[markw]

Hi all

I'm trying to use the hornby accessory decoder with my Ecos. I preprogrammed the unit with address 60 using my select controller and tested that each output fired the point motors (hornby) correctly. I set up the accessory decoder in the Ecos as per the manual but nothing happens when i try to switch. I have tried all the different pulse times with no difference. Connecting back up to the select all works fine again. What am i doing wrong or is the old question of hornby's DCC compatability rearing it's ugly head again.....

Cheers

Mark

 

[bangerblueed]

Well if it works with select but not with ecos and both systems are working properly it sounds as if the decoder is not compatible with the ecos. it looks as if youve done everything right but i think the compatibility thing is the answer

 

[markw]

Hi all

I Have noticed that the track voltage from the select is around 14.5v and from the ecos is closer to 17v, could this higher voltage prevent the hornby accessory decoder from working correctly ?

Cheers

Mark

 

[ironduke]

I would be surprised if that was the case.
Are you addressing the accessory decoder as point no 60 on the Ecos? Can you reprogram the address for the Hornby acc decoder from the Ecos?

 

[markw]

QUOTE (ironduke @ 2 May 2007, 08:52) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I would be surprised if that was the case.
Are you addressing the accessory decoder as point no 60 on the Ecos? Can you reprogram the address for the Hornby acc decoder from the Ecos?

I Have tried addressing it as 60, to no avail. Have also tried to reprogram it with the ecos, also no luck...

 

[37197]

Sounds more like a compatibility issue than anything else, I'm surprised that if your using an Ecos that you went for an Hornby decoder considering all the publicity that has gone with their non NMRA conformance, I use the LDT S-DEC-4-DC-F for my Marklin Central Station, they're quite cheap as well, finished module £20 or £15 for a kit, you can source these from the UK (DigiTrains), I would steer well clear of any of Hornby's DCC offerings until they are sorted

. S-DEC-4-DC-F

 

[Gary]

You may be using the wrong mode to programme to accessory decoders. Register Mode should be used. There was a procedure that Doug used with his Lenz Console in another thread and this same procedure will almost certainly work using the Ecos.

I doubt that it is an incompatibility issue. It is a procedural issue and its just a question of finding and applying the correct procedure.

And in terms of the NMRA publicity lets remember that Hornby Digital has been proven to function with far more kit than not and the Elite is prooving a formidable beast for the money so this subject is definitely blown up out of total proportion by certain members of the DCC fraternity who seem to be focussed on the negative and the things that it does not do rather than the very big positive and the very large number of things that it does do!

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[markw]

QUOTE Sounds more like a compatibility issue than anything else, I'm surprised that if your using an Ecos that you went for an Hornby decoder considering all the publicity that has gone with their non NMRA conformance, I use the LDT S-DEC-4-DC-F for my Marklin Central Station, they're quite cheap as well, finished module £20 or £15 for a kit, you can source these from the UK (DigiTrains), I would steer well clear of any of Hornby's DCC offerings until they are sorted . S-DEC-4-DC-F

I already had the hornby decoder, it was the hornby system that got me started in this dcc stuff in the first place. Recently upgraded to the ecos as i outgrew the hornby select very quickly. I can't deny though that i went for the ecos rather than upgrading to the elite becuase of the reports of incompatabilities.

As regard the LDT stuff i have just ordered some s88 bus modules so i am aware of them and indeed was talking to peter littfinski at the dortmund show a couple of weeks ago. I think for all future purchase i will be buying LDT, it's very reasonably priced and apparently has a very good reputation.

QUOTE I doubt that it is an incompatibility issue. It is a procedural issue and its just a question of finding and applying the correct procedure.

I now have the hornby decoder working,

i'm still a bit confused about how though. Basically i can't program it via the ecos, every time i try to write a value to cv1 it errors. So what i did was, used my select unit to program it back to the hornby defualt address of 60 and once again checked that all the outputs were working using address 60,61,62,63 corresponding to decoder outputs 1,2,3 & 4.. That was all fine. I then hooked it back up to the ecos and by long winded experimentation found that decoder ouput 4 works on address 60, output 3 on 59, output 2 on 58 and output 1 on 57. effectively that is totally the reverse of what it does with the select. I have no understanding of why

but i'm happy cos it saves me a few quid.

