Traintronic TT301 signal boards [RailMaster support]

[Chrissaf]

I am trying to connect some France Fournitures Modelisme colour light signals to Railmaster elink via Traintronics TT301 signal decoder unit (Works perfectly on my Analogue layout using the standard Traintronics PCB) Does anyone know how to set up Railmaster to enable the signals to work properly.

[Chrissaf]

Viewfinder,

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Anything other than a basic dual aspect signal (that is for example Red & Green) will require you to have RailMaster upgraded to ProPack. So if you have three or four aspect signals you will need to upgrade to ProPack first before you can continue.

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Setting up the TT301 in RailMaster is a two stage process. Firstly you need to add the signals to your track plan in the RailMaster 'Track Designer' screen. See the RM manual from page 77 to 98. I can't give you a 'Step by Step' guide for doing this as there are too many variables for which you have not given us any information on. EDIT: See Ray's reply below this one for guidance on this aspect of the RM configuration. Note that Ray uses RM ProPack for his signals.

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Then once you have set up the signal in the RailMaster track plan, you can then use the RailMaster track plan signal to perform the initial 'first time' power up DCC address setting method described below.

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Looking at the TT301 manual, it would appear that the TT301 out of the box, knows that it has not got an address allocated. Thus the first time it is powered up it is in 'listen for my DCC address mode'. At this stage the TT301 (D1 & D2 terminals) will be connected to the controller main 'TRACK A&B' output AND NOT the controller 'PROG A&B' output. It is not clear from the manual as to how the TT301 knows what kind of signal is wired to it (see CV2 comment further below). If things do not appear to be working out for you. I suggest trying the second 'changing signal address' method below. Note that according to the TT301 manual only DCC addresses in the 1 to 255 range are valid.

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I suggest that you let RM complete its full start up routine BEFORE you connect the TT301 D1 & D2 terminals to the DCC track signal. The reason being is that during initial starting up RM will be sending various 'Accessory Packets' to operate points etc. If the TT301 powers up in 'listening mode' then it is likely to accept the WRONG DCC address i.e the first one it detects.

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Manual extract below that supports the above statement.

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/media/tinymce_upload/f50c3069d698578fa91f671760adafcb.jpg

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So with reference to the two 'bullet points' in the above manual extract. This means clicking the previously added signal in the track plan for the DCC address you want to set. If you are using ProPack, you can send the address from the 'track designer' screen using the test option. If using only dual aspect signals with RailMaster standard edition then you use the 'main normal RailMaster track screen'.

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The TT301 manual goes on to say, that if changing an address AFTER it has been previously configured, then this is done with the TT301 D1 & D2 terminals connected to the 'PROG A&B' controller output AND NOT the 'TRACK A&B' output. See RailMaster comment at bottom of this reply.

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Manual extract below that supports the above statement.

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/media/tinymce_upload/845df6a3b47548c00bf9dea9ddbbbb49.jpg

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Trying to put the extract above in simpler terms. You program two CVs.

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CV1 is where you set the main signal DCC primary address between 1 & 255.

CV2 is where you tell the TT301 what type of signal is attached to the TT301. So for example looking at the table above. If you have a bog standard three aspect Red Yellow Green signal (without a route indicator) you would write a value of 3 to CV2. You would write a value of 5 to CV2 if it is a standard Red Yellow Green Yellow four aspect signal.

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The methodology described above is just a basic high level overview. The manual linked to above has a lot of configuration detail in it that involves a fair number of variables that change relative to your specific unique signal products and scenarios. Again, why it is difficult to give you any form of definitive 'step by step' instruction. Thus what I have written can only give a few suggestions to point you in the right direction. I suggest reading my reply in conjunction with the full manual (as linked to above) to determine the most appropriate overall configuration methodology to follow.

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My assessment of this TT301 decoder product, from reading the manual, is that its firmware is quite 'out of date' compared to more modern alternative signalling products and needs a fair amount of DCC savvy to set up.

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The other weakness in the product design that I see, is that the way it operates is on a 'round robin' algorithm. What I mean by 'round robin' is...... lets say you have a four aspect signal that goes:

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Red

Single Yellow

Double Yellow

Green

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Lets say it is currently showing Red.

