As some of you might know, I'm just getting going on converting my whole system to digital. Have converted half dozen or so locos with fairly good but not always perfect success. However, quickly coming to the point I need to be able to tweak and program the decoders. Tried searching the forum past posts looking for this info but didn't find what I was seeking. So, bunch of probably dumb questions follow:

First is the setup needed to do this work. I see the Marklin 60971 programming tool, which then can be plugged into your PC using the downloadable software?

Works for many Marklin decoders, but how about ESU?

Am I correct that the decoder has to be out of the loco to do this?

Is it possible to program the decoder in the loco with the unit on the track using a CS or MS unit?

I read about using a "programming track," which I take to mean a short track section connected to a CS or MS unit. Is that right? Is it possible to connect the programming track to the pc somehow and use the Marklin programming software?

Is there a good guide somewhere that describes a bit better the actual process of doing the programming, the meaning of the various CV values, how to get it to do what you want, etc.?

If I can get a better picture of this stuff, then I'll drive you guys crazy with some more specific questions later. Thanks in advance.

Dennis

You do NOT need to remove the Decoder from the engine when using the ESU programmer!

Peder

OK, so been reading a bunch more stuff and trying to put a few more of the pieces together. If you'll bear with me for a moment, let me describe a particular issue I'm having to see if I'm starting to see through a bit of the fog:

Have a BR103 TEE loco in which I've upgraded the motor and installed a 60977 decoder. The dealer was to have installed the sound files for that loco. In addition to the basic stuff, this loco has a single light midships (the cab light). (My lights are LED that are isolated from the chassis.) Soooo ... when I wired it up, I took the Aux1 lead and an orange lead and connected those to the cab light. Now, based on what I read in the 60977 instructions it looks like the Aux1 would normally be mapped to the f1 button, and so figured that f1 would control the cab lights -- but of course, it does not. Furthermore, I would normally expect the f3 button to control the horn/whistle -- which of course, it does not.

Soooo, I'm thinking that a) in the process of reprogramming the sounds for this specific loco, perhaps the dealer "unmapped" those two functions (f1 and f3); and b) regardless of how they got this way, the only way I'm going to get them working correctly is to put this decoder on the 60971 programmer and fix those two things. Or alternatively, is the Mobile Station capable of reprogramming those functions?

Or (just as likely) am I just completely off base on what's going on here???

And again, I thank you in advance for your help.

Dennis

Thanks, Tom. Worked with the MS2 a bit last night and indeed its programming capability is quite limited. Ordering the 60971 this morning. Suspect once I get to work with the MDT programming utility for a bit it will help me understand a lot more about how the data is structured in the decoders and how the whole system works. Ahhh, goodie. Another new adventure!