The 764xx Light signals , as announced in 2013, are starting to ship
In all outward appearances they appear identical to the 763xx signals of a decade ago.
- no consideration for left hand running orientation
- fixed length of cable (length not documented anywhere)

Addressing however aligns with more recent devices - i.e. DIP switch with CV override possible
Notes:
- For 3 and 4 aspect signals the 2nd address is fixed at the next consecutive address
- The Distant signal address can only be set with CVs - A cryptic reference is made to the use of MM whereby The address for the distant signal located on the mast, the next address on the 76495, on the 76496 and 76497 the address after the next address, is assigned automatically. This address cannot be changed This does not seem to allow a simple oval with (e.g.) 3 blocks and the last distance masthead cannot be set as the first home ??

Distance signal 76480/1 initially shipping (27Apr) with no 7649x Home signals available- which is a bit surprising as, from pg8, ...
a) This signal is designed for installation on H0 digital model railroad layouts in conjunction with the 76491, 76493, 76494, 76495, 76496, and 76497 signals
- none of these have shipped yet
b) These distant signals cannot be used together with the 76371/76372/76383/76391/76393/76394 signals.
- so much for any sort of backward compatibility


76480/1 Distance Signals Manual available online - version 243171/0215/Ha1Pw

Any characteristic configuration is done on the associated home signal with the following capabilities noted
(Some reference to CV40 but you have to refer to the home signal manual for what it actually does)
CV52 Distant Signal Switching duration LED on/off
- 0 = 0 seconds
- 1 = 0.175 seconds
- 2 = 0.35 seconds
- 3 = 0.5 seconds
CV54 Distance Signal Cross fading behavior
- 0 = simultaneously
- 1 = one after the other
- 2 = one after the other 0.1 sec. pause
- 3 = one after the other 0.5 sec. pause

Other technical specs about power and protocol are a bit un-needed as both these are covered off by the fact that the Distance Signal may only be connected to a companion home signal decoder. The protocol reference continues to allude to MFX capability as being available with CS2 v4.0 in 2Q15 but without any suggestion of what this means.

76491/3/4 Home Signals Manual available online - version 243357/0215/Ha2Pw

also includes 76471/2 Shunting signals

NOTE : manual updated to 243357/0415 (see later post of 31May2015)

76495/6/7 Home & Distance Signals Manual available online - version 243413/0315/Ha1Pw


CV40 Meaning Lighting 0 - 15 (15) 0 light off
- Dimming 0-15 : whereby 15 = 100% brightness
CV48 Home Signal Switching duration LED on/off
- 0 = 0 seconds
- 1 = 0.175 seconds
- 2 = 0.35 seconds
- 3 = 0.5 seconds
CV50 Home Signal Cross fading behavior
- 0 = simultaneously
- 1 = one after the other
- 2 = one after the other 0.1 sec. pause
- 3 = one after the other 0.5 sec. pause

CV45 appears to reflect the actual masthead of the specific product and cannot (Should not) be changed)
CV45 Signal Type Home signal:
- 2 = 76495 Block signal
- 3 = 76497 Entry signal
- 4 = 76496 Exit signal

On the Home&Distance Signal - CV 46 defines what type of signal the DOWNSTREAM home signal is
CV46 Signal Type Distant Signal belongs to
- 2 = Block signal
- 3 = Entry signal
- 4 = Exit signal

Edited by user 31 May 2015 11:41:10(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Thank you, Peter, for this detailed summary.

Had I not invested heavily in Viessmann signals, I might have been tempted by these but a quick run run-through of the manuals suggests that even with all this sophistication and the opportunities it provides, there is still a gap in the functionality provided. Firstly the manuals give no clue as to how to connect an Entry signal (76496) to several different Exit signals (76494 or 76497) at the same station, which is an obvious requirement, and even if this is possible there does not seem to be a way to make certain that the distant signal part of the Entry signal knows which Exit signal it is connected to and therefore shows the correct aspect.

Incidentally, the drawing on Page 5 of the 76471/76472/76491/76493/76494 manual is wrong as they have got the profiles of the signals mixed up on the different rows. (They have shown the same information in a different way on the 76495/76496/76497 book and got it right on that one!)

Just a FYI highlight that Marklin have updated the manual or the 76480/1,76491/3/4

While there is a single manual for all 5 products they are linked on the Publications database as ....
... 76471_betrieb.pdf
... 76472_betrieb.pdf
... 76491_betrieb.pdf
... 76493_betrieb.pdf
... 76494_betrieb.pdf

At the time of posting the 76493_betrieb.pdf is still linking to an old version = 243357/0215/Ha2Pw

On face value the .pdf downloads appears simply to be the appendage of the manual in the alternate languages E/I/S/DK , to the origninal in D/G/USA/F/NL so the .pdf expands from 40 pages to 80 pages.

On closer analysis there is actually a change (243357/0415) in the schematic on page 37 relating to the colour coding of the wires in the cable used for the 72441/2. The Red/Brown and Red/Green have changed.
The positional relationship in the plug has NOT changed so I can only conclude that the manufacturing of the cable from the factory was a stuff up , and it was cheaper to push out a new manual.

