FRank,
AS Adrian Reported, I was running the program from my PC in another room via the Wireless Network.

It was an experiment that works well IF you know what trains and where they are at my state of development.
I brought the Bridge to use with the CS2 which I no longer have so it was something to see if the Bridge worked and if I could control the trains.
On the Layout rebuild it will be set up for computer control.
Nev

Hi Adrian and Caillin,

Thank you Adrian! It is always a pleasure to get positive feedback, although only when I get bug reports or suggestions I can improve LC.

Caillin, it was again a common programmer's bug due to a copy/paste action, if your layout had one or more switch relais you would not had the route object condition problem in the 'Actions and Conditions' dialog.[:I]

So, normally in the latest 'good/better' maintenance release of LC 1.0.0.22 [build date: 17/11/2008] the bug is fixed, up to the next one...[:I] .

Best of luck with the routes!

<u>Important remark:</u>
When a route object is used in the 'Actions and Conditions' dialog it should NOT have the 'Active' checkbox checked in the 'Route Planner' dialog otherwise it will be triggered when the assigned feedback item to the route becomes occupied.


BTW. if you have some extra time could you please verify if LC controls correctly the DS with 4 states(twin motors), thank you!

Cheers,
Frank

Frank,

I'll try to get a chance to to test ( but most likely I wont have time till Sunday afternoon) but what should I look for. I don't have a double switch to test

Hi Darrin,

Thank you!

The main problem is not the double switch (4 states) but the fact that in automatic control not all actions are executed (only in a 6050/51-6021 setup). Bart (alias dikken) is experiencing a lot of trouble shooting and not more than 4 actions need to be executed.

How big do you set the parameter for reading out the feedback decoders? Normally, 250 ms is/should be a good value.

Have a nice weekend,
Frank

I have have not had a chance to test the new version yet but I have had that problem before and just work around it. I have mine set to 525 ms and about 4 to 5 commands are all that get through do to the slow baud rate of the 6051. I had to plan out the actions carefully as not to miss a needed command like set speed == 0. In one scenario the approach to the station platform has always been a challenge as I want to slow the train down at fist s88 contact just before entering the yard then stop it when it hits the s88 contact at the platform. Normally this would not be that hard but I have another train on coming out of the hidden yard that will hit a contact point around the same time and even though the action and conditions for the two trains do not effect each other they do send a lot of commands and I had to slow the train coming into the station down to a very slow speed. so the commands could be executed before the train hit the contact at the stop point.
after a contact is hit I typically send
1: train speed first // note If more than one trains speed is set I have had change the order of which loco gets its command first if it is more critical
2: Switch the points // again most critical first
3: Whistles, Lights, etc Or Signals // My signals are purely cosmetic

Hi,

I have uploaded a new version of 1.0.0.23 (build date 13/12/2008).

Hopefully ([:I]) this version will fix 'switching problems' some people are experiencing when using the 6021/6050(51) as digital system setup.

Any chance somebody could test this version for a 6021/6051 setup?
Thanks!

Cheers,
Frank

I just soldered up my DE-9 connector and tried out my new 6051 with LocCommander, and I am pleased to say it worked! It only took about 2 hours of reading about setting up the locomotives in the catalog and fiddling with the port settings before I was controlling my little diesel from my laptop!
I look forward to learning all about how this wonderful program works, and just wanted to inject a bit of newbie enthusiasm in this thread.
Thanks!

Thank you!

Hoping to start soon with new version(S) providing new features.[:I]
Please feel free to make any suggestions/remarks...

Cheers,
Frank

Hi all,

A new version of LC 1.0.0.24 is ready for download.

This version supports 9999 digital addresses independant of the digital system or the decoder type.

Br,
Frank

Hi all,

I have just released V1.0.0.26. This version should support setting the protocol (DCC or Motorola) per accessory. I think this is only valid for the ECoS.

For further info please see also:
http://fvri.forumco.com/topic~TOPIC_ID~138.asp

Have fun!
Best regards,
Frank

Hi all,

The DCC problem in LC should be fixed. The latest version is 1.0.0.26 build date 24/04/2009.

<u>Issue was described in topic:</u>http://fvri.forumco.com/topic~TOPIC_ID~136.asp

Best regards,
Frank

Hi Mark,

Thanks for this kind remark!
It is a pleasure to provide a software tool to the MR community!

Although a lot can still be improved as well as new 'fancy' features are still possible.

I hope when I have again more hours after work I can start with supporting fancy stuff in LC. Currently I'm trying to integrate 'QuickGraph' into LC to support advanced automatic train control.

Enjoy your weekend!
Br,
Frank

Hi Alessandro,

I don't think so as this is one of the requirements...:
- Einsetzbar mit jeder Steuersoft- ware, die das LocoNet-Protokoll unterstützt

Unless the
LocoNet-Protokoll equals the P50 protocol...

If I may ask, why your interest in this box? You do have a CS1.

Br,
Frank

If you see how the CS2 and ECoS with firmware V3.0.0 more and more implementing high level software/firmware into their controllers it is quite a different business than only providing control hardware.

