How much functionality in an 8-pin DCC chip?

[andrewgj8]

I don't have a permanent layout and only have 2 models, so DC works fine for me right now, but I'm looking to buy a sound chipped model sometime soon so I'd like to chip the two models I have. They're both Hornby Pacifics and are 8-pin DCC models.

All I'd like to know is if I'll be able to have sound and smoke eventually fitted to these chips alongside the flickering firebox (new tool Princess Royal and diecast footplate A3) that they come with (I assume that you can adjust that on DCC?) I've seen that 8-pins have 2 or 3 functions, but I'm not sure how the more technical aspects work, whether the motor is a function, how the "sub-functions" (I guess that's what I'll call them, where you have multiple sounds for example), etc, that's why I'm asking.

 

I guess also a good DCC chip would be helpful, but that's not really the main focus of this post. If you have any recommendations though, please let me know!

Edited March 13 by andrewgj8

[jpendle]

The number of functions supported on an 8 pin sound decoder depends on the decoder.

 

This one, for example,

 

https://www.digitrains.co.uk/shop-by-brand/zimo/sound-decoders/8-pin/zimo-sound-decoder.html

 

has 10 function outputs.

 

Regards,

 

John P

Edited March 13 by jpendle
Typo

[smokebox]

Motor control is not usually regarded to be a function.

Edited March 13 by smokebox
Poor grammar

[andrewgj8]

12 minutes ago, jpendle said:

The number of functions supported on an 8 pin sound decoder depends on the decoder.

So it's much more a decoder-by-decoder basis, right?
 

Not to sound stupid but I just want to make sure, say I have 10 sounds available to use, that would only be under the 1 function of sound, yea? Or all 10?

 

6 minutes ago, smokebox said:

Motor control is not usually regarded to be a function.

Good to know, thanks

[Dungrange]

53 minutes ago, andrewgj8 said:

All I'd like to know is if I'll be able to have sound and smoke eventually fitted to these chips

 

You don't 'fit' sound to a 'chip'.  You buy either a sound decoder or a non-sound decoder.   The former will generally be ~$60 - $70 more expensive than the latter.  If you buy a non-sound decoder now and then want to upgrade to sound, you need to remove the non-sound decoder and replace it with a new sound decoder.  It will therefore be more expensive if you adopt an incremental approach.  If you ultimately want sound, go for sound from the outset.

 

Motor control is not usually counted as a function (although function only decoders don't have motor control).  Similarly, sounds aren't counted as functions when looking at a decoder specification.  The sound project will assign various sounds to various F keys, but a two function sound decoder isn't limited to two sounds.  The number of functions in the specification is physical functions, such as lights, smoke units, etc.

 

Unsurprisingly, the eight pin interface has eight pins.  These should be connections to the track (Red/Black - pins 4 & 8) and connections to the motor (Orange/Grey - pins 1 & 5).  Of the other four pins, Blue (pin 7) is a common for all physical functions.  The other three wires would be your functions, which are normally, White - Front light (F0) - pin 6, Yellow - Rear light (F0) - pin 2 and Green (F1) - pin 3.   Therefore you can't physically get more than three functions on an 8-pin decoder if you are looking for 'plug and play'.  However, as has been highlighted, you can get decoders with more functions, it's just that these will come with a 'flying' wire, which you will need to solder to the appropriate thing you want to control, such as a smoke generator.

 

What you do need to make sure of is that the decoder you choose has sufficient power on the functions to control what you want.  Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) don't consume much power, but a smoke unit may, in which case if it draws say 250mA, then you need to make sure that the decoder you choose can supply that power to the function wires.  Some may be limited to say 100mA, in which case they would be no use for a smoke unit that requires 250mA.

 

So to summarise:  Motor and Sounds don't need function wires.  Headlights, tail lights, cab lights, firebox flicker, smoke generator, etc will each require a separate function, if you plan to be able to control them separately.

Edited March 13 by Dungrange

[Kaput]

Worth pointing out that most (if not all) of Hornby's flickering fireboxes are wired to the pickups and not DCC controllable by default therefore won't use a function.

[peterm1]

The Zimo MS450 (replacing the MX645) Has 10 functions, as said, but the first two are lights forward and lights reverse. You still have eight to use. Also, depending on who the sound author is, you could have most of the 28 or more functions in the sound file.

[Ron Ron Ron]

It’s important to point out that the “functions” referred to, when talking about how many functions a decoder has, are properly  described as “Auxiliary Functions”.

 

As already pointed out, these are quite separate from and have nothing to do with motor control (stop, go, forward, reverse and speed control).

 

Similarly, sound functions have nothing to do with the “auxiliary functions”.

 

For the OP.

For steam locos, not many aux functions are usually needed.

Apart from firebox flicker (which some decoders can have variable control over), or smoke, the only other functions you might want to have control over, would be working lamps (DIY wiring job) and onboard DCC controlled coupling (another project).

 

.

Edited March 14 by Ron Ron Ron

[Ron Ron Ron]

13 hours ago, Dungrange said:

You don't 'fit' sound to a 'chip'.  You buy either a sound decoder or a non-sound decoder. …..

While practically true, to be pedantic about it, yes you can add sound to a non sound decoder.

Although this has never really caught on.

 

Lenz introduced the SUSI interface on some of their decoders, to facilitate the addition of sound modules to convert a non-sound, decoder fitted loco, into a sound fitted loco.

However, Lenz never introduced any sound modules to make use of that facility and no third party manufacturers seemed interested either.

 

Digitrax provide a similar facility on some of their decoders and sell sound only modules to match.

I don’t believe this has ever been a popular option in their product line.

 

Non-specific to decoders, some low tech sound bugs have been available for fitting in any loco, but these are relatively crude and are rather obscure.

 

.

 

 

Edited March 14 by Ron Ron Ron