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A-Track DCC - Reference Manual - A

1. 15 3 5 Starting the PrOGFaAM saaiiicecvens dessnnnieseseneieedsnrussenisinesriseweseieivevarnanesuiers 24 3 6 An Introductory TUtOrial vcsisivissiccavicecdnrciestisncdsstscncestiiniedsssnureessinesesnes 30 3 7 M king a QUICK St rt siririna aaa aaia 32 4 ITEMS AND ITEM LIST OPERATIONS sassnnnsnnnnnunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 39 4 1 Accessing and VIEWING Item LiStS ssss 40 4 2 Item List Load and Save Options sssss2222 2525 5252222222220u20222022 20 55 47 4 3 Other File and Program FuUncCtioOnS sss 2 2 51 4 4 Editing Undo Redo Find and Selection cccceenneseecccennnneeeseeennnnees 53 4 5 Editing Cut Copy and PaSt wcciccssssccccnvctccccessctcccucsccsstunatecssusseesscncses 55 4 6 Control Allocation of Locomotive ItemMS s s 60 4 7 Control Direct Operation of Locomotive IteMS 68 4 8 Emergency Stopi aa a aa a aa 72 5 ITEM OPERATIONS niin aa a 76 5 1 Edit Configuration Variables WindOW sssss2us2 22222 s2ususuusuunnunnunnnnnn 76 5 2 Initialising a Blank Item sssssssunsss22222202222022202222220202202222022220 2 0nn 82 5 3 Speed and Speed Tables ccccccssnnnnneeeeeeeeeseceeeeseennneeeeeeeeeesseeeeennananaas 90 5 4 FUNCTIONS ANd FUNCTION Mapping s ssss222 2222 22u22200222022220 2020 20 99 5 5 Editing CV Values Directly
2. lt 0 1 2 3 4 5 G T B 4 Wait patiently while the first 128 CV values are read from the decoder and displayed in the grid If required the whole operation can be stopped at any time by clicking the Cancel button although you will have to wait for the current CV Paged Read operation to complete up to 20 seconds Page 37 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If you need further assistance with the Read Verify operation you can read the instructions in the Help Topic Item Operations Reading and Verifying CV Values press the F1 key to open up Help again if you closed it down When the Read Verify operation is complete click the Finish button in the Edit CVs window If an error occurred because of a connection problem correct it and restart the Read Verify operation this is fully explained in the Help Topic L dy Read erty Completed Successtully ontirm Paste nder d Eris Update Item 0 1 2 3 4 5 G T B 4 If all went well you may now wish to read all of the decoder s CVs by changing the CV Range option to All CV Blocks and perhaps the Mode to Direct Click the Update Item button at any point to save the Item s CV data back into the Item List and close the Edit CVs window Repeat the operations as often as required to obtain the full set of CV values currently programmed into this locomotive s decoder then use File Save As to save the updated Item Li
3. X Cancelled Read Verify of Selected CVs ast Continue Finis Pe RD Value of CV at which Read Verify operation cancelled cannot 3x 4x O Mime 000 000 000 000 ee be guaranteed 1 08 000 000 2 000 000 000 000 3 000 000 oor oe Strikethrough 4 900 000 000 indicates CVs at 5 000 000 000 000 000 which Read 6 000 000 000 000 Verif 7 000 192 900 000000 ae erity operation 8 000 218 900 000 failed 9 000 000 022 000 000 000 024 051 061 000 000 000 You can carry on with the Read Verify operation from the next selected CV by clicking on Continue when the Read Verify operation will restart at CV33 continuing up to CV35 Click Finish to terminate the Read Verify operation Following a failure of the Read Verify operation and after checking all of the Program Track electrical connections and the contact between the locomotive and the track in case the failure was due to some temporary condition you can repeat the operation Either individually select each of the CVs where Read Verify failed and is indicated by strikethrough or select any one and then press Ctrl L hold down either Ctrl Control key then press the L key which will select all CVs marked by strikethrough and then retry the Read Verify operation with the CV Scope set at the Selected option Page 119 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Where a sound or other decoder uses CVs beyond the Base Lo
4. character to indicate membership of a Consist is taken into account when sorting so that all Items with an active Primary or Decoder Address or in a Consist will be grouped together before sorting into numeric order by Extended Address Sorts the displayed Items into numeric order according to the value of the Item s Extended or Accessory Output Address Clicking on this menu entry again will change the Item sort order from ascending to descending or vice versa Note The preceding gt character to indicate that the Extended or Output Address is active for an Item or character to indicate membership of a Consist is taken into account when sorting so that all Items with an active Extended or Output Address or in a Consist will be grouped together before sorting into numeric order by File Order Sorts the displayed Items into the order in which they are held within the Item List s stored file This order corresponds approximately to the order in which Items have been added to the Item List Note that whenever an Item is changed or modified in any way it is moved to the end of the Item List Items can also be sorted into File Order by clicking on the fu toolbar icon One and only one of the Arrange Icons sub menu entries will always show a tick mark to indicate the current sort order of the Item List Note In Details view the Item List can be sorted by any of the above categories apart from F
5. gH ltem List C Documents and Settings4T ck Item Lists47 T utorial Derno 4 3 ew itl 0 Finally save the changed Item List to the PC s hard disk to ensure that the modifications are securely preserved Page 114 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 9 Reading and Verifying CV Values With the Program Track connected to the appropriate output from the NCE Command Station Power Cab or Power Pro placing a physical item Locomotive on the Track will allow you to read the current values of all or of a selected subset of the locomotive s DCC decoder Configuration Variables Only a single locomotive Should be present on the Program Track at any one time for correct Read Verify operations This facility is used either to verify that new values programmed into the decoder have been received correctly or with a newly acquired locomotive and or decoder to transfer the manufacturer s factory set CV values or the parameters programmed into the decoder using some other equipment such as an NCE Handheld Cab from the decoder to the corresponding A Track Item in the Item List The latter operation is one you should a ways perform with a newly acquired piece of DCC equipment so that you know where you are starting from and have a defined state you can get back to before altering any of the decoder s CV values Note that while using A Track to read and verify a decoder s CVs you should not simultaneousl
6. zij Ttem Details UPChallenger QuantumTitan 30 Sep 13 cs oOo a B ses lll le ee Q1L 048 52 8 0 Bell Yolume ii 0000 1011 Q1L 049 Not Used 0 0000 0000 Q1L O050 52 10 0 Chuff Diesel Motor Traction Motor Yolume 1i o000 1i01i Q1L 051 52 11 0 Chuff 2 Yolume Articulated Steam Locos o ooo0 0000 Q1L 052 Not Used 0 0000 0000 Q1L 053 52 13 0 Yalve Rod Clank Gas Turbine Whoosh Yolume 1i 0000 1011 Q1L 054 52 14 0 Turbo Yolume 0 o000 0000 Q1L 055 52 15 0 Cylinder Cocks Gas Turbine Whine Yolume 1i 0000 1011 Q1L 056 52 16 0 Air Pump 1 Yolume 1i 0000 1011 Q1L O57 52 17 0 Air Pump 2 Yolume Steam Locos 11 o000 101i Q1L 058 Not Used o oo00 0000 Q1L 059 57 19 0 Steam Blower Hiss Fans Volume 6 0000 1000 Q1L 060 Not Used 0 o000 0000 Q1L 061 52 21 0 Long Air Let Off Yolume 1i 0000 1011 Q1L 062 52 22 0 Short Air Let Off Volume 1i 0000 1011 Q1L 063 Not Used 0 oo00 0000 Q1L 064 52 24 0 Squealing Brakes Yolume 11 0000 1011 Q1L 065 Not Used o o000 0000 Q1L 066 52 26 0 Steam Dynamo Diesel Generator Yolume 11 0000 1011 Q1L 067 Not Used 0 oo00 0000 Q1L 068 52 28 0 Dynamic Brakes Fans Yolume 0 0000 0000 Q1L 069 52 29 0 Boiler Pop Off f Spitter Yalve Yolume 11 oO0O00 1011 Q1L O70 52 30 0 Blow Down Yolume 11 0000 1011 8 5 Printing Consist and Accessory Details In most respects Consists and Accessories are treated by the Print facility in exactly the same way as Locomotive and Multiple Items and there is no difference in the way in which
