TCS dead decoders

[peteski]

Greg

ABSOLUTELY! Very helpful, along with few earlier posts I made here.Was I stating incorrect information?

What did I misread in your "Also, I think you can do a reset with POM."?

Since Greg was asking (in another thread) about being nailed, here's the final nail in the coffin:

From https://ncedcc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201505665--TCS-Train-Control-Systems-CV8-153-
(TCS) Train Control Systems (CV8=153)

Resetting CV'S to their factory default On the programming track ONLY, write a value of 2 into CV8 or CV30. The decoder must go through a power off then power up, except the A1X, which will reset itself. CV'S will then reset to the factory default values on power up.  Note: writing to CV8 does not actually change the value in CV8 because it is a read only register. When writing a two into CV8 it actually will write to CV30. This enables a factory reset with command stations that use physical register programming like the MRC 2000 and Atlas Commander.

[diezmon]

I'll try the factory reset tonight on one of 'em and see how she goes.  Thanks the the tips.  <insert 'just the tip' joke here>

i still find it odd that it's only my TCS decoders giving me trouble.

[ryan_wilkerson]

Do you have another DCC system that you can test them? I had some problems with what I thought were the decoders but they all worked when I tried them using my NCE PowerCab.
If they are dead, send them in to TCS. I have done that and received a replacement decoder in less than a couple weeks, no questions asked. I hope that hasn't changed because I've invested in TCS for this very reason...hassle free replacements when I have a problem (I've only had 3 problems in more than 50 decoders during 6 years of converting to DCC).

[Jim Starbuck]

I've had two do this. An AMD4 and an M1 that were each running fine when put away then puffed the motor control components when I tried running them again. I have no idea why.
The mechanisms were free running with no issues.
I could see components on the boards that were visibly burnt.
This happened by simply placing them on the track normally. I'd be interested in what you find.

[diezmon]

Ok, so I reset one of them.  Problem solved. I'll try the other two tomorrow.

[Chris333]

So just curious. When you re-set is all the programming gone?

[peteski]

So just curious. When you re-set is all the programming gone?

It is not that simple. 
For the TCS non-sound decoder, doing the "CV8 reset" by writing "2" to it does the following:  CVs that will be reset to the factory default are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 18, 19, 29, 30, 49,50, 61. The user loadable speed table is not effected by the reset to default values.

But other decoders might have different reset methods (and multiple different levels of resets).  Guess what? Their respective manuals describe all that.  Reset in sound decoders does the purge the actual sound files.

[John]

That's the advantage of using a program like JMRI gives you.  Once you have a decoder programmed how you want it, if the decoder looses it's brain, you can easily restore all the CVs to the numbers that were programmed before.   I also keep a copy of my JMRI Loco roster backed up so that if the computer ever dies, I don't loose a lot of customized settings.

[Greg Elmassian]

Have a little crow pie Peteski (I know you will come back swinging)

My suggestion to reset the decoder (you got distracted from my main point) was clearly valid.

Your mistake in your thinking is that it DOES happen that in the situation where you cannot read a decoder on the programming track it does NOT necessarily mean you cannot WRITE on the programming track. Writing does NOT depend on successfully reading.

This is why I suggested trying to reset the decoder. Also, some decoders will need to be reset more than once, the tipoff is the ones where you are supposed to remove power after the reset... old technology but this is what happens.

Greg

Ok, so I reset one of them.  Problem solved. I'll try the other two tomorrow.

[peteski]

Have a little crow pie Peteski (I know you will come back swinging)

My suggestion to reset the decoder (you got distracted from my main point) was clearly valid.

 
I'm so sorry Greg.  You are correct on both counts - how could I have been so foolish by recommending a decoder reset earlier in the thread.  Your post (directly under mine) meraly agreed with trying the decoder reset (but you suggested POM).  Again - I'm sorry - time to eat some crow.

[Greg Elmassian]

nice try at diversion.

your mistake was not realizing that the inability to read the decoder on the programming track did not mean a WRITE would not work.

you are indeed a slippery devil I will say... continuing to focus away from the main point even when it is identified as the main point.

all this fluff to check this and check that as opposed to staying steadfast on the reset, TCS decoders are flakey and I have stopped using them, which is really too bad, they just lock up and go crazy too often.

Also, try a custom speed table... it's guaranteed to be glitchy.

Greg

[peteski]

nice try at diversion.

your mistake was not realizing that the inability to read the decoder on the programming track did not mean a WRITE would not work.

you are indeed a slippery devil I will say... continuing to focus away from the main point even when it is identified as the main point.

all this fluff to check this and check that as opposed to staying steadfast on the reset, TCS decoders are flakey and I have stopped using them, which is really too bad, they just lock up and go crazy too often.

Also, try a custom speed table... it's guaranteed to be glitchy.

Greg

I'm sorry and I'm eating crow. I really don't know what you are looking for from me.  I'll always remember to try a decoder reset on the programming track (regardless of how dead it appears to be).  Is that what you were looking for?

I'm also not too happy with TCS decoders, especially with the bug with the out of sequence speed steps on Z2 decoders.

And for the slippery devil part -  I'll take that as a compliment. 

[diezmon]

ok kids,  update.

I've factory reset all three.  All three are alive and well.   you guys can continue fighting if ya like

[Greg Elmassian]

Great news, basically success for you, and that was the desired result.

Unfortunately, it's my experience that TCS decoders will lose their minds and all kinds of strange behavior ensues, as you have experienced.

I have had this happen during normal running on a small loop of track with nothing else going on.

This is why I use JMRI, since the reset kills all the custom settings, and especially since I use custom speed tables.

This is really too bad, and I have no "vendetta" against TCS (they actually have the best product line for my scale, Z), but have given up using them since this can happen during operations and it's damned inconvenient to pull locos off a consist and put them on the program track.

I've never had issues with other decoders that lose fundamental capability, like don't respond fully on a programming track.

Greg

[diezmon]

This is really too bad...

and a bummer, because the TCS CN-GP is a handy little decoder!