Windows 10 with eLink and railmaster

[Bigskybirds]

I have a new Windows 10 PC and want to replace the Windows 7 PC I currently have Railmaster installed on.

I decided to install 1.64 and run in evaluation mode rather than deactivate. (Glad I did)

I downloaded 1.64 from the Hornby site, installed as Administrator and gave access to the windows firewall both public and private. When I connected the elink it came up as com3, 115200 so I made the neccesary changes in Railmaster software. I closed everything down the powered the PC back on first. Once it had booted I checked the usb com port 3 it has driver version 5.1.2600.7 06/12/2012.

When I start railmaster it cannot find the controller, I have spent the last couple of hours trying to get it to work without success. I have followed the info on the forum regarding drivers and let windows update but I cannot get it to work.

Why it has to be this difficult I just do not know. Plug and pray!

 

Any ideas?

[96RAF]

Did you check the requisite lines for check controller and alternative comms were  in the .ini file with the Win10 values set   i.e. =1.

[Bigskybirds]

  Thanks for replying, yes check controller and alt Comms are set to 1

Also if I point to the driver located in the railmaster folder I get

Unknown usb device (Device descriptor failed)

[Bigskybirds]

 Further to the above, I did contact Hornby support they referred me to Railmaster and I have sent a help request but not yet received a response, maybe becuase I am using the evaluation version but there is no way I am going to deactivate my working windows 7 version and leave myself without a lifeline.

I have also looked up any posts and notes I can find on drivers and windows 10 but nothing has helped.

[96RAF]

The only thing I can think of is to try a different USB port preferably a USB 2 port generally on the back of the pc whereas the ones on the front are USB 3.

 

My 2 controllers run on a Win10 machine through a USB 3 PCi card hooked into the motherboard so my set up is non-standard. All my USB 2 ports are populated by keyboard, mouse, camera and printer.

 

Checking Device Manager I see both my controller ports are running driver 2600.7 same as yours before the update. I would try rolling back tio that one.

[Bigskybirds]

 Thanks RAF96, I tried rolling back the usb driver and it failed so I removed the driver and it installed 5.1.2600.9 06/10/2014 by default

I switched to com4 same issue, I then tried com1 the first time it failed, the second time it worked but after power off / on it would not work again.

My system is a Dell and there is no hardware com port so it is not an issue of disabling the com in the bios.

But why did it work once on com1 and not again after a system restart? It is so frustrating.

[Bigskybirds]

 I used yet another usb port and the default was com3 so I used that, it worked!

but after a system restart it would not work again so it has to be a driver timing issue or just not compatible with windows 10.

Sometimes when I start Railmaster it can take 10 secs and I get cannot communicate with controller other times it can take over 30 secs. There are no other com devices on my PC to conflict and it is a fresh build.

[Mobileadam]

Just out of interest how is the driver described in Device Manager? My current implementation of Windows 7 does not reflect the manual but was cobbled together through testing. 

Have you tried Alternative Comms = 0 and Check Controller = 0?  If Device Manager is seeing a valid device, with a driver and assigned com port I would spend time investigating the RM end of things.

[Mobileadam]

Actually, I'll also add to my previous post and suggest you try Alternative Comms = 1 and Check Controller = 0

[Bigskybirds]

Actually, I'll also add to my previous post and suggest you try Alternative Comms = 1 and Check Controller = 0

I tried both suggestions but same result, but thanks for the suggestion.

The PC system was powered off and I went for a drink when I came back I powered the elink on before the PC and it came up but alas it was only a one off it did not work again.

I need to rethink the use of the elink because although I still have my Windows 7 PC, it looks like I will not be able to upgrade my system without losing control of my layout. Perhaps I need to buy a dedicated controller that completely does away with PC control.

I have logged a case with Railmaster but since I did not get a response to a previous issue I am not sure I will get a reply this time because I sent the case using the evaluation version.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

[96RAF]

Clutching at straws now, but I always power up the layout then turn on the PC. This allows the controllers to sort themselves out before the PC kicks in with USB links. Then start RM.

 

other people have reported using absolutely the reverse method , get the PC up and running and fully stable before starting the controllers. obviously RM gets started last.

[Bigskybirds]

To recap on what is happening now. I did try RAF96 method of powering the elink on first but still have the issue.

I power the PC on first and wait for it to startup after 30 secs. I power on the elink currenlty in a USB3 port (Never worked in a USB2). The system assigns com3, 115200 which matches the setup in railmaster. The usb driver 5.1.2600.7 is installed and is shown as working properly. I then start Railmaster as administrator and after 20 secs I get cannot communicate with controller message.

I have Alternative Comms=1 and Check Controller=1 Railmaster V1.64

The USB cable and elink hardware work fine on my other old PC so I have no reason to change them. If I ever do find a fix I will report back but short of a miracle I do not think this setup will ever work with Windows 10.