7. Desktop My Documents My Computer bly Petter File name JE Places save as type Rich Test Format Files rtf Cancel ws In the File name listbox A Track will display a suggested filename of either Item Summary or Item Details combined with today s date With the selected folder open you can accept this default filename amend it by adding some further descriptive details such as in the examples above or type your own choice of filename into the File name listbox from the keyboard Page 241 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Output print files can be generated in three possible formats e Rich Text Format rtf all page text and character formatting is included in the file Hence when the file is opened in a word processor application which can handle RTF files such as those in Microsoft Works or Microsoft Office the screen view and the result when printed will look exactly the same as when the data is sent directly to a printer Additional text formatting such as the use of colour can be inserted at your own discretion Note Older versions of the WordPad basic word processor installed as part of Windows in the Accessories folder within Program Files ignore the page size and margin settings included in the RTF file Therefore you will have to set these manually in order to have the pages formatted as intended via the WordPad File menu and Page Setup The recomm
8. Item 22 Configuration Yariables g ser Identifier 1 CP Item Description Switcher Consist 2 Identity Config Locomotive Assignment Lead C Midi C Mid2 C Mid3 C Mid4 C Rear Assigned Loco Fwd Address lo E Description No Locomotive Assigned Click button to select position in Consist for assignment Paste Indevd Cys Enter address of of Locomotive to be assigned to Consist Update Item Assigned Loco List Lead Mid 1 4 Rear 0000 F No Locomotive Assigned Close CV Ox 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x Way 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 i j 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 20e s00 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 1207 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 Consist Address 120 held in CV19 location Olo Nin OT ON A Track and the NCE Power Pro System each allow up to six locomotives to be assigned to and stored within a defined Consist with the locomotive heading the group designated as the Lead Loco the last locomotive as the Rear Loco and the other four as Mid Locos You can assign a locomotive to any of the six posit
9. 4T Tutorial Demo 43 itl Cochise amp western _Al_121115 itl My Recent Documents Dezkto m My Documents i vr My Computer k File name aT T utorial D emo 43 itl i My Hetwork Files of type item Lists itl o Cancel Places Open as read only ti which will display its contents in the A Track main window the significant features of which are indicated in the picture on the following page Page 41 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual A Track A Track Item List Column Headers Window Menu Bar Toolbar Click to Sort Item List by Control parameter in that column Minimise FY 4 Track Maximise 5 x Ble gdt wewl vce tem Hef J o AsSUUS ks tmaemioo el eaziaee and Close mi Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 Loco SS 004 gt 2014 28 F00 Cie Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 Truck Shay Z14SR Loco _ gt 006 1206 28 F00 _ Cie Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truck Climax Lenz Silv Loco P 052 gt 4004 28 F00 _ Cie Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleT ank TCS MC6 Loco P 001 gt 4301 28 FOO _ CI AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane DH142 093 gt 9793 28 F00 _ g Gandy Dancer DZ120 A Track gt 018 0218 28 F00 _ CIG DLRGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Item List 01 gt 2011 23 F00 CI D amp RGW 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 oco _ 017 gt 2917 28 FOOZX _ Ofa Accessory Decoder Wangrow SM 104 Access y P gt 0260 1037 1234__ O at amp SF GE 44 Switcher DN140 Mult Lead _P 120 gt
10. Disable P Button I P Output Enable 0 P Exercise Output 2 Close Or a te ie Me O00 000 000 000 OOO OOO 00 000 000 Ooo a OOO 039 O00 000 000 000 OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO An An AI i A A ii Page 158 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Hence as in the example above if the Item being set up is intended to represent an NCE Switch It accessory decoder with two Output Addresses selecting Number of Outputs as 2 and entering the desired address values leaves the Addrs Parameter Tab as shown The number and type of options available in the NCE Options area depends on the type of NCE accessory decoder which is in turn set by the number of outputs selected A Track assumes that if a single output is selected then the decoder is either an NCE Snap It or Switch Kat if two outputs then it is an NCE Switch It and if eight outputs then it is an NCE Switch 8 as shown in the examples below If any other number of outputs is selected then A Track assumes that the NCE Decoder checkbox was ticked in error and the NCE Options are disabled Item 26 Configuration Yariables J 9a Item Description Forest Flat Depot 2 NCE Switch Kat Program Cis Addrs Read Very Cys Number Dutput BA Output Address Sel Output 1 Copy All CVs Program Accessory Output 2 a y Paste Wai bis Sequential Addresses Output 3 ables Paste Extend zA NCE Options NCE Timing i iilver Pass NCE Switch lt ia
11. fof bos aT to required value 000 __ Cancel 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 After assigning a new value to either Speed Step 1 or to Speed Step 28 or to both click on any one of the Linear Log or Exp buttons to set an appropriate type of speed curve The example below shows a logarithmic curve Item 7 Configuration ariables i 0 Item Description D amp AGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Read erty CW s Step Precision Adjustment Parameters 14 Steps Acceleration Rate O00 Copy All Cvs _ CopAlCvs ie 28 Steps Deceleration Aate O00 Paste Main CVs f 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 Paste Exten d C s Define Tables Deceleration Adjust O00 Select Table Mid Step Joon Paste desi Eus Simple 3 Step Kick Start 00 Forward Trim O00 Update ltem __Update Item Full 26 Step Reverse Trim 000 Close Speed Table Full 28 Step ajej I I I I I I I I I L 3st Linear ooodeoO OO A H E i i te I I I Land nndn nos wd SP get tt Soya E i at E ee m A E agg I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Cancel 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 29 Page 97 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual You are of course not restricted to any of the three preset options but can produce a speed curve of any desired shape by setting each of the 28 Speed Steps individually to the value you require Click in any Speed Step column or drag any Step
