Programming Accessory Decoders

[Chrissaf]

Hi

I think the first question has to be what make of accessory decoder is it?  Hornby or other manufacturer??

[96RAF]

Click on the points/ signal icon and pull down the list, pick your accessory decoder and follow the basic instructions on screen.

 

Make sure your acc decoder is connected to a programming track connected to the elink prog terminals.

 

once the decoder is programmed with the adresses of choice you need to set it up in RM trackplan design screen to tell RM where to look for those address by right clicking each point on screen and filling in the details.

 

save it all and restart.

[Chrissaf]

Moderator message: I did not post this original message, my tag appears against it [bug] as I moved the post here on the old forum as a moderator task.

Can anybody help I am having trouble programming my accessories decoder with my eLink decoder so that I can operate my points?

[Chrissaf]

THE FULL MONTY TUTORIAL VERSION.

Note: Given the sheer amount of detail and effort gone into this reply, my intention is to add this page link to my boilerplate and post links to this reply in the future to answer similar posted questions. 75% of the content below was already on the forum in some of my previously posted replies. I have just consolidated them into one all encompassing reply via 'cut n paste' with an element of heavy editing to stitch them altogether into one coherent tutorial. One day, it might be copied into a specific FAQ forum section if one ever gets created.

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The complete configuration of Hornby R8247 Accessory Decoders into RailMaster (RM) to operate points is a two stage process.

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I am assuming the reader has R8247s Decoders. For readers with R8216 Decoders see also the addendum at the end of this post. The Stage 1 part of the tutorial is not applicable to any other brand of decoder ONLY the R8247 (and R8216).

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1. Firstly you have to configure the R8247 (or R8216) itself with the point addresses you want to use before you fit and wire them.
2. Secondly, you have to create a track plan in RM and configure the point operating icons on the track plan to match the point port addresses you have given them in step 1 above.

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Stage 1 - Configuring the R8247s with their addresses.

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It is true to say that programming the Hornby R8247 is a much easier thing to do from within RailMaster than it is to do with a hardware based controller. Here are some basics.

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1. Firstly, the R8247s need to be programmed one at a time before you wire them in to their final locations. I did mine on the dining room table with my RailMaster (RM) Laptop by my side.
2. To ensure trouble free programming I connected them to my controller track output for 30 seconds to charge up internal components. With the R8247 this pre-charging isn't strictly necessary, but it is an insurance policy (it was/is an absolute requirement for the earlier R8216 Accessory Decoders by Hornby).
3. I then moved the temporary table top DCC wires connected to the R8247 from the track output to the PROG A&B output of the controller.
4. Programming the R8247 is described on Page 73 of the RM manual. But since you are saying you are having difficulties (presumably following the manual) then I have provided some additional guidance below. It may be that your difficulties are arising because you are trying to follow the instructions given on the R8247 installation guide sheet. The instructions on that sheet are for the Select and Elite controllers and not applicable to R8247 configuration using RailMaster. RailMaster does not use the 'Group' addressing method described on the R8247 installation guide sheet.

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Before you start programming you will need to devise your point numbering plan. Some, but not all R8247s (it is a bit of a lottery) have a tendency to suddenly reset (usually after an accidental short circuit) themselves back to the default address of ports 1 to 4 therefore point addresses 1-4 should ideally be avoided. Of my three R8247s, I had one that exhibited this behaviour. It irritated me so much that I bought a replacement (the original being out of warranty period). My three R8247s are now stable. The numbering scheme you devise MUST be in multiples of 4.

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That is for example:

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1-4 (avoided)

5-8

9-12

13-16

etc

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For this part of the tutorial I will assume R8247 Accessory Decoder port addresses 5-8 will be used. REMEMBER, the R8247 must be connected to your controller PROG A&B output at this stage and be the ONLY connected device.

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/media/tinymce_upload/6cb84ea194f103b072c42aeb2a79e39f.jpg

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After confirming that the new addresses have been configured correctly using the green tick in Step 4. Repeat the action above for each R8247 that you want to configure, incrementing the port number 1 address by 4 each time. Note that ports 2 to 4 will pick up their addresses automatically from port 1 and DO NOT need to be addressed individually.

