Using Railmaster after having used eLink and then an Elite

[jaguar12]

I've this week dabbled with an eLink using the latest version of Railmaster on my Windows 10 laptop via USB, but have decided to just stick with using my Elite and Railmaster via USB, as I like having the physical controls on the Elite.

When I initially tried the eLink device, and had finished using it, I then unplugged it to pack it away and then switched to using the Elite via the same USB lead/socket on the laptop.

I did initially have some communication problems with it not picking up the Elite until I'd restarted my Windows 10 laptop.  I've made sure in Railmaster settings it just says Elite and also changed the COM port speed to 19200.

All seems OK now with the Elite and Railmaster, although I've had a couple of lost comms issues on occasion and where Railmaster seems to delay picking up the mouse clicks to do things, like stopping the train or starting a sound on a TTS loco.

To be on the safe side, do I need to 'tidy'/edit the railmaster.ini to remove any references to eLink or possibly uninstall and reinstall the Railmaster software to prevent any confusion?

Thanks

[Chrissaf]

I suggest that you DO NOT uninstall / reinstall RailMaster.......completely unnecessary. Potential for catastrophe is very high if you do that. You would have to disable your key before removal then re-authorise your key after that (that process could fail). Then there is all your currently inputted track plan and loco data. That would need to be backed up and copied over to the new installation......too much to potentially go wrong.

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Instead open the railmaster.ini editor (COG icon in the Help screen). And make sure these lines are present as the LAST lines in the file. Delete existing entries and re-add them as new text lines as required. Then 'save' file, exit RailMaster and re-start it.

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Elite feedback=1

Alternative comms=1

Check controller=0

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PS - I would not delete the line in the .INI file that specifically mention eLink for example "Reset eLink on start=1". I suspect that RailMaster may protest if it finds this line missing. The entry is completely harmless. I would however consider deleting these two optional lines (below) if present, as they relate to eLink. If only using a single controller as 'Controller A' then these lines are not needed, as they relate to an eLink when used as 'Controller B'. Note that these two lines (with appropriate values) would need to be re-instated if you ever connected your eLink as 'Controller B' to operate points and accessories on a separate DCC BUS from your track connection.

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Check controller2=n where n= 1 or 0

Alternative comms2=n where n= 1 or 0

 

[96RAF]

Members have reported that the kit startup sequence can have an effect on comms reliability.

 

e.g I start my controllers (A - Elite for locos and B - eLink for points in RM) up first, then my PC, then after all the dust has settled I start RM. Never had a problem..

Others however report having to start the PC first then after the dust has settled, start the controller(s), then RM.

 

Try to find the best startup sequence for your kit and stick to it.

 

Rob

[jaguar12]

Thanks very much for the detailed replies and very quick response.

I did exactly as Chrissaf suggested.

I did though find an 'Arnold' entry in the Railmaster.ini, which was sitting on its own at the very bottom of the file (with a blank line between it and the rest of the entries).  I moved this entry back up into the body of the entries, and made sure as you'd suggested that the following were the last three lines of Railmaster.ini

Elite feedback=1

Alternative comms=1

Check controller=0

All seems to be OK, but I've noticed once I launch Railmaster the yellow square at the top of the screen quite often flashes. Not sure if this is a problem?

Also I do seem to have a delay in starting functions on TTS locos and other actions such as pausing movement on some occasions.

Sometimes I click the button on the list of locos (around 32 locos) on the right to start the function (engine or lights) and it simply doesn't do it first time.  If I click again a few seconds later it usually then catches up?  Looking at Youtube videos of others using Railmaster, their systems seem to react a lot quicker.  Is this because I am using an Elite rather than eLink?  Sometimes the function button changes colour to denote I've selected it, but doesn't always unclear when I click it again, so I don't quite know without looking at the loco if the lights are on!

Thanks

[96RAF]

It is very easy to get the throttles - small and expanded - to be at variance with each other and/or the loco. You can have the button lit up and the loco function off Or vice versa. It is a well known and long standing RM niggle.

 

Hang a Select Walkabout onto the Elite as well and its anyones guess which way up is. Your best bet is to see if the Elite screen is showing a function is on or off.

 

Rob

[Chrissaf]

Sometimes I click the button on the list of locos (around 32 locos) on the right to start the function (engine or lights) and it simply doesn't do it first time.  If I click again a few seconds later it usually then catches up?

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I find that Windows 10 gets very busy doing internal house keeping functions when started from cold. Microsoft in their wisdom (not) seem to give more priority to their own requirements than those of the user. This is not helped (in my view and opinion) that RM is primarily written for Windows XP and not W10. I feel that if it was written specifically for W10, then the RM software would be more tightly integrated into the Windows 10 OS environment, thus W10 would treat it as a truly integrated application and give it more PC resources rather than something it just has to suffer running.

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When you first run Windows 10 from cold and then go into 'Store', then open the 'Store Settings' (Hamburger triple line icon) you will most likely find that Windows is downloading a number of APP updates silently in the background. This is a drain on Windows resources and will slow down the PC and cause running application response latency to increase (these comments based upon my own experience observations on using Windows 10 for my RM set-up).

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Assuming that your RailMaster PC is always connected to the Internet.

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I suggest, starting up Windows 10, then go and put the kettle on for a cup of Tea/Coffee and come back to the PC after 15 minutes. Check to see what network activity is going on i.e. background APP update downloads in the 'Microsoft Store' etc. Then if the network seems quiet, test RM operation again.

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Personally, I do not try and use my PC to run my layout until I am sure that all updates have completed. Although I can't honestly say that I never see any operational glitches that you have described, I find on my system that they are few and far between if I adopt my documented start-up routine. If I do observe button latency, I then leave the layout stationary and go and do something else for half an hour or so (to let Windows do its thing). Then when I come back full control is usually resumed.

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Windows automatically schedules a number of routine housekeeping activities on a regular basis. If you only power up the PC to run RailMaster. Then many of these background tasks will have been queued and will all try to start at the beginning of a new PC session. Tasks for example such as hard disk management. I sometimes power up my RailMaster PC and leave it switched on & idle for half a day with no intention of running the layout just so that all these Windows scheduled activities can complete uninterrupted.

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PS - The small / large throttle synchronisation used to be a lot worse than it currently is. HRMS have tried hard to fix it and many improvements have been made, but it still has intermittent glitches. Like Rob, I too can invoke situations where using the small and large throttle buttons on the same loco can create loss of sync. I find that if I ignore the small throttle and ONLY use the buttons on the large throttle, than all is usually well.

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I've noticed once I launch RailMaster the yellow square at the top of the screen quite often flashes. Not sure if this is a problem?

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This is normal.

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Is this because I am using an Elite rather than eLink?

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I don't use eLink (only Elite as do you), but it shouldn't make any difference.