12. ssssss 22 2 2 2 2onuunnnnnnnunnunuunnunnnnnnnn 100 5 6 Accessing Further CV Pages Sound and Complex Functions 102 5 7 Serial User Standard Interface SUSI ss 2s 111 5 8 Transferring CV Values Between ItemMS sss2s 112 5 9 Reading and Verifying CV Values ssssss s xun 115 5 10 Programming CV Values ssssssusnnnunuu2u2222222222002220022u222ununnnnnnnnnnnnnn 122 5 11 Defining and Assigning Locomotives to COnSIStS ccssssssssseseeeeeseees 126 5 12 Transferring and Activating CONSIStS sssss2s 138 5 13 Controlling CONSISES vesiensesecnericccininesrniienseniinedesrusiiutecdsiiaees srtnaeeririnees 151 5 14 Accessories Operation and ParameterS sssus2u222 2 2 152 5 15 Programming Accessory Decoders Edit CVS WINCOW sseeeseees 161 5 16 Controlling Accessory De COCELSS ccsscseeeessccceeeeennnneeeeeeeeesseeseeeeenanaas 167 5 17 Programming Accessory Decoders Control WiIndOW ssseeeenneess 173 Page 2 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 6 USING MACROS TO CONTROL ACCESSORIES ccsccnsccnnscennees 175 6 1 Defining Editing and Saving MacCroOS sssssssss ss ssnonnonnnnnnnnnnnn 176 6 2 LINKING MACOS wisviseseccvenseacswitendscseceabauwescncusiucuessaiercenrevedueusiiwivsasamness 190 6 3 Macro Group Operations s
13. Program Cys if HOSE LUE item Type PrimaryAddess 003 Copy All CVs Accessory Extended Address 0003 parser ie Consist Address Paste Main CVs Shah ji Paste Exten d CV s Update Item Select Item Type OI NiD A GN oS Note that CVO01 CV17 CV18 and CV29 in the CV Value Grid are also highlighted in pink and that the value of CVO1 has been changed to 03 which is the default Primary Address for Locomotive decoders The entries for CV17 and CV18 which together hold the Extended Address for a Locomotive decoder also represent a value of 0003 since as required by the NMRA DCC standards CV17 always has a hexadecimal value of CO 192 decimal added to it The updated Configuration value in CV29 indicates that 28 Speed Steps operation has been selected If the new Item s Type is selected as Accessory then the default Accessory Address value of 01 will be stored in two parts in CVO1 01 and CVO9 00 and the Configuration value in CV29 will be set to 80 hexadecimal 128 decimal to indicate an Accessory Decoder Further details on setting up a new Accessory can be found in Sections 5 14 and 5 15 Conversely if Consist is selected for the Item Type then the Consist Address held in CV19 will be set to the first available consist address Consist addresses can range from O1 up to 127 and to be consistent with the policy applied by the NCE Power Pro System address allocation starts at 127 and works down
14. For further details on the SUSI specification see the relevant section of the NMRA DCC standards and the referenced supporting documentation Page 111 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 8 Transferring CV Values Between Items When initialising the CVs for a new Item added to your roster it can save a lot of time if you copy the current values from a similar existing Item and generally with the same make if not necessarily the same model of decoder Then instead of having to set every single value from scratch you should only need to alter a small set of key values including normally the Primary and Extended Addresses Open an Edit CVs window for the Item which contains the set of CVs you wish to copy then simply click on Copy All CVs to transfer all CV values to the CV Copy Buffer a private area of memory within A Track R Item Description DERGW 2 8 0 Consolidation LokSnd Select Pogam CVs _ 1dentity Config Speed Funct n Pages sust R if EA ABE item Type Primary Address 015 LC Accessory Extended Address 2515 srssessrsesesseseeseeeseseeereresresseeeeeee Sessesessessse Ae esssssssessssssessssessee Click to make a Paste Main CV s 3 User Identifier F copy of all CV User Identifier 2 values held in this Manufac Version No Item Manufacturer ID Paste Index d CVs Paste Buttons enabled after Copy which buttons depends on r
15. Page 181 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Select Macro Set Macro 000 063 ff Edited Macro 064 127 C Selected Selected Macro Number Macro Entry 3 Selected Macro r Description Heath Sawmill 1 Edit Macro Enter Yalue F T Accessory fe Address Normal See sels Link to Macro 0131 Route Retrieve Set Update Set Go To Linked Cancel Mac L 2 3 4 5 6 f g 4 10 Description 000 029N O196N O000 ooog ooog ooog ooog o000 ooog 0000 Mainline PineCreek 001 0129A OS0R 0136A g ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Runaround PineCrk 002 01293A O30N 0131A O00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Heath Sawmill 1 0129A O130N 0131 N 0000 OO00 OO00 aga OO00 OO00 OOOO Heath Sawmill 1 004 Oooo aoga OO00 aaga aga OO00 aga OO00 OO00 aga Load File Macro 128 191 Macro 192 255 Save File i i Note that a shortcut for this type of edit is available where after right clicking on any address in a Macro Entry just type N or R to change the turnout direction Next right click in Entry 4 of Macro 003 and type the last turnout command as 132R Finally right click in the Description field of Macro 003 to highlight the copied description in the Selected Macro Description textbox Left click in the textbox to remove the highlight and to allow you to edit the description as required In this case we o
16. Paste nder d Eys Update ltem Close Finally to enhance the example suppose we wish to activate both Outputs F4 and F6 when Function F4 is invoked Click to select Function F4 on the top row and then select both checkboxes on the bottom row for Outputs F4 and F6 Function Output Mapping Ph OC COCE Haan eee LFLA 1 23 4 5 6 ree S101 T2 Perr Poor CRC Paste nder d Eys Update ltem Close 0 1 2 a 4 5 6 T B 4 The CVs changed by the set of three Function mappings can be seen in the CV Value Grid Note also that A Track ensures that you can only specify valid Function mappings by greying out disallowed combinations 5 5 Editing CV Values Directly All of the CVs specified as having unique functions in the NMRA DCC Standards and Recommended Practices can be accessed and their values edited using the fields incorporated in the set of Parameter Tabs However many of the remaining CVs which have not been allocated specific functions by the NMRA are used by each individual decoder manufacturer to define their own proprietary parameters and functions You can edit any of the CVs in the CV Value Grid including these NMRA and manufacturer specific CVs by right clicking on the relevant cell in the CV Value Grid to bring up the Configuration Variable Value page in the Parameter Tabs area of the window as shown in the example below This page shows the number of the selected CV w
17. option as shown allows you to see all files already stored in the selected folder in whatever format My Network File name litem D etails 30 Sep 13 Places save ag type Rich Text Format Files rtf a Rich Text Format Files rtf Plain Text Files tet Cancel Important When choosing a filename and file type for the Print file if you give the file any extension other than rtf txt or csv then although the file will be saved with your given extension it will be saved in RTF format This is very likely to confuse Windows and most application programs when you attempt to open or import the file at a later date and is to be strongly discouraged unless you are very sure of what you are doing Page 242 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The format of the CSV file produced by the A Track Print facility for an Item Summary is similar to that of the TXT format in that it contains no page size nor margin settings but neither does it contain the header or footer rows found in RTF and TXT print files Instead a single row containing the full filename of the Item List plus the date of printing is inserted above the rows containing summary data for each selected Item An example of a CSV format Item Summary imported into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet is shown below zat Ttem Summary Tutorial Demo 43 30 Sep 13 cs D A Track 4 Track 44ItemLists AT Tutorial Demo 43 itl Printed
