Programming Cobalt iP turnout motor

[Pete2210]

Good evening everyone,

 

I've been trying to program a Cobalt iP Digital point motor using JMRI DecoderPro 4.4 with little success, I've called it an evening for now and will probably program the Cobalt using a Zephyr tomorrow, then try it out with JMRI, if anyone has had better success than me I'd be pleased to hear how it should be done :-)

 

Pete2210

[Ron Ron Ron]

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Edited October 10, 2016 by Ron Ron Ron

[Andy Y]

Now moved.

 

Thanks to Ron for the numerous times he gets in touch for such questions to be moved.

[PaulRhB]

Pete you can't do it with a programmer you need to do it from the command station, (or jmri in command station mode). Put it to program mode with the set switch then simply send a command, eg accessory 123, as though you were actually operating it and then put the set switch back to normal.

Edited October 10, 2016 by PaulRhB

[PaulRhB]

Here's how I did it lifted from my Lulworth topic

 

One thing that did rear it's head in programming the Cobalt ip motors was that the instructions are a little vague on the programming saying follow the instructions for your system to set the address,

http://www.dccconcepts.com/vamr/owners-manual-cobalt-ip-digital-point-motors

What would have been helpful was it saying put the switch to set and then use the address as though you were going to change the point and it will learn it when you select it.

 

NCE - to program cobaltip address

 

(1st to deactivate auto centre using 198)

Connect dcc input

Put switch to SET

SELECT ACCY - 198 - ENTER - 1

SELECT ACCY - 198 - ENTER - 1

Disconnect dcc input

Put switch to NORMAL

Connect dcc input

Put switch to SET

SELECT ACCY - ADDRESS NO. - ENTER - 1

SELECT ACCY - ADDRESS NO. - ENTER - 1

Disconnect dcc input

Put switch to NORMAL

Connect dcc input

[Pete2210]

Pete you can't do it with a programmer you need to do it from the command station, (or jmri in command station mode). Put it to program mode with the set switch then simply send a command, eg accessory 123, as though you were actually operating it and then put the set switch back to normal.

 

Thank you very much for that  Paul, I'll do that later

[Pete2210]

Here's how I did it lifted from my Lulworth topic

 

One thing that did rear it's head in programming the Cobalt ip motors was that the instructions are a little vague on the programming saying follow the instructions for your system to set the address,

http://www.dccconcepts.com/vamr/owners-manual-cobalt-ip-digital-point-motors

What would have been helpful was it saying put the switch to set and then use the address as though you were going to change the point and it will learn it when you select it.

 

NCE - to program cobaltip address

 

(1st to deactivate auto centre using 198)

Connect dcc input

Put switch to SET

SELECT ACCY - 198 - ENTER - 1

SELECT ACCY - 198 - ENTER - 1

Disconnect dcc input

Put switch to NORMAL

Connect dcc input

Put switch to SET

SELECT ACCY - ADDRESS NO. - ENTER - 1

SELECT ACCY - ADDRESS NO. - ENTER - 1

Disconnect dcc input

Put switch to NORMAL

Connect dcc input

 

Thanks again Paul, that makes more sense, as you say the instructions are a bit vague. 

[Pete2210]

Now moved.

 

Thanks to Ron for the numerous times he gets in touch for such questions to be moved.

 

Thanks Andy for putting it in the right place, and thanks to Ron for alerting Andy lol

[PaulRhB]

Thanks again Paul, that makes more sense, as you say the instructions are a bit vague.

I contacted DCC who clarified it promptly, just wish they'd update the online instructions to save them time and clarify it as it must be frustrating others too.

[Pete2210]

I contacted DCC who clarified it promptly, just wish they'd update the online instructions to save them time and clarify it as it must be frustrating others too.

 

The instructions that come with the Cobalt are vague as well, but thanks again for your help Paul

 

Pete

[PaulRhB]

No problem and as you've put a good title on it hopefully it'll be easy to find for others too.

[Pete2210]

Well I tried last night at the club with JMRI and the Sprog in command station mode Paul, and followed your instructions in your post, with no luck at all, this evening I hooked up my Digitrax system to it and using a DT400 handset and your instructions for a NCE handset successfully programmed two Cobalt iP digital point motors, tomorrow I shall hookup the JMRI and the Sprog and try using a mobile phone as a hand held controller, I can think of no reason why it shouldn't work.......watch this space ;-)

 

Pete

[Pete2210]

Well I tried last night at the club with JMRI and the Sprog in command station mode Paul, and followed your instructions in your post, with no luck at all, this evening I hooked up my Digitrax system to it and using a DT400 handset and your instructions for a NCE handset successfully programmed two Cobalt iP digital point motors, tomorrow I shall hookup the JMRI and the Sprog and try using a mobile phone as a hand held controller, I can think of no reason why it shouldn't work.......watch this space ;-)

 

Pete

 

Well I hooked up the JMRI, a router and the Sprog, powered up the test track with the cobalt iP point motors and nothing happened!!!! Tried both direct from the laptop and from a mobile phone, checked it all out again using my Digitrax DT400 and they worked first time - now scratching head and getting splinters

 

Pete

[PaulRhB]

Are you using the throttle or an actual command station control with it? Is the Sprog sending accessory commands? Accessory and loco addresses are different so you'd need one of the software packages that actually do that. Might be worth asking Andrew Crossland on here as he is Mr Sprog. I've never tried that with my SPROG so no idea what people have been doing to use the SPROG with a jmri command set up.

[Pete2210]

Are you using the throttle or an actual command station control with it? Is the Sprog sending accessory commands? Accessory and loco addresses are different so you'd need one of the software packages that actually do that. Might be worth asking Andrew Crossland on here as he is Mr Sprog. I've never tried that with my SPROG so no idea what people have been doing to use the SPROG with a jmri command set up.