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OK, you should now be in a position where you have your R8247s programmed with new port addresses. The port addresses are ALL you need to configure at this time as the R8247 factory default configuration implements the 100ms pulse output settings needed to operate a solenoid ie. R8014 / R8243 point motor. I would stick a small label on each R8247 with the newly programmed port addresses so that they don't get all mixed up later.

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Stage 2 - Adding the point addresses to your RM track plan.

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Have you created your track plan in RailMaster using the track design screen and included your points in the track plan?

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If you haven't, then you will have to do this first, BEFORE you can operate points in RailMaster. See Pages 77 to 98 in the RM User Guide on how to create your track plan.

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Additional guidance on this activity is given below:

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I am assuming that you have performed re-addressing of the Hornby R8247 as per above and you are using point addresses 5 - 8 for your first four points. These will therefore have been configured as below:

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Note: Of course you may be using a completely custom numbering scheme of your own choosing. If so, just use the information below as a guide to apply to your own numbering scheme.

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Port 1 = Port Address 005 - 100ms Pulse Output.

Port 2 = Port Address 006 - 100ms Pulse Output.

Port 3 = Port Address 007 - 100ms Pulse Output.

Port 4 = Port Address 008 - 100ms Pulse Output.

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Again, assuming that there are four points on your track plan I will call them Point A to Point D for the purpose of this explanation.

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The assumption is that:

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• Point A on your track plan is physically wired on the layout to Port 1 on the R8247 and will be controlled by DCC Address 5.
• Point B on your track plan is physically wired on the layout to Port 2 on the R8247 and will be controlled by DCC Address 6.
• Point C on your track plan is physically wired on the layout to Port 3 on the R8247 and will be controlled by DCC Address 7.
• Point D on your track plan is physically wired on the layout to Port 4 on the R8247 and will be controlled by DCC Address 8

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Now 'Open' the 'Track Design' screen so that you can create or edit your track plan.

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/media/tinymce_upload/7a7b432623c8b667244cb01d233f9e04.jpg

If you haven't done so already, use the track pieces on the left hand side to draw a representation of your layout. It is only a representation, it is NOT necessary to try an replicate a photo accurate replication of your layout.

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In fact, you could just have a number of point icons on your track design screen without any interconnection between them being shown. All the track pieces barring the points are just inactive icons, there for the benefit of us humans. They play no part within RailMaster for programming purposes.

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Once the basic track layout is drawn, then read on.

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1. On the left hand side you should see some point operating button icons /media/tinymce_upload/f29a28557ca9a2e8b29f29c6dd8dd4ba.jpg  [red and green circle icons].
2. Click & Hold one of the button icons, it doesn't matter what colour, red or green.
3. Drag the button icon so that you place the mouse cursor (not the button icon) in the MIDDLE of the point icon on screen on your track plan and release the mouse button. Both the red & green point operating icons should now 'SNAP' to the toe end (common end) of the point on the screen. /media/tinymce_upload/bc2c0dc3be858a526e1818e5aa441ba2.jpg   If this 'Snapping' action doesn't happen then you have done it wrong and you should try again.
4. Do the same for the other points on your track plan.
5. Now go to the point on the track plan that represents Point A that is physically wired to R8247 Port 1 and will be DCC Address 5.
6. Right click one of the point operating icons it doesn't matter which one red or green. A dialogue box should open similar to the one below:

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/media/tinymce_upload/e7bd75f9eb4aff1bb27028791644a2bb.jpg

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Now fill in the details in the dialogue box (highlighted in yellow).

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• Controller = A (I am assuming here that you are not using a dual controller configuration).
• Decoder Port = 5 (this is the point address I have assumed in this tutorial for point A).
• Choose the Hornby R8247 4 port Decoder in the pull down box.
• Decide the start up position for the point, switching left or switching right.

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If you have RailMaster 'ProPack' edition, also put a start-up order number (from 1 to 4) in the empty white box to the left of the 'right / left' start-up position selection box. If you don't have 'ProPack' you can leave this white box blank, but useful to fill it in, in any case, for future proofing [see Note A) further below]. Another thing you can do with the ProPack RM edition, is test the point operation from this screen. This test feature is not available in the RM Standard edition.

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Do the same for the other three points, except use Decoder Ports 6, 7 & 8 as appropriate for the 'Decoder Port' entry and 2, 3 & 4 for the [ProPack option] 'start-up' firing order in the white box.