18. 005 0129A 0130N 0131N O132N O133N 0134A 0000 0000 0000 0000 O Grady Leather 006 0129R O130N 0131N O132N O133N O134N 0135A 0000 0000 0000 Maintenance Shed 007 0129R O130N O131N O132N O133N O134N O135N 95012 0000 0000 Main Silver Pass 008 0000 0000 0000 oooo0 0000 0000 6600n0 0000 0000 009 0135N 0134N 0133N 0132N 0131N 0000 0000 0000 0000 SilverPass PineCrk 010 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 Link Addresses Amended Manually 011 0000 0000 0000 TSEN OIS7 N E 013 0156R 0294N 0305N SilverPass Passing 014 0156A 0294R O296N O298N 0000 SPassw McGLmb 015 0156A 0294R O296N 0298R O300R 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 SPasswW McGLmbB LY 0000 v SilverPass Through Note that the link in Macro 012 which previously pointed to Macro 072 has been changed to Macro 032 on the assumption that Macro 072 plus any associated Macros has been relocated to Macro 032 in another group copy operation 6 4 Running Macros A Track allows Macros to be run or executed directly from any loaded Macro backup file when using either an NCE Power Cab or an NCE Power Pro system To run a Macro from a Macro backup file open the Macro Edit window by clicking on Edit Run Macro File from the Edit menu Click on Load File and load the relevant file from the computer s hard disk or other media Once the Macros are loaded into the appropriate Macro Set click on the Macro you wish to run in
19. Accessories have fewer parameters and defined Configuration Variables than Locomotives so the first page of their Item Details printout contains much less data than that for a Locomotive Rather than waste paper if you select an option to print Accessory Configuration Variables the list of CVs starts on the first page With 32 rows of CV data printed on this first page the full CV list only occupies a further two pages CV001 to CV128 Part of an example printout is shown below Page 246 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item Descr Pine Creek Yard NCE Switch 8 e Accessory Flags Inactive Saved NotProg md DecoderAddr 0033 Output Addr gt 0130 Configur n Basic OutputAddr NoBiDirCom BiDir Comms Controller None Allocated Manuf Versn 000 User ID 1 Manufac ID 000 User ID 2 Manuf Prgrm NCE Decoder Aux I P Act Time On Fl Time On F2 Time On F3 Time On F4 Num O Puts Seqnl Addrs SnapItRechg SnapIt Time O P Addr 1 O P Addr 2 O P Addr 3 O P Addr 4 O P Addr 5 O P Addr 6 O P Addr 7 O P Addr 8 Accessory CV Block CVs 001 128 CV No Description 001 Address LS 6 Bits Output Addr Mod 256 002 Auxiliary Input Activation of Outputs 1 8 003 Time On for Function F1 NCE Switch Kat 004 Time On for Function F2 005 Time On for Function F3 006 Time On for Function F4 Manufacturer Version Number Manufacturer ID Number Address MS 3 Bits Output Addr Div 256 Reserved
20. Copyright 2008 2013 JT Chamberlain 9 1 Registration and Activation If you wish to register A Track then click on Help on the menu bar and select Register Activate from the drop down menu File Edit view NCE Item Help ja amp Ha 5 b Help Topics w Start Up Tutorial Description Wi Westside Lumber 3 Truc OG Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 7 g Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truc C1 Colorado Mining 0 6 0 Sa _ bout A Track g AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane OH142 Loco Register Activate Support f Report Problems Clicking on Register Activate will open a window displaying a basic set of instuctions on how to proceed with registration and activation together with two textboxes in which to enter a First and Last Name under which this copy of A Track will be registered Page 249 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Also displayed in the Register Activate window is information relating to the Version of A Track which is running the Serial Number generated when you installed A Track details of the version and build of Windows installed on this computer and the type and software version of the NCE System to which you last connected If the computer on which A Track is running has an active connection to the Internet then you can proceed immediately to register your copy of the program Enter the first and last names that you wish to use for registration in the appropriate textbox The names
21. Empty Buffer Gtr E Insert Blank Item Shift Ins Delete Item Del Check All ease Click to add a new blank nyen Item to the Item List Select All Ctrl a Invert Selection or use the Toolbar icon Edit Run Macro File Now double click on one of the blank Items in the Item List which will open an Edit Configuration Variables window You can refer in due course to Chapter 5 Item Operations for full descriptions and details of all of the features and functions to be found in the Edit CVs window For the moment press the F1 key on the PC keyboard E A Track Help C w LL x ce gt g Hide Back Formvard Print Contents 5 h RT 2 Search Initialising a Blank Item Before looking at the other Parameter Tabs it is worth going through the initial actions you need to perform under the Identity and Config Tabs when adding a new Item to the Item List ie anny NAA a Blank Item inserted using the Edit action described in Editing 4 Track and Your DCC System Getting Started Item List Operations E a ltem Operations E ltem Operations 2 E 2 Edit E variables WEINE A double click on the Blank Item opens an Edit CVs window as usual 2 Speed and Speed Tables but showing all Item parameters with zero values 3 Functions and Function Mapping Editing CY Values Directly Accessing More CY Values Sar Serial User Standard Interface 5 Transfering CY Values Between Reading a
22. Handheld Cab Setup Displays a window showing the connection status of all NCE Handheld Cabs together with the last known status of and the list of locomotives allocated to the currently selected Cab Click on the address of any Cab to update and display its detailed status and allocation list Any of the parameters of the selected Cab can be changed and returned to the Command Station and the complete allocation list can be cleared Note however that locomotives or consists cannot be allocated to the current Cab using this window see Sections 10 5 and 10 7 below dealing with the Item and Pop Up menus Item Edit CVs Opens an Edit Configuration Variables window for the currently selected Item If several Items are selected highlighted then the Edit CVs window is opened for the last selected Item identified in the Item List by an outline box drawn around the appropriate Item The Edit CVs window allows you to view modify and save values for each of that Item s Configuration Variables as well as a number of other parameters Note Separate Edit CVs windows can be opened simultaneously on the screen for as many Items as you wish so that you can easily compare and transfer CV values between Items Shortcut Key None Toolbar Icon Fa Item Pop Up menu Allocate NCE Cab Only enabled with NCE Power Pro Systems Opens an Allocate Item to NCE Cab window for the currently selected Item If several Items are selected highlig
