Configure Parking Lights on ESU Loksound 5

[Theraffman]

I'm having trouble trying to get a Loksound 5 decoder to do what I want. i.e. enable both ends' tail lights at the same time as switching off the Headcode lights.

 

I have the the headlights and tail lights separately wired and can operate them independently, but I would like to use 1 additional F-Key to switch off the headcode lights and switch on both ends tail lights i.e. Parked up in carriage sidings. I can do this on my Zimo decoders using Swiss-Mapping, but can't figure out how to do it on my Loksound decoders.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Nigelcliffe]

Completely do-able, but hugely complex unless you have a computer around to keep things in order.  So, either a LokProgrammer hardware and software, or JMRI plus computer hardware to link your DCC system to JMRI. 

 

Its in the ESU function mapping.   You can define keys to do pretty much anything  (conceptually, a little like Zimo Swiss mapping, in that the rows can be anything, but much more complex).

 

 

- Nigel

[Theraffman]

Thanks Nigel - that's given me the incentive I needed to keep trying on this. I have both the Lokprogrammer and Decoder Pro, so I'll get my thinking hat on again and try a few things.

 

Having thought about this since my original question, I know that I should be able to define another line for F0 with logic to check for the state of tail lights, then have it switch off the headlights and enable the tails all round.

I would also like to try and utilise the secondary state config for the headlights and set their brightness to 0 or a very quick auto-off based on a completely separate F-key - this would be my preferred way as it keeps the lighting options on the loco easier to understand as different F-Keys would do different things. 

 

Thanks.

 

Chris.

[Nigelcliffe]

As well as the two brightness/flashing states for the outputs, you've also got "forwards", "backwards", "moving" and "stationary" as options.  Plus there is a "not" option and combinations,  so "F0 but not F19".  ....

 

In terms of user interface for ESU function mapping, DecoderPro and the LokProgrammer software are very similar (the DecoderPro developer went to considerable lengths to make it similar).   So, really a matter of personal preference which will do the job for you.  

 

 

 

 

[Theraffman]

Thanks again Nigel.

 

I think I've got it. I was focussing my attentions to the config line for F19 that I wanted to use to invoke the Parking lights with.... Turns out I needed to add the logic onto the config lines for F0 and F11 (the keys I use for headlights and taillights) to also specify "not F19". Then F19 can just have a simple reference to the necessary aux outputs when stopped.

 

 

Thanks again.