Yelrow Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 OK, need the clever guys. Put in elink as B, connected points to elink, plugged in and RM froze. Finally got it back again. So Elite is controller A, on com 4, On controller B i have none, in com box if i click on it it says 4, or 15. Put second usb in other socket, in laptop, RM froze again. Stopped for mild hissy fit. Came downstairs, and thought, what a time for RAF 96, to go to england, as he runs same set up. Does anybody. What am i doing wrong guys. thanks. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augustus Caesar Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 I think I followed this up to a point... anyway... it seems you have a conflict somewhere along the line with the reading of the comm ports for the Elite and eLink.Are you actually disconnecting one and then connecting the other while the laptop is on or indeed RailMaster is running?What I would do is connect both units to the laptop and while they are on turn on the laptop so it can pick the relevant slot and port numbers correctly.You certainly don't want the port numbers higher than 5 anyway. Both ports should have a unique comm port number allocated to it too. Before changing port numbers in RM do make sure you are using ports on the laptop that will give, in Device Manager, a comm number usable by RM... 5 and preferably below... i.e. 3 & 4.Then match the ports in RM software. Once done you could always restart the laptop to ensure the same numbers are allocated. That's the first step so to go further I would try that out John... unless, of course, you have already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Augustus, thank you. My problem, as many know from previous threads, is that my french laptop, has french windows installed, and apart from having the same name, the comparisons end there I only know that the Elitei s in com port 4, as it tells me that in RM. when Hornby Support took over my machine a long time ago, they had similar problems. Device manager, does not happen in french windows. Answering your points, i have Elite now running RM, hence Elink is spare, so i allocated it to Controller B, plugged in the usb lead, then turned everything on. RM froze, then it said, cannot handshake with Elink, power down, back up. Did that, froze again. Will try your way, tomorrow, as obviously, elink has to find a com port. RAF, has similar set up, and also, different windows. It was not till we moved to france, i realised how big the differences are. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDS Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 John, Sorry this does not answer your question but why do you want the e-link to control your points, rather than just using the Elite for everything. I am just in the process of automating my 28 sets of points and they will all be run by the Elite, in conjunction with RailMaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 RDS,thats an exellent question, and the only real answers are !,) cos others on forum do it, and 2) cos i have the elink spare now. I thought that it would relatively simple, wrong, but i can wait for RAF, to respond, as he has same system. It this confounded french windows, that for 99% of year is perfect, then throws you a fast ball, when you least expect it. If all else fails, i will do, as you suggest. Just dont like waste. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tee1707818014 Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Hi john,I run 2 elites A for locos on a red black bus wire & controller B on a separate blue brown bus wire for points so I'm thinking you may be tring to connect the Elink to the same connection as the elite So getting a conflict freeze.Tee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Tibrahim, hi, thanks,, i had Elite running RailMaster, and locos, from normal red/black track wires. Simply, connected my 2 point feed wires to Elink, and plugged it in. there cannot to my knowledge, have been a connection, between, but then, what do i know. Certainly got a RM sceen freeze. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 John, one thing I want to double-check with you - while you previously had your points decoders connected to the track, then the track connected to the track output of the Elite, you now need to completely disconnect the decoders from the track and connect them only to the track output of your eLink. There can be no cross connection between track and decoders in any form. Can you confirm you have done this? Now you say that RM is telling you what port the eLink is connected to, this is not possible. You have to tell RM what com port the eLink is connected to. To do this, you have no choice but to find the French equivalent of Device Manager, and find the com port number in there for both Elite and eLink. And if one is showing over 5, you must change it to a free port under 5. I'm not sure if you know how to do this and I suspect HRMS did it for you when they logged in to your machine originally. You may have to get them to do that again? But the fundamental question remains - why do this at all? I don't believe you will get any advantage beyond just using your otherwise spare piece of kit. And you get the grief of not being able to use single point connection due to having the separate bus for your point decoders, and then the setup hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Fishy, hi, i have never had my points connected to the Elite, only the elink, where the 2 lots of wires went to track and points. Following melted points issue, i removed wires to points, leaving only 2 wires to track from Elink. On purchase, of Elite, i removed Elink totally from layout. I subsequently noticed RAF 96, was running elink for points only, and thought i had found a use for it. Moving on to USB, . When i turn on RM, and look at set up, RM tells me that the Controller A, Elite, is on com port 4. Controller A, Elink, or Elite, have allways been there. May be HRMS, did it, but i certainly did not. Now on controller B, similarly, RM, says 5, or 15, when you click the port.. With no Device Manager, i am not willing to tinker with this, so could well end up, using the Elite for my points. I do not, as you know, have, or belive, that a bus is necessary, so all my wires from each point, return to their relevant decoders, from where, they are junctionned to 2 wires, that connect to noe controller, or the other. So, could end up with 4 wires again. I thought that by using both, any strain on Elite, was reduced, just using it for locos, and RM, And letting my Surplus Elink, run the points. I have the added complication, that my ( whatever it is to solve turntable probs) arrives from DCC concepts tomorrow. Hope this clarifies my well intentioned use of spare equipment. thanks, as normal, john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Fishy, reverse loop module?, or similar. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 John, I realised everything was originally connected to eLink but then you replaced it with Elite. I was just making sure that in reconnecting the points, you didn't connect the decoders to the track as they were previously, but to the eLink track output only. Now on the Controller B com port - the problem is not your willingness to tinker or not. RM has NO, I repeat NO, idea which com port your eLink as Controller B is connected to until you tell it. Any port that might be showing in RM is completely random and is not the port to which it is connected. You have no choice but to find it in Device Manager to see which port Windows has put it on, then put this into RM. And if it happens to be a port above 5, you must change it to an unused port below 5, then enter that in the RM setup window. This is ESSENTIAL, you cannot expect it to work until you do this. If you can't do or get HRMS to do it for you, then you can't use controller B, so you may as well put the elink in your bottom drawer (with the hard copy of the Elite manual) and forget about it. And on that, the idea that running locos and points with the Elite might put a strain on it has no truth whatsoever. Just because someone has decided to set up their layout this way is no reason for you to do it too. At least not until your layout is very large, you have many locos running at the same time, and you have many points, a whole lot of which you want to throw at the same time. Remember you've been telling others they can do heaps with 1 Amp, based on Hornby advice. You certainly don't actually need more than the 4 you have with the Elite by itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yelrow Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Hi, Fishy, you just want me to learn computer french. HRMS, had a few probs finding the COM port thing in the first place. The other thing is of course, unlike you with your new state of the art laptop, i am running out of usb slots, and HRM, are very anti about hubs. So you are probably right, i just dont like the idea of sitting it in a cupboard.. I had to tow the party line about 1 amp, as hornby, kept repeating it. I had in fact reverted to 1 amp when playing with the Elink. i have a computer literate guy at my English class on Tuesday, will ask what he makes of Device Manager. john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishmanoz Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Sounds like a good idea to get that tech help john. It is not just finding Device Manager, you then need to know where in it it says what the ports are (the part you need only appears when you have the connections made to the Elite and eLink) then you may need to know how to change it to a free port under 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter _murray Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Hi, Fishy, you just want me to learn computer french. HRMS, had a few probs finding the COM port thing in the first place. The other thing is of course, unlike you with your new state of the art laptop, i am running out of usb slots, and HRM, are very anti about hubs. So you are probably right, i just dont like the idea of sitting it in a cupboard.. I had to tow the party line about 1 amp, as hornby, kept repeating it. I had in fact reverted to 1 amp when playing with the Elink. i have a computer literate guy at my English class on Tuesday, will ask what he makes of Device Manager. johnIf you wish to have access to extra USB ports then there isthe possibility of using an express card. Many laptops have this facility. These are not hubs, and do work as my USB ports collapsed totally and I run RM from my laptop just using the express card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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