Decoder_Functions

What do all of those decoder wires do… What are the Pin-Outs on those connectors… what can I adjust within the decoder and what do all those CV’s do?

First things first….What are all those coloured wires for?

Like most things, this looks complicated but it is really simple, and an excellent set of NMRA DCC standards which are respected globally means that the coloured wires will do the same job on every decoder brand.

• RED WIRE – this is to pick up power from the track. Traditionally, this should be connected to the pickups that collect power from the RIGHT rail

• BLACK WIRE – this is also to pick up power from the track. Traditionally this should be connected to the pickups that collect power from the LEFT rail

• ORANGE WIRE – this is to connect the decoder to one of the motor brushes. There is no “normal” left or right for this one, as motors do not always face the same way in the chassis. Don’t worry – if the loco runs backwards, simply swap for the Gray wire OR use the instructions to change CV’s to make the loco run the other way (easy and works every time)

• GRAY WIRE – this is to pick up power from the other motor brush.

IMPORTANT – Red and Black wires must NEVER share any form of direct electrical connection with the Orange or Gray wires. Nor should the Gray and Orange wires ever share a connection with the pickups in any way. Fail to check or ignore this and you will destroy your decoder immediately – The result of this contact, no matter how slight, is usually a puff of smoke and a black hole in one of the decoder IC’s.

• BLUE WIRE – This wire is the COMMON wire for all functions. It is used with other “accessory: or lighting wires. It is always POSITIVE, and is the common partner for every function. For example, front light = white + blue, rear light= yellow + blue.

• WHITE WIRE – “Front lights/functions”. To connect the headlights or “front” function, use the white NEGATIVE wire and the BLUE POSITIVE wire. How your decoder controls this wire will be clearly stated in the instructions, but it is usually via Function Zero on your controller (Often helpfully marked “lights”)

• YELLOW WIRE – “Rear Lights/functions”. To connect the rear lights or “Rear” function, use the Yellow NEGATIVE wire and the BLUE POSITIVE wire. How your decoder controls this wire will be clearly stated in the instructions. Please note as follows: o Rear light functions can often be used for things like firebox flicker on steam loco’s\ o If the function needs more than 100mA, you can parallel two functions to make a higher power function – i.e. Yellow+ white to one side of the smoke unit, blue to the other side. o Lighting can be configured to be manually or automatically reversed, plus MANY other options.

Check your manual, and if they don’t light as expected suspect the need to switch them on at the controller! This wire too is usually set to operate on function zero.

• GREEN WIRE – “any other function” including lights or accessory control. Use the Green NEGATIVE wire and the BLUE POSITIVE wire. How your decoder controls this wire will be clearly stated in the instructions. Usually 100mA Max. On non sound decoders, this will be set ex factory for operation by function 1

• PURPLE WIRE – “any other function” including lights or accessory control. Use the Purple NEGATIVE wire and the BLUE POSITIVE wire. How your decoder controls this wire will be clearly stated in the instructions. Usually 100mA Max. On non sound decoders, this will be set ex factory for operation by function 2.

• BROWN or STRIPED WIRE – “another optional function” for use with any lighting or accessory of 100mA or less. Rare, but useful for complex MU or diesel lighting SHORT Circuits and HEAT kill decoders! On non sound decoders, this will be set ex factory for operation by function 3.

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OK—time to tell you about the NMRA compliant Connectors

There are currently several approved connectors, however you will normally come across only three of them

For N scale the SIX pin connector, For OO and HO scale (and On30) the EIGHT pin connector, and the new 21 pin connector.

EU/UK modellers please note: The 21 pin connector has been approved ONLY as an interim connector and its remit will end in 2010 at this point. It may or may not continue after that time. (refer to the NMRA website for confirmation if you wish)

The 21 pin connector will be replaced by the PLUX 22 connector, which has a much more logical use of pins, allowing for smaller subsets of 8, 12 and 16 pins to be used with smaller connections therefore possible.

