RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted October 13, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2018 I'm just starting to get to grips with decoder programming using PanelPro running on my Pi-SPROG. I'm finding the workflow a bit long-winded: Change profile to programming mode Restart PanelPro Open programmer and make changes Change profile to operations mode Restart PanelPro Test changes If more changes still needed go back to step 1. Etc., etc... Am I missing something? Is there a quicker/simpler way? Is there a mode where I can just read and write arbitrary CVs from a decoder and then quickly operate the loco to test the changes? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelcliffe Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 The old USB Sprogs would support test-running a single loco on a throttle within the "Service Mode" setup. So, can read, write and test a loco without any reboots. Need to remember to turn on the track power to test the loco after any programming (its an icon in the throttle window, repeated elsewhere on the interface). Running multiple locos required restarting JMRI into "command station" mode (which gives operations mode programming). I don't have a Pi-Sprog, so can't be sure it hasn't changed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted October 13, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 13, 2018 Thanks Nigel, You were spot on. That makes life a bit easier! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted October 14, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 14, 2018 Next question: To change from Command Station mode to Service mode at the moment I change profiles like this: Go to Panel Pro Open Preferences dialog from the Edit menu Click on Configure profiles Activate a different profile Save Restart <wait for PanelPro to shutdown and restart> Is there a better way? (It doesn't seem wise to temporarily edit the "Command station" profile to be in service mode or vice versa.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelcliffe Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 There is an option in the profiles to display a list of profiles at startup for X seconds. Then you can choose which it is during the startup. Swapping profiles is one of the annoyances of Sprogs. It only happens if you're doing a lot of loco "reads" alternating with layout operation. So, a way around that is to read all your locos in once, and then use operations-mode "write only" changes thereafter. Because the roster record of each loco was based on a full read at the beginning, you'll be making subsequent changes from what you know to be accurate. Other hardware using JMRI doesn't necessarily have this issue as they can be both command station and programmer at the same time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crosland Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 You can, as Nigel says, use the profiles feature. This is enabled from the preferences somwhere. Actually, I think you disable the option to start with the last used profile. The way I do it is to have two desktop icons, one for PanelPro with a profile set to command station mode and one for DecoderPro with a profile for programmer mode. Swapping is then "as simple as" closing one program and double clicking the icon for the other. With only a single track output allowing service mode programming packets in command station mode could be a recipe for disaster (reprogramming all the locos on the layout). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Harlequin Posted October 14, 2018 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 14, 2018 You can, as Nigel says, use the profiles feature. This is enabled from the preferences somwhere. Actually, I think you disable the option to start with the last used profile. The way I do it is to have two desktop icons, one for PanelPro with a profile set to command station mode and one for DecoderPro with a profile for programmer mode. Swapping is then "as simple as" closing one program and double clicking the icon for the other. With only a single track output allowing service mode programming packets in command station mode could be a recipe for disaster (reprogramming all the locos on the layout). Thanks. I can see better now why DecoderPro is a separate program. Before, I didn't see the point of DecoderPro when PanelPro seemed to offer all the same features... OK, so next thing: I understand that there are separate rosters maintained for each profile. That's what profiles are for, but because I'm forced to use different profiles for programming and operating I have two disjoint rosters that I would really prefer to be one combined roster. I guess I could import the xml files created by one profile into the other? But having done that if I change any of the Roster entries will the changes be shared between both Profiles? (I.e. does the import operation make a copy of a Roster entry or make a reference to it?) This is a somewhat rhetorical question. I'll try it and find out! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelcliffe Posted October 14, 2018 Share Posted October 14, 2018 It should be possible to point two profiles at the same stored files, and thus have a common Roster. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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