Still not sure about it....Can I make the momentum button at top of NCE Power Cab the brake and make, say F11, the momentum ? Or, is momentum function hard-wired/permanently locked to this button ? On manual page, ( not at home.. I think, 19 ) there is a picture of the throttle and all the buttons numbered from 1 upper left corner to ( not home, is it 34 or such ?) lower right corner button. Does this imply that any of these buttons ( other than throttle wheel, of course ) can be reassigned to a new function via mapping/swapping ? Or am I still not getting it ?.... Also, if you would, explain what ' paged-programming ' is...What is its advantage ? ....Again , thanks ........Mark
In my experience, momentum is something programmed semi-permanently into CV 4. It is not generally actionable via one of the function buttons on one's throttle. You can function-map the actionable decoder actions, almost always sounds, but also lighting and the fast brake (QSI's have that on F7). Momentum, though, is activated for as long as you leave it set in CV4, usually with a setting around 20-60, depending on how long you are willing to let a locomotive coast to a halt.
For a second or two I thought you were talking about Analog DC and my answer was going to be NO! I believe that is correct with regards to DCC as well. Most momentum is handled through the CV's. Darn complicated railroad gizmo's. Good to hear you are still railroading.
No you can't reprogram every key to anything you want. First let me say I don't mean this to be insulting, but I think you're confused about what's going on when you remap a function. You're not changing what the key on the controller does. When you press the "1" key on the controller a function 1 command is sent to the currently selected locomotive. Remapping the function doesn't change this. What the remapping does is change the way the decoder in the selected locomotive responds to the command. The remapping takes place in the decoder not in the hand held throttle. I believe the number keys on the NCE controller can have secondary commands that will be activated when the number and the shift key are pressed together, so you could program the <Shift> 1 combination to be F11. The momentum key is not a function key, it's executing a macro. What it's doing is changing the values in CV 3 and 4 of the selected decoder. Pressing <Momentum> and 1 sets CV3 to 8 and CV4 to 4. Pressing <Momentum> and 2 sets CV3 to 16 and CV4 to 8 and so forth. The key's use can not be changed. The momentum key is unique to the NCE controllers.
Thanks, but if we are able to go into the binary codes of all the CVs, could CV4's binary code be entered into F11 or 12 (making new momentum button )..and maybe put brake's binary code values into now 'empty' old momentum button to have have brake up top ? But, maybe you're saying 'momentum' isn't re-mappable due to it not being sound or light. Yet, we can configure motor's variables, so why not momentum's button, when we certainly can taper/modify momentum effects ?.. Sorry if I'm taking you around in circles..... Mark
The function of each CV is set by the firmware in the decoder. Some CV uses are standardized by the NMRA, some uses are defined by the individual decoder manufacturer, but you can not change what an individual CV controls. CV 4 controls the deceleration. Changing the value it contains changes the rate of deceleration but you can't make it do anything but control deceleration. I didn't say the momentum button wasn't re-mappable because it's not a sound or light. It can't be remapped because it's a button on the controller. The buttons aren't reprogrammable. The momentum button causes a series of commands to be sent that change the values of CV 3 and CV 4. That's all you can ever make it do. CV 3 controls acceleration and CV 4 deceleration, you can not change this. You can control how much acceleration or deceleration there is but the use of those two CVs is not alterable. The CV values that allow functions to be remapped may appear to be allowing their use to be changed but even these aren't actually changing their use. In a Tsunami CV 45 controls the response to a function 11 command. It determines what the decoder does when it receives a function 11 command. You can not make it control anything other then how it reacts to function 11. What you can control is what function 11 causes to happen. The options are "short horn", reserved, "radiator fans", "dim", 'mute', "air compressor", "brake", and "coupler". You can select any of these but nothing else. You can actually make it do more then one of these at the same time but you can't make it control acceleration or deceleration.
And all I wanted to do was get some sound........had no idea this was going to be so complicated! What does CV stand for...constant value? circuit value? not that it's going to make any diff to me, lil. I have an NCE starter pak coming and now I'm just hoping I'll understand it when it arrives!
Why don't you try here? http://www.nmra.org/standards/DCC/standards_rps/rp922.html Do a web search for DCC also.
It's actually not that complicated. If you follow the instructions that come with your NCE setup you should be able to get running without any problems.
Many thanks to all who chimed in and explained the technical aspects. Yes, I did naively think throttle buttons moved around by re-mapping..It's the decoder in the loco re-mapping ,,,not throttle button numbers..I. E. button 7 will always be 7..Yet I still don't get that, last night, via some, I guess, accidental button hitting ,when I pushed 3 whistle DID sound. When I hit it again whistle kept repeating about 8 times before it stopped. I merely did some 'system refresh' and the 6 second off/on thing, and made sure CV 8 was 8 value. One of these moves put everything back in order. DCC is a great and exciting change for the hobby, but ,like wow, it's complicated !!...
