Basics of programming, Programming methods – SoundTraxx Tsunami Steam Users Guide User Manual

Page 11

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Tsunami Steam Sound User’s Guide

Page 8

If you don’t have the conversion chart available, you can also calculate

the value in the following manner. Reading from right to left, each bit has a

decimal value associated with it, beginning with a 1 and doubling this value

as you go from bit 0 to bit 7. This value is only counted when the bit is a ‘1’.

Looking at the figure below, you can see that using this method, bit 1 has a

value of 2 and bit 4 has a value of 16. Adding these two numbers together

gives the correct decimal value of 18.

Programming Methods

There are two methods for changing the sound decoder’s CVs:

Service Mode Programming - This programming mode usually requires the

locomotive to be placed on a special programming track or connected to a

dedicated programmer. Tsunami is an advanced line of decoders and support

four types of service mode instructions:

Address Mode - Can change CV 1 (Primary Address) only.

Register Mode - Can change CVs 1,2,3,4,7,8 and 29 only.

Paged Mode - Uses a page register to indirectly modify any CV.

Direct Mode - Can directly change any CV.

Operations Mode Programming - Sometimes called ‘Ops Mode’ or

‘Programming on the Main’, this programming mode allows the CVs to be

changed while the locomotive is operating on the layout even when other

locomotives are present. The neat thing about this mode is that the CVs can

be changed in the middle of operation allowing the engineer for example, to

increase the momentum rate of a locomotive after it couples to a train. The

main disadvantage of operations mode programming is that the CV data

cannot be read back to verify its value.

Reading CVs

Certain command stations also allow you to read a CV during Service

Mode Programming, which is useful to verify its current setting. If you have

trouble reading or verifying CVs, the problem may be due to the design

of your command station and not the DSD itself. Tsunami and all other

decoders communicate back to the command station using what’s called an

acknowledgment pulse, which is defined in NMRA RP-9.2.3 as “an increased

load on the programming track of at least 60mA for at least 5ms.” Like most

decoders, the DSD generates the acknowledgment pulse by momentarily

applying power to the motor. You can often visually verify that the Tsunami is

properly responding to your programmer by observing a slight twitch in the

Basics of Programming

bit 7 bit 6 bit 5 bit 4 bit 3 bit 2 bit 1 bit 0

When bit is
set to 1, value =
128 64

32 16

8

4

2

1

Therefore:

0 + 0 + 0 + 16 + 0 + 0 + 2 + 0 = 18

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