Unable to get Elite to connect to Railmaster

[Bigskybirds]

I have been running my elink from my Windows 10 PC for several months then today I purchased a Hornby Elite. I started Railmaster with no controller attached and changed from elink to elite and set the baud rate to 19200 both in the program and in system properties for the com port.

Now when I start Railmaster I get the message that I have an elite attached and the controller is configured for elink, so it fails.

I unplug the elite and reconnect then the program just hangs.

I sent a message to Railmaster and the response I got was that should not happen and they have not seen it before.

I have uninstalled Railmaster and the comm port driver and started again this time with a different comm port. Same problems.

I have altcomms=1 check controller=0 and have rechecked the setup guides on this site but nothing works.

Any ideas?

Looks like I will be going back to the elink if it still works....

[Bigskybirds]

 To add to the above

I have just unplugged the Hornby Elite and reconnected the Elink and it came up first time with the elink but will not work with the elite.

I cannot be the first person to upgrade from an elink to en elite can I?

[Chrissaf]

Could there possibly be a link between your current issue and this previous reported one. It makes one suspect that maybe 1.64 has an as yet undiscovered bug in it (what a surprise.....not).

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https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/railmaster-confused/?p=1

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If your issue is in fact a bug in 1.64, then users who upgraded to Elite on previous RM versions may not have seen it. Do you have a previous version of RM you could downgrade to. Then get the Elite working in that, then re-upgrade to the current RM version. If you could, then maybe the Elite settings in RM would stick. I have kept RM installer files going back to version 1.55.

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Reading through your 'I did this, I did that' list you seem to have covered all the basics. When you uninstalled the USB Serial driver did you completely delete the actual file(s) from the HDD, forcing Windows to get a new set of files from the MS servers when you attached the Elite under 'Plug n Play'. Else, your Windows PC is most likely to just reinstate the previous driver and settings for it. You can find the file names in Device Manager. Rather than delete them, just either move them temporarily to a different folder or change their three letter extension from .SYS to .OLD, then you have the option to put them back as original if necessary.

[Bigskybirds]

Hi Chrissaf

I just loaded Railmaster using the original disk but the sane problem arose. 

I had not thought about deleting the driver but my concern if I do that is I may reopen the issue to get the elink to connect if I cannot get the elite to work. 

At the moment I have elink on com3 then plugged the elite in and it installed on com4 automatically selecting port speed of 19200

If I cannot get it to connect I will return the elite to the supplier and stay with the elink. 

I need to ensure I do not mess up the elink setup and end up with the problems I had when that was installed

For info when trying to connect the elite my elink is usb unplugged and not powered on

[Bigskybirds]

 The Elite is using usb driver Microchip technology 06/12/2012 version 5.1.2600.7

My Elink uses the same driver with windows 10

Also when starting Railmaster the clock in the bottom right corner becomes very erratic hanging then jumping forwards by 10 secs then hanging. There is a solid green light below the program icons and it sometimes goes yellow. The only thing I can do is kill the railmaster task.

[RDS]

@bigskybirds

Sorry to read about your problems but stick with it - the Elite is a massive improvement over the eLink.  Many members have upgraded from the eLink to Elite, so it is only a matter of time before you get it sorted.

I have been running the Elite with RailMaster since February 2013, almost without problems.  One thing I always do though, is to have all the wiring connected and the Elite FULLY powered up, BEFORE, starting RailMaster.

[Bigskybirds]

@RDS

Thank you for your reply

I need to return the elite within 7 days in order for me to get a refund. I cannot afford to risk keeping it unless I know it will connect to my PC. 

I am now getting messages that it has detected a short or faulty usb cable, the cable is the same one I use on my elink and there can be no short because I have disconnected the track leads. 

I just reconnected my elink and it fired up first time, no error messages. 

I will see if Railmaster support get back to me 

[Chrissaf]

I am now getting messages that it has detected a short or faulty usb cable.

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With the Elite that is a classic error message that you get when something is not right with the railmaster.ini file.

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I know you said that you have Alternative comms=1 and Check controller=0 in your .INI file, but humour me on this one.

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With RM NOT running but the Elite connected and powered. Open Windows Device Manager and check which com port the USB Serial interface the Elite is using (should be either Com3 or Com4), start RM and check in RM System Settings that the same Com port is listed in the Elite settings.

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Open the .INI file editor:

Delete

Alternative comms=1

Alternative comms2=? where ? is likely to be 0 (if this line is present).

Check controller=0 (I would have expected to have seen this value =1 with an eLink not 0)

Check controller2=? where ? is likely to be 0 (if this line is present).

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Now retype at the very end of the .INI file (Do not reinstate the xxxxxxxx2=n lines)

Elite feedback=1

Alternative comms=1

Check controller=0

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Close and save .INI file

Close and restart RM

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Does this solve your issue?

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PS- It is important to delete the original entries where present, even if they already have the same values as required. Other forum posters have found that retyping the entry in again at the end of the file has made a difference.

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PS - The COG icon in the RM 'Help/About' window starts the railmaster.ini file editor.

[Bigskybirds]

 Chris you are a star!!!!!

I followed your procedure but when I clicked on the cog in Railmaster nothing happened it would not bring up the ini file.

I exited Railmaster and ran notepad as administrator. I deleted the previous entry then I typed in the three lines you asked me to and bingo!

Railmaster connected within about 15 secs. I have powered both PC and Elite off and tried again and Railmaster connected on first attempt.

It did not have the entry Elite Feedback=1

Thankyou.

[Yelrow]

Chris, well done, many more results like this   and you will need a hand widenng the door. Good save john

[Chrissaf]

Glad I was able to negate the need for you to return the Elite you wont regret it. I didn't find the fix, someone else did, but as I read just about every post placed on this forum. I remembered reading it. The fix is not logical hence my "humour me on this one" comment, but for some reason completely deleting the entries and retyping them in from scratch at the end of the file rather than just editing them seems to fix controller communication issues.

