DCC starting out - I'm not a techy but so far its been worth it!

[Nigelcliffe]

3 hours ago, grriff said:

DCC Concepts have a user guide for their decoders which is useful for the NMRA standard CVs https://www.dccconcepts.com/manual/zen-black-decoder-manual/

 

Effective for DCC Concepts decoders.  Dangerous to assume it is correct for any other maker.  I spotted stuff on the first handful of pages which are wrong for Lenz, Zimo, ESU, Digitrax, Hornby, (and others). 

 

7 hours ago, halsey said:

 

It might be obvious (to you) but that was a useful comment which prompts a question which I haven't yet researched - is there such a thing as a generic list of CV's what they do and possibly more importantly what their programmable numerical ranges are - again in idiot format please.

 

………….. the factory reset via CV8 8 agrees with you in setting 4 lower than 3 i.e. it sets it to 1 and 2 respectively

 

Also most of my decoders are Zimo but is there a way of telling what make a decoder is without taking the loco apart?

 

No there isn't a generic list, beyond the NMRA standards document (which isn't always followed to the letter by makers). 

 

 

As others said, reading CV8 should reveal the manufacturer's ID number, so tells you the maker.  The NMRA publish a list of numbers to match against the maker.

Thereafter, depends on maker.  Some will give information on decoder version in CV7 (and for some that's actually useful information, for some its not actually helpful).   Some will give other CVs which will identify software version and hardware of decoder (eg. Zimo will do this for example).

 

Zimo manuals are thorough, with decent translation to English, they are on their website.

 

 

- Nigel

[halsey]

Some of this stuff I have now found - trust me it doesn't help someone trying to function at my level of IT understanding and perhaps more important - interest.

 

Not an issue - I will keep my life simple and remain in a blissful state of ignorance unless I need a specific problem/question solving/answering then I know where to get a simple answer (and its not on the WWW) - as with my earlier DC "feel" CVs 3&4 question which was well answered and is now addressed.

 

Thanks all

Edited March 7, 2020 by halsey

[Matt C]

As far as cv29 is concerned I find this calculator invaluable. . .does the hard work for you 

 

http://www.2mm.org.uk/articles/cv29 calculator.htm