Problem with Set-Up of ESU Lokprogrammer

[Steveruger45]

There are plenty of refurbed laptop deals on ebay. Few years ago I bought a Dell Latitude E6410 laptop (it was fairly vintage even then) for couple hundred dollars. It has Win 7 Pro (64-bit) installed. Intel Core i5 2.6GHz, 4GB RAM, 250GB hard drive. I also pickled up a docking station for it to get the serial and parallel ports, and couple additional video ports.  That is actually the laptop on which I'm typing up this message. I run all sorts of software on it (including the LokProgrammer).    Plenty of "horsepower" for what I do on it.

Hey, what a coincidence,  that’s  exactly what I have too for my dedicated train computer including the docking port. The later stays in the garage with the layout.  Works just fine and dandy. 

[Curtis Kyger]

I'm going on a weak memory here, but...  as I remember it, you have two separate things to download from the ESU web site.  I downloaded both any started each up and ran into the same problem.  As it turns out, the system is specific about which you load into your computer first.  I redid the loads in reverse order and all has been fine since.

[davefoxx]

I broke down and bought a cheap laptop on the way home from work tonight.  I spent a little bit more than if I were patient and had ordered one online, but I'm dying to play with this LokProgrammer.  Stay tuned.

DFF

[jdcolombo]

I broke down and bought a cheap laptop on the way home from work tonight.  I spent a little bit more than if I were patient and had ordered one online, but I'm dying to play with this LokProgrammer.  Stay tuned.

DFF

A man after my own heart.  If I added up all the "I've got to have it now" premiums I've paid over my life, I'd probably be able to afford a small island in the Caribbean . . . 

Let us know how it goes.

Do you have the link for the updated LokProgrammer manual from the ESU Yahoo list?  If you don't have that, it's VERY useful (unlike the rest of ESU's manuals), probably because it was written by an end user, as opposed to coming from ESU . . .  If you don't have it, e-mail me directly at jdcolombo at gmail and I'll send it to you.

John C.

[davefoxx]

Success!  While the new laptop isn't the fastest computer that I have, I was able to successfully download the necessary software and set up the LokProgrammer in a fraction of the time that I farted around with the Mac last night.  I'm now going through videos and trying to learn how to use it right now.

John, your timing is perfect.  I don't have that ESU manual, so expect an email.  Thank you!

DFF

[peteski]

Success!  While the new laptop isn't the fastest computer that I have, I was able to successfully download the necessary software and set up the LokProgrammer in a fraction of the time that I farted around with the Mac last night. 

You don't need a fast computer for any of the DCC stuff we use. None of it is is computationally- or graphic-intense.  Not as if you were playing some high-res VR game. 

Nice to see you being able to get your new "toy" and play with it.

[davefoxx]

Thanks, Pete!

I was up early this morning, so I decided to download a new sound file for an Atlas GP40.  This locomotive's factory sounds on the ESU LokSound Select decoder sounded fine, but it was lacking the Full Throttle features.  The new laptop took much longer to load the software to the locomotive than the expected twenty to thirty minutes (probably closer to forty-five to sixty minutes).  But, that's not a huge problem, because it's not like I'm going to be doing this every day.  Before I had to run out the door to work, I quickly changed the decoder address on the LokProgrammer and placed the locomotive back on the layout.  It worked!  This GP40 now has a different recording for a GP40 prime mover, which will be great in a consist.  Besides, I don't really want every Geep I own to sound exactly the same.

I'll just need to go back and modify certain settings to lower the volume and to speed match the locomotive to the rest of the fleet again.  But, I'm ecstatic.  I have at least one or two more locomotives that need to be upgraded to Full Throttle, so this is fantastic.  My favorite feature is Drive Hold, so I was disappointed when I learned that a few of the locomotives that I had purchased were lacking this feature.  But, with the LokProgrammer, I was able to fix the issue without even having to remove the shell.

I guess once I'm finished tweaking the settings, I'll want to go back into JMRI and read the decoder into that to store the decoder's settings there, too.  Is that what you all do, or do you not bother, since it's saved through the LokProgrammer?

DFF

[jdcolombo]

Hi Dave.

