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Decoder not being recognised as a Sound Decoder


Pendragon Sailing

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Here’s a curious one for the HMDCC Experts amongst us.

I have just tried to re-profile a 21 Pin decoder after removing from a Bachmann Class 45 and reinstalling it into a Hornby Class 08.

Decoder was working perfectly in the 45 (with a Class 47 sound profile) and also when transferred to the 08 everything was fine, albeit with the wrong sound installed.

However, the problem started to occur when I tried to overwrite the existing sound profile with the 08 version. As some of you will know, I’m now reasonably savvy with these decoders and their foibles, but this one has defeated me.

I always upload profiles on my dedicated programming track so there can be no interferences from any other locos or signals, and I’ve undertaken all the usual procedures of power-cycles of loco, app and iPad. I’ve also delinked and re-linked the decoder to the App (twice).

The situation I now have is that while the App can ‘see’ the decoder (Bluetooth symbol is showing blue) when I initiate the sound profile load process it just keeps crashing at the APROM stage. It starts the download process, showing the progress bar, but does not proceed beyond that point, then the App itself crashes out and restarts itself……its all very odd.

The other curious thing is that when I look at the Locomotive Settings screens, there are no Functions showing and all the CVs are showing up as zeros, and yet on my programming track in DCC mode they show up as expected……finally in the Manage Device screen, the Sound Capable Decoder flag is showing as “False”.

Its as if the Bluetooth comms are not working - no profile uploading is happening but the App is also not reporting the CVs in the other direction. I’m now at a loss what to try next.

Do any of you technical wizards have any thoughts on this?

I’ve also emailed George Waller.


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Its a dedicated DCC Programming track, Rob….15v 5a powered by a Digitrax DSC210+ and controlled by a DT602 in programming mode.

 

 

Should work then. Try sending value 8 to CV8 which will reset the decoder and put its address to 3

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Its a dedicated DCC Programming track, Rob….15v 5a powered by a Digitrax DSC210+ and controlled by a DT602 in programming mode.

Should work then. Try sending value 8 to CV8 which will reset the decoder and put its address to 3

 

 

Done all of that Rob……its not the DCC side of things…..when I Read the CVs on the Digitrax handset, they all seem fine (although control doesn’t work). Its simply that the App won’t connect to the decoder (to upload the sound profile) as it seems to think its NOT a sound decoder and/or the Bluetooth connection has failed…..as I say, its all very odd.

It seems like there’s no sound profile (or CVs) loading through the App and the decoder won’t function because of this……

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Had you deleted the decoder from the app then powered down the handheld and the decoder and scanned for it again.

It is assumed this decoder is the only bogie and others work fine on Bluetooth thus proving that works at the app end. Just check all permissions and location, etc haven’t been switched off on the handheld.

If the decoder cannot find a valid boot firmware it loads it, then the rest of the firmware then the sound files. If it bombs at the APROM stage then the running profile functions and CVs never get loaded so you will not be able to read it in DCC mode.

All else fails contact George for a replacement.

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Thanks Rob,

This is all very odd. After further testing and attempts to get things running, I think it worth summarising the following facts:

  1. All my other decoders are working fine on the App - so no apparent issues there.
  2. All the normal decoder de-link and re-link protocols have been followed (including powering down the App and the host iPad)
  3. The App ‘sees’ the decoder in that it shows the Bluetooth Icon in blue.
  4. No operation is possible using the App - no sound, no movement, no functions.
  5. The Firmware was (apparently) successfully updated to v.6.01
  6. But When attempting to load a new sound profile the process crashes out during the APROM phase and never gets to the SPIROM - the App crashes too and re-starts immediately.
  7. The Manage Device screen shows an number of anomalies (see photo)
  8. The App’s CV screen refresh shows all CVs as zeros
  9. AND YET, when I read the CVs using my Digitrax Controller, all CVs are reported to have the expected default values.
  10. Similarly, Writing CVs using Digitrax seems to stick.
  11. A CV8 full reset seems to stick too (all CVs reverting to default values)
  12. CVs 47,49 and 49 (Firmware versions?) show 1,0,0 respectively. (is this correct?)
  13. When attempting to operate the decoder on DCC (using address 3), again nothing happens - no sound, movement nor functions.

As I say, all very odd.


I have emailed George Waller with this finding too, so let’s see what he says.


forum_image_65397639aaf4f.png.936612d1ca5dad92490e2e506acaebb2.png

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In addition to unlinking & relinking (as well as switching off phone/tablet as RAF suggests) - have you performed a factory reset of the decoder using the code?

If the firmware has got corrupted, a reset might be able to replace it with the good original copy. Otherwise sending it back to George to be re-blown might be necessary.

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