[RDS]

I always power up the layout before the PC so that the USB's are (electrically) present, as the PC goes through it's start up procedure.

[Bigskybirds]

 I noticed in the event file

The system has returned from a low power state.

Sleep Time: ‎2016‎-‎02‎-‎28T19:27:50.423488600Z

Wake Time: ‎2016‎-‎02‎-‎28T19:28:41.882237400Z

Wake Source: Unknown

after a windows 10 shutdown, so I am assuming it is hibernating to allow fast startup of windows 10. Is this how windows 10 works I did try to disable hibernation but it would not let me. I wonder if this is why I am getting different results after a power off?

[Mobileadam]

I would only look at hibernation mode if you can confirm that from a cold boot RM can find the Elink?

There are cases of usb being powered down to conserve power but that is pretty rare - there is an option somewhere. 

 

Are you you using a laptop?

 

why not try deleting the ini file and let RM recreate it? 

[Mobileadam]

Is there anyone local to you that can try their Elink or your PC on another layout?

[Bigskybirds]

I wanted to rule out hibernation just in case and it is now off so when my pc shuts down it really does shut down

It is down to a handshake communication problem and also after a reboot windows 10 will change the driver it uses for the comm port. I have no control over that 

I know the elink works okay because I can put it back on my Windows 7 pc and it works without issue. I will have to see if Railmaster support get back to me or ditch the Railmaster elink system and buy a stand alone unit. 

At the moment rail master will communicate with the elink one in ten times and the time taken to fail varies which points to a timeout issue.  It is a Dell PC with intel motherboard so I expect others will have this issue 

[Fishmanoz]

Bsb, when you say no response from HRMS, can you please confirm that you are making the request by email from within the Help window of RM and you are getting the immediate auto acknowledgement?  If you aren't getting this, your AV is blocking you, whether you think you've fixed it or not.  There is no reason evaluation mode should be stopping this.

 

So if no auto acknowledge, try turning the AV right off and try again.  If still no auto acknowledge, email support@rail-master.com

 

HRMS will solve it for you.  They are being a little slower getting back to people just lately, but they will fix it for you.  No need to panic.

[Bigskybirds]

Hi Fishmanoz, I did receive an acknowledgement from Railmaster but that happened last time I logged a case but I did not get a reply. I have checked my spam folder and there is nothing in there. 

I am a retired computer systems engineer not that it makes things any easier for me. 

[Bigskybirds]

Having not received a response from Railmaster after the first contact I made 6 days ago I contacted Hornby CS and spoke with Mark. He advised that I needed to deactivate the installation on the Windows 7 system then Activate the Railmaster software on windows 10. It activated successfully but still would not connect with the elink.

I was then advised to start over which I did following his instructions but again it still does not connect. I was then advised to send another request via the Railmaster software and to email support direct not sure why they now have several requests. I got the same auto responder acknowledge message from Railmaster for both contacts.

I have little confidence this will be fixed in a suitable timescale, so have started to look for an alternative system to control my layout since I have now deactived the windows 7 Railmaster software installation at the request of Hornby.

[Yelrow]

BSB, several of us run a dedicated laptop for RM. For that, windows 7, is perfect. Why not simply use that, and keep your new machine, train free. john

[Bigskybirds]

 Hi Yelrow. Rather than buy a dedicated laptop I would be better spending my money on a stand alone DCC controller then I would not have driver and software issues to impact my enjoyment of running my layout.

[Yelrow]

BSB, your choice, but those of us with dedicated machines, some with Elites, running RM, have a stand alone controller, with the ELite, coupled with the benefits of a monitored layout. Why would you need to purchase another machine, when you have the windows 7 one. john

[Bigskybirds]

My windows 7 system will be gone by the end of this week having been replaced by the windows 10 system I have no room for two pc's  It was purchased as a retirment present so it would have been rude to refuse it, I was not expecting to have these issues with elink and Railmaster and since support does not seem to be forthcoming a dedicated hardware control will eliminate the middleman.

The problem is the elink is too light to be a useful door stop.

[Peter Ruifrok]

 I run Windows 10 with Railmaster and the eLink and had no issue installing the system except my AV system which I had to deactivate for a minute to activate my product. It runs via com3 and all I used was the Railmaster installation guide. Quite a few people run RM with the same set-up under Windows 10, so I wonder, could your problem be specific to the way Windows 10 has been installed / runs on your new system? This would then be a hardware/software  issue specific for your new PC (and not really a Windows 10 issue)and it may be difficult to ever find the problem, let alone solve it for anybody (including the RM support line). I do appreciate that this response isn't very optimistic but in view of all the above advice realistic. Sorry for not being more positive. There is probably no way to move to Windows 7 on your new PC? Windows 7 is a great operating system and will be supported for many years to come.