I cannot think why anyone would use the 72441/2 with these signals, but if you do - be aware that a bit of extra attention is needed.

Why not?

Tom,
If I may be a little pedantic - the 764xx (and 70xxx semaphore) signals, which people appear to have adopted the term "mfx signals" for, are quite capable of operating with a CS2 in either MM or DCC mode. Last months CS2 update even offered a CV template in support of them.

What the statement that accompanies these new signals (separate piece of paper) actually says is ...
"The mfx functions on the signal cannot be used until Update 4.0 ...."

I have yet to hear any information at all about what these "mfx functions" are or how they provide any benefit to the layout modeler

That is quite correct.

They may also be used and configured by a CS1, 602x or any non Marklin Controller that supports either DCC or Marklin Motorola formats (Accessories).

They can also be controlled (but not configured) without a digital controller (but don't mention it too loud or you may start a trend)

I've got two 70412 and one 76472 coming probably in a few weeks. I will let you all know how it goes. I am planning to use them with the MS II.

Cheers and thanks for all your inputs. Peter

I'm only using them with the MS2. They are great and I'm very happy with their operation and looks. One drawback for me. They will not work with

contact track sections C/24994/194 & M/5146/7.

Peter

I find the image of the (semaphore) Distance Signal as a keyboard selectable option worthy of note. This implies the acceptance of a separately addressable device not necessarily tied to a home signal by the same address.

Even if it does not mean there is some extra/fancy internal logic for choosing which home signal to represent - i.e. conditional on the state of a point/turnout, at least it enables this sort of logic to be handled at a higher level - i.e. a PC or memory sequence.

For the light equivalent, a Distance signal requires a host (home) control module. This is currently only available with a home module, however it will effectively work if you do not plug in the home mast. The issue is that you cannot currently get the control module by itself for retrofitting with the "light" distance signal, only with a mast.

I wonder if this is going to change, and where there is an icon for a distance "light" signal as well as the distance "semaphore" signal shown.

Slow work by Märklin,to solve the problem about program...

No such thing !


While some call a bug the underlying root cause, others just see the symptom and call that the bug.

In this era I find that bugs are all to easy to find, if they haven't already found you first !

And its not just a mater of finding and fixing the cause - first you have to prove to support then management then development that there is actually an issue before they bother to assign resource to working on it.

A Few more screenshots for those who may not have a mfx signal to play with and who can't wait for Marklin to update the manuals like they said they would

Except for the missing translation, I found the process is quite clean. The translation that has been done is good.

TIP: if you are having a play and have deleted a discovered signal, you may find it hard to detect again.
I found that going through the mfx Loco rebind process would wake things up.


The usual starting point to change a keyboard configuration


The "discover new mfx accessories" button


An unusually informative message if you have STOP pressed on the CS2


If you do not have any new devices , another good meaningful message


Progress message - not in english


Device detected, and being read message - also not in English


If multiple new devices detected they are all processed together.


If the new devices already have address THAT DO NOT CONFLICT with anything already defined on the keyboard


IF THERE IS A CONFLICT.. you get a resolution wizard
Suggestion to M : wouldn't it be nice if the message indicated the product type and allowed a test at this stage so you can have some confidence that the correct one has been detected.


Once complete you get something like this


Accessing the item in normal edit mode we see the greyed out protocol with a mfx prefix
This would have been "mfx(DCC)" if that was the mode of the signal when detected
While the address may be changed - out on the layout - the protocol cannot.


Accessing the "CV" will cause the same sort reading of blocks of data as you see for a mfx loco
Because the translation is incomplete it would have been nice to see the CV numbers on the left so we could reference the books for a description
The drop-down dialogues are good though
The Vorsignal reference is for a distance signal on the same mast as the home signal, there is no option to set a separate address for the additional distance signal.
BUT WHAT IS THE "O" !!


Pressing the "O" gives you some sort of configuration panel.

Do you already have the braking mode connected?

I am attempting to set up a "block system" on my layout using the 76495 signals....
1) Programmed them the 76495 into the CS 3 without problem. (Eg. Signal # 1)
2) I Cannot decipher all the nuances to program the Vor-signal on the mast ( signal # 1) to reflect the status on the next forward "block"...ie the block signal into which the train is entering. ( Eg. Signal #2)

Would appreciate any help....and thank you...you can PM me at amfisher102@mac.com

alan

You appear to have ignored my earlier post and I have little more to add.

However I will reiterate ...
- in MM mode the address of the distance masthead is fixed at the following address(s) from the home masthead.
- so your 3) item is moot

As you have not stated , one way or the other, what the addresses are that are under consideration, I have to presume that they downstream signal address is NOT consecutive.
- therefore you need to change the signal mode to DCC to allow a separate address to be applied.

I apologize. You thought that I had ignored your comments which was not the case. There is a vast difference between ignoring comments and not understanding them. I am reconfiguring my Marklin signals to DCC, which should solve my problem with a single distant signal trying to interpret the home signal from a main line signal and its neighbor which is a passing lane. DCC solves that problem. Thank you for your help....