The 8 PIN Medium NMRA Connector:

The one most people call the NMRA Plug and Socket is the Medium connector for HO scale and larger. It is an 8 pin connector that is suitable for applications up to 1.5-Amps continuous with a 3-Amps peak.

This connector is configured with two rows of four pins spaced at 0.1" (apart. The drawing below shows that pattern and pin-out numbering for looking into the socket of the connection system. The one most people call the NMRA Plug and Socket is the Medium connector for HO scale and larger.

It is suitable for applications up to 1.5-Amps continuous current applications with a 3-Amps peak.

This connector is configured with two rows of four pins spaced 2.54 or 0.1" apart. The drawing below shows the pattern and pin-out numbering for looking into the socket of the connection system. (the view you see on a DCC ready loco)

The colour codes for this connector are as follows:

ORANGE (1) Motor wire (by convention, right or upper brush of motor)

YELLOW (2) Accessory - Always rear light, switched usually by F0 by default. The yellow wire is the negative in any circuit. (White and yellow are usually also set up to act only in the direction of travel to act as front/rear lights automatically. With good quality decoders the function allocated can be changed if needed).

GREEN (3) Accessory - Optional, only on decoders with more than two functions, switched usually by F1 by default. The Green wire is the negative in any circuit (With good quality decoders the function allocated can changed if needed).

BLACK (4) Track power pickup wire (By convention, this wire should be attached to the pickup wire etc that collects power from the LEFT rail)

GRAY (5) Motor Wire (by convention, left or lower brush of motor)

WHITE (6) Accessory - Always front Light, switchable usually by F0 by default. (White and yellow are usually also set up to act only in the direction of travel to act as front/rear lights automatically. With good quality decoders the function allocated can be changed if needed).

BLUE (7) Common POSITIVE for ALL accessory functions of the decoder.

RED (8) Track power pickup wire (By convention, this wire should be attached to the pickup wire etc that collects power from the RIGHT rail)

The 8 pin socket:

The socket part of this connection system is wired to the loco. The decoder has the plug part of this connection system. Further, the NMRA specifies the purpose for each connector, and the color of the wires between the decoder and plug. At left is a chart showing the purpose and color for each pin of the connector.

The 6 PIN Small NMRA Connector:

The Small connector is for N scale but is sometimes also used in EU for HO scale (mostly by Fleischmann). It has a current rating of 0.5 Amp continuous, 0.75 Amp peak, so to be frank I believe Fleischmann is in error using it, as their heavy 3 pole motors are very capable of exceeding these levels!

The drawing below shows the pin-out numbering looking into the socket of the connection system, as you would see it if the loco is DCC ready:

The colour codes for this connector are as follows:

ORANGE (1) Motor wire (by convention, right or upper brush of motor)

GRAY (2) Motor Wire (by convention, left or lower brush of motor)

RED (3) Track power pickup wire (By convention, this wire should be attached to the pickup wire etc that collects power from the RIGHT rail)

BLACK (4) Track power pickup wire (By convention, this wire should be attached to the pickup wire etc that collects power from the LEFT rail)

WHITE (5) Accessory - Always front Light, switchable usually by F0 by default. (White and yellow are usually also set up to act only in the direction of travel to act as front/rear lights automatically. With good quality decoders the function allocated can be changed if needed).

YELLOW (6) Accessory - Always rear light, switched usually by F0 by default. The yellow wire is the negative in any circuit. (White and yellow are usually also set up to act only in the direction of travel to act as front/rear lights automatically. With good quality decoders the function allocated can be changed if needed).

You will note that this connector doesn’t include the common blue wire!

This done to save space in N scale: You either have to wire lights for half wave operation by connecting one side of the LED or bulb to the white or yellow and the other to the chassis…. Or:

SOME decoders with this connection also have a spare solder pad for a blue wire, but be careful—they are VERY tiny. I would recommend that if your soldering skill isn’t classifiable as at least “very good” then don’t try it!

