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Engine Driver Sotware & WiThrottle


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Hi all,

I'm one of those who are quite late to embrace new technology and have so far resisted upgrading my old Nokia phone. Unfortunately the time has come and I've seen the option that with these smartphones I could set up a wifi connection on Prodigy Advance2 system with the WiFi module. That will give freedom from cabling if nothing else.

Before plunging can anyone extol the virtues of Engine Drivers Android system over the WiThrottle iOS system.

I believe both can run multiple locos at a time but which ones will display multiple throttles and how many. That seems quite useful to avoid toggling.

I appreciate going with Apple probably means a more expensive phone and that of course will be a decision for me to take. Just wondering about the relative software.

Look forward to hearing from you tech savvy folk!

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Both work just fine, but you need to pay for WiThrottle Pro to get the extra features, like twin throttles.

 

Another Android app worth trying is DigiTrains, but again, the more advanced features have to be paid for.

 

EngineDriver is completely free.

 

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Engine Driver gets considerably more development than WiThrottle,  and the Engine Driver developers are pretty open about things.   The customisation available to end users of Engine Driver is considerable.   There are options for 1, 2, 4 throttles on a screen, with differing numbers of function keys depending on screen area,  orientation of throttle, etc.. etc..

 

 

- Nigel

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Thanks Nigel.

 

Don't know why I didn't find it before but just been looking at ED website with videos and screenshots. Looks pretty impressive.

Your comments re developments is interesting - I think I'm veering that way.

 

Thanks John

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As one can buy two pretty decent Android phones (eg. Lenovo Moto-G models) for the entry price of anything Apple (£400), the financial case seems obvious for a throttle.   If willing to go further down-market, you can get Android devices at less than £100.

 

If the phone is to do other things, then you get into the Apple vs Android debate.  There are numerous other online forums where that can be discussed in a calm and rational manner, just like this chap: :jester: 

 

 

On the means of connecting to your Prodigy system, you have two options, and they have different capabilities.   Bear it in mind when looking at the website illustrations for the various phone apps.

 

Simple, one box.  But, reduced functionality on phone apps:  MRC/Gaugemaster's WiFi interface module.  

The absent functionality is the ability to name locos, name functions, filter functions displayed to only those available on that loco.   (All those features come from the WiThrottle server software (embedded in the WiFi interface module), and without that data in the server, it can't pass them to the phone device).

 

Two boxes, more setup work.  Full functionality.   MRC/Gaugemaster computer USB interface, plus a computer running JMRI.  If having to get a computer for the task, the cheapest (and simplest to setup for JMRI) computer is a Raspberry PI.  
With that, you can name all the function keys per loco, give locomotives names (eg. "Flying Scotsman" or "dirty blue 25"), and have the software filter what functions are passed to the client application. 

 

 

 

- Nigel

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Thanks Nigel. I'm a simple phone/text man. I have no interest in social media per se, nor even on the go internet, so I'm only looking at this because:

a) my old nokia is all but falling apart -literally!

b) a wi-fi system gets rid of the cabling which even in my own relatively small home layout environment has problems.

I can live with just identifying locos by Nos - it's what I have now anyway and as long as I've got accessory & route functionality as well I'm happy at that. A £100 phone (needed anyway) +£100 WiFi kit + free software seems a decent package.

 

Nevertheless I thank you for the additional information so that I know what my options are - exactly what I was looking for.

 

Thanks to all contibutors. John

 

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Interesting conversation here. I run the Prodigy advance2 and the WiThrottle app.

 

I use an old Apple phone, which is kept on charge for just that purpose and as I upgraded to WiThrottle Pro, I can show 2 locos at once.

 

Downside: If I start off with 4965 on the base station - dive under to operate the turntable etc. and control it from the app. The base station handset goes into fault mode. If I am going to move control from one app to the base station and vis versa, I have to call up another loco on the base station first.

 

It might be a fault with my Prodigy.... It now only keeps the last 6 or so locos, not the 25 its supposed to.

 

The wiThrottle is great, very easy to use, particularly if you are on sound locos and need to go beyond F9.

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Well I took the plunge, got a decent Android phone (Moto G8) which has a large enough screen to have 3 throttles and functions visable and I can still get it in my pocket when out!

 

Been playing with the MRC WiFi unit and Engine Driver. Taking a bit of getting used to but have resolved most issues. Overall it looks very good and flexible.

 

I can add and name locos, and add points and identify them by name also. Where I've come to a halt is on Route setting. Engine Driver is supposed to allow this and the Prodigy holds the details but I can't find anything on screen to let me set up Routes.

 

If anybodys got any ideas I'd be grateful. 

 

Thanks, John

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Bit of an update for anybody interested.

 

I contacted Steve Todd, Engine Drivers developer and also Gaugemaster.

 

1. Steve replied that MRC Wi Fi doesn't support Route setting and after another exchange he replied as follows:

 

"OK, thanks for the feedback. Hopefully, MRC will be able to add something. 

 

There are now quite a few hardware implementations of the WiThrottle protocol, each with its own unique limitations. I'm not going to try and maintain such a large cross-reference document, especially since I do not have many of the devices in question.

 

However, I have added a to-do item to EngineDriver to disable/hide items (like Routes) that are known to be unavailable",

 

I finalised this with:

 

"It was generous of you to respond back to me and I understand the problem you might have in keeping track of every companies hardware interfaces and how they would interact with your programme! Like you say we’ll have to see if MRC make any updates available.

 

I’d like to reiterate though that the simplicity of having 3 throttles in one hand, together with labelled functions and a simple swipe to access points still outways any negative issues."

 

2. I'm still waiting for a call back from Gaugemaster and if it's anything positive I'll post it.

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  • 1 year later...

Just started playing with this software, which is completely changing the way I operate my layout, so much easier to walk around following the trains rather than sitting at a dcc controller and looking at a panel to see where the trains are.

I have set up routes, I believe you can swipe through screen to go from switches/throttle/routes, but I don't see how to get to routes 

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Routes is "swipe to bring screen from right", whereas turnouts are the other way.  Assuming the server you are using supports routes. 

 

I'm not totally sure Routes works properly, so it may need a support request to sort it out.  I don't use that enough to be sure there's a fault, but feel there may be;  the button beside the routes is always "Unknow"  and only the first use causes anything to happen.   

 

 

The alternative to Routes is to create a Panel within JMRI, and then use the Webserver inside JMRI to make it available to the phone.  With that, your Panel could have buttons to trigger routes, and also show the track diagram (or almost anything else, depending on your imagination and skills in creating icons for the panel ).   Its possible to make small panels which are optimised for a phone screen.  

 

 

- Nigel

 

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