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Offline Diesel2000  
#1 Posted : 29 July 2022 16:46:20(UTC)
Diesel2000

United States   
Joined: 14/12/2020(UTC)
Posts: 29
Location: Illinois, Chicago
I've been adding locos to the CS3 and hit a snag with one that has an ESU 5 XL decoder. This decoder has M4 which is the ESU version of MFX. When I put it on the track it found the decoder and appeared to load it, but the loco did not appear in the list. I then tried the 'find lost MFX loco' function and it found it again, but again did not put it on the list. I then tried to set up this loco under DCC, but the CS3 does not control it. Its like it thinks its the MFX address still.

I tested with my old Massoth DCC system and the loco is still controlled under the DCC address. I've tried to reregister the 5 XL loco on the CS3, but now the 'find lost mfx' does not find anything new, and yet this loco does not appear in my loco list.

Any ideas what to try to get it to register? The verified the formats turned on in the decoder are DCC and MFX. I have MM disabled on the CS3 as I do not have any decoders with that protocol.
Offline Diesel2000  
#2 Posted : 29 July 2022 20:04:14(UTC)
Diesel2000

United States   
Joined: 14/12/2020(UTC)
Posts: 29
Location: Illinois, Chicago
I turned off the MFX protocol in the decoder and was then able to control using the DCC address through the CS3. Clearly the CS3 knows it has an MFX decoder and is trying to use that format, until its been disabled.
Offline Goofy  
#3 Posted : 30 July 2022 09:25:43(UTC)
Goofy


Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 8,993
Did you try reset start CS3? Seems fault somewhere in the system.
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
Offline H0  
#4 Posted : 01 August 2022 10:18:54(UTC)
H0


Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,254
Location: DE-NW
Originally Posted by: Diesel2000 Go to Quoted Post
I turned off the MFX protocol in the decoder and was then able to control using the DCC address through the CS3. Clearly the CS3 knows it has an MFX decoder and is trying to use that format, until its been disabled.
It's a feature that the decoder does not respond to DCC when mfx signals are present on the track.
Disabling mfx in the decoder is the way to go if you want to use it with DCC.

I don't have much experience with the CS3 and no idea why the registration fails.
The firmware of the decoders can be upgraded with an ESU LokProgrammer. I don't know if that will make a difference.

Is the CS3 running the latest firmware?
Regards
Tom
---
"In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS
UserPostedImage
Offline Diesel2000  
#5 Posted : 07 August 2022 12:26:02(UTC)
Diesel2000

United States   
Joined: 14/12/2020(UTC)
Posts: 29
Location: Illinois, Chicago
I'm happy to report that I have figured out the issue with this MFX loco and the CS3 not storing it. I first reset the decoder. Since its an ESU Loksound 5 XL this is very easy to do and then reloaded all the configured settings for the loco with the Lokprogrammer. I then connected the CS3 directly to track with the loco and it still wasnt able to register, but I noticed there was something weird happening with the PSX circuit breakers I use to divide my layout into power districts. These are connected behind a Massoth booster to the CS3 CAN Bus.

I disconnected the booster from the PSX circuit breakers and then the loco registered properly in the CS3. What odd is that I had the loco directly connected to the CS3 track output, but the problem appeared to be occurring from the CAN bus connection to the booster and PSX breakers that are used to control the actual layout. Strange, but at least now I know what was causing the issue and what I need to do to register future MFX locos with this set up.
thanks 2 users liked this useful post by Diesel2000
Offline DV  
#6 Posted : 08 August 2022 01:15:32(UTC)
DV

Australia   
Joined: 29/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 954
Location: Mount Barker, South Australia
Originally Posted by: Diesel2000 Go to Quoted Post


I disconnected the booster from the PSX circuit breakers and then the loco registered properly in the CS3.



The same problem occurred at our club layout, not only with ESU locos, but Märklin locos as well. Our layout is totally controlled by a CS3+ (with our old CS2 also connected to the CS3+) and has two boosters connected as prescribed in the manual.