23. activated or from the Command Station to the Item List transferred in either case overwriting any previous definition of that Consist held in the destination Consist Status View Backup File Displays a window showing all Consists which are currently defined in either a selected Consist backup file or the A Track Item List or both together with a list of the Locomotive addresses assigned to the selected Consist within the Consist backup file but not necessarily in the Item List Where any Locomotive assigned to a Consist is identified in the Item List its description is displayed alongside the address Click on any Consist Address to display the status and assignment details of that Consist Where appropriate details of the selected Consist can be copied from the Consist backup file to the Item List transferred overwriting any previous definition of that Consist held in the destination However Consists cannot be copied to an attached NCE Power Pro Command Station activated where the Consist address is programmed into the actual assigned Locomotives on the track directly from a backup file The Consist must first be transferred into the A Track Item List Refresh Item Allocation amp Status Initiates an immediate rescan and update of the NCE Handheld Cab allocations and status shown the righthand columns of the Item List when using Details view only enabled when connected to an NCE Power Pro Command Stati
24. the Package by double clicking on it Alternatively you can copy the complete set of unzipped files and folders to a USB flash drive memory stick or write them to a CD R disk if you wish to install A Track on another computer such as one without Internet access ensuring that you preserve the unzipped folder structure Once copied to a CD R the A Track installer should run automatically when loaded into a suitable CD DVD drive as described below for installation from the Distribution CD If you have copied the Installation Package to a USB flash drive then after plugging the device into an available USB port it is unlikely that the installer will run Page 12 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual automatically Hence click on My Computer in XP or Computer in Vista or 7 and locate the USB drive usually D or E In Windows 8 you will first need to open File Explorer on the Desktop in order to locate the USB drive in Computer Double click on the drive icon to reveal the list of files and folders then double click on the file named A Track4_Install exe When the A Track installation window opens and presents you with a set of simple options follow the instructions given below for installation from the Distribution CD 3 2 Installation from the Distribution CD Insert the distribution CD into your DVD CD drive ensuring that no other applications are running on the PC Although the installation program will norm
25. 129 256 C Acceleration Adjustment Acceleration Rate Alternate Mode Function Status F1 Alternate Mode Function Status FL Bi Directional Communication Conf Configuration Data Consist Address Consist Address Active for F1 F8 Consist Address Active for FL F9 F Access CV Page Base C Extended C Indexed Indexed2 Indexed3 Indeved4 C CV Block to be Read Verified selected before operation started Indexed Page Address Hign byte Indexed Page Address Low Byte Kick Start Output Control for Function F01 Output Control for Function F02 Output Control for Function F03 Output Control for Function F04 Output Control for Function F05 Output Control for Function FOG Output Control for Function F07 Output Control for Function F08 Output Control for Function F09 the Program Track then click the Read Verify CVs Action Button and wait for the operation to complete Item 14 Configuration Yariables 33 Item Description Union Pacific Challenger OSI Titan Steam Read Verify Configuration Variables Program Gs Identity Read Vernty Cys CY Range Copy All Cys Paste Main Cys Paste Entend Cys Paste Index d Cys Update ltem Close Confirm CV Ox 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 0 WS 001 001 001 032 000 1 000 086 160 003 004 000 2 000 032 032 001 255 Buus 3 000 255 255 001 032 000 4 001 000 5 000 000 000 000 6 000 000 000 100 000 000 7 127 127 127 8 000 127 127 127
26. 30 Sep 27013 Description Type Flags PrAddr ExtAddr Control Spsts 5 Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 Loco co 4 gt 2014 ne O02 28 6 Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 Truck Shay Z145R Loco GC gt O006 1206 nc 06 28 ee Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truck Climax Lenz Silv Loco P 52 gt 4004 28 Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleTank TCS MC6 Loco __ Pp 1 gt 4301 28 9 AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane DH142 Loco 93 gt 9793 28 Gandy Dancer DZ120 Loco ALP gt 018 218 NCO09 28 11 D2RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Loco A 11 2011 WG 02 2B D2RGW 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 Loco GC 1 gt 2917 ne 02 2B 13 Accessory Decoder Wangrow Sh 104 ACCeSs y P gt 0260 1037 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN140 Mult Lead P 120 0464 28 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN1350 MMult hid P 120 0463 2B DRGW GE44 Switcher DN135D Mult Rear P 120 gt 0436 2B Switcher Consist 2 Consist P gt 120 Union Pacific Challenger QSI Titan Steam Loco P gt 089 3989 28 Southern 4 6 0 Baldwin SoundTraxx Tsunami Loco __ Pp 75 gt O750 28 20 Union Pacific 2 6 2 Prairie SDN144Ps Loco __ P 24 gt 3024 128 DERGW FMH10 44 Quantum Loco P gt 122 2122 2B 22 D2RGW 2 8 0 Consolidation LokSnd Select Loco __ Pp gt O015 27515 28 Santa Fe 2 8 0 Consolidation LokSnd Micro Loco P gt O032 1132 28 Union Pacific EMD WW BL Paragon Loco P g4 gt 1094 128 25 Gregson Silver Digitrax D844 Access y P 23 0091 26 McGilligan Lumber Lenz L amp 8150 Access y P 75 gt 03200 27 Pine Creek Ya
27. Backup Files Plain Text mbk Cancel A Again you can edit or change the suggested filename as much as you like perhaps to reference a particular operating session After clicking Save successful completion will be confirmed a similar acknowledgement to that shown previously for System or Consist Backup Data for between one and eight Handheld Cabs can be saved in a single backup file with the required range of Cabs selected using another simple form displayed as shown below when you click Handheld Cab Backup on the NCE menu NCE Cab Range Select Select set of up to eight 8 Handheld Cabs for which to back up curent parameters and loco allocations First Cab Address E Last Cab Address Jog canoe Page 207 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Enter the Address of the first Cab to back up in the lefthand textbox and the Address of the last Cab of the backup set in the other textbox Cab Addresses can range from O1 to 63 inclusive and the default set used by A Track starts at Cab 02 and finishes with Cab 09 If you only wish to back up the settings for a single Cab then enter that Cab Address in both textboxes Attempting to select more than eight Cabs will result in an error message and the Last Cab Address will then be set to First Cab Address 7 Entry alue Error X T Cannot select more than Eight 8 NCE Cabs in backup set When you have the required range of Cabs se
28. Cae cE v Toolbar Jom e Ql 2B w Status Bar Descriptior Show Checked Only Large Icons P O01 4301 small Icons 093 9793 Lai AP gt a 0218 w Details cess y P 0260 arrange Items t Uit Lead P 120 gt O464 Line Up Icons hI P 170 0463 MMMM P 120 gt O436 Consist Status Item List f Crmd Str FP 120 _P 089 3989 P 075 0750 Og Union Pacific 2 6 2 Prairie SDN144P5 P O24 gt S024 If you are connected to an NCE Power Pro System this will open the windows Shown below Page 138 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Selected Consist Address F Temper A PEE Locos Assigned to Consist NCE Command Station tf Current Item List t Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead a Mid1 Mid 2 Mid 3 Mid 4 Hear a Please wait for data transter to complete Do not operate NCE Handheld Cabs at this time ol 611 111 121 02 12 112 122 OF 13 23 33 43 53 63 73 83 93 103 113 123 na 14 a4 Jd dda Fa ca Ta of oa wa Ata Add Defined Consists Status 10 110 120 This transfers the latest Consist definitions from the Command Station to A Track although as you will have almost certainly observed existing Consist status is always collected from the NCE Power Pro Command Station as soon as A Track is started and connected The transfer is repeated now to ensure that you are working with the most up to date Consist data and once t
