LokSound Select HO Scale Onboard IM SD40-2

[davefoxx]

I updated the software to add Full Throttle features to two HO scale Intermountain SD40-2s with ESU LokSound Select decoders.  I was able to modify the horn and the bell, I speed matched the locomotives, and I even remapped the numberboard lights.   Everything works, except the Drive Hold feature.  Both locomotives had this happen, which must say something about the type of decoder supplied by ESU to IM.

FYI, I've also updated several HO scale Atlas locomotives to Full Throttle and did not have this problem.  The Drive Hold feature was successfully added to these locomotives.  Ideas?

DFF

[carlso]

DFF,

I am, by no means, an expert nor do I pretend to be anything but a newbie on the ESU programming. But,
my question would be; did you check the function mapping for F9 ? If not set correctly you may not get the "Drive Hold" effect.

Just my 2 cents and as always have fun,
Carl

[davefoxx]

Hi, Carl,

Thanks for responding.  I just double-checked, and, yes, Drive Hold was remapped to F9 on both SD40-2s.



DFF

[jdcolombo]

Hi Dave.

The problem should not be the decoder; IM uses stock ESU LokSound Select decoders in its HO locos.

What file, exactly (e.g., give me the ESU file number) did you download to your SD40's?

I'm assuming it was the 73408 file, which is the one posted on IM's web site.  If so and you downloaded it from IM's web site, try downloading the file from ESU's site instead, here:

http://projects.esu.eu/projectoverviews/search?cat=2&q=73408

If it's NOT the 73408 file, then download that one from ESU's web site and try it.

If it IS the 73408 file, AND you downloaded it from ESU's site, then Sound Slot 2 = Drive Hold.  When you say that you are sure F9 is properly mapped to Drive Hold, check once again to make sure that F9 turns on Sound Slot 2.

If all that is true, then I'm stumped.

John C.

[davefoxx]

John,

Yep, I downloaded file number 73408 for both SD40-2s directly from ESU's website.  I'll check tonight to see if F9 turns on Sound Slot 2.  This seems like a very good chance of solving the problem.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Thanks,
DFF

[jdcolombo]

Hmmm.

If you downloaded the file from ESU's web site, then by default F9 should turn on Drive Hold. 

If you check and find that it IS set up correctly, then try remapping Drive Hold to some other function key and see if it works that way.  If it works remapped, THEN try remapping back to F9 (if you like F9 as Drive Hold). 

If it doesn't work at all for you, there may be a problem with the file as posted on ESU's web site.  If 73408 won't work, you could try one of the other EMD645E3 files, like #75410 and see if that one works (same prime mover, but different recording from a different engine).

John C.

[davefoxx]

Hmmm.

If you downloaded the file from ESU's web site, then by default F9 should turn on Drive Hold. 

If you check and find that it IS set up correctly, then try remapping Drive Hold to some other function key and see if it works that way.  If it works remapped, THEN try remapping back to F9 (if you like F9 as Drive Hold). 

If it doesn't work at all for you, there may be a problem with the file as posted on ESU's web site.  If 73408 won't work, you could try one of the other EMD645E3 files, like #75410 and see if that one works (same prime mover, but different recording from a different engine).

John C.

I'll check that tonight, too, but I think I already used 73408 for an Atlas GP40-2 (that also did not have Full Throttle features before the reflash) and had no problem with Drive Hold working on that unit.

Oh, and by the way, the Independent Brake (F10) doesn't work on these IM units, either.  Strange.

DFF

[jdcolombo]

Yeah, I don't think it is the file.  I think I've used this file before for a friend's locomotive and Drive Hold worked fine.

They aren't by chance consisted using Advanced Consisting are they?  (Don't remember if you use Digitrax or NCE; if you consist locos with NCE, it automatically uses Advanced Consisting).

If so . . . you'd have to enable F9 and F10 to work with advanced consisting (that's on the Address page of the LokProgrammer software).

John C.

[davefoxx]

Yeah, I don't think it is the file.  I think I've used this file before for a friend's locomotive and Drive Hold worked fine.

They aren't by chance consisted using Advanced Consisting are they?  (Don't remember if you use Digitrax or NCE; if you consist locos with NCE, it automatically uses Advanced Consisting).

If so . . . you'd have to enable F9 and F10 to work with advanced consisting (that's on the Address page of the LokProgrammer software).

John C.

I do have them advance consisted (NCE), but I set them up for Drive Hold (as well as dynamic braking, mute, independent brake, and radiator fans) to work in a consist.  However, Drive Hold doesn't work independently or in a consist on these IM locomotives.

In the Atlas locomotives that I successfully reflashed, the Full Throttle features work independently and in a consist, so I know that I set this up correctly.  In fact, I even set F4 on an Atlas GP38 with no dynamic braking to "coast," so if the engineer puts a consist into dynamic braking, the GP38 will just idle down while the rest of the consist goes into dynamic braking.  That's pretty cool to hear.

There's got to be something unique about the decoder in the IM units.

DFF

[RBrodzinsky]

Are they Essential Sound decoders, rather than Selects? Not certain if IM is using them, or just ScaleTrains.

All the other changes you are doing are CV changes, where loading a Full Throttle project is the full new download. Just wondering if something is preventing the file load, without creating an error message in LokProgrammer.

[jdcolombo]

Well, IM's web page says they are equipped with LokSound Select decoders:

https://www.intermountain-railway.com/ho/loco/holocsd40-2.htm

And their DCC help page only lists stuff applicable to the Select, so I'm pretty sure that's what is in there unless they changed it without telling anyone.  Plus, I'd think there would be some sort of error message on the LokProgrammer if you tried to replace an Essential sound file - at the very least, it would lock up on the data transfer screen.

Very strange.

John C.

[davefoxx]

Plus, I'd think there would be some sort of error message on the LokProgrammer if you tried to replace an Essential sound file - at the very least, it would lock up on the data transfer screen.

This was my thought, too, plus the reflash did change the lighting and sounds.  I programmed each locomotive with a different horn, per the prototype, and I had to change the numberboard lighting from Mars Light to work as an additional on-off headlight.  That was interesting when I fired up the locomotive and the numberboards flashed!  Oh, and I was able to successfully adjust the timing of the sounds, so that, for example, one prime mover is approximately 1.5% faster and the other locomotive's prime mover is approximately 1.5% slower, meaning that they can go out of phase.

I took an initial look at the mapping page, and F9 is set up for Drive Hold with Sound Slot 2.  There's got to be something else going on.  I may try to download another sound file for an SD40-2, just to see what happens, but I really doubt that it's the sound file.

DFF

[davefoxx]

I downloaded another sound file from the ESU website to one of the IM SD40-2s, and, again, the locomotive was successfully flashed, except that the Full Throttle features didn’t work.  I am officially stumped.  The only thing I can think of is to look into downloading a file from the IM website, in case that might make some sort of difference.

DFF

[tehachapifan]

Might the decoder itself be a pre-Full-Throttle version?

[reinhardtjh]

Might the decoder itself be a pre-Full-Throttle version?

No.  Full Throttle is firmware that's loaded into the decoder.  As long as Dave is using a version newer than V4..5.0 (I think, current version is 4.7.2) then the Full Throttle firmware is in the LokProgrammer software and when you update the decoder, the new firmware gets loaded.  Besides, if FT wasn't in the decoder, then none of the other Ft features would work either.