I guess it was soem kind of faith in the hornby product (misguided or not) but i just could not believe that something like this would be so incompatible as to be unuseable.

Thanks everybody for your input.

Cheers

Mark

programmed routes here we come.................

 

[Brian Considine]

QUOTE (markw @ 2 May 2007, 14:09) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Basically i can't program it via the ecos, every time i try to write a value to cv1 it errors. So what i did was, used my select unit to program it back to the hornby defualt address of 60

Could the reason be that possibly the Hornby Select & Elite apply more programming power than the Ecos ?

Sometimes, just sometimes I cannot get a decoder to programme using my Lenz LH100 but will programme using my FLM Twin-Centre (AKA Uhlenbrokk Intellibox) which has a slightly higher output to the programming track.

 

[Gary]

The Elite has a configuration for either a "Multi" (loco decoder) or an "Acc" (Accessory decoder).

The Elite also has seperate programming menus for accessory decoders. How does the Ecos accomodate programming accessory decoders?

I do sense the solution is in the Hornby Accessory Module thread where Doug has indicated how he programmed the unit with his Lenz console.

Having browsed I have found the thread with the details:-

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index...?showtopic=1727

I could not believe it was on page 10!

Happy modelling
Gary

 

[markw]

QUOTE (Gary @ 2 May 2007, 15:51) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The Elite has a configuration for either a "Multi" (loco decoder) or an "Acc" (Accessory decoder).

The Elite also has seperate programming menus for accessory decoders. How does the Ecos accomodate programming accessory decoders?

I do sense the solution is in the Hornby Accessory Module thread where Doug has indicated how he programmed the unit with his Lenz console.

The ecos programming screen is dynamic i.e the options provided are dependant on the type of decoder being programmed so i guess the answer is yes the programming for an accessory decoder is different to a loco decoder.

The hornby accessory decoder does not support direct mode programming, only paged or register. It was similair information to Dougs post that allowed me to get it working, the info came from somebody in the yahoo dccuk mailing list.

There are two things that i still don't understand though :-
Programming using the ecos doesn't work, i'll carry on experimenting but it may be soemthing i'm missing, latest advice is to place a resistor across the output of the ecos.

When programmed / used with the elite to address 60 the outputs are fired as per the hornby instructions
output 1 = 60
output 2 = 61
output 3 = 62
output 4 = 63
When programmed to 60 using the elite and then operated via the ecos the outputs are fired as follows
output 1 = 57
output 2 = 58
output 3 = 59
output 4 = 60

I'm struggling to see where this correlation / mapping is coming from, it doesn't seem to comply with the info from doug

QUOTE If you want the first numbered point to be 1, set Register 1 or Page 1 to value 1. If you want the first point to be address 5, set R1 or P1 to be value 2, and so on in increases of 4 to the desired point address and increases of 1 to P1 or R1. (Info found on the Hornby site posted by a user there).

In another way:

Register 1 value of 1, to control:
- Point 1
- Point 2
- Point 3
- Point 4

Register 1 value of 2, to control:
- Point 5
- Point 6
- Point 7
- Point 8

Or closer.......................but still not quite on the money

QUOTE For various historical reasons, different manufacturers have had either
different starting addresses for Accessory (Fixed) decoders (as opposed to
Mobile (Loco) decoders: Although the big offset is probably irrelevant here
(60, for 61,62,63,64)

there was another difference between USER numbers starting at 0 or 1 ... so ALSO
TRY
the set of 4 numbers ABOVE and BELOW your expected range ie 57,58,59,60 or
65,66...

If anybody can shed any light on why the o/p's are reversed and below, i'd be glad to hear it. I hate not being able to understand

HAVE A GREAT DAY

Mark