disable it. Took me awhile to figure out 'til I read the manual

@cjack posted:

I disabled my updates too once. Actually, I wondered how that happened since I never even knew that you could disable it. Took me awhile to figure out 'til I read the manual

I certainly didn't do it on purpose, I liked that feature.  I know that feature worked at one time, because I put the first sensor sled on the maintenance track to load stuff when I drive it out on the layout.  I was a bit surprised when it didn't work now.

I still don't understand what happened to this one engine, the only thing it doesn't do is send the engine data, the IR link is obviously working, the programming functions work.  It must be sending null data, nothing changes on the display for that engine.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

That cured it, thanks!

Oddly, my one engine that I originally noticed it with still doesn't update, the 6-84268 SD40.  It triggers the sensor since it does the crossing signal as it goes over it, but it doesn't load it's info.  Where is that stored, in the RCMC?  It puzzles me how it could trigger the crossing signal and not be transmitting the engine data

I am very sure the RCMC actually holds this data, I had a locomotive once that it also wouldn’t populate any information for. I know base updates weren’t off. Pretty sure it was a 4-4-0 can’t remember if it was Jupiter or Leviathan.

any way I was trying to pin point a issue with a IR feather and swapped tenders with a S-3 and UP Challenger. When the Challenger tender went over the track with the S-3 attached it uploaded Milwaukee Road #261 S-3 into slot Eng61. When the S-3 tender went over either the challenger on Eng 85 I saw the fule and water level updated also in each instance the action was played to the correct locomotive that actually went over.

There is one thing also…if that cab # is already dedicated to another recoded engine, it won’t record the data from  this engine. I’ve run into that too.

That mostly happens if you have guests  engines run and you forget about them  having run on the layout.

@cjack posted:

There is one thing also…if that cab # is already dedicated to another recoded engine, it won’t record the data from  this engine. I’ve run into that too.

I just checked, and there are no other engines that have the same 4-digit cab number in my command base.  Bummer, that sounded like a good possibility.

@zhubl posted:

I am very sure the RCMC actually holds this data, I had a locomotive once that it also wouldn’t populate any information for. I know base updates weren’t off. Pretty sure it was a 4-4-0 can’t remember if it was Jupiter or Leviathan.

any way I was trying to pin point a issue with a IR feather and swapped tenders with a S-3 and UP Challenger. When the Challenger tender went over the track with the S-3 attached it uploaded Milwaukee Road #261 S-3 into slot Eng61. When the S-3 tender went over either the challenger on Eng 85 I saw the fule and water level updated also in each instance the action was played to the correct locomotive that actually went over.

Clearly my diesel can't swap tenders.

Also, what you describe doesn't sound like the RCMC had the data.  If putting the S-3 tender on the 4-4-0 caused it to upload the S-3 data into the base, it sure sounds like the tender had the data.

I cleared out the TMCC # for the engine using the LCS, and then ran it across the sensor.  It's seen going either direction, the CAB2 screen backlight pops on as it crosses, and it plays the programmed sequence, but no information gets filled into the base.

I can only assume there's a problem with the engine, just need to find out what the possibilities are.  It would be nice if we had more service information on the later Legacy stuff...

My bad must’ve tried to over explain.

S-3 with challenger tender uploaded the S-3 information into my base into the correct slot

yea it would be hard to swap tenders on diesels

OK, that makes more sense.  I always thought the RCMC would be the logical place for the information, but it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.   The burning question is, in that case, how does this unmodified engine have missing data?

It's not unheard of for a 5 year old EPROM to have a failed/corrupt data block.

@SteveH posted:

It's not unheard of for a 5 year old EPROM to have a failed/corrupt data block.

Well, that seems to be a bit of a stretch to me, the chances of it simply inhibiting sending the engine data and yet all other functions working through the same sensor and code is pretty unlikely in my experience.  While it's not impossible, I'd be pretty amazed if that was actually the issue.  FWIW, it's FLASH, not EPROM.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

OK, that makes more sense.  I always thought the RCMC would be the logical place for the information, but it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.   The burning question is, in that case, how does this unmodified engine have missing data?

The RCMC has the information hard coded in Flash.  The IR transmitter monitors the info and then transmits the data out.  Try setting the Engine TMCC ID, as this refreshes the IR transmitter PCB data.  Give it 30 seconds to propagate through the various PCBs before going back to Run or power cycling.  It is possible the IR transmitter PCB is off frequency, and the data is not sending properly.

@SantaFeFan posted:

The RCMC has the information hard coded in Flash.  The IR transmitter monitors the info and then transmits the data out.  Try setting the Engine TMCC ID, as this refreshes the IR transmitter PCB data.  Give it 30 seconds to propagate through the various PCBs before going back to Run or power cycling.  It is possible the IR transmitter PCB is off frequency, and the data is not sending properly.

It's easy when you know how.   I set it to #1 and then back to #47, and it's mind is right.  Thanks Jon, I figured it was something simple.