 

Hi Paul,

The Laptop+JMRI+Sprog+mobile phone ran my trains perfectly yesterday and I could operate the points via the push-to-make buttons fine, so power is reaching the Cobalts but I was unable to make them work from either the laptop or mobile phone, I've asked for help on the JMRI yahoo list so I'll see what happens there.

 

Pete

[PaulRhB]

Hi Paul,

The Laptop+JMRI+Sprog+mobile phone ran my trains perfectly yesterday and I could operate the points via the push-to-make buttons fine, so power is reaching the Cobalts but I was unable to make them work from either the laptop or mobile phone, I've asked for help on the JMRI yahoo list so I'll see what happens there.

 

Pete

Yes but to operate points you'd need an accessory button, You either Select Loco or  Select Accessory then enter the address then press the Functions. If you are just putting it in as a loco address it won't work. I suspect you are only being offered Select Address which is by default a loco addressing box not an accessory one. You can have loco 1 and accessory 1 operating independently.

[Pete2210]

Yes but to operate points you'd need an accessory button, You either Select Loco or  Select Accessory then enter the address then press the Functions. If you are just putting it in as a loco address it won't work. I suspect you are only being offered Select Address which is by default a loco addressing box not an accessory one. You can have loco 1 and accessory 1 operating independently.

 

In JMRI Decoder Pro on a laptop there is a drop down menu when you click on "Actions" then I click on Turnouts, which offers a blank box with a flashing cursor in which I put in the number of the point that was programmed in to the point motor, with a mobile phone running "Engine Driver" there is again a drop down menu for the point number or you can swipe the screen left to right and the point control screen shows the point(Turnout)control panel waiting for the point number to be input, but regardless of how I input the number the effect is the same - nothing! At least they work perfectly on the pushbuttons whilst connected to Decoder Pro.

 

Pete

[PaulRhB]

Strange then, let's hope you can find someone with the secrets

[Pete2210]

Strange then, let's hope you can find someone with the secrets

 

I've posted a request for help on the JMRI list, but there's a lack of response so far, I've emailed DCCconcepts to see if they've got any answers, but thanks for your help Paul.

 

Pete

[Frutigen]

I'm having the same problem although with a different point decoder (Digitrax DS64) so would be interested in any solution that comes to light.

 

My system is     JMRI v4.4-R1ccf76b  > Sprog3  > DS64

 

As Pete found, I can't get this setup to program the point addresses into the decoder, but when I tried it on a Multimaus system it worked straight off - both programming and operation. Now I've put the decoder back on the JMRI/Sprog system and the points no longer respond.

 

Some extra info:

JMRI/Sprog work fine for loco control.

The DS64 is powered externally.

The track power is switched on in JMRI and I'm getting a voltage reading where it goes into the decoder.

I've tried programming/throwing the points with both the Turnout Control tool and the Turnout Table in JMRI.

I'm aware that the Multimaus includes an offset of 4 in its turnout addresses and have taken this into account when trying to control them from JMRI.

 

Keith

[Pete2210]

I'm having the same problem although with a different point decoder (Digitrax DS64) so would be interested in any solution that comes to light.

 

My system is     JMRI v4.4-R1ccf76b  > Sprog3  > DS64

 

As Pete found, I can't get this setup to program the point addresses into the decoder, but when I tried it on a Multimaus system it worked straight off - both programming and operation. Now I've put the decoder back on the JMRI/Sprog system and the points no longer respond.

 

Some extra info:

JMRI/Sprog work fine for loco control.

The DS64 is powered externally.

The track power is switched on in JMRI and I'm getting a voltage reading where it goes into the decoder.

I've tried programming/throwing the points with both the Turnout Control tool and the Turnout Table in JMRI.

I'm aware that the Multimaus includes an offset of 4 in its turnout addresses and have taken this into account when trying to control them from JMRI.

 

Keith

 

Keith,

 

I had quite a detailed answer from Richard Johnson of DCC Concepts, but I'm still having no luck at all admittedly my Sprog3 is in for repair so I've tried out the process with a Sprog2 but with no luck at all either in Programming or Command Station modes. Richard had got his tech team in Australia to set up the same conditions and they had no problem, My Sprog3 was running a different version of software to the guys in Australia, but the JMRI and Java versions were the same, so once I get the Sprog3 back I'll try again.

 

Pete

[Frutigen]

Thanks Pete, here's hoping someone can shed some light.

[sjrixon]

Did you get this working?

[Frutigen]

No success here and I'd be interested to hear if Pete has cracked it yet.

 

In the end I bought an inexpensive interface so I can use JMRI to control my old multimaus and I now have full control of trains, points and even routes straight from my phone. Very pleased with it. I still use the Sprog3 for the programming track as multimaus has limited programming.

[sjrixon]

Success! 

 

I was a little worried on reading this, that I wouldn't get my shiny new box of Cobalt motors to work. At first they didn't, but I think what I have found is I need to click the power button off and on within JMRI. This 'kicks' something, I connect one motor, flick the power, set it and it's ready to go. But, there is certainly something odd. When you put the motor to set, it doesn't move so you have no idea that it's taken the command. This means I end up clicking Closed 3 times and then Thrown 3 times and then closed twice more before I change it to run. Also, I had to have the address as STXX. This is something I didn't know.

 

I've had some odd things with the centre off. It didn't work at all when I first used them, I pulled the power expecting them to switch centre when they came back on and they didn't. Then I trip the circuit with some iffy wiring, and the two points centred! I've not been able to do it again, but as a precaution I've sent the code to switch them off.