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The “21 PIN MTC” Interim wireless NMRA Connector:

This connector was never really planned for - It came about when ESU were creating a new Marklin decoder series (MFX) and marklin needed something with more pins to accommodate their 3 wire C-sine motor plus other functions.

It has now been adopted by several ESU clients including Bachmann, and can be found in all continents now—in EU in many brands, in US in Bachmann and PCM, in UK in Bachmann etc…

This is the logo

(which should appear on the box of any locomotive with this connector installed)

This the shape of the PCB you will see:

Here are the pin configurations and descriptions of the functions they are intended to serve according to the NMRA standards for connectors

Its concept is good, but its application is not necessarily the best that could have been created as has shortcomings. NMRA connectors are usually designed to “save” decoders and electronics if incorrectly used (the 8 and 6 pin for example can be inserted backwards with no loco or decoder damage—the 21 pin cannot.

So… in time, this connector will (NMRA hope) be superseded by the PLUX 22—a connector which uses a similar connector, with a differently placed “blanking pin”.

The benefit of the PLUX22 is that it allows for subsets of 16, 12 and 8 pin decoders, therefore overcoming the huge (comparatively anyway) size of the full current 21 pin concept (By the way - As you can see above, the 21 pin is really a 22 pin, with one blank position for polarity)

Adapting 21 pin equipped DCC ready loco’s to allow you to install your favourite 8 pin NMRA compatible decoder

The 21 pin is a totally wireless concept, however if your loco is a 21 pin product and you have a favourite brand of decoder, you may need to adapt it to an 8 pin decoder plug, so DCCconcepts have created a high quality economical 21 pin to 8 pin adapter

Click on the image for more details!

It simply plugs onto the loco’s 21 pin plug, and you then insert the NMRA standard 8 pin plug into it, and the installation is complete.

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PLUX 22 - The 22 PIN recommended wireless NMRA Connector:

The size and shape of the PLUX—22 connector is exactly the same as for the 21pin MTC connector, and it is simply placed on the PCB with a different blanking plug position. However, as you can see from the image below, there is now a sensible set of combinations possible within the overall 22 pin possibility of the connector itself. The left box shows a full 22 pin use, the centre box 16 pins and the right one an 8 pin option.

All have common positions for common functions, something that is impossible with 21 pin MTC arrangement.

There is much more data on these connectors contained in the original NMRA standards documents - Please look at them if more info is needed.

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The JST Connector: The connector you’ll most often find at the decoder end of any removable decoder harness

The JST 9 pin connector was originally used by only one brand but has become the default “on decoder” connector for all those decoders made with removable harnesses, and has been ratified as an official NMRA connector for use globally.

Recently locomotive brands such as Athaern have started using this connector on their loco harnesses and PCBs, meaning that a decoder fitted with a matching socket can simply be plugged in. The image below shows the connections.

The connector is usually white, and has been coloured on the above illustration so make it stand out on the web page.

DCCconcepts stocks a wide range of JST harnesses to fit TCS and other US brand decoders. These are in many lengths and some have special wiring orientation to fit specific locomotives. Click here to see the range of JST harnesses.

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Changing the decoder CV’s & Decoder set-up!

Addressing Decoders, tuning loco's, setting up lighting and some special “tweaks” very few modellers know about

I’m always a little bit saddened that most modellers who convert to DCC actually never really ever change anything other than the locomotives address. It’s not that you HAVE to play with all the settings, but by not doing some of the basic things that are very easy to do, you will miss out of so many of the very real benefits and loco performance improvements that DCC makes possible.

I will run through many of these here, WITH EXAMPLES, in the hope that it may inspire you to “take the next step” and start to really understand and enjoy the many special things that operating with DCC can bring to your hobby.

