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Offline mascagni  
#1 Posted : 24 July 2012 14:09:55(UTC)
mascagni


Joined: 25/07/2002(UTC)
Posts: 826
Location: Tallahassee, FL USA
Hi: I have a CS1 upgraded with the ESU "Central Station Reloaded," and upgraded to the latest version from ESU. I have it connected to an Apple Airport via a crossover cable. I can connect to the CS1, treating it as an Ecos in Rocrail. I also can turn the power on an off the CS1 from RocRail. I have two problems:

1. I cannot control any locomotives, and I seek help in figuring this out.
2. When I connect one sees in the RocRail window information being transferred from the CS1; however, I cannot figure out how to use those Lok definitions to setup things.

Help in these items would be appreciated. One obvious extra question: is the crossover cable no longer necessary, or should the Airport (the old, mushroom shaped one) adapt to that?

Thanks in advance.
Michael Mascagni, Tallahassee
If I weren't a Mathematician, I'd be a Violinist.--Albert Einstein
Offline Besra  
#2 Posted : 29 July 2012 14:14:40(UTC)
Besra


Joined: 01/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 27
Location: Near Duesseldorf, Germany
Hello Michael,

I'm somewhat familiar with Rocrail but unfortunately not with the ECoS / CS1. I will try to help you, anyway. See the wiki page ECoS - Locomotives for more info.
First of all setting up locos in Rocrail for use with the ECoS slightly differs from the procedure used for other command stations: The ECoS will not evaluate the address of the loco but the ID. Therefore it is important the loco was set up on the ECoS first. The ID used on the ECoS must be typed in the ID field of Rocrail. The IDs must exactly be the same. Second thing is the address: It does not matter which address you enter in Rocrail but it must not be 0 (zero). The protocol should be "server defined". "Decoder steps" and "Functions" should be set according to the capability of the decoder. Press apply and OK and it should work.
Please also read the tutorial if you did not so far.

Best regards
Besra
Offline dntower85  
#3 Posted : 30 July 2012 23:02:08(UTC)
dntower85

United States   
Joined: 08/01/2006(UTC)
Posts: 2,218
Location: Shady Shores, TX - USA
Not quite sure why you are using a cross over cable with the airport. I would think that the Airport with a regular Ethernet cable assign an ip address to the CS1/ecos automatically. then you just look at the ip address in the central stations set up and set RocRail to read that.

I thought a cross over cable was used to connect directly from a computer to the central station. then you give the central station and the computer static IP address. like 192.168.1.1 and 192.68.1.2 and as long as the last value is with in 100 it will show up on to the other device.
DT
Now powered by ECoS II unit#2, RocRail
era - some time in the future when the space time continuum is disrupted and ICE 3 Trains run on the same rails as the Adler and BR18's.
Offline mascagni  
#4 Posted : 31 July 2012 19:08:10(UTC)
mascagni


Joined: 25/07/2002(UTC)
Posts: 826
Location: Tallahassee, FL USA
Will try without the crossover cable very soon, and will report if problems persist.--MMcorssover
Michael Mascagni, Tallahassee
If I weren't a Mathematician, I'd be a Violinist.--Albert Einstein
Offline Besra  
#5 Posted : 31 July 2012 22:42:31(UTC)
Besra


Joined: 01/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 27
Location: Near Duesseldorf, Germany
Hi,

"dntower85" wrote:
I would think that the Airport with a regular Ethernet cable assign an ip address to the CS1/ecos automatically. then you just look at the ip address in the central stations set up and set RocRail to read that.

If the IP is assigned automatically you may have to check the address each time the connection is re-established unless it's always the same address being assigned to the ECoS. It's sometimes better or more convenient at least to use fixed IPs.

The cable in my opinion shouldn't be the problem as Michael reported he can switch on / off the ECoS via Rocrail.

Best regards
Besra
Offline mascagni  
#6 Posted : 01 August 2012 15:09:54(UTC)
mascagni


Joined: 25/07/2002(UTC)
Posts: 826
Location: Tallahassee, FL USA
I still have not had time to try things out, but I think that the issue probably is not the X-over cable. The thing is that I have the connected to the Airport with the only Cat 5 port available. Thus, I think that the IP is relatively stable, and it is easy to look it up. I have RocRail installed on a Linux box and a Win7 laptop. They all have no trouble going as far as turning on and off the power.

A related question: is there some way to automatically capture the information on the Loks already loaded into the CS1/Ecos memory?

