Hornby TTS Sound Decoder Light functions

[VC]

Hi,  I have fitted an unrebuilt merchant navy with TTS sound recently, and wondered if anyone knows which CV's control the light functions 

I have added lights and used Aux 1 fire box glow 

The lights are only on forward but I want to set to be on both directions and  Aux 1 is a constgantm  but was hoping  to set it to flicker.  The paper manuel from Hornby tells me lots about volume settings for the various functions but very little about the lighting functions

Appreciate any comments

[96RAF]

How to fit lights or use the Aux function connection is detailed,on the last page of every TTS user manual.

F18 controls Aux on steam TTS and F25 controls Aux on diesels.

F1 turns the sound on/off.

Rob

[walkingthedog]

Do all decoders what ever the make come with a set of instructions?

[Chrissaf]

A very similar question to this (firebox flicker on TTS) was asked earlier this week. You can see that post and answers here:

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/hornby-black-5-tts-chip/?p=1/#post-283083

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The TTS decoder is very basic and doesn't have complex adjustable lighting effects. Which is why there are none mentioned on the datasheet.

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You say that the lights are only on in forward direction. Firstly I take it that these are different lights to the firebox light. Secondly, I take it that you wired them to the decoder 'white' wire. Thirdly, I assume that you are not currently using the yellow wire for anything.

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The TTS decoder only supports 3 lighting functions. First & Second function = white wire forward and yellow wire reverse and  Third function = green wire (Aux1). The TTS decoder does not support the Aux2 (Fourth function) purple wire.

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Once the Function F0 command is sent.

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• The white wire is enabled (goes negative voltage) when going forward.
• The yellow wire is enabled (goes negative voltage) when going in reverse.
• The green wire is enabled (goes negative voltage) when an F18 (Steam) command is sent, irrespective of whether a F0 command has been sent or not (F18 is F25 if the TTS is a Diesel).

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Now assuming that you have wired these lights to the 'white' wire. Then from the list above, you can see that they will only come on when going forward. If you want these lights to come on when going both forward and in reverse, then you would normally wire them to an Aux output, as the Aux outputs don't care what direction the loco is travelling in.

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But the TTS only has Aux1 and no Aux2 and you want to use Aux1 for the firebox. So you are limited in what you can wire up.

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The TTS is too basic to support function mapping, so the solution to your requirement has to be an electronic wiring solution.

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You can use two diodes to allow you to use both the white wire and the yellow wire to feed your lights. This ensures that the lights are still powered regardless of whether the loco is going forward or in reverse. The lights would still be switched on and off by using the F0 function command. You must use the diodes to provide protective isolation between the white and yellow wires on the decoder, else you risk damaging it.

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Any standard silicon diode will do. I suggest two 1N4001 diodes as these are common and readily available from a multitude of Internet sellers. Note that any diode in the 1N4000 series will do equally well i.e 1N4001 to 1N4007.

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The drawing below shows how to wire it up.

/media/tinymce_upload/a6d1d506fe9bc040393413bdba166ebd.jpg

R = The current limiting protective resistor for the flicker LED.

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PS - I have just had a look at your posting history VC (not difficult with only 3 posts to your name so far). I noticed that 'Jane2' gave an answer to your Loksound V4 mapping query to which you made no further reply.

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It would be just common courtesy to go back and re-visit that thread and let 'Jane2' know whether the suggestion given resolved your issue or not. Even if belated by more than 6 months. You can find that old June 18 post here:

https://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/adams-radial-dcc-sound-aux-1-and-aux-2-functions/?p=1/#post-252668

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EDIT: Edited & reposted to include Rob's operational correction.... documented in post below.

[SmarTrains]

Do all decoders what ever the make come with a set of instructions?

Usually yes in my experience, however I received a new ESU LokSound v4.0 recently and there were no instructions in the box. A quick google search turns them up pretty easily however.

[Chrissaf]

Probably because ESU 'want to save the forest' (joke). The full Loksound V4 manual is massive and would add significant cost to the Loksound decoder if every ESU sold, included a full printed manual. Many of which would end up in landfill once a user stored away the first one for reference. Doesn't mean that ESU shouldn't include a 'quick reference sheet' for the basics though. All my locos have Loksound decoders, but I bought the locos pre-fitted so have never seen the original ESU packaging contents.

[96RAF]

All Hornby decoders have a leaflet.

 

I have managed to find instructions for all the ananymous decoders that end up in my gash box. Some have a make so finding those was easy but some I,had to browse through internet images to gain a clue.

 

Rob

[VC]

Thank you for your comprehensive reply  helpful to know.  I could use the green aux 1 I gues or link the white and yellow using the diodes does the same job.   I had not realised the TTS decoders were so limited on light functions, but I guess something is better than nothing

To get a flicker  I will have to use a flicker PCB with LED 

Thank you

VC

[96RAF]

Some folk double up on the leds using a red flasher with a yellow to give a random glow effect, rather than resort to a bespoke flicker pcb.

Rob

[Chrissaf]

You don't need a flicker PCB circuit. Go back to my first reply and follow the links in it. You will find a link to a flicker LED. This is an LED that in all respects is just like any normal LED....it just flickers when powered with a normal driving DC current.

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