Oddly, I had already programmed this one from #1 to #47, so I didn't think setting the ID would do anything, obviously I was wrong!  Something must have gotten confused and it decided not to send the data for some reason.

Is this an issue where the LTC board got out of sync with the RCMC data?  It does look like a somewhat convoluted path from the RCMC, through the RS-Lite board, and then to the LTC board.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

It's easy when you know how.   I set it to #1 and then back to #47, and it's mind is right.  Thanks Jon, I figured it was something simple.

Oddly, I had already programmed this one from #1 to #47, so I didn't think setting the ID would do anything, obviously I was wrong!  Something must have gotten confused and it decided not to send the data for some reason.

Is this an issue where the LTC board got out of sync with the RCMC data?  It does look like a somewhat convoluted path from the RCMC, through the RS-Lite board, and then to the LTC board.

Is this an issue where the LTC board got out of sync with the RCMC data?  It does look like a somewhat convoluted path from the RCMC, through the RS-Lite board, and then to the LTC board.

The data path "RCMC-RSL-LTC", is quite logical from a system POV, and note that the LTC board saves some data internally.  Setting the TMCC ID is always a safe place to go, as many configuration parameters are set then, not just in the LTC, but RSL as well.

Jon, I'm sure you're quite right that there is a good reason for how it's designed, clearly we don't have near the visibility as to the what and why of how things are done in that environment.

I know that setting the TMCC ID is sometimes a cure for issues, since I had recently done a change, it didn't occur to me that might be necessary again.  It's a fact that I'm sure to remember from now on!

After all, it's a bad day when you don't learn something!

Reading SantaFeFan info on the design, it would seem a good idea to re-set the ID if ever having to replace the RSL, or LTC to keep things in sink.

I might add a sensor track to the repair test bench.

Jim

Jim, I added a little info to the information bank, and I got the engine working as well.

Does anyone have a connection diagram to use STM2 module to display realtrax switch positions on LCS IPAD app ?

@SantaFeFan posted:

The RCMC has the information hard coded in Flash.  The IR transmitter monitors the info and then transmits the data out.  Try setting the Engine TMCC ID, as this refreshes the IR transmitter PCB data.  Give it 30 seconds to propagate through the various PCBs before going back to Run or power cycling.  It is possible the IR transmitter PCB is off frequency, and the data is not sending properly.

Bummer, this happened again.  Same symptoms, but no engines will load their data!  They still trigger the programmed command in the sensor track, but no data load.  When I do the reset sequence, ACC, 99, AUX1, 4, I see the lights blink on the sensor sled, but it doesn't fix it.

I have a question about ASC2, STM2, Remote-only Fastrack switch and Remote/Command Fastrack switch.

I have 3 older Remote-only Fastrack switches and 12 Remote/Command Fastrack switches.

When connecting the 3 Remote-only switches to the ASC2, it reserves 4 TMCC ID's.  I connect those switches to ASC2 (green, red & black) with TMCC ID's 1-3 and ID 4 reserved for a 4th switch and also to the first 3 positions on the STM2 (yellow).  I would like to not have to skip ID 4.  If I program a Remote/Command switch to ID4 and then connect it to STM2 input 4, will there be conflict when I select switch ID 4 on my CAB2? 

My assumption is that there will be a signal sent over the LCS bus to the ASC2 for switch 4, but nothing will happen since there is nothing connected for switch 4 on the ASC2.  I don't know enough about LCS to know if perhaps there will some sort of error generated and the CAB2 signal for switch 4 will not be received by the switch.

I am in the process of totally rebuilding my layout and do not have any way to test this.

Since this is the LCS megathread - I was wondering how to get in the LCS developer program?  I built an occupancy/signal system with esp32 chips and nodered - if I could tie in locomotive control I could essentially automate everything.

@ChrisFromCle posted:

Since this is the LCS megathread - I was wondering how to get in the LCS developer program?  I built an occupancy/signal system with esp32 chips and nodered - if I could tie in locomotive control I could essentially automate everything.

Maybe @Dave Olson could hook you up or at least point you in the right direction.

There used to be a link to get the whole packet and become an LCS Partner.  I presume the program still exists, but the link I have no longer works.  Since the new website went live, all the old links no longer work.  Searches on Google come up with the old links that are now dead.

Read page 12 of the manual. You are not finishing the programming. You have to set the action after the SET push.

After pressing set I did Aux1 1 as the action command for "crossing gate signal blow".

Green light kept flashing at same rate.

The sensor track apparently is not detecting the signals from the Legacy base (I am using the Cab2).

So the track is not programmed?

Update to my 16 December post.

I want to thank everyone for all their suggestions and the time you spent checking out your systems to tell me what to look for.

Using an operable Cab 2 base, everything worked.

It is good to know that with a good base unit my sensor track and serial unit work as they should.

It is great using the sensor track to program but also to run a new loco over the track and see the cab 2 update.

There is a problem with my base unit.

It works fine controlling locos etc, but when I tried setting up the sensor track, that is when I found difficulties.

I do have a base 3 on order.