Philately Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I have a Gaugemaster Prodigy 2 DCC system to control my locomotives, which I like, but which isn't and seemingly will never be compatible with my iMac G5. Currently my points are hand operated (it's a small layout) but I want to control them, and signalling, via DCC from the G5. There is a Gaugemaster program for Windows PCs (I also have an Intel iMac which can run Windows within a PC emulator), but the MRC program doesn't seem to allow me to create a power box screen with track diagrams. Both JMRI and RocRail do have this ability, but can't connect to the MRC protocol. The obvious solution would be to use a Sprog II. My problem is this: I can't work out how I could connect a train sensor - part of a block signalling system controlled by JMRI/Sprog - such that it will tell the Gaugemaster to slow the train when a red shows, and restart it when the signal changes to amber or green. I'm probably being dunder-headed, but can anyone offer a solution please? If not, the Gaugemaster will have to go. Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Someone might Nigelcliffe might have a better idea but I can't think of a way to do what you want if you can't get JMRI to talk to the gaugemaster system. You can certainly have multiple systems within JMRI and have them talk to each other though its not useful if one isn't talking to JMRI! The Sprog wont be able to link to it directly. Thinking about it laterally I guess if the gaugemaster system allows inputs of some type to influence behaviour you could have the computer tell an accessory module connected to the Sprog to change that would send an input to the module connected to the gaugemaster. Better just to swap system though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted November 24, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 24, 2011 Can't you use RR&Co Traincontroller in this way? i.e one system runs the trains and another detects them. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tender Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 JMRI, Rocrail and TrainController all support multiple systems but I don't think any of them supports the Gaugemaster. You also need to find something to run on the MAC. The PC emulators sometimes have problems when it comes to controlling I/O ports. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Sadly in this case the problem is the MRC unit. They've closed their code so that its not possible to use an interface other than their own. There are loads of rumours out there as to why but the simple answer is if you want to control signals, points, detection from a computer, you are going to have to use a different system. That in its own isn't a problem. You can just use what ever compliant DCC rig you want. I believe there are a couple of people in the US that have reverse engineered the MRC stuff to allow it to be connected to their own home brewed software but that opens all sorts of issues around copyright etc. The real problem is that you won't be able to get JMRI or RR&Co or KAM, etc to control your trains via the Gaugemaster unit. If you need to know what loco is in what block in order to control it you are going to need a system that either supports Railcom or Digitrax transponding. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tender Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 If you need to know what loco is in what block in order to control it you are going to need a system that either supports Railcom or Digitrax transponding. Er, if you tell JMRI etc what Loco is in what block when you start and have one (or more) block sensors in each block it will track the train without resorting to transponding systems. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Er, if you tell JMRI etc what Loco is in what block when you start and have one (or more) block sensors in each block it will track the train without resorting to transponding systems. Yes, I know but that relies on ensuring you've done a manual setup to start your running session. Its also a PITA if you are creating and cutting consists during running. (I'm thinking banking locos, etc) as JMRI tracks the consist number and not the loco. For a straightforward smallish layout setting up a pre-stage is adequate though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philately Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 As I feared - Gaugemaster is too compromised in this instance. I had hoped that the apparent link to MRC under "Other" in the system selection list in JMRI was a good omen. Not so. Thank you everyone for your responses. Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philately Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 P.S. For anyone who might be interested: Both Rocrail and JMRI have proper Mac versions, and Rocrail has an iPad version - "Padroc". I've tried out an iPad program to control a PC that will work with JMRI, but it's a bit like driving a car with 2 inches of play in the steering! Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 P.S. For anyone who might be interested: Both Rocrail and JMRI have proper Mac versions, and Rocrail has an iPad version - "Padroc". I've tried out an iPad program to control a PC that will work with JMRI, but it's a bit like driving a car with 2 inches of play in the steering! Richard Was that WiThrottle because I used that on an iphone with JMRI and a MERG system and was surprised at just how responsive it was, instantaneous even. JMRI is java based and open source so its quite easy to move it between platforms if the drivers for the computer interface of the system work on that platform. I use JMRI under Ubuntu Linux for example with the MERG system in the club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelcliffe Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 There are iPad apps for JMRI as well, but probably not as well developed as the RocRail app. Certainly its not necessary to use a remote control client (VNC), which does have those horrible delays. JMRI has well developed UK modern signalling capabilities; I've just finished writing a tutorial on it. Gaugemaster integration, not possible at present. If it were possible in the future, one hits a limit in the Gaugemaster hardware; there is no feedback bus for occupancy (etc), so it will be necessary to add one. That could be done with a second feedback bus system; stand alone LocoNet, CBUS, S88 to name three. If automatic control of trains is required, I think its time to swap systems. Get something known to work well with automation, and I'd look at whether TrainController Silver is the right software for the job - the software costs are fairly low compared to the hardware required for automation. If just wanting automatic signals (with occupancy altering the aspects) then the Gaugemaster could stay, and the software requirements are much lower. - Nigel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewC Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 P.S. For anyone who might be interested: Both Rocrail and JMRI have proper Mac versions, and Rocrail has an iPad version - "Padroc". I've tried out an iPad program to control a PC that will work with JMRI, but it's a bit like driving a car with 2 inches of play in the steering! Richard As Craig questioned was that WiThrottle? If so you can adjust the sensitivity of the throttle in the settings. It does everything from stop > warp9 at a touch, or drag the whole length of the device do move 1 notch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philately Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 As Craig questioned was that WiThrottle? If so you can adjust the sensitivity of the throttle in the settings. It does everything from stop > warp9 at a touch, or drag the whole length of the device do move 1 notch. No, it was VNC Viewer, with which you see on the iPad what's on the screen of the parent computer. Using fingers on the iPad was a lot less accurate than the mouse on the iMac. I've had a go with withrottle, but as I want to use the computer as a signal box with a diagram of the track layout, I didn't include it in the discussion. I would keep withrottle for my early-model iPod Touch as it looks horrible when expanded on an iPad! And for withrottle an iPad offers no advantage. Richard Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelcliffe Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 No, it was VNC Viewer, with which you see on the iPad what's on the screen of the parent computer. Using fingers on the iPad was a lot less accurate than the mouse on the iMac. I've had a go with withrottle, but as I want to use the computer as a signal box with a diagram of the track layout, I didn't include it in the discussion. I would keep withrottle for my early-model iPod Touch as it looks horrible when expanded on an iPad! And for withrottle an iPad offers no advantage. Two improvements over using VNC, with increasing difficulties: a) Run the JMRI WebServer, and then connect with Safari (standard browser) on the iPad to JMRI. That gives you access to all of the open windows in JMRI on your iPad. They render nicely, but there is a standard 5-second refresh in the way they are drawn. For some panels this is horrible, for others it works fine. b ) Again with the JMRI WebServer. Construct a panel file using the XMLIO capabilities (its in the help files). This gets round all the delay aspects of (a), but its currently a lot of hard work producing the webpage file for the panel to display this way. The JMRI development team have been discussing improving (a) or doing something similar to ( b ) without the manual coding needed by the end user. - Nigel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philately Posted November 25, 2011 Author Share Posted November 25, 2011 Two improvements over using VNC, with increasing difficulties: a) Run the JMRI WebServer, and then connect with Safari (standard browser) on the iPad to JMRI. That gives you access to all of the open windows in JMRI on your iPad. They render nicely, but there is a standard 5-second refresh in the way they are drawn. For some panels this is horrible, for others it works fine. b ) Again with the JMRI WebServer. Construct a panel file using the XMLIO capabilities (its in the help files). This gets round all the delay aspects of (a), but its currently a lot of hard work producing the webpage file for the panel to display this way. The JMRI development team have been discussing improving (a) or doing something similar to ( b ) without the manual coding needed by the end user. - Nigel Both worth following up, as the iPad is a lot easier to read on a sunny day than my old iMac. Nigel, many thanks for the info, though I won't have time to follow these up for a week or two. Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigelcliffe Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 btw, if you have the latest "WiThrottle" app on the iPad (or iPhone), and start the Webserver as well as the WiThrottle server, you get access to the Webserver supplied panels from a fourth screen in WiThrottle. - Nigel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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