Things have progressed a lot since the early days of DCC when we needed to think in hexadecimal and other such arcane numbering methods. Because all systems sold for a very long time have been able to accept standard numbers for input I will NOT bother going into Hex in any way, other than to say that if you want or need to convert numbers to Hexadecimal and Binary, your computers built in calculator can do it for you!

Just open the calculator, change to “Scientific calculator” view, input the number in standard format and press the hex key—the calculator will convert it for you!

WHAT IS A CV?

CV stands for “configuration variable”. Every decoder is controlled by a small micro-processor which, apart from the clever programme routines and algorithms that provide the control to the motor, has many small “pockets” in which information can be stored on how YOU would like it to do its job.

Each of these consistently numbered “Pockets” holds information for a different special purpose such as loco numbering, how to respond to speed commands, which light to turn on, what to do when each function button is placed etc.

So…. For example: When you tell your locomotive to slow down from speed step 100 to speed step 10 by quickly turning the knob, the decoder microprocessor will look in CV4 which is the “Deceleration momentum” CV, to see how fast you want it to act as it carries out that command.

Each CV has its own specific simple purpose and its own unique name (number) which tells you what kind of information should be put there.

Because of the foresight of some clever people in creating the NMRA DCC standards, no matter what brand the decoder is, many CV’s are exactly the same in what they store and how they act on information stored there, so you can confidently approach things like motor control, addressing and the like with many different brands as what you need to do it exactly the same for the same result!

The very thought of “PROGRAMMING” scares off many modellers… Changing CV’s isn’t complex and that word isn’t our favourite at all!

We’d really prefer that you think of changing CV’s as “fine tuning your locomotive” or perhaps “Training your decoder” instead - After all, the better you “train it”, the better it will perform!

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Before you start: Know the brand of decoder you are programming and read its instruction sheet. This will give specific details on what you need to do, and have important information on the number ranges that can be used in any particular CV.

The manual will also have clear instructions on how to “re-set” a decoder if you make a mistake of become confused. Re-setting is a very simple procedure that will return the address to 3 and change all CV’s to the same value they were set at the day the decoder was made, so you can start again with a clean slate.

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I will cover here ONLY the CV’s that will be helpful to the interested and curious average modeller, and also include some helpful tips where I Can.

I can’t possibly cover them all, as there are actually about 500 CVs possible, but most decoders use only a fraction of them so knowing about most of them will only mess with your head to no good purpose!

Here, I want you to LIKE to learn, not feel it is a crusade or that DCC is a hair shirt to nag and worry you with, so I’ll stick to only the most useful and commonly modified CV’s that will really help most modellers.

If you really do want more data, then read the decoder manual and then go to the NMRA website and read the standards—they are all listed there!

Here we go…..

CV1: The “Short address” (Default is always 3)

Short address is often thought of as “numbers from 1 to 99” , however in fact a short address can, depending on the control system you use, theoretically be between 1 and 127.

However - as some systems use the numbers between 100 and 127 to automatically create “consists” or double headed loco control configurations, we suggest that you treat “short” as being 1 to 99 only.

When you buy a new decoder, or if you perform a “factory reset”, then its address will always be 3 (CV1 will always be set to 3)

To programme short address, simply follow your control systems instructions.

CV2: “Start volts” (Default usually 0 which is equivalent to the max for that CV)

This CV tells the decoder how much power to feed to the motor at speed step one. Increasing it above zero will help a reluctant loco start earlier. Be gentle with it though - you do not want jackrabbit starts and stops do you.

Look at how many “steps” are allowed in this CV by the manufacturer. Divide the total track voltage (typically 15 volts) by the number of steps available. (this is typically 64, 128 or 255 for most CV’s)

Example: if your decoder allows 64 steps then each step will be 15/64 = about 1/4 volt. If it is 255, then each step will be 1/16th of a volt.

CV3: “Acceleration momentum” (Default usually 0 or a low number)

This CV sets starting momentum or acceleration delay, making the loco act more like a real one as it starts slowly, overcoming its weight and that of the train and progressively accelerating to the speed that is wanted.

