Converting 7 pin to 8 pin

[Dixie_Dean]

Anyone know the easiest way to convert a 7 pin fitted Pendolino to 8 pin to take an ESU sound chip.

[Fishmanoz]

Take a look at the standard pin arrangements for decoders at http://www.brian-lambert.co.uk/DCC.htm#Basic%20decoder%20connections and see if it helps. While the pin arrangements change, the wire colour coding doesn't.

[Dixie_Dean]

Thanks Fishmanoz - I've fired off an email to Brian to see if he knows a fix.

[idlemarvel]

I'm sure there is no such a thing as a 7 pin decoder. It may be that some decoders don't use all the pins but the socket for fitting the decoder will have 8 sockets (in general, leaving aside n-gauge 6 pin and some other manufacturer's 21 pin). I have

 

a Hornby Pendolino which came "DCC ready", I just removed the "dummy" (blanking plate) and inserted the ESU sound chip and it worked. Follow the instructions (carefully!) that came with the Pendolino (or download the maintenance sheet from the Hornby site,

 

link below) to open the Pendolino and install the decoder. If it came "DCC fitted" then I assume you just remove the supplied basic decoder and replace with ESU. Look at step 4 on the instruction sheet.

https://www.hornby.com/filelibrary/download/?FileID=244

 

 

Hope this helps.

[Rog RJ]

idlemarvel said:

I'm sure there is no such a thing as a 7 pin decoder. It may be that some decoders don't use all the pins but the socket for fitting the decoder will have 8 sockets (in general, leaving aside n-gauge 6 pin and some

other manufacturer's 21 pin). I have a Hornby Pendolino which came "DCC ready", I just removed the "dummy" (blanking plate) and inserted the ESU sound chip and it worked. Follow the instructions (carefully!) that came with the Pendolino (or download the maintenance

sheet from the Hornby site, link below) to open the Pendolino and install the decoder. If it came "DCC fitted" then I assume you just remove the supplied basic decoder and replace with ESU. Look at step 4 on the instruction sheet.
https://www.hornby.com/filelibrary/download/?FileID=244


Hope this helps.

If you look at the service sheet for the DCC fitted version ( https://www.hornby.com/FileLibrary/Files/Download/?FileID=83 ) you will see that it really does have a seven pin socket which makes decoder replacement more difficult

but not impossible.

BTW the two locos in the old Mixed Goods set used a 4 pin socket, I don't know if the replacement Mixed Freight set uses the same 4 pin socket.

[Dixie_Dean]

Is there a similar diagram for the DCC Ready? That may show a part I could buy to replace the 7 pin socket PCB board.

[pidder]

This web site seems to elaborate http://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=34604

[Dixie_Dean]

Ah, it appears to be X9728

[Fishmanoz]

You don't need any fancy plugs or sockets to wire in a decoder correctly, you just need to know the wire colour coding so you can wire them to the right place. I gave you a reference to them on the Brian Lambert site and magfan has done it again above.

 

 

 

You can see from magfan's above that the Pendolino has been fitted to run only the motor and directional lights. Red and black go to the pickups, orange and grey to the motor, forward lights white, reverse lights yellow and blue the common return for

 

the lights. Similarly, the 4 pin arrangement mentioned for the Mixed Freight is just pickups and motor, no lights needed.

 

So look up your Loksound instructions and it should be an easy job to solder it in.

[idlemarvel]

Rog (RJ) said:
If you look at the service sheet for the DCC fitted version ( https://www.hornby.com/FileLibrary/Files/Download/?FileID=83 ) you will see that it really does have a seven pin socket which makes decoder replacement more difficult

but not impossible.

You're right Rog, and I have to complement you on your eyesight examining that PDF to spot the 7 pins! Sorry if I misled anyone, I just assumed the DCC fitted model would come with a standard Hornby 8 pin decoder. I should

know by now, never assume anything when it comes to DCC.

[Rog RJ]

I have the advantage of having the DCC fitted version which I have checked out previously.

[96RAF]

Use this as a guide.

 

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[Gavin-1223860]

Use this as a guide.

 

/media/tinymce_upload/0334c67ba72e369a0dca474a6afacbf1.PNG

hi 96raf can you repost as no link or image.

[Chrissaf]

This image provides all the info you need.

The Dupont 2.54 Housings are industry standard and can be purchased on ebay, see link below. Note that the housing is common to both male terminal pins and female terminal sockets [crimp terminals]. Thus the terminals are ordered separately [you need the female socket terminals in this project].

ebay also sell pre-wired 8 pin sockets, see other link below.

Thus with these components used with the diagrams above you can make an adaptor harness to go between the 7 pin connector in the Pendolino and an 8 pin decoder of your choice. Just cut the green wire off the 8 pin wired connector as it is not used.

dupont 2.54mm | eBay

dcc 8 pin wired socket | eBay

[96RAF]

As it was a legacy image I have no idea what it was I posted in the last century.

Time Hornby got a grip and sorted out these old forum carry overs.

Essentially just the green wire missing. F1 - Aux 1.

[Howbi]

I was just about to post a meaningful reply when I noticed that this thread is eight years old so I held myself back.......flushed

[Chrissaf]

It is an 8 year old post ... yes, but it has been resurrected by Gavin in yesterday's post.

Yet another reason for having the forum auto-lock old threads.