Sprog 3 Power Flashing but nothing coming out

[woodenhead]

I may have broken my Sprog 3.

 

It was working, I was programming Cobalt IPs on JMRI and test them with locos then I inadvertantly reprogrammed the wrong point and caused a short.

 

I removed power but now when I power up again JMRI goes green for power to the track, it thinks it is doing stuff but there is no power to the track and testing the Sprog mains in and track out connections I can see power going in but nothing coming out.  The power light is flashing which I understand to be indicative of power to track.

 

Have I broken it?

[Jonboy]

The manual says power led flashing means programming track is live.

[Jonboy]

 You May wish to look here https://www.sprog-dcc.co.uk/downloads/SprogIIv3UserGuide2-14.pdf pages 18 and 19

[woodenhead]

14 hours ago, Jonboy said:

 You May wish to look here https://www.sprog-dcc.co.uk/downloads/SprogIIv3UserGuide2-14.pdf pages 18 and 19

I've had a quick check, the Sprog is still in the connection preferences.  Been using the Sprog for some time without issue and usually if there is a short it clicks away, you pull the power and everything is ok.

 

But since yesterday evening, nothing, the Sprog indicates two solid lights when switched on and one solid and one rapid flashing when a throttle is switched on and power is meant to go to the track.  However, there is no power coming out of the Sprog itself.

 

@Crosland, does this sound like I've maybe blown something within the Sprog?

 

 

[woodenhead]

I've popped a loco back on and asked JMRI to identify it - it's indicating there is a short somewhere.

 

I popped off all the live frog connections, no change in status and there is no obvious short, isolation spaces exist off the points so it means I probably need to pop the connections around the layout and then see where it starts to work again to identify where the fault is.

 

Going to be a pain, but glad I used snap together connectors rather than screwed or soldered.

 

Gym first, then a walk for a bit before I come back to this later.

[Hroth]

It might be that the Sprog internals are confused.

There is a command to send to the Sprog unit to reset it, I've had to do it before when I thought I'd wrecked mine.  I've got the command somewhere, but where...

 

I'll have a look.

 

Here we go. I'd emailed the Sprog people at  sprog@sprog-dcc.co.uk  They suggested the following incantation

 

Quote

Please use the console to send "M h810" and then "W" to the SPROG. This will reset the operating mode of the SPROG, which seems to have been corrupted, and write it to non-volatile memory.

 

It worked and I haven't had any further problems.

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by Hroth

[Crosland]

If the SPROG is damaged then it may be reporting a short circuit, regardless of the layout connections. Do you see the same behaviour if the SPROG is disconnected completely from the track?

 

If so, return it to us for some attention. Be sure to check the website for our current address (as of a few months ago).

 

Andrew

[woodenhead]

6 hours ago, Hroth said:

It might be that the Sprog internals are confused.

There is a command to send to the Sprog unit to reset it, I've had to do it before when I thought I'd wrecked mine.  I've got the command somewhere, but where...

 

I'll have a look.

 

Here we go. I'd emailed the Sprog people at  sprog@sprog-dcc.co.uk  They suggested the following incantation

 

 

It worked and I haven't had any further problems.

 

Looking at the Console I can see an M command has already been sent and it's response was M=h0810.  Sent the command and then W as well, the response to W was "P> ".  But it hasn't changed anything.

4 hours ago, Crosland said:

If the SPROG is damaged then it may be reporting a short circuit, regardless of the layout connections. Do you see the same behaviour if the SPROG is disconnected completely from the track?

 

If so, return it to us for some attention. Be sure to check the website for our current address (as of a few months ago).

 

Andrew

My next test was to disconnect the Sprog from the railway and see what happens, no change, it is still detecting a short on the railway that it is no longer connected to.  I'll get onto the web site for the address.