I suggest you try this CV as it will also smooth out starting and gives a nice “feel” to driving the locomotive. Experiment with settings of 5, 10, 15 and 20 in this CV to see what I mean. Big mainline loco’s should have higher settings than small shunting/switching loco’s, but even a small loco will work better with just a little momentum added.

Once you’ve learned to drive it with momentum, you can shunt/switch wagons with the speed left set at slow and just using the controller forward and reverse button!

CV4: “Deceleration momentum” (Default usually 0 or a low number)

This CV sets stopping momentum or deceleration delay, making the loco act more like a real one as it decelerates slower, as if driven on by its own mass or is pushed against the brakes by the weight of the train behind, just like a real loco.

This CV is important for “feel” too, especially with all mainline loco’s. loco’s are usually run slower in reverse so you may like more control here—use smaller numbers than for forward. Experiment with settings of 3, 6, 9 and 12 in this CV to see what I mean.

Other comments are as per CV 3.

CV5: “Vmax” or “maximum speed adjustment” (Default is usually zero which is also equivalent to the maximum value for that CV)

CV5 controls the top speed of your locomotive. Before adjusting, check the decoder manual so you know the range - it may be 64, 128 or 255.

Expert tip: NEVER touch this CV without ALSO adjusting CV6 or “Mid Volts”!

As with start volts, divide track voltage by the total range.

Experiment… I find most loco’s far too fast with no adjustment, and often settle at about 80% of the maximum setting—on a decoder with 255 steps that means a setting of about 190. You should try 100%, 90%, 80%, 70% and then settle on the best realistic top speed for both layout and loco.

CV6: Vmid or “mid point speed” (Default is usually zero which is also equivalent to 50% of the maximum value for that CV)

MOST modellers never realise it but this is a VERY important CV - perhaps the MOST important of all for “easy best adjustment” of realistic running qualities.

It has a very big effect on the way the loco accelerates and on the quality of slow speed control.

Imagine a straight line graph that slopes up from zero to max at the top right.

Vmid or mid volts CV6 is the middle speed step of the 128 possible steps.

If you put it at half way between zero and the Vmax setting you get that straight line, with the speed steps below mid point the same size as the speed steps above mid point.

If you put it above half way, the speed steps from zero to mid point will be bigger than the speed steps from mid point to max speed. This is a no-no, as your loco will then work like a sports car, not a load hauling locomotive….rapid start acceleration and little fine control at slow speed!

If you put it below the mid point, each speed step at low speed will be smaller, so slow speed control and smoothness will be improved and the loco will act more like the real thing.

Try these settings to see what you like…. Then refine to your own preference.

CV6 set to 40% of CV5 setting (ie, if CV5 = 200, CV6 = 80)

CV6 set to 30% of CV 5 setting (ie, if CV5 = 200, CV6 = 60)

CV8 and CV30: These are the “factory reset” CVs for many decoder brands Setting CV8 to 8 resets internal settings of the decoder. (several brands including Lenz and ESU decoders). Setting CV30 to 2 will reset TCS decoders and some other brands. Check your decoder manual or feel free to email me and ask if you aren’t sure about your decoders.

Personal opinion only: The best way to reset either hornby or MRC decoders is with a 5lb hammer. (sorry, but for a serious modeller, both are a poor choice)

CV29: This is a multi-stage CV that controls several things in all decoders.

Don’t worry though... you will rarely ever need to access it directly if you have a competent controller, as it is set automatically when you choose long or short address and several other variables while programming (as described below).

If you DO choose to look in CV29 or to modify it directly, then please note these two settings first as if you get it wrong, the loco will NOT run at all!.

* If you loco has a short address, it will usually be set to 6

* If your loco has a long address, it will usually be set to 38

As we said earlier, CV29 is a multi stage CV and so the number stored there is the SUM of several separate command numbers that, when added together normally & entered as a single number, still represent the individual commands stored there.

