Hi John
I just set my CS3 into the extended mode for events. The CS3 has the last version 2.2.0 (5)
I am far of being a specialist and I can only see the following macros:
* the AND macro
* the OR macro
* the macro IF
* the macro LOOP
* the macro RANDOM
* the macro SHUTTLE

I can't find a macro named BLOCK
I found a video (German) explaining the functioning of the above macros

I can't go any further because I have my CS3 but my layout (with Link 88) is far away AND I do all my logic work using Rocrail sorry.
So to answer your question there seems to be no Block macro
Cheers
Jean

Now that is a leading question ....

As per my comments in Nov, when this was first seen, I still think this is an incomplete deployment.

Re usage,
it uses the same containers system as the other macros, possibly with the one addition of a newish next/last block container.

The paradigm for all these macros takes some work to try and understand, partially because they have expected potential that is not implemented

Like most other macros you have to try and observe

Hi
Here is the little I understood about these macros and the BLOCK macro. I may very well be wrong. Just trying to find.
You may create an event that calls for a macro. If fact it create a second event (SHUTTLE, IF, AND, BLOCK,..) allowing to provide all the details of the macro.

BLOCK macro (created using "CONTROL" macro

It creates 5 containers for the following information:
* signal IF brake macro. Must contain the controlling signal
* entry contact Contact to start deceleration? Not sure
* exit contact Contact at block's exit to free it? Not sure
* BLOCK macro of the following block
* pause flag A pause condition preventing the loco to start even if the signal turns green

What is not clear is how the CS3 knows which loco to control. There is a "group" to be defined but no locos can be entered into the group.
Cheers
Jean

Hi John - did you get any further with exploring the block macro?

I'm about to try and implement a wholly digital block control on my layout, and as its the first piece of automation I've tried - I haven't a clue if its actually possible with the CS3.

I'm not using any real signals so they'll be virtually displayed on the cs3, also if I can slow down and stop a loco, I'm not using any dead powered track.

[Gripe]

I wish that when Märklin release these macro, that they'd provide some illustrated worked exemplars!

For me there is also the ambiguity of the term for part of the macro - 'BLOCK macro of the following block' - does that mean the next block to be entered from the current block or does it mean the block behind the current block !!

Søren in Denmark at https://railway.zone/index1c58.html explains the Brake macro in great detail and for me this is the kind of information that a new to automation user of Märklin needs.

Hi John

I'm using a CS3plus running hardware version 3.04 and software version 2.4.0 (5)

The block macro is available to me...

[img]http://[/img]

Tried the help in German but there was no information using the German language.

John

BlockMacro.pdf (58kb) downloaded 34 time(s).

this my flow chart form how block macro works in combination with Brake Macro. There is a limit when you use it with a break macro that only one train can ride at 1 time as cs3 those not no which train needs to stop when entering a break section.

I’m still experimenting with optimism the programming but I’m able to run 2 trains on a circular track with 3 blocks

The block macro is responsible for setting the signals and the break macro is responsible for controlling the train

Initialize

Lock block 1 needed to stop upcoming trains while next block is occupied

Release block 2 so train from block 3 can continue to block 2, but only when pause not active

Block 1 with break macro

Blocks

Edited by user 27 December 2024 13:46:16(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified