Hello Dale,

I do not have much experience with ESU's Intellibox. But as you know I got a CS 3+. Maerklin recommends in its manuals and/or books to switch of all not needed track formats at a CS 3. Because they may cause some trouble.

I do not think it has directly to do with the mfx+ format, but perhaps with mfx itself. As you see in the manual the setted track format priorities from the manufacturer. It is always mfx on the first place. As you write, only the IB makes some trouble. So why not switch it completly off for the IB? Run the loco only with DCC in a way the IB is forced using only DCC. Give it no chance for any choice selecting by itself the use of a track format. The main setting for the controller is using the track format by its installed priority levles.

BTW, from you a very nice article in German in the new “Digitale Modellbahn” (DiMO) 01-2020 page 60 ff about the “Bahnsteiganzeiger”! Even your "Wilsnack Hbf" picture is seen on the title of the paper.

https://docplayer.org/16...oled-bildschirmchen.html

OK, we know this article from your homepage already. Nevertheless for myself it is an easier reading. Oh, just write the German word - Bahnsteiganzeiger - into Google and see the pictures coming up.

ciao

Wolfgang

P.S.: did you try CV 50=5 or 6 or 7 too - perhaps this has an influence for an IB?

When i use even Märklin on the tracks with the CS3 i make sure to disabled unnecessary protocols and use only one protocol set at the locomotive decoder.
Märklin recommended this way too, because to avoid digital interference with too many protocols enable.

Thanks Wolfgang!

It has been an honor to have it translated for the German train press. They saw the article in a UK publication and asked to publish it also!

I have another article I have sent to them too!

Neither have I, but I had the Intellibox made by Uhlenbrock earlier...

uh, what? I actually included a link to the documentation that shows that the value 4 leaves only MM and DCC enabled.
They lump MM and DCC together into one column (bit). You cannot disable DCC and keep MM or vice versa.

I know one can't disable the protocol being used to change the CV, but that is irrelevant. It is just a reminder to use a different protocol to program the CV. In his case he can't use mFx to set the CV, but since he only has access to MM and DCC, it is not an issue.

You cannot disable DCC and keep MM enabled.

I have an Intellibox made by Uhlenbrock (an early 650 model) but I don't know where you can buy an ESU one....

You cannot disable DCC using DCC. You cannot disable MM using MM. You cannot disable mfx using mfx.

You can disable DCC using the MM protocol leaving MM active. Can definitely be done using the 6021. Can most likely also be done with the Intellibox.

In the manual for the 60972 decoder you find separate tables for MM programming and DCC programming.
https://static.maerklin....e982b774421569315494.pdf

Bit 2 applies to DCC only when using MM programming and it applies to MM only when using DCC programming.
There are two different bits in the decoder, but the interface hides one of these bits so you cannot lock yourself out.

In the loco manual they made a combined table that can give the impression that MM and DCC share the same bit.

Hi

I have the first generation IB, and I do have it updated to the latest version, 2.01, but as far as I know when I read the review notes I don't remember that at any time there were problems handling the newest decoders, it was to fix or implement new features.

One of the last updates gave an easier and more direct access to the functions of the decoders, but in any case the access was there.

Best regards

Not according to the documentation.

If disabling say DCC what value would you put into CV 50 then?

It sounds like people are suggesting there are two CV 50 registers, one visible to MM and one visible to DCC.
If so then the value of 4 would have eliminated the DCC capabilities if my friends loco. It did not.

Thanks Tom.

That is how they should have written the documentation!

I do not know either.

Maybe we should have a thread just for Intellibox users who can then help each other without non users (like me) getting involved.

You have been told many times that this forum allows talking about anything that can be used with Märklin products.
You have a long-standing reputation for derailing threads and reducing the S/N ratio and you lived up to our expectations once again.

We use the Intellibox II on the ETE modules here in the Bay Area. It can be a little buggy. The problems with MFX Loks with the newer decoders were deciphered early on in our experience. The protocols ARE documented in the Marklin instruction book, but not immediately obvious to the casual user of the product.

The above being said there are certain of my older MFX Loks that have difficulty with the intellibox and will not run or many functions are inaccessible. There are some other problems as well, but no one has mentioned them so I won't either.

I personally am still using a CS2 as it is adequate for my needs, but it's starting to break and need repairs, so an update is due.