Here is a more detailed explanation of what each part of CV29 means, and what it adds to the total number that should be stored in CV29—remember what we said though - a good controller will do all needed CV29 settings automatically for you!

By the way here is an otherwise useless bit of info: for some unknown reason Lenz chose to call Bit 0 bit 1 and so on… I have no idea why they thought they should add unnecessary complication and confusion to the setting of decoders!

CV29 Bit 0: Direction control - Valid values are 0 or 1.

0 is default, and means go forward when the controller says forward. 1 is the option, and means go backwards when the controller says forward—useful if you or the manufacturer accidentally reversed the orange and gray wires at the motor!

CV29 Bit 1: Speed steps - Valid values are 0 or 2.

2 is default, and means respond only to either 28 or 128 speed step commands from the controller. If the decoder is accidentally set to 14 speed steps and the controller to 28/128, then the most obvious symptom will be lights that either flash on/off every 2nd speed step, or don’t work properly.

CV29 Bit 2: Analog or automatic DC conversion - valid values are 0 or 4

4 is default, and that means that if you place the loco on a layout controlled with normal DC, it will run perfectly… certainly better than it did before you installed the decoder! You just have to decide (the controller should ask you during initial decoder set-up) ...Do you want the loco to be able to run on a DC layout or not?

There is ONE valid reason to say no: if you want to utilize the very clever “brake on DC” function that’s built into most decoders you’ll need to set this at 0

CV29 Bit 3: Ignore it - nothing useful for you here unless you have decoders with bidirectional communication!

CV29 Bit 4: Use the standard or manual speed table - Values are 0 or 16

0 is default, and to my way of thinking that is where it should stay unless you really want to make life hard and set every one of the 128 speed steps one at a time - the very thought makes me shudder, as simply by setting CV5 and 6 properly, the decoder does EVERY speed step automatically, so why make life hard to no real added benefit!

CV29 Bit 5: Respond to short or long address: Valid values are 0 or 32

This bit tells the decoder whether is should respond to the long or the short address. A quality controller will automatically take care of this for you!

If you do need to make a direct change, then note that Default is 0 or 32 (0 = respond only to the short address, 32 = respond only to the long address)

CV29 Bit 6: this is a bit designated reserved by the NMRA: Just ignore it!

CV29 Bit 7: This is usually preset by the Mfr: It says “I am an accessory decoder or “I am a mobile decoder”. Ignore it

All too much? I’m not surprised! Here it is in a simple table form, with only the parts that need to concern you included.

So… that’s CV29…...

Again, for those who DO have to access it to get things moving but really just want to enjoy running the trains…. The following will work EVERY time for you.

Just set CV29 to 6 if the loco has a short address

Just set CV29 to 38 if the loco has a long address

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CV29 Is also the last of the “Basic set-up CV’s” you need to worry about.

For the rest of this page, I will concentrate on some of the neat optional stuff that you CAN adjust to make the decoder do special things, but don’t have to even think about if you don’t want to……

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The fancy stuff:

Decoders are remarkably clever things, but for some strange reason the instructions for most brands usually seem hell bent on making it sound like its impossible without a translator on one side of you and Einstein on the other…..

Here are a few “easier to follow explanations” in a more visual chart format showing clearly (I hope) how to do some of the clever things decoders can do without stress or worry!

ALL these examples are using TCS decoders, but other brands will follow similar or same procedures!

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Back EMF is without doubt a key performance requirement, but many brands of decoders simply miss the point, make it hard to set up or impossible to interactively control on the running line - a real shame!

Back EMF gives superlative slow speed control: But if you consist locomotives often, it may need turning off or loco’s may fight each other….

Back EMF ensures slow starts under load: But you may prefer to “drive the train” up and down hills without back EMF affecting control,

So... you need to be able to regulate its “in use” activity…

Of all the brands, We really do think that ONLY TCS get this right - they make back EMF that needs no real effort to set up as its about perfect with every loco, and add the ability to have it turn on and off at a specific speed step, or let YOU turn it on and off while the train is running via a function button. Sheer genius!