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Now save and close your Track Plan in the Track Designer screen.

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TIP - When saving your track plan ensure that you give it a unique to you 'file name' and not just overwrite an existing Hornby provided one already in RM. If you do, RM will overwrite your modified track plan the next time an auto RM update is scheduled and you will lose all your modified input. You will also have to tell RM to load your 'uniquely named' track plan at start up in the RM 'System Settings' screen.

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Close and re-open RailMaster so that your amended track plan is loaded and displayed.

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Now clicking the appropriate red and green point operating buttons on your track plan should operate your physical points on the layout (or decoder that is connected in a testing environment). The grey bars on the RM track plan should mimic the direction your points are physically switched to. If they are reversed, you can either swap the + & - wires on your R8427 decoder for the associated port, or go back into the track plan designer, right click the relevant point icon and click the 'Reverse Polarity' check box. Personally, I would rather reverse the physical + & - wires on the decoder.

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Basically everything I have covered above is in Pages 77 to 98 of your RM User Guide Manual. If in doubt, read the manual.

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Note A) For forum readers who have RM 'ProPack' edition. If the white box firing order is not filled in and you have the default 'fire points on start-up' option selected in the railmaster.ini file. Then the start-up point firing will not happen. This feature (in ProPack) uses the contents of the white box to decide the firing order. If you have multiple Accessory Decoders, then the white box number range is 1 to n (where n is total number of Accessory Decoder ports used in the layout). In RM 'Standard Edition' the firing points on start-up feature will still work if the white box is left blank (just seems to be a quirk of RM).

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Testing & Installation.

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I would recommend testing the R8247 on the table before fitting them to the layout. Move the temporary R8247 DCC wires from the programming track output back to the main DCC track output on your controller. Connect one of your point motors to the first port of the R8247. Black wire to C, Red wire to + and Green wire to - then use the track plan point operating icons as described in the previous tutorial section to test. i.e. click the Point A operating button icon to operate a test point motor connected to port 1 DCC Address 5 (in this tutorial example numbering scheme)

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Once all ports on all R8247s have been tested OK, then you are ready to fit them to your layout and wire them into your point motors using the same Black Red Green colour scheme as documented above & below.

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Note: The point motors shown in the drawing could just as easily be any Solenoid point motor such as for example Hornby R8014, R8243, PECO PL10, SEEP PL1 & PL3, Gaugemaster PM10 etc.

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/media/tinymce_upload/26a927c4d087744456b52ed0e58651f7.jpg

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Personally, I favour the direct connection between R8247 and Controller. Less to go wrong. Just 'T' (T means join in parallel) the R8247 connections into the wiring between the controller output and track.

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Note: If point motors are PECO brand, then reverse the Black and Green wires shown above between the motor and decoder. PECO use 'Green' for the Common C wire connection, not Black.

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TIP - If using Hornby R8243 point motors. Do not over tighten the mounting screws on the R8243 motors. Leave them slightly slack. If the screws are too tight, the point motor (solenoid) is likely to stick and not function correctly. Perfect point motor alignment for all types of point motor is critical too.

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TIP - If extending factory provided wires on point motors. My preferred method is to twist wires together and solder, insulated with 'heat shrink tubing'. If adverse to soldering. Use 3 way Nylon screw terminal strip (any general purpose electrical store) or use car type crimped 'bullet' connectors or Lucar 'male' & 'female' fully insulated crimp terminals. Whatever method you prefer. Try and match the wires for size and colour to the Hornby originals, or at least size if matching colour is an issue (matching colours means you're less likely to make a wiring mistake).

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Note: Hornby Accessory Decoders are only compatible with three wire solenoid point motors. They are not compatible with two wire voltage reversing point motors or Servo technology point motors. None of these alternative point motor types are made by Hornby, but I mention it for information just in case the reader is contemplating a different point motor branded product.

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Note: As stated previously further above. If the points operate in reverse compared to the point positions shown by the grey lines in the RM track display, then just reverse the red and green wire connections shown in the drawing above.