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• So sending the signal DCC address the first time, changes it to Single Yellow.
• Sending the SAME signal DCC address the second time, changes it to Double Yellow.
• Sending the SAME signal DCC address the third time, changes it to Green.
• Sending the SAME signal DCC address the fourth time, changes it back to RED.
• and so on. This circular operating sequence is termed 'round robin'.

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Other brands of DCC compatible signals usually have different DCC addresses configured in the signal to initiate different signalling states.

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Using RailMaster and the 'PROG A&B' output to configure the TT301.

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Not something I can advise on with any surety as outside my area of practical 'I have done this before' expertise, but since you need to set a value in CV2. Then I suspect that you will not be able to use the normal RailMaster 'Accessory Decoder' configuration screen, unless the TT301 is specifically listed in the 'pull down' decoder selection box.

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If it isn't listed, or is listed but you can't get it configured using the 'Accessory Decoder' screen. Then use the 'Locomotive' CV configuration screen. I know for a fact that you can use this screen to write to CV8 in an Accessory Decoder (I have done it more than once). So I see no reason why you cannot use the same screen to write to CV1 & CV2 of the TT301. Remember that to write directly to CV1 & CV2, the TT301 D1 & D2 terminals need to be connected directly to the RM controller 'PROG A&B' output.

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EDIT: Ray's post below fills in the gaps missing in my reply. It may not look like it, but Ray's reply and mine are both complementary and in effect singing from the same hymn sheet.

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TIP: I write long posts. If you intend to write a reply, it would be appreciated if you didn't use the 'White Arrow in Blue Box' button. This is not a 'Reply to this post button. It is best to write any reply you want to make in the 'Reply Text Box' at the very bottom of the page and click the Green 'Reply' button.

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Particularly as my reply includes images. If you use the blue button, any reply you write will be held back for image approval. Even though it contains already previously published images.

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Use your next reply wisely. As a first time newbie poster. You only have 2 initial posts in the first 24 hours.

[St1ngr4y]

Hello Viewfinder,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

I have a TrainTronics 4-aspect signal with a left-hand route indicator (feather). This was my first colour light signal, and although I have it installed on my layout, its operation is not straightforward. The first thing to be aware of is that the decoder has only one address, which is used for all 4 aspects and the feather. A DCC controller and Railmaster is only capable of sending either a clear or a stop command to any single accessory address. The TrainTronics decoder reacts to a clear command by stepping the colour light aspect to the next in sequence. So, for example, if the signal is showing single yellow, a clear command will switch it to double yellow, another clear command will switch it to green, and a further clear command will switch it to red etc. Stop commands sent to the decoder cause the route indicator to be toggled on and off.

 

This is how the configuration of my signal looks in the RM Track Design window:-

 

/media/tinymce_upload/7349881514e26fd1724ef477fa127277.png

Traintronics doesn't appear in the list of decoder types so I chose Traintech Colour Light Signal. In the dropdown list at the top of the centre column, I chose 4-aspect. The most important tweak occurs in the 4 sequence settings - I changed them all to green to cater for the continued stepping through the sequence by sending repeated clear commands. There is no way in this window to configure the route indicator. If your signal has a route indicator, let me know and I will write a further post on how I got the feather to work.

One more thing to note here is that if you use RM programs, as I do, then there is a problem in the operation the signal as follows. There is an entry in the railmaster.ini file called Double Pulse, which can have the values 0 or 1. The intention of this parameter was to allow two commands (pulses) to be sent to a point, instead of just one, and this is achieved by setting Double Pulse=1. When this was implemented in RM, however, if this parameter is set, then RM will send two commands to a signal but only when a signal clear command is executed in a program. Clicking on the icon on the layout diagram only sends one command. By the way, there is virtually no chance of keeping the aspects on the actual signal in sync with the aspects shown on the layout diagram icon.

So in my case, this signal when controlled by programs, only alternates between red and double yellow. The single yellow and green aspects can't be switched on from a program.

 

I hope this helps. Good luck  😉

 

Ray