29. Cancel Clicking Cancel will return you to A Track with the opportunity to stop and deallocate the Items still under control or you can click OK to force an immediate stop and disconnect of all Items The latter operation is performed by issuing an Emergency Stop via the NCE Command Station followed only if you are using an NCE Power Pro system by a short disconnection of mainline track power before the A Track program is finally closed 4 8 Emergency Stop The last control in the Operate window which was not dealt with in the previous section is the Emergency Stop button which when clicked activates an Emergency Stop of the Item under control cancels all active function switches and sets the speed control knob to zero A Stop icon Q replaces the normal Active indicator in the top righthand corner of the Operate window as shown below Page 72 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 7 D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 v FL Headlight Function F1 Duam Headlig unction 8 v Function F2 Function F3 3 l 2 v Function F4 Function F5 1 Z Function F6 Function F7 Z Function FS Options D 4 ala xix D Any subsequent click on a function switch or pushbutton or movement of the speed control knob will cancel the Emergency Stop of the Item and remove the Stop icon Emergency Stop However a second click on the Oper
30. ICE Srap lt Access y PFP O06 0265 0 ICE Switch Kat Access y _F 0046 0182 1 ad Settings Track ltem ListsV4T Tutonal D erno 43 tl tere 26 Current 23 HCE o COM D z Accessory Items which represent decoders with less than eight Outputs will only have status numbers shown for those Outputs which exist with the other unused Function columns displaying an underscore _ symbol as shown above The NCE Power Pro Command Station maintains a record of the last command sent to all turnout addresses from either A Track or any Handheld Cab This data is loaded by A Track from the Command Station at the same time as Consist data each time the program is started All turnout status data is also reloaded each time an Accessory soft controller is opened by clicking Operate not just the data for the turnouts associated with that Item Hence as soon as an Item List is loaded the Output status relevant to each Accessory Item will be displayed in the Function column of the Details view If no command has ever been sent to a particular address then the turnout is assumed by the NCE Power Pro system to be in the Route Reverse or Thrown position However turnout status data is not available from an NCE Power Cab system so in this case the Item List Function column in an Item List will only show status due to commands sent from A Track and subsequently saved within the Accessory Items in the Item List Note tha
31. If the data transfer stops because of an error carefully follow the NCE Command Station recovery procedure described in the following paragraphs Errors can occur because both the NCE Command Station and A Track are carrying out their normal operations completely independently Ideally when A Track sends a command to write backup data to the Command Station memory the Command Station should suspend all of its own operations which involve the same area of memory Since there is no way that A Track can request the Command Station to do this the only option available to A Track is to try to execute each part of the transfer so as to cause minimal interference and to ensure that if an error does occur recovery of both systems is as painless as possible If a restore transfer error does occur the warning message below will appear x T Error Data Transfer Cancelled STOF BEFORE Pressing the OK Button below Please Remove Power From the MCE Command Station Unplug then Wait For 30 seconds 4oply Power bo the Command Station Again Press OK wait until WCE Status Indicators are Green then Restart the Data Transfer At this point do not press the OK button The error will most likely be due to some corruption in the A Track transfer which has caused the NCE Command Station to stop processing the message and then to wait indefinitely without sending a response back to A Track Therefore the recommended action is to remov
32. Installation by Inno Setup 5 5 2 lt Back Cancel Click Next to display the default destination folder for A Track Unless you have very good reasons to change the install destination and understand the possible Page 16 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual complications of doing so it is recommended that you leave it as shown at C Program Files A Track 2 Setup A Track for Windows icy Select Destination Location Where should 4 Track For Windows be installed cJ Setup will install 4 Track For Windows into the Following Folder To continue click Next IF vou would like to select a different Folder click Browse Browse At least 37 3 MB of Free disk space is required Copyright te 2008 2013 4 Train Systems o nstallation by Inno Setup 5 5 2 lt Back Cancel Click on Next to continue The set up program will now ask you to confirm that it Should proceed to create a set of entries for A Track on the computer s Start Menu These will be complemented by the placement of an A Track icon on the Desktop As in previous windows you are also offered the options of returning to change your previous selection Back or of abandoning the A Track SetUp Cancel lic 2 Setup A Track for Windows l x Select Start Menu Folder Where should Setup place the program s shortcuts Setup will create the program s shortcuts in the Following Start Menu Folde
33. Item Description Addr Alloc Colorado Mining O 6 0 SaddleTank TCS MCE 4301 Move Up Al Move Down Y J NCE Cab Allocate X Eb s i Cab Allocation Updated IS Fe A te Be Click the OK button to remove the confirmation window and then finally click Close to close the Allocate Item window The updated NCE Cab should now be ready to control the newly allocated Item on the track as well as the other locomotives and consists in its Recall list Page 64 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual When an Item has been allocated to an NCE Handheld Cab or to an on screen Controller see the following Section 4 7 the identity of the allocated Cab or Controller will appear in the Controller column of the Item List row corresponding to the Item under control The allocation of Item Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleTank to NCE Cab 02 in the preceding example is highlighted in the Item List segment shown below Since this Item was allocated to Slot 1 thus setting the Item under active control its Allocation flag is set to A and the Controller is shown as NC 02 capital letters Two other Items Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay and D amp RGW 2 6 0 Mogul remain allocated to NCE Cab 02 as shown in the Allocate Items list above Since these locomotives are in the Cab s Recall list and not under active control at this time the Allocation flag is set to C and the Controller is shown as nc 0
34. J lt O 20 Silicon Labs CP210 USB to UART Bridge 5 eo ca Ge YO 20 2 Wait until the final notice appears indicating that the connected NCE USB Interface is ready for general use i Found New Hardware x Your new hardware is installed and ready to use You can now use the NCE USB Interface unit to connect A Track to an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster System A Track does not require any detailed knowledge of how the driver software has set up communications for the NCE USB Interface but will simply search all available communications ports for a connection to an NCE System Note that if on some future occasion you choose to connect the NCE USB Interface to a different USB port on your computer you will see the Found New Hardware notices appear again as the driver software is linked to the new USB port After the process completes A Track will automatically handle any consequent changes to communications port allocations Keyspan USA 19HS USB to Serial Adapter Depending on where you obtain your Keyspan USA 19HS USB to Serial Adapter it may be supplied with a CD ROM containing the driver software documentation or you may be directed to download the driver software from the Internet If you have the CD ROM then it is simply a matter of inserting the disk into a Suitable drive on your computer waiting for the installation program to run automatically and then following the on screen prompts Alternatively
35. Main Track m i Paste Inderid Eis Update ltem Contirm lose me O00 z 0 1 Pa 3 4 5 6 i g g In this case for a Digitrax DS44 the decoder s White wire is temporarily connected to one of the Mainline Track rails to enable programming of the Output Address es For this or any other type of accessory decoder refer to the supplied manufacturer s documentation for full details of the required configuration Click Confirm to issue an Operate Turnout command using the selected address The operation will be confirmed visually by the normal Programming sequence described in Section 5 10 where CVO1 is first highlighted in red and should end with both CVO1 and CVO9 highlighted in light green together with display of a confirmation message Page 162 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Paste Inder d i s a ee icvs j Programming Completed Successfully Update hem 7 Contin Plose UD G aa aT Fia a D el Click Finish to return to display of the Addrs Parameter Tab Where the Accessory Item represents an NCE decoder additional decoder parameters can be programmed via the Mainline Track using Operations Mode Item 24 Configuration Yariables La Item Description Silver Pass NCE Switch lt Program Evis Addrs Read erty Cy s umbecitities ES Output Address Sel Copy all Vs eee Program Accessor Output 2 Paste Main Es Sequ
36. Name PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v1 8 19 exe Publisher Prolific Technology Inc Type Application From C Documents and Settings Tere My Documents IY Always ask before opening this file g While files from the Internet can be useful this file type can potentially harm your computer Orly run software from publishers wou trust What s the isk Click Run then follow the displayed prompts up to Finish to complete the driver installation Page 287 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual PL2303 USB to Serial Driver Installer Program x Welcome to the InstallShield Wizard for PL 2303 US6 to Sernal The InstallShield Wizard will install PL 2303 USB to S eral on your computer To continue click Next PL2303 USB to Serial Driver Installe Setup Status PL 2303 USB to Senal is configuring y CTT TTT InstallShield InstallShield Wizard Complete The InstallShield Wizard has successtully installed PL 2303 USB to Senal Click Finish to exit the wizard Back Eancel You can now plug the Prolific USB to Serial back into whichever USB port on your computer you wish to use when you should see one or two small notices appear in the bottom right corner of the screen with a final notice indicating that the connected adapter is ready for general use Page 288 of 303 Version 4 3 2 11 4 A Track Reference Manual i Found New Hardware x Your new hardware
37. Open Merge option on File menu now only enabled when an Item List has been loaded Fixed inconsistencies in numbering new Blank Items after a new Item List is opened A filename including today s date is now suggested when saving a newly created Item List When saving a merged set of Item Lists a new filename including today s date is now suggested instead of the filename of the first Item List loaded Corrected an error which prevented the user choosing the file extension itl or ita to be added to the filename when saving an Item List If user clicks SaveChecked without any Items being checked an error message is now displayed rather than simply ignoring the action Corrected error where MRU file list on File menu was not updated and saved to Registry when A Track was closed Page 297 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Filename paths shown in MRU list on the File menu are now truncated to 60 characters maximum to avoid the width of the File menu increasing excessively Fixed error where File Close was not always enabled after an Item List was loaded The automatic scan of the status of all connected Cabs when using a Power Pro system every 6 minutes can now be suspended via an additional option provided when the Refresh Item Allocation amp Status entry is selected from the View menu selecting the View menu entry again gives you the option to resume scans state of this option is saved in the Registry so that
38. a note of its assigned address 0129 through 0136 in this case and two buttons to switch the state of the Output Output 2 Operate Setup CSO1 Addr 0130 Output Address to be Activated oon Output 4 Addr 0132 ee Al Output 6 pee Addr 0134 v Output 8 Addr 0136 Output 1 Addr 0129 Output 3 Addr 0131 Output 5 Addr 0133 Output 7 Addr 0135 Page 167 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual As discussed previously in the introduction to Accessories in Section 5 14 it is assumed that accessory decoders will be applied to operate turnouts so the green button or will set the turnout to the Normal Straight position and the red button W or W will set the turnout to the Route Reverse or Thrown position One button will be in a bright state d or Y to indicate the direction of the last command sent to the turnout while the other button will be set to the dark state 4 or Y Hence in the example above Outputs 2 4 5 and 7 are set to Route while Outputs 1 3 6 and 8 are in the Normal state These states can be seen in the Function column of the Item List in Details view where an Output set to Normal will be shown as 0 and one set to Route will have the Output number displayed O544 Access y _P 0023 009 OOOO 12 L5150 Access y _P 0075 0200 100450 __ Switch 8 Access y AF 003a 0130 CSO 02045070 H It Access y _F 0040 0157 z
39. from the PC screen as long as those Items are not currently allocated to an NCE Handheld Cab Note that when you right click on an Accessory Item the Operate option on the PopUp menu will open a different window to that shown below with functions appropriate to control of Accessories as described later in Section 5 16 The Operate function opens a new window on the screen in the form of a soft controller with which by using the mouse you can toggle switches on or off or press pushbuttons momentary on to control the state of the Item s functions FL Headlight and F1 through F8 Item 7 D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Click Blue Ring to Increase Decrease Speed tad FL Headiigh F F1 po Y Headlight unction wv Function F2 Function F3 3 2 Function F4 O Function F5 o 7 Rey Fwd Function F8 D Inc Dec Ea D 4 aja SZ gt Minor amp Major Step Increase Decrease Speed Buttons r A Click Red White Cross to Stop Click Again to Close You can also rotate the speed control knob by clicking on the blue ring either side of the small yellow disc on the blue background The maximum amount by which the speed can be changed with each click is limited to prevent you going directly from stationary to maximum speed or vice versa If you click closer to the small yellow disc than the set maximum step then the disc will m
40. see Section 10 3 or by clicking on View on the A Track menu bar followed by Refresh Item Allocation amp Status When you use the View menu option you will be asked whether you wish the periodic scan of attached NCE Cabs to resume Page 223 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Cab Status Automatic Update x P Automatic update of MCE Cabs Status E every 6 minutes is currently disabled After this manual status update do WOU Wish bo resume automatic updates Click Yes to enable future automatic scans of NCE Cab status or No to leave the scans disabled Leaving scans disabled is preferred if you want to adjust the setup of the NCE Power Pro Command Station or Cabs or change Consist or Macro settings without being interrupted periodically A tick mark next to the Refresh Item Allocation amp Status option on the View menu will be displayed to indicate that periodic scans of attached NCE Cabs are enabled In this state every 6 minutes A Track will automatically re scan the status of the NCE Cabs attached to the Command Station The current Cab allocation and status will be cleared from the Item List with the middle indictor on the status bar returning to show red then changing to yellow and eventually back to green when the full re scan has been completed Note that during the time taken to refresh the Item and Handheld Cab status the NCE menu is disabled to avoid any other menu function initiating a data transf
41. the Cab s parameters have been loaded although it is a good idea to click Refresh Selected Cab to make sure that the current status is correct NCE Handheld Cab Status amp Setup Selected Cab Address Type F m mer tei Cab Parameters Number of Recalls E Analog Hom Channel Jong Transfer Changes Deallocate All Items Assign Bell to Funchionj0 06 Default zs Channel f 23 ltem Description Spd Functions Assign Horm to Function foo Analog Bias og Allocated Items Union Pacific Challenger OSI Titan Stearn ltem not found in Loaded ltem List Gandy Dancer D2120 Retresh Selected Cab dy Cab Detected E3 Cab Active dy Cab Allocated y Cab Data Loaded Close Cab Connected Status As shown above the Cab is not actively controlling any of the three allocated locomotives and we can safely change any of the Cab s parameters such as the Number of Recalls by clicking in the relevant textbox in the Cab Parameters section When you do this also as shown above a note of the allowable parameter range is displayed Type a new value for the depth of the Recall list then press the Enter Return key or click in any other textbox If you enter an invalid value for this or any other parameter then a warning message such as that shown below will be displayed immediately Entry Yalue Error x T Recall Depth must be between OO and 06 Click OK then enter a valid parameter v
42. then please contact the A Train Systems Support webpage at http www a train systems co uk support php or by e mail to support a train systems co uk as explained in Section 9 3 and I will make every effort to assist The same advice applies if you are experiencing any difficulties in using A Track with a USB to Serial adapter which uses a chipset from a manufacturer other than those listed below Although A Track ought to work with any adapter which sets up a Virtual Communications Port VCP in your computer it is unfortunately impossible to guarantee that this will always be the case Silicon Labs for NCE USB Interface Driver and documentation available from http www silabs com products mcu pages usbtouartbridgevcpdrivers aspx Required files are from the Download for Windows XP Server 2003 Vista 7 8 v6 6 1 section of the page The download contains drivers for both 32 and 64 bit systems but needs to be unzipped as explained in Section 11 1 Keyspan Driver and documentation available from Page 289 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual http www tripplite com en products model cfm txtModelID 3914 Ensure that you select the files which match the correct version of Windows for your computer one version is for Windows XP and Vista another for Windows 7 and 8 Prolific chipset often found in cheaper adapters Driver and documentation available from http lugable com drivers prolific The
43. 0218 NC 0S 2A FOO _ C1 C2RGW 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 Loco C ol r2O1F ne Oe 20 FOO _ Ofa Accessor Decoder Wangrow Sh 104 Access y F 0260 1037 1234 me ATE amp SF GE44 Switcher ON140 MultLead P 120 0464 2A FOO _ To exit from the Operate function first switch all functions off then stop the Item either by using the on screen or keyboard controls to reduce its speed to zero or by Page 71 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual clicking the red white cross 4 in the centre of the control knob A further click on the red white cross will then close the Operate window with a prompt to save the control settings within the Item if they have been changed T Function Speed Options have been changed Update Them with Changes Two final points to note in connection with the control of Items directly from A Track are that firstly while any Item is being operated from the screen you cannot change or edit the Item List All relevant File menu options such as New Open and Close and the complete Edit menu are disabled until you cease direct Item control and close all Operate windows Secondly if you attempt to close the complete A Track program while Items are still under the control of a soft controller then a warning will be displayed Items Under Console HHC Control x AN Items Still Under Active 4 Track Control Click OK to Force Disconnect of all Items or Cancel to return to Program
44. 0265A O162R 0000 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 ForestFlat Runarnd o0z 00i OO00 ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 00g oO00 OOOO ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 005 oon gogg ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 010 O145N O146EN O14 Nooo ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Aldboro Mainline 011 0145A O46R Oiz OO00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Aldboro Siding A O12 0145A O46N 047R O00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Aldboro Siding B 0145 R O46N O14 oo ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Aldboro Siding C O14 00d OO00 ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog Load File Macro 128 191 Macro 192 255 Save File i Note in passing that if you hover over the Edit Macros icon a note of the Macro Set just loaded will be displayed Page 187 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Selected Selected Macro Number Macro Entry 1 Selected Macro ene Description None Load File a Last Loaded Macro Set 000 063 Edit Macro You can now save a backup copy of these Command Station Macros complete with appropriate descriptions by clicking Save File and following the displayed prompts and the Save Macro Backup Data dialog as described previously To continue the example suppose that you have now added a further siding to the Aldboro Yard with the turnout controlled through an Accessory Output with address 0148 and then edited
45. 0464 28 FOOX _ Ci AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN135D Mult Mid _P 120 gt 0463 28 FOOZX _ Oe DRGW GE44 Switcher DN135D Mul Rear _ P 120 gt 0436 28 F00 _ Clo Switcher Consist 2 Consist _P gt 120 FOOX _ CIE Union Pacific Challenger QSI Titan Steam Loco _P gt 089 3989 28 F00 _ Cie Southern 4 6 0 Baldwin SoundTraxx Tsunami Loco P 075 gt 0750 28 F00 _ 1 Union Pacific 2 6 2 Prairie SDN144PS Loco P 024 gt 3024 128 F00 _ CIG D amp RGW FMH10 44 Quantum Loco P gt 122