I don't attempt to save all of the LokSound decoder's settings on JMRI.  I use the LokProgrammer software to save all that info (and I back it up religiously).  The reason is that it takes forever for JMRI to read all the ESU CV's - easily an hour, sometimes 90 minutes.  However, I DO enter my locos in the JMRI roster.  The main reason for doing this is that then I have a convenient list of everything I have AND it also allows me to edit the labels of functions keys that show up on the Wi-Throttle or Engine Driver apps that I use with my ESU Mobile Control II or old Apple iPhone 5's for throttles.  With JMRI, I can tell the apps to show only the function buttons I want my operators to see - usually that's F0, F1 (bell), F2 (horn), F4 (Drive Hold, remapped), F5 (Independent brake, remapped) and F8 (sound on/off).  And instead of numbers, the buttons have actual English labels.  F1's button doesn't say "F1" - it says "Horn".  Much better, especially for guys who come over once every couple of months to operate.

If you really want to save all the decoder info to JMRI, there is a much faster way to do it than having JMRI read the decoder's CV values.  That way involves having the LokProgrammer export all the CV values to a file, then using the import function in JMRI to import those values. Rick Brodzinsky has a post somewhere that gives the exact instructions for doing this.  But I figure that for any complicated programming, including changing the volume of individual sounds or remapping function keys, I'm going to use the LokProgrammer.  So there is no need to have the CV's stored in two separate places and I just use JMRI for basic roster info. 

John C.

[davefoxx]

I'm not sure that I want to save the data to JMRI, since it will be saved through the LokProgrammer.  But, it would be an easy way for a back up, and I would avoid the problem of accidentally overwriting the decoder with old data on JMRI.  Since I won't have a huge fleet, it really isn't a big problem to also load the information to JMRI if I decide to do so.

DFF

[RBrodzinsky]

Export from LokProgrammer and import into JMRI is VERY VERY VERY VERY easy. 

In LokProgrammer:  when you have the project setup as you want it, select "Tools | Export CV List..."   This will create a text file with all the CVs

In JMRI:  First, create a roster entry for the loco.  Fill in any of the "basic info" data you want.   One thing I always do is put the ESU project number into the comment field on the basic tab.  The select "File | Import | LokProgrammer CV list file..."  and select the file you made when exporting, above.

The import will take a few moments, but now all the CVs from LokProgrammer are in your JMRI roster entry.  Even if you don't plan to use DecoderPro for your routine programming of these decoders, it is a good idea to do this import, just in case you have an "oops moment" in DP and hit "write full sheet" instead of "write changes" on a tab.   I find using DP much easier for the speed matching and speed table settings (Program on Main stuff); while I use LP for most of my sound adjustments.

[peteski]

Thanks, Pete!
The new laptop took much longer to load the software to the locomotive than the expected twenty to thirty minutes (probably closer to forty-five to sixty minutes).  But, that's not a huge problem, because it's not like I'm going to be doing this every day.
DFF

Dave, I believe that the slowest piece of hardware is the serial connection between the laptop and programmer.  Even if you had the fastest computer in the world, the bottleneck (and slowness) would be at the serial port connection. So I wouldn't be so quick blaming the slowness on your laptop. 

I'm also puzzled as to why ESU has not yet re-spun the LokProgrammer hardware to directly use a USB 2.0 interface, instead of relying on a 50+ year old serial RS232 (or whatever it is) port interface

[reinhardtjh]

I'm also puzzled as to why ESU has not yet re-spun the LokProgrammer hardware to directly use a USB 2.0 interface, instead of relying on a 50+ year old serial RS232 (or whatever it is) port interface

Oh, Pete. You know why.  $$$  A redesign would cost and the thing works as it is.  There might be some setup problems from time to time but that doesn't bother the corporate leadership.  I don't think switching to all USB would make it faster anyway.  The bottleneck is probably the speed of sending the data to the decoder.

[peteski]

Oh, Pete. You know why.  $$$  A redesign would cost and the thing works as it is.  There might be some setup problems from time to time but that doesn't bother the corporate leadership.  I don't think switching to all USB would make it faster anyway.  The bottleneck is probably the speed of sending the data to the decoder.

You do have a point John.  I just didn't want Dave feeling disappointed with his inexpensive laptop - it is not the reason for the apparent slowness of the programming process.

[reinhardtjh]

You do have a point John.  I just didn't want Dave feeling disappointed with his inexpensive laptop - it is not the reason for the apparent slowness of the programming process.

No, you're correct in that.  It's the downloading of up to 4MB of data into the decoder chip that is the slowness.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Now that I have switched over to NCE for my new HOn3 layout (just for a change and my Digitrax went with my layout when sold) I needed to purchase a serial port to USB cable from ESU (best one to purchase) so I can connect my old laptop to the NCE command station according to JMRI experts to be able to adjust the sounds and other features in my Blackstone K27's. The NCE command station I have only has a serial port with which to connect to a PC.
Folks much smarter than me strongly suggested not to purchase any other brand.
Rod.