Here’s how to get the best of both worlds… Controlling and regulating TCS back EMF for superb control & maximum benefit to your operations!

Turning it off totally (we never do this though)

If you wish to turn Back EMF of permanently: you can do that just by placing a value of 0 into CV 61. (but please don't!)

Choosing to turn it on and off as needed: (We like to be able to do this)

There are two methods for conveniently turning off Back EMF without the need to program CV’s.

One method is function control which uses CV 136 to determine which function will control the Back EMF on/off command

The second method is the automatic Back EMF cut out which uses CV 10 to determine what speed Back EMF will cut out at.

The charts below explain how to set up the decoder to do these 2 things

Setting “Function button control” of Back EMF:

To control which function is used to turn the Back EMF off and on, simply select the value in the table above that matches with the function which you wish to use and put that value into CV 136. The chart starts at function 5 as earlier functions usually control lighting.

If you would like to assign two different buttons to control the Back EMF simply add the values of the two buttons together.

For example, for buttons 5 and 7 add the two values (4 and 1) and put that value (5) into CV 136. You can combine any number of buttons together by simply adding them. The default value for CV 136 is 2. This puts button 6 in control of turning Back EMF on/off.

Setting Back EMF to automatically cut out at a specific speed step:

You can set up the decoder to automatically turn off Back EMF when it reaches the specific speed step that you select.

You can select that speed step by programming appropriate values into CV 10. As the values in CV 10 will correlate almost one to one to the speed steps, just choosing values between 1-128 would be appropriate.

You will notice that the chart above not only covers Back EMF, but also shows issues relating to Rule 17 Dimming Options and Opposite light Dim Control. That is because they share the same control CV.

CV 61 is used to enable or disable Back EMF. To turn Back EMF on constantly CV61 needs to have a value of one. (This is the factory default setting)

For Button control of Back EMF, CV61 add 2, as it needs a total value of three.

To enable the other features that are also controlled by CV61: Just add the values together and place the total value in CV61…. For example to enable opposite dim, Back EMF, and button control of Back EMF, add 32+1+2=35.

Another example: to turn on Back EMF with lights that automatically dim when stopped, but without function button control of Back EMF, put a value of 17 in CV61 (1 for Back EMF + 16 for Dims when stopped).

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OTHER NEAT STUFF….

Re-mapping the functions: This is just a fancy way of saying “changing which function button does what” really. Take it step by step - its easy really!

Making Ditch lights work without hassle!

Sometimes, you may want to use motor control to power a high current accessory item…. For example, controlling a solenoid device or the magnets on a crane with an electromagnet!

You may also want to control the TIME that a function is on—here is how to set a function to a momentary pulse.

Of course, now you’ve done all this set up work, it’d be nice to lock the decoder so you can’t accidentally undo it all!

Well, that’s all for now….

We’ve covered LOTS and there is much, much more for you to learn and enjoy if you are so inclined...however it’s a hobby to enjoy, and DCC should add and not take from that pleasure, so if all this confuses you and you just want to keep your DCC usage plain and simple, that’s just fine with us too…

Just remember the basics, forget more detailed research and just enjoy running trains... which will be made better and more fun by just a little focus on tuning CV numbers 3,4, 5 and 6 and playing with back EMF control settings.

We really do hope we’ve been of help, and we’d like to close this very intensive and misunderstood topic with one final bit of final advice:

Keep the decoder instructions for every decoder, write the loco description and number at the top, and RECORD YOUR DECODER FINAL SETTINGS ON THEM before filing away carefully for future reference!

OH…. AND DO ALWAYS READ THE DECODER INSTRUCTIONS - Please!

Do you still have questions? No problem – just click here to email us and ask, we’ll be happy to help!

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