[Feature Request]: Programming of Accessory Decoder on Main & Controlling on Programming Track

[klausnahr]

Problem/idea statement

For product testing of the new turnout decoders for Kato Unitrack from Proto Design Labs I needed the feature of programming accessory decoders on the Main Track. Therefore I extend the controlling command 'a' by a programming feature:

• aw ADDRESS SUBADDRESS CV VALUE
• aw LINEARADDRESS CV VALUE

For programming on the programming track no accessory programming command is needed, that can be done by just using 'W'.

For testing the turnouts on the programing track after e.g. an address change I also added the command 'A':

• A ADDRESS SUBADDRESS ACTIVATE
• A LINEARADDRESS ACTIVATE

Track power has to be on to operate a turnout.

I have done tests successfully with turnout decoders from Proto Design Labs and Decoderwerk.

What I haven't done yet is programming a decoder address either by ADDRESS SUBADDRESS or LINEARADDRESS. The reason for that is that RCN-255 list CV1 as LSB (6- or 8 bits) and CV9 as MSB (3 bits) with copies in CV17 and CV18. But Decoderwerk for example uses CV40 and CV41. I will try to get more information first to see what other manufacturers are doing. Any information on that would be very welcome.

One option could be:

• AA ADDRESS SUBADDRESS
• AA LINEARADDRESS

for CV1 / CV9 and

• AA ADDRESS SUBADDRESS CV-LSB CV-MSB
• AA LINEARADDRESS CV-LSB CV-MSB

to use non standard CVs for the address.

If the already implemented features are of general interest I can createa a pull request.

Best regards
Klaus Nahr

Alternatives or workarounds

Calculate address CV values by hand.

Additional context

No response

[habazut]

We have to think if aw is a good command but in general it is a good idea to have these commands.

I don't think that A is needed as you can use <1 JOIN> and then test on prog track.

10AA-AAAA 1AAA-1AA0   Einfache Zubehördecoder mit 11 Bit Adressen 
10AA-AAAA 0AAA-0AA1   Erweiterte Zubehördecoder mit 11-Bit Adressen

Can you explain the difference? What have you implemented?

Pull requests or just a github location with code is always welcome.

Harald.

[klausnahr]

A Turnout Decoder is a Simple Accessory Decoder. The format for an Extended Accessory Decoder has three bytes. The third bytes allowes to handle up to 256 states. See RCN-213, chapter 2.3. Programming of an Simple Accessory Decoder is described in RCN-214, chapter 2.

Instead of 'aw' a new single character command can be used as well. I can change that if somebody tells me which character I should use. The comment in line 99 in DCCEXParser.cpp is saying 'This is a JMRI command parser.' But I could not find any reference of the JMRI commands.

For controlling and programming of extended accessory decoders new commands are necessary too. The 'a' command can't be used for extended accessory decoders too as the number of parameters would be the same when using Address and Subaddress for a simple accessory decoder and Linear Address and State for the extended accessory decoder.

With <1 JOIN> the A is indeed obsolet, I wasn't aware of that feature.

[klausnahr]

I forgot to mention, I have also added linear addresses 2045 - 2048. They will be mapped on address 0 subaddresses 0 - 3. See RCN-213, page 5.

Actually there is much more to do to support accessory decoders. That's why I choose a two character code.

The format for simple accessory decoders is 10AA-AAAA 1AAA-DAAR where R is the output (turnout, but could also be two light outputs) and D is Activate / Deactivate. The current documentation is misleading as the R bit is references as Activation. Most turnout decoders have a fixed or via CV configurable activation time, so sending a Deactiviation is in most cases not necessary. But a new command is required to control the two bits, e.g.

• as linear_address activate output
• as address subaddress activate output

The a command should be renamed to

• a linear_address output
• a address subaddress output

Next a command for extended accessory decoders is required. Format is 10AA-AAAA 0AAA-0AA1 DDDD-DDDD where DDDD-DDDD is in the range 0 - 255.

• ax linear_address output
• ax address subaddress output

To make it even more complex this command can be used to set an activation time for simple accessory decoders. Format is 10AA-AAAA 0AAA-0AA1 RZZZ-ZZZZ. R is the output, ZZZ-ZZZZ is the time in 100 ms. 0 = off, 127 = permanently on

• at linear_address output time
• at address subaddress output time

Then there are emergency off command for simple 1011-1111 1000-0110 and extended accessory decoders 1011-1111 0000-0111 0000-0000.

• ae
• ao

Next is a NOP command 10AA-AAAA 0AAA-1AAT

• an linear_address type
• an address subaddress type

And now we have the progamming command. What I already did was programming of simple accessory decoders.

• aw ADDRESS SUBADDRESS CV VALUE
• aw LINEARADDRESS CV VALUE

The same has to be done for extended accessory decoders:

• ac ADDRESS SUBADDRESS CV VALUE
• ac LINEARADDRESS CV VALUE

And then we have for both decoder types programming of CV Bits and Checking of CV values and CV Bits (RCN-214, page 5).

To reduce the number of commands I suggest to add the decoder type as parameter otherwise it all becomes very confusing.

[Asbelos]

Beware <ac 1 2 3> parses to the same as <a 99 1 2 3> which could be a different meaning.

[Asbelos]

Also, of you add these commands it would be normal to add rxrail macros to do the same.