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TIP - If two points need to operate together such as in a cross-over from one oval loop to another. Then the two point motors can be wired in parallel to a single Accessory Decoder port. Meanwhile both points that form the cross-over on the RM track plan design are both given the same address that the physical Accessory Decoder port has been configured with. The result of which, is that clicking either of the two sets of point operating icons on the track plan will switch both points together. If one of the two point motors switch the wrong way, then just reverse the red & green wires on that particular point motor. Having two points on the RM track plan with the SAME DCC port address is not an issue and does not throw up any error messages. In fact there are very few instances where the validity of what you configure in RM is checked and highlighted as an error in RM.

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ADDENDUM FOR USERS WITH R8216 ACCESSORY DECODERS.

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So you have a Hornby R8216 instead of a R8247 Accessory Decoder.

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In which case it is essential to follow the pre-charging process I documented in Stage 1 Item 2 in the list. Without pre-charging, the R8216 is unlikely to accept programming. Note that the R8216 has been obsolete for some considerable time and was replaced by the R8247. It was made obsolete because it wasn't very good.

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Note that the rest of my tutorial instructions are valid for the R8216 as well as the R8247 with the following exceptions:

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1. In the pull down selection box (Step 1 in the very first graphic image) where I said select the R8247, choose the R8216 Accessory Decoder instead.
2. You will also need to choose the R8216 option in the pull down selection box in the 'Point Settings' dialogue panel in the 'Track Design' screen.
3. The other thing that the R8216 cannot do with regard to my tutorial instructions is you cannot read the CVs of a R8216 it is a 'write to' only device,. Thus my Step 4 in the first graphic image using the green tick to read CVs and confirm configuration will not work.
4. Just for completeness of information. The other limitation of the Hornby R8216 design is that the output pulse width is fixed at 100ms and is not adjustable (unlike the R8247). It also cannot provide the 'always on' output that the R8247 can be configured for. Thus its flexibility is severely hampered.

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                                                     End of Tutorial.

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PLEASE DO NOT CLICK THE "WHITE ARROW in BLUE BOX" BUTTON TO REPLY. This is an extremely long reply containing images. Firstly, if you click the blue button (which is NOT a 'Reply to this post' button), it will re-quote my whole reply unnecessarily. Secondly, your reply will be held back for authorisation by forum Admin because of my embedded images. Instead, scroll to the bottom of the page and write any reply you want to make in the empty 'Reply to this post' text box and click the green 'Reply' button.

[johnrob]

Hi

I think the first question has to be what make of accessory decoder is it?  Hornby or other manufacturer??

 Sorry should have said Hornby R8216

[Chrissaf]

So you have a Hornby R8216.

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I have added an ADDENDUM to my tutorial above as a later edit to cover the situation where a user has the R8216 Accessory Decoder instead of the R8247

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Just be aware that you have used up your newbie limit of two posts in the first 24 hours (imposed to combat auto-bot SPAMMERS). You should be able to post your third reply tomorrow and have all posting restrictions lifted shortly afterwards.

[Fishmanoz]

If my memory serves me correctly, the 8216 has no adjustment for pulse length, you are stuck with the default 100msecs which is correct for solenoid point motors. Or did I miss Chris‘s covering that in his tutorial?

[Chrissaf]

Quite correct Fishy.....I have added that to the addendum as my tutorial post is still currently open for editing. In addition, it does not support the 'always on' option. This I have added too.

[rpjallan]

Also, & I know this because I have a couple, some early R8247 Accessory Decoders incorrectly had R8216 labels on them. Only way to find out which it is, is to try to program it...

[96RAF]

You can tell by the date code on the case but i cannot for the life of me find the reference in my files, nor can I pull it back from a forum search. The programming read methodology will tell you though - good idea.

Rob

[Chrissaf]

Rob (RAF96), is this one of the previous forum posts you refer to. Came up as first hit using Google to search the forum.

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https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/hornby-r8216-manufacture-date/?p=1/

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Yellow highlight was the search string that google Advanced Search created to find the post. Just goes to prove how much more effective and powerful 'Google Advanced Search' is compared to 'Hornby forum search'.

/media/tinymce_upload/3d82c09722cbbbc5f930cd7e58d70c4c.jpg

[96RAF]

That has positively identified the cutoff date code Chris - thanks.

 

50/07

 

Any unit labelled before this code located on the underside of the case is an R8216, else its an R8247 Regardless of what the label says it is. From memory although wrongly labelled these ‘inter’ units were correctly boxed.

 

Lock this ID into your memory banks folks.

Rob