The JMRI Manual
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Installing JMRI
Using DecoderPro®
DecoderPro® Programming Modes
The Basic Programmer
The Comprehensive Programmer
DecoderPro® Main Window
Creating a Decoder Definition
Error Messages

DecoderPro® Main Window

LocoNet Menu

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Monitor LocoNet

Opens the Monitor LocoNet Window(Gerneric Communications Monitor Window) and automatically displays the information that is being sent and received on the communications link between your computer and your DCC system.

Monitor Slots

Opens the Monitor Slots window, and displays a table of the "command station slots" contents.

Monitor Clock

A Digitrax LocoNet can contain it's own fast clock timebase. This can be driven either by a DCS100/DCS200 command station, or by a separate fast clock module such as those made by Logic Rail Technologies. The Monitor Clock dialog allows you to control this feature.

Monitor LocoNet Stats

If active displays the statistics related to traffic on the LocoNet Monitor LocoNet Stats Window.

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Configure BDL16/BDL168

Opens Configure BDL 16/BDL168 window

Configure LocoIO

Opens the Configure LocoIO window.

Configure PM4/PM42

Opens the Configure PM4/PM42 window.

Configure SE8C

Opens the Configure SE3C window.

Configure DS64

Opens the Configure DS64 window.

Configure Command Station

Opens the Configure Command Station window

Configure LocoNet ID

Opens the Configure LocoNet ID dialog that allows you to or the LocoNet ID Value:

loconet if

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Send Throttle Messages

Opens Throttle message prompt with limited capabiltiy to send messages to handheld throttle.

send loconet messages

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Send LocoNet Packet

Opens the Send LocoNet Packet dialog that lets you directly command LocoNet devices.

Select PR3 Mode

Opens the Select PR3 Mode dialog.

PR3 Mode

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Download Firmware

Opens the Firmware Downloader.

Download Sounds

Opens the Decoder Sound Downloader.

Edit SPJ Sound File

Opens Sound File editing tool

Edit soumd

Start LocoNet Server

Starts the LocoNet server.

Start LocoNet over TCP Server

Opens the LocoNetOver Tcp Server dialog.

LocoNet server

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Monitor Slot Window

Slots are used to control individual locomotive and consists. The display includes the decoder's speed step format, current speed and function settings, consist information and status. You may choose to show all slots or just the ones being actively used.

slot monitor

The checkboxes at the top allow to select what slots are displayed.

Show unused slots

Show system slots

Executes an Emergency Stop for all locomotives.

The columns are:

Column Displays
Slot The number of the slot
Address Locomotive address the slot controls
Speed For unconsisted locomotives and addresses that are at the top of a consist, this is the current speed setting. It is an internal value for consisted slots.
Decoder Type The format of the commands being sent to the decoder, typically, either 128 step or 28 step, though other values are possible.
Status One of the four possible states:
Free Not reserved for any particular use, no contents
Idle Not reserved for any particular use, no contents
Common Not in use at the moment, but still contains valid data for the last decoder to use it.
In Use Currently controlling a decoder
Consisted Displays the consist status of the slot, whether it is not consisted, the top of a consist, included in a consist, etc.
Throttle ID The UT4 throttles have a fixed throttle ID. The DT400 has a fixed common leading HEX value and a user programmable second HEX value. . It is displayed as two hexadecimal bytes, see the Digitrax instructions for details.
Direction Whether the decoder is currently being commanded to go Forward or Reverse.
F0-F8 The current function settings
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Monitor Clock

clock monitor

The Clock Monitor tool provides a convenient way to:

If you are using a DCS100 or DCS200 command station to create your LocoNet fast clock, you may have noticed that it doesn't keep particularly good time. If you select the "Correct LocoNet Fast Clock Master", JMRI will adjust the rate of the LocoNet clock so that it keeps better time.

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Configure BDL16/BDL168 window

BDL 16

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Configure LocoIO window

LocoNet IO programmer

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Configure PM4/PM42 Window

PM4 programmer

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Configure SE8c Window

SE8C programmer

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Configure DS64 Window

The DS64 programming tool lets you configure the internal options of a DS64 directly from your computer.

Type the address of a DS64 board in the text field and click . The tool will read back the current state of the various options, and set the check boxes to correspond to their current values.

You can then, if you wish, change the checkboxes and click to make your changes permanent.

Limitations

Because of the way the DS64 board works, this tool can't change the basic address of the unit.

At present, DS64 routes cannot be programmed by this tool. It's possible, but nobody has written the code for it yet because JMRI routes are more powerful and easier to use.

DS64 Programmer

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Send LocoNet Packet dialog

Send packet

LocoNet packets are sent in raw hexadecimal format, you may use the Monitor Window in the Show Raw Data option to monitor the packets.

The top section lets you send a single LocoNet packet. Type the hexidecimal numbers and click , you should include the byte for the checksum at the end of the message.

The bottom section lets you enter from one to four packets that will be repeatedly sent in sequence, with the user-defined delays in between. Press the to start transmission sequence, and press again to stop the sequence.

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Firmware Downloader

Some Digitrax products can have new firmware downloaded to them.The firmware updates are distributed as .dml (Digitrax Mangled Firmware) files. They contain both the code itself, and various management information to make sure that it can be downloaded into the hardware it expects.

firmware downloader

To use this tool:

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Download Sounds

Sound Download

Digitrax sound decoders are loaded with "sound projects", stored in "Sound Project" (.spj) files. Those contain a number of "sound fragments" in .wav format, plus some additional control information.

The Decoder Sound Downloader tool lets you load a new .spj file into a Digitrax sound decoder via a Digitrax PR2 or PR3 interface. If you're using a PR3, it needs to be put into "Programmer mode" before trying to download, see the main PR3 page.

Digitrax provides sample sound project files at their Sound Depot (http://www.digitrax.com/sounddepot.php) website. You can also find links to documentation and additional tools there.

JMRI also provides tools for editing sound project files to include new sounds and even to change the sound logic. When you first select the Download Sounds tool, it opens a dialog with most of the controls disabled:

(Click on any image on this page to see a larger version)

The status line at the bottom will walk you through the steps needed.

  1. First, click "Select" and pick the .spj file you want to download.
  2. Next, click "Read" to read the file (this is a separate step so you can just click "Read" multiple times if you're editing and saving new versions of the file).

    If everything is OK, the file will be read into the program and verified, a version string from the file will be displayed, and the "Download" button will be enabled.

  3. Click "Download" to start the download process. It will take a little while. The progress is described in the status line:
    "Starting download; erase flash"
    The first step is to erase the decoders memory so it can take new data. This will take up to about 30 seconds, depending on the specific decoder.
    "Sending initialization message"
    Set up the decoder to accept data after being erased. This should only take a fraction of a second.
    "Send SDF data"
    Load the Sound Definition data into the decoder, which should only take a few seconds
    "Send WAV data"
    The sound data is being downloaded. As each block is sent you'll get an update: "Send WAV data block 1", then 2, then 3, etc.
    "Done"
    The downloadload completed OK.
    If something goes wrong, the final status will be "Download aborted". The most common reason is that the PR2 couldn't handle the data that was being send, which is listed as "PR2 not ready". If this happens repeatedly, make sure that the serial port and cable that the PR2 is using as the control lea
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