JMRI, Lights and LAIS decoders

[gph2000]

I'm only getting my DCC system up and going, I have LAIS decoders (4 fn in my 181 and 6 fn in my 071), and am using JMRI. Do any of you have a quick guide to programming the lights?

[Sean]

I dont have a  specific guide but you need to put the loco onto the programming track and then open decoder pro and click add new loco, you get a list of decoders to chose from here but its best to hit "read type from decoder" and JMRI should select the decoder type automatically, when you have the loco added double click it and you will see a box pop up containing loads of different tabs. scroll down and hit read all sheets and jmri will read all of the settings from the decoder 1 by 1, takes a few minutes........ make any changes and the write sheet options as you can guess writes the new settings back into the decoder, you can write an individual sheet or the entire  decoder from here so take care to select the right option.

 

i cant really give advice beyond this as im using ESU decoders however all the steps up to this point should be roughly the same. FUNCTION MAP FUNCTION OUTPUT and FUNCTION SETTINGS  are where you will find the programming options for the lights. (you want to be in function map for the initial setup)

if you want I will read off the function map from an ESU decoder and post it up here. you would just have to change the physical wire parameter to suit your own decoder.

 

you dont need any sort of special programmer at all with jmri, just pop the loco on the programming track.

 

its possible to get the marker lights working independantly to the headlights with 141/181 using this programmer, a feature i know some users struggled to get going with other systems.

 

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Sean

[gph2000]

Thanks Sean, A couple of screen grabs from the Mapping and Settings would be great. I have the engine moving, and I though that the F0 mapping for the markers would happen automatically. But it hasnt.

[Sean]

will try and get that for you this evening im also trying to put together sound projects for the jmri virtual sound decoder, only at the very early stages though,

[gph2000]

Got it, mostly. Marker lights running forward and reverse as expected. Cab lights as expected, same for Forward Main Beams. Only issue is Reverse Main Beam. Mapping looks OK, need to double check, but could also be a decoder issue, or heaven forbid the loco circuitry.

[ballyheigue]

 Hi Sean, any chance of that  screen grabs from the Mapping and Settings i'm in the same boat as gph 2000 

[gph2000]

Now I'm concerned. Hopefully its an issue with the LAIS decoder rather than the loco PCB.

[Noel]

Function mapping seems a dark art, but it just requires investment in a steep learning curve.

[irishthump]

On 7/4/2022 at 12:06 PM, gph2000 said:

Got it, mostly. Marker lights running forward and reverse as expected. Cab lights as expected, same for Forward Main Beams. Only issue is Reverse Main Beam. Mapping looks OK, need to double check, but could also be a decoder issue, or heaven forbid the loco circuitry.

How many function outputs does the Lais decoder have? If memory serves, you need 6 functions to access all the lighting features.

[Sean]

17 hours ago, ballyheigue said:

 Hi Sean, any chance of that  screen grabs from the Mapping and Settings i'm in the same boat as gph 2000 

give me a day or two, im just about to start building my roster on JMRI so i can put all of my locos onto seperate channels, jmri is on a "good" computer now  so it will properly enable me to screenshot the process.

[ballyheigue]

I am no expert on DCC  and just if anyone could give me some advice on this it would be appreciated. I got a few of the Hattons Originals DCR-21Pin-Direct-Neo 21-pin 6-function decoders and have tried fitting to a MM 201, marker lights red/white and directional with F0 and the headlights on F1 and F2  ok but can't get cab lights working  Next I tried fitting another  Hattons 6 function chip to a MM 071 and same result as above and no cab lights. Furthermore, I fitted one to an A Class IRM and can only get marker lights red/white and directional with F0 to work, no other function works. I also tried a Class 121 and the same marker lights red/white work but no other function working. At this stage I got a MM0004 chip and tested it to make sure the locos/pcb wasn't faulty and all functions worked on each model ok bar the cab lights on the A Class. Any thoughts or advice on this from anyone would be very helpful or do we have to buy M.M./IRM chips to get all functions working on these locos. It would cost me €1500 to do all my locos.

To try to answer gfh 2000 I have successfully fitted my 141/181 locos with a 4 function decoder the cv are as follows I hope this helps in someway CV33=1 CV34=1 CV35=1 CV36=2 CV49=0 CV50=16 CV51=16 CV52=0  

[Sean]

when i get my programming track plugged in ill read the esu encoders and send you on the fuction maps.