Keep the high level software seperated from the controller and thus give the development and responsibility (and bugs[}:)]) to the software guys. It is a very smart approach according to my humble opinion! It also allows the user to freely select the software that is most appropriote for his needs. In the end it should lower the price of the new MR controllers as it is becoming more and more an expensive PC.

The controller should only support a well defined and complete API that gives the most essential functionality to develop client MR software.

The concept of the M6021/6051 was not bad after all, only the RS232 should be replaced by ethernet.

Br,
Frank

Hi all,

I have decided to stop furhter developments in LocCommander.
I hope the ones that have used LocCommander enjoyed it.

Special thanks to the forum members that have contributed in giving me feedback to make it possible for me to make LC better.

Best regards,
Frank

Three cheers for Frank's work and his baby: LC!!!--MM

Frank, are you going to make the source code available for any one who would want to take over LC development?

Not that I'm capable of that, but the thought just occurred to me.

Frank,

Thanks for all your hard work on your wonderful software.

Hi,

Sorry to all those that I'm disappointing by quiting, but as we all know say never never...

The main reason is lack of time to do further big developments.

LC will certainly not become Open Source... this requires too much support from my part.

The website http://users.telenet.be/loccommander will stay online for time being. The latest version 1.0.0.26 will remain available for download.

Best regards,
Frank

Hi Alessandro and all fans of LC,

Yes, I feel bad about my dicission... indeed it can become a very long pause/break ....

Nevertheless as there are a lot of other good programs with more functionality especially regarding automatic control I can not disappoint longer people without bringing out sooner advanced features in LC. As I currently don't have the time I can not implement their wishes quick enough and the world luckly does not stand still. Indeed with LC you are up and running quickly, also I documented a lot in the forum fvri.forumco.com and in the manual. But automatic train control in LC is more designed from a programmers point of view and I understand this might be a difficult hurdle for some.
With the actions and conditions concept you can do a lot but it is sometimes hard to keep a good overview of what you have implemented already. With the Test Mode you can verify already a lot without having to use the real layout, but still hard to debug if something goes wrong after defining a lot of actions and conditions. There is even a condition parser...

To speed up things I thought I could integrate QuickGraph easily in LC, but it seems this third party graph SW stuff does not produce the good results as fast as I wanted them to do.

Thanks for the support you gave me over the last years by giving feedback/bug reports on new releases of LC.

Time will tell what will become of LC...

Best regards,
Ciao,
Frank

Dear Frank, I understand that you feel it is becoming "just too much" - I have had that feeling many times...

A final total stop on development is one thing, a well needed break is another.

I'd say, take a long nice break and maybe think about it again in 6 months or so. Your motivation may come back again...
All I can say is that it is a wonderful effort you have made for the mrr world and many are enjoying it, and it is very good as it is.

If you should ever decide quit permanently, would it be possible for this site to host the last version of the software as a download?

Since you are a programmer, I have a feeling that you will not be able to leave your "baby" alone for all time to come...
And then already happy users will get even happier if you ever decide to add some more features...

Moved from thread Marklin at "Small North Texas Show"



Hi Frank I was running your LokCommander.

It seems like there is a communication slow down between the computer and the track. For instance as an S88 circuit is trigged one of first commands is to set the speed of the loco then one of the last commands is to play a sound on the computer form a file.
On several occasions I have seen the speed change on the computer interface (from 0 to 100) and I have heard the sound play. But the Loco just sits there with lights on but no changes.
Or I set the speed from 100 to 0 and the loco goes for several seconds before the action happens. This tends to happen after the layout has been running for more than an hour. Again I have rebooted the computer thinking it could be a memory leak but still have the problem when I start it back up after rebooting.

I have adjusted the feedback response from 250ms to 750ms typical I have it set at 500ms, at 250ms I sometimes get multiple triggers as the train crosses contact tracks. Some times when I first start the layout after having it off for a while even 500ms is to fast and it causes multiple triggers so I set it higher to say 650. I have seen the counter count up to three as the train passes over a contract track that is two straight tracks long. Then after running for an hour I might have to set it to 400ms to get the commands to the loco fast enough.

I just have the feeling that the problem comes form the asynchronous communication in the USB adapter to slower serial connector. And maybe the 6051 and the S88 gets slow when hot, I just don't know.

But I want to get the Ecos2 when it comes out then I can run DCC decoders also and have access to the functions above 4. I have been on the ESU forum and they have said that the protocol has stayed the same so anything that has been written for the Ecos1 should still work.

Hi Frank,

I see that you released version 1.0.0.27 in late November. Are you continuing with development now?


Regards,

Thomas

Frank, this means that the software is an interesting option for model railroaders... And maybe it has a rumour of being a "stable" version that is "good enough" for most model railroad enthusiasts wanting to control their layouts with it, compared to commercial software...

And maybe the exposure in this forum has helped a bit too... We trust you, since you are a member here...

It took about 10 years to get this site where it is now (even if the content part will be under reconstruction now for some time) so it is not surprising that things evolve slowly... The word has to be spread, and if it's good - they will come...