Members were trying to connect their new Märklin mfx locos on the registration track. They noticed the 'reading decoder' message appearing on a regular 15 second repetition, and the loco not shown as registered.

As soon as the two boosters were disconnected, the registration went back to normal.

It's great you know what the problem is and are happy to disconnect the booster every time you require to register a loco, but for us that is a big pain in the you know what, some members are not really up to date with this new fangled digital stuffLOL LOL LOL LOL and we're worried that at a possible meeting that something can go astray if members in the know aren't there to help out.

Something Märklin has to look at we recommend strongly.

Dusan V
'I find your lack of faith (in Märklin) disturbing'
Offline kiwiAlan  
#7 Posted : 08 August 2022 01:19:13(UTC)
kiwiAlan

United Kingdom   
Joined: 23/07/2014(UTC)
Posts: 8,082
Location: ENGLAND, Didcot
Originally Posted by: DV Go to Quoted Post

Members were trying to connect their new Märklin mfx locos on the registration track. They noticed the 'reading decoder' message appearing on a regular 15 second repetition, and the loco not shown as registered.


I have seen this happen on a layout where there is a lot of RR activity - or at least a lot of mfx locos on the layout. The cs just cannot keep track of which one is replying to a command while also attempting to register a loco.

Offline JohnjeanB  
#8 Posted : 08 August 2022 01:34:14(UTC)
JohnjeanB

France   
Joined: 04/02/2011(UTC)
Posts: 3,084
Location: Paris, France
Originally Posted by: DV Go to Quoted Post
The same problem occurred at our club layout, not only with ESU locos, but Märklin locos as well. Our layout is totally controlled by a CS3 (with our old CS2 also connected to the CS3 ) and has two boosters connected as prescribed in the manual.

Hi
Is this happening while using Märklin Boosters, please?

When I was using my CS2 (2010 until 2019) I noticed that getting lost MFX locos would require me to force them to register on another CS (another 60215 or 60212 and MS1 in my case) and then come back to my main 60215. With early s/w versions, registration was sometimes painful (locos were half way registered Registration not fully completed but enough not to start anew).

Now I am using a CS3 60226 and I noticed the processus to recover lost MFX locos was working much better (last s/w revision).
I have 32 to 35 MFX locos simultaneously and try to register all of them simultaneously does not work well (no compartmenting by boosters) to say it mildly

Although not required by Märklin, installing a new loco for MFX registration on the programming track was working very well PROVIDED there is not a large data traffic on the Internet plug: I use Rocrail (busy exchanges) and as soon as I disconnect the Ethernet plug, registration is immediate.
Maybe (not sure here as I have no boosters) that an important data traffic on the CAN bus (boosters and other users) are disrupting the registration process.
Just my 2 cents worth
Cheers

Jean
Offline DV  
#9 Posted : 08 August 2022 08:11:55(UTC)
DV

Australia   
Joined: 29/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 954
Location: Mount Barker, South Australia
Originally Posted by: JohnjeanB Go to Quoted Post


Is this happening while using Märklin Boosters, please?


Jean


Yes it is, an older booster (60175) grey box, that was replaced by Märklin after we purchased it, and new black 60175 (serial number checked and not the ones that have been recalled).



Dusan V
'I find your lack of faith (in Märklin) disturbing'
Offline DV  
#10 Posted : 08 August 2022 08:17:10(UTC)
DV

Australia   
Joined: 29/11/2009(UTC)
Posts: 954
Location: Mount Barker, South Australia
Originally Posted by: kiwiAlan Go to Quoted Post


I have seen this happen on a layout where there is a lot of RR activity - or at least a lot of mfx locos on the layout. The cs just cannot keep track of which one is replying to a command while also attempting to register a loco.





For that particular reason (many locos on layout track), we always use the specified programming track, connected to the CS3+ next to the powering the track connection, as this does not affect the programming of locos.
Dusan V
'I find your lack of faith (in Märklin) disturbing'
thanks 3 users liked this useful post by DV
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