I chimed in too late yesterday on the webinar with Curtis Jueng and Rick Sinclair to ask questions.
Curtis was explaining how bytes are programmed in decoders for the Motorola and mfx format as well as dcc. He mentioned that check bits are sort of a double repeat code so that devices or trains having the same address don't crosstalk data that is only meant for one. He said it's more complex with MFX. I have a fully MFX signal which I installed as MFX, not mm, or DCC. It's a home and distant combination signal. The CS 3 chose address 03 for the main home signal. I don't have any other signal connected in sequence with it.
Moving on, I have a Marklin br 101 Starlight Express digital fx from the late 90s with dip switches. I set it's address to 03. It only has long distance headlights and acc/deceleration delay on/off functions. When I ran it, and selected one or the other, the signal setting and lights changed. This seems odd to me.
I know it's a complicated thing, and I may email them about it. Has anyone else experienced a similar thing?

Hi


DCC or MM2 being one direction signal (one sender, others are receivers) there are NO cross-talk issues. So there is NO problem in using the same address in DCC or MM2 on 2 locos provided the digital signal is strong enough and the electrical distribution correct.

MFX is a different animal so it seems with Märklin's MFX implementation (I cannot say for other manufacturers trying to emulate MFX (M4, etc):
- when posing an MFX loco on the track, the master CS or MS ("Master") checks if the loco is already registered BOTH sides (it may be registered on your CS3 but, been used on a different unit (CS, MS, etc).
- if a loco needs a new registration, the master tries to find an unused address and preferably with the same MFX address as used to drive the loco in question (with another CS / MS).
- when some locos are not present on the layout or are power OFF (i.e.: stopped by a signal's insulated section), it may happen that an address previously used on the master is re-allocated to the new-coming loco (thus "stealing" an already-used address)
- in this case, all is fine until the "other" loco with the same address is powered ON / installed on the layout. As soon as the Master detects that 2 locos have the same MFX address, it decides to re-register one of the 2 locos so that ALL MFX numbers are unique (no address duplication). The re-registered loco is disconnected (placed on stand-by) until the user "welcomes" the new loco (the solid red oval marker is replaced with an hollow red oval, the loco is proposed at the start of the locos list. If you select the loco in editing mode, access its parameters, then the loco is "Welcomed" and takes back its place in the list (name or address listing) and the red oval marker becomes solid again.

MFX accessories: the numbering is independent of the loco numbering

This is only what I have observed using many MFX locos with multiple layouts and CS3, CS2, M2.

Cheers
Jean

Hello,

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, but please keep in mind that the address space for "locomotives" is completely separate from the address space for "accessories". These two address spaces do not compete but reside in their own environments in the control system.

Cheers,
Andry

This has been covered before and is a known bug.

Yes the Loco and Accessories, using MM SHOULD be a different address space (frequency band also)
But the signals do not honor this.

I would suggest setting the signals to use DCC