Setting up Train Tech 4 aspect signals in RailMaster

[loftpidgeon]

hi everyone

i bought 4 off ,4 aspect sensor signals from train tech and once slotted into the track they worked in as much as going red etc when a train passes .

when i connected them with the supplied wire the first one went red and froze .and they did not sequence as expected , removed the wires

i then tried to register an address and image on my elite track following the TT instructions only 3 of 4 registered the third in line just kept flashing and could not figure out how to sequence the signals

i have read the railmaster instructions about 20 times and am missing something , can't seem to get the signal right click screens the same as the instructions ,can anyone help ?

the questions running through is am i expecting too much from railmaster and what happened with the wire connection

regards steve

[Chrissaf]

Can you please specify the exact TT model number of the signals you have purchased. You mention the link wire, this infers that you have purchased TT SS signals. These signals are autonomous and operate independently from RailMaster. I believe that RM only provides an ability to override a signal to force it to danger (red). I also believe that the RM instructions are written for TT DS signals, which have minimal integral automation and require RM to fully control them. The four aspect DS signal being the DS5.

[96RAF]

I think you will find there has been and still is ongoing discussion about setting up TT multi-aspect signals on this forum. Have a scroll down the index page and pick out those that seem applicable.

There are a couple of noteworthy authorities on here expert in setting these things up in RM. The controller can either be an Elite or eLink as RM software is the ruling force.

[loftpidgeon]

Hi again everyone.

Have sorted a non de plume.

Yes they are the SS type.

I did have a look in the forum for something that would help, I also Googled it.

My main problem seems to be not knowing what to click on when registering an address on the RM track screen, and then what control over the signals I have.

The TT instructions tell us to click a direction on the Elite but what to click on the eLink when I get the signal flashing?

Can I link other signals and points as per the RM instructions.

I am under the impression that these signals are the same apart from the IR sensor which automates them.

I will have another attempt later, I did not leave much time last night as I needed to clean the track of ballast to fit the prongs.

They are very tight, I might hard wire the signals to the track bus unless there is a better means of powering up.

[Chrissaf]

I bought 4 off ,4 aspect sensor signals from train tech............

 

 

Having read your original post again. You say 4 Aspect Sensor Signals [edit: now confirmed in your follow up post which I didn't see until after posting this reply]. These are the SS products I mentioned in my original reply. I have now read the SS5 product [4 Aspect SS] user guide [extract below] and can confirm that these are fully autonomous signals. The only thing that RM can do is manually trigger a signal to danger [red].

As I said before, the instructions for TT signals in RM are written for TT DS signals not SS ones. Therefore RM's control of these signals is very minimal.

You say that linking the four signals together with the link wires gave you issues. But did you complete the full loop circuit by linking the last signal back to the first one - see manual extract below yellow highlight.

In RM, you place the signal icon on the track plan. Then right clicking the signal icon would open the configuration panel. As the signal is an SS one and not a DS one then I personally would not choose a TT option in the decoder selection box. As far as the TT SS signals are concerned I would treat them as basic 2 Aspect red/ green signals in RM so that you can send a danger DCC command to override the integrated signal programming within the TT SS signal.

I would choose [if it is given as an option] the Hornby R8247 Decoder in the signal configuration panel pull down box and then allocate the signal the DCC Address that you want to assign to override the signal to red. Configure the signal to start up on the green aspect [clear].

Once all four signals are configured in RM with their 'override to danger' DCC Address, giving each signal a different DCC Address, save the track plan and restart RM to load the track plan in the main operating control window.

At this stage I would not have the TT SS signals linked together.

Sequentially [one at a time] put each of the four SS signals into their DCC Address learning mode by shorting the two metallic contacts [as documented in the instructions] on the base of the signal. This puts the signal in 'learning mode'. Now send a red danger signal by clicking the signal icon of the RM signal associated with the physical signal on the layout. Repeat for the other three SS signals. Now [with the layout powered off] install the physical linking wires to form a complete circuit. All SS signals should now have at least two linking wires attached to them.

Power up the layout and test.

PS - These SS signals are designed primarily to be used in a 'Block Signalling' operation mode. Hence the four signals being shown wired in a loop in the extract image above. Whether this operation mode is appropriate for your layout, I cannot say as there are no details of your layout track design showing where these four signals are placed on it. A signalling 'block' would [in the real world] typically be a contiguous length of continuous track i.e no intermediate point junctions.

[loftpidgeon]

Hi again and thanks for the remarkably prompt replies.

You have clarified my situation on what i was doing wrong.

I have one more question :

Should the icon on the rm track screen follow the actions of the actual signals?

As you presumed I have been placing signals on an uninterrupted length of track of about 4 metres.

[Chrissaf]

I have one more question :

Should the icon on the rm track screen follow the actions of the actual signals?

 

 

Only if the TT signals were DS products. The SS products do not feed back their signal status back into RM to reflect their autonomous operation. When DS products are used, it is the RM software that is providing the control logic which in turn tells the DS signals what light status to display. Therefore, with DS products, RM should therefore know what signal states to display on the RM mimic screen. With SS products, RM has no knowledge of the actual SS signal states being displayed on the physical layout.

However, RM will show a red aspect on the track plan signal icon if a manual override to danger command is sent, and revert back to clear when the manual danger override is removed.

[loftpidgeon]

hi

so with these signals , they can be operated to stop on rm screen only and there is no feedback as such from the lights to screen , which is how my points are operated ,i can only tell by the noise of operation that they have shifted

i guess the IR sensor is connected where the rm signal would be on the ds type

thanks for your help time to set them up again

very expensive for what they do

[Chrissaf]

Just to be crystal clear, the SS signals are completely autonomous in operation.

Say for example all four signals are showing green (clear). A train approaches the first signal, the IR detector in the base of the signal will detect the train and turn the signal to red. The train continues to signal 2. This signal now turns red and tells the first signal via the link wire to go single amber. The train now continues to signal 3 which turns red. The link wires tell single 2 to go single amber and signal 1 to go double amber. The train continues to signal 4 which turns red. The link wires then tell signal 3 to go single amber, signal 2 to go double amber and signal 1 to go green. Since there is no 5th signal, timers now take control to slowly revert all signals back to green in the correct sequence awaiting signal 1 to be triggered red again.

Any signal that is manually triggered to red via a DCC command overwrites the autonomous operation and sets the triggered signal to red, the signals behind the triggered signal then show their correct sequence colours via the link wires. The triggered signal will remain at red, until a clear DCC command is sent from the controller (RM in this case). Without the link wires, each signal does its own local light sequence from red back to green based purely on timers.

Interlocking with points within RM really requires the TT DS signals. DS signals do not have any integrated IR sensors to detect trains. Thus they are operated via DCC commands. Hence their suitability to be integrated with and controlled by RM.