How to control turnouts with DecoderPro / SPROG

[pygmalion]

 

Hello,

 

I am using PiSPROG One DecoderPro  for years and so far I didn't have any problem.

 

Recently, however, I decided to control turnouts too.  I was looking into DecoderPro manual and there it is explained that turnouts must be added into turnout table, which is accessed from the Tools menu.  However, there is no Tools menu in my DecoderPro!!  Maybe this has something to do that I am using SPROG system or maybe because my DecoderPro is on Linux ARM operating system.

 

I can manually control turnout by using Actions/Turnout control, but this is cumbersome and furthermore Engine Driver on the smartphone also does not show any turnouts.

 

Please can you help me how to define turnouts in DecoderPro and/or control turnouts directly from Engine Driver?

 

Best regards

Marko

[beejack]

First of all you need to use Panel Pro rather than Decoder pro in JMRI to define your turnouts and set up your control panel. 

Once set up, you would then be able to control them via Engine driver.

To get the correct help you need to tell us what you are trying to control with regard point motors etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nigelcliffe]

Whether you start "DecoderPro" or "PanelPro" doesn't matter.  The "tools" menu is on either the PanelPro startup screen, or that window can be opened from DecoderPro via the File menu. 

 

To run a layout, rather than programming locos, I recommend you setup a new "profile" in JMRI.  Then, within the Profile, set the command station to "sprog command station".  That gives multi-loco running, programming-on-the-main only (can't read decoders), and is probably better for running things generally. 

 

Once you've put turnouts in the turnout table, you need to "save the tables and panel file" .   The command for that has moved recently, so if using current JMRI, its on the File menu of the PanelPro menu.    When opening JMRI, you need to re-load that panel file (best done for a regular layout as a startup operation, set in preferences, hence why suggesting a different profile, so you only load things needed for running when running).  

 

Finally, there may be some preferences to set going for EngineDriver turnout control - I can't remember if turnouts works with native WiThrottle support, or if you also need to start the "Webserver" in JMRI as well.   

 

 

 

- Nigel

 

[pygmalion]

Thanks, I have added turnout in PanelPro.  But I guess I have to save that and somehow tell DecoderPro/Engine Drive to use it.  I am a bit confused and manual for DecoderPro/PanelPro is massive.  Is there somewhere just short instructions how to do that?

[pygmalion]

28 minutes ago, Nigelcliffe said:

Once you've put turnouts in the turnout table, you need to "save the tables and panel file" .   The command for that has moved recently, so if using current JMRI, its on the File menu of the PanelPro menu.    When opening JMRI, you need to re-load that panel file (best done for a regular layout as a startup operation, set in preferences, hence why suggesting a different profile, so you only load things needed for running when running).  

 

Finally, there may be some preferences to set going for EngineDriver turnout control - I can't remember if turnouts works with native WiThrottle support, or if you also need to start the "Webserver" in JMRI as well.   

 

Thanks, Nigel, for the answer.  I still don't get few things.

 

So I store ALL table content and  panels, and not ONLY turnout table?

 

If I understand, when I open DecoderPro, I have to load that table.  But where?  If I use import decoder file, I get error.

 

Best regards

 

Marko

[Nigelcliffe]

11 minutes ago, pygmalion said:

 

Thanks, Nigel, for the answer.  I still don't get few things.

 

So I store ALL table content and  panels, and not ONLY turnout table?

 

If I understand, when I open DecoderPro, I have to load that table.  But where?  If I use import decoder file, I get error.

 

Best regards

 

Marko

 

Yes, you store ***ONE file***.   That file contains everything about your track/layout - all turnouts, signals, sensors, reporters, panels, etc..     

 

So, your file might have only four turnouts in it, and nothing else, which is fine.  

Later on, you might draw a panel for operating those turnouts, so your file gets a bit bigger, but its still the same single file.  

 

Don't be tempted to store one file for turnouts, another for a panel, etc..  You'll get into an almighty mess, extremely quickly.  

 

 

 

To manually "Load" the Turnout/Panel file, its a command on the PanelPro window.   Current JMRI version, the command is on the File menu of the PanelPro window.  (old versions had the load panels/tables stuff somewhere else).  

To automatically open the Turnout/Panel file, its set in preferences as an action on startup.   

 

 

 

Conceptually, the DecoderPro window (offically "the Roster View") is all about programming decoders, and not about operating a layout.   Hence few commands for doing things to a layout.    Many people only use it to program decoders, hence the design.   

The PanelPro window is more about operating a layout (hence "Panel").    Within that, there are a lot of paths you could take - JMRI is a giant meccano set of software for model railways, and can be used in a vast number of different ways. 

 

 

 

- Nigel

[pygmalion]

OK, I have stored everything in one file.  Still, it is highly unlikely that I will use anything else but turnouts because I don't have a permanent layout.  I even designed turnout decoders in a way that they are attached to individual turnouts, so that this turnout can be used at different places in different layouts.  I have just tested this today as can be seen in this video

 

 

As seen on my smartphone, turnouts were automatically recognised by Engine Driver.

 

Thanks for the help and best regards

 

Marko