Thanks again for helping me start to play with this.--MM
Michael Mascagni, Tallahassee
If I weren't a Mathematician, I'd be a Violinist.--Albert Einstein
Offline dntower85  
#7 Posted : 01 August 2012 16:42:59(UTC)
dntower85

United States   
Joined: 08/01/2006(UTC)
Posts: 2,218
Location: Shady Shores, TX - USA
My internet wireless router only had one port so I ended up buying a router just to connect to the ecos2 while staying and stay connected to the internet.
I find that connecting both the computer and ecos to the extra router gave a faster data responses over having the ecos connected to the internet router and the computer connected via wireless. Only draw back is I cant get my tablet to see the computer and Ecos when they are attached to the second router.
They all end up on the same net work but I cant figure out how to get it to to obtain the address on the second router.

If I turn on the router then the Ecos (let it boot up) then the computer the ip address stays the same.

I think I'm going to try a cross over cable because I think the data trans mission will be even faster.
I still have problems sometimes when multiple blocks become occupied at the same time triggering multiple events and not all the commands are sent to the decoders.
In RocRail you can see that the events were sent but I don't think the Ecos gets them all.
DT
Now powered by ECoS II unit#2, RocRail
era - some time in the future when the space time continuum is disrupted and ICE 3 Trains run on the same rails as the Adler and BR18's.
Offline Besra  
#8 Posted : 01 August 2012 17:31:03(UTC)
Besra


Joined: 01/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 27
Location: Near Duesseldorf, Germany
Hi

"mascagni" wrote:
A related question: is there some way to automatically capture the information on the Loks already loaded into the CS1/Ecos memory?

Unfortunately, no.

"dntower85" wrote:
In RocRail you can see that the events were sent but I don't think the Ecos gets them all.

If you're able to reproduce this behaviour it may be worth posting a trace file on the Rocrail forum. Some command stations obviously need some time between commands...

Best regards
Besra
Offline eroncelli  
#9 Posted : 03 August 2012 11:21:58(UTC)
eroncelli

Italy   
Joined: 16/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 124
Location: Bergamo - italy
If you can start/stop the CS via the computer, it means the connections is OK: so don't get crazy about cross or not cross cable.

Then go back to the top of this thread, where Besra explained how to enter loco infos into RR: you need to use the "name" (that's the way the Maerklin system works).
If you have "mfx" decoder than leave the address as 3 (as it doesn't matter) and "protocol" as "server defined".
For MM decoders, you can set also the proper address and the protocol.
Unfortunately, all the job shall be done manually (included the functions of each loco), loco by loco.
Offline mascagni  
#10 Posted : 07 August 2012 13:17:21(UTC)
mascagni


Joined: 25/07/2002(UTC)
Posts: 826
Location: Tallahassee, FL USA
I don't think the x-over cable made a difference one way or the other. However, I am still not able to run anything. When RocRail connects to the CS1-reloaded, it prints out a list of the loks in the memory of the CS. I have two of those on the tracks now, and I can run them by physically turning the CS knobs. However, I cannot access them using RocView. One is an old MM non-mfx, and the other is a Mehano with MM decoder. I will try again when I find the time...which this week is pretty hard to find. Thanks for all the help!
Michael Mascagni, Tallahassee
If I weren't a Mathematician, I'd be a Violinist.--Albert Einstein
Offline Besra  
#11 Posted : 07 August 2012 22:32:23(UTC)
Besra


Joined: 01/08/2010(UTC)
Posts: 27
Location: Near Duesseldorf, Germany
Hi Michael,

Quote:
When RocRail connects to the CS1-reloaded, it prints out a list of the loks in the memory of the CS

I'm pretty sure you nevertheless have to create the locos in Rocrail, too. Did you do that? To my knowledge Rocrail does not import locos automatically / directly. The loco you want to control has to be in the loco table of Rocrail (Tables... / Locomotives).

Best regards
Besra
Offline eroncelli  
#12 Posted : 15 August 2012 16:19:09(UTC)
eroncelli

Italy   
Joined: 16/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 124
Location: Bergamo - italy
I'm using RocRail with Marklin systems and can only confirm Besra's advice: in Tables/Locomotives you got to enter the ID (i.e. the name) in "General" tab, exactly as it written in your CS2 and the address and protocol (Motorola) in "Interface" tab.
Only for mfx locos set the protocol to "server defined" (no matter for the address).
It will work.
Than, if you like, you'll have also to manually enter the "functions" of each loco; with the "Function buttons" you can switch on and off, but no "name" is shown in RR, if not properly set/named.
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