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Interesting that clicking the .INI editor COG icon doesn't work for you. It does for me (Win10). I have however recently reported to HRMS that the Device Manager COG in the RM System Window is non functional. I have had a mail back from HRMS saying they will investigate.

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Comment to all readers. The importance of including as much background information as possible, however trivial you might think it is. If BSB had not mentioned the 'error message' then the penny would not have dropped.

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PS - The Elite feedback=1 entry will mean that if you call up a loco using the Elite controls and you start controlling the loco using the Elite knob throttle(s). If RM is also running and has the same loco in the loco roster. The RM slider throttle for that loco will move up and down in synchronisation. Note however, that it is ONLY the throttle that is synchronised. The functions are not. You can then control the loco speed by either the Elite or RM concurrently in real time.

[Chrissaf]

Chris, well done, many more results like this   and you will need a hand widening the door. Good save john

Thanks John, but as I said....just a case of reading all and remembering other users posts. And perhaps a smackering of recognising the significance of them.

[Bigskybirds]

 Thank you for the explanation.

I worked for 36 years on Mainframes, Servers and Unix systems until I retired 7 years ago. I now consider myself computer illiterate especially on Windows 10.

I find model railways relaxing until computers get involed but I have to accept computers have become part of the hobby.

One pet hate of mine is when searching for answers on the net is the number of people that do not take the time to report back if a fix works. That is very important to those who encounter problems and are looking for answers.

[Chrissaf]

Re: Reporting back fixes that work.

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Absolutely in agreement there. If you don't know which ones work, how can you weed out the ones that don't.

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PS - I had a suspicion you were computer literate (not illiterate) when you documented your workaround for the .INI editor COG not working. A computer illiterate person would not know why to use 'run as administrator' for example.

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I too did 30 odd years in IT, but on the comms & router networking side, not hosts and desktops.

[RDS]

@bigskybirds

Glad you got it working and now you can enjoy the improved features that the Elite will give, not least of all the ability to run Loco's with or without a PC, or the combination of both.  You are right about the no-feedback comment because we all benefit from picking up knowledge about what worked and what didn't.

[Bigskybirds]

@RDS

I have a large collection of locomotives and all but 10 are DC. I purchased a Hornby set which included the elink but found computer control a bit confusing with sliders and mouse pointers. I then purchased a Gaugemaster Advance 2 but did not take to the hand held. I am long in the tooth and like a base system with anolgue controls.

I read many reviews about the Elite but it seemed to get negative feedback especially from some dealers. One referred to it as a toy and nothing else.

I have to admit that having the ability to use two rotary controllers and not have to look at the screen is great, although the Railmaster comes in to its own when updating CV's and adding locomotives to the system, plus recording running sessions and playing them back.

If all goes well I will gradually start converting some more DC locos to DCC you never know I may be converted one day!

[Chrissaf]

....you never know I may be converted one day!

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Do you mean have a DCC decoder implanted in your chest similar to a pacemaker.... 😆

[Bigskybirds]

 I need a DCC decoder planted in my head, more brain cells died last night, not many left now :-(

[Yelrow]

BSB, you are similar to several of us. about 10% of my locos are DCC. As i have many 3 Rail Hornby Dublo, TT, and N Gauge, going totally down the DCC route, would mean not only winning the Lottery, but also converting 3 rail to 2 rail, which would be a step too far, as a purist.  I run both layouts seperately, but on same structure, as a tier system. I also have Elite, with RM, for the flexibility it offers. At 73 years of age, even if i won the lottery, my DC locos would stay as is. I was advised by a previous member to sell off my non DCC, fleet, and replace with the new fangled ones, but sentimentality, based on years of collecting, made this inconcievable.. My view is to keep as is. In order to convert anyway, the locos have to be very good runners, and split chassis, become a problem. If i want to add to my DCC, i will buy new, with sound. john

[Bigskybirds]

 Everything was working fine, I came to my PC switched on the Elite waited a couple of minutes to start Railmaster. The program started with a please wait and the green rectangle light illuminated, with the clock jumping in 10 second intervals. It has been at please wait for 5 minutes using between 0-16% CPU.

Any ideas whats happened now, should I kill the task?

[Yelrow]

BSB, what i do, is turn on Elite, wait 10 secs, turn on laptop, wait, until all lights/ hard drive stops, then, click on RM. I would kill that task. Turn everything off, wait 20 secs, then try as i do. If that dont work, wait for prof Chris, to finish his lunch. john

[Bigskybirds]

 The Please wait disappeared after about 15 minutes and the controller showed green controller A V2.24

Although it showed controller active the elite was not responding. I powered the elite off and on and after the restart it worked so I appear to have a timing issue.

[96RAF]

I'm with John...

...I switch on the layout power and both controllers boot up and then I crank up the PC.

Only when this has all stabilised do I start RM and it never fails to connect to the Elite (A) and eLink (B).

[Bigskybirds]

 I have just been advised by RM support to set check controller=1 from 0, when I start Railmaster now I get the message connecting to Elite. I did not get that before.

[Chrissaf]

In my set up Elite. Windows 10, RM 1.6x

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If I use Check Controller=1, RM polls my Elite every 5 secs and causes the controller on-line status icon to flash on and off when polled. I find this particularly distracting and annoying. I am aware that HRMS has stated that this does not affect communication. I'm maybe lucky, but for me I find that having Check controller=0 works 100% without issue, and my Elite online status icon is steady Green all the time.

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As others have said, fully power up the Elite first before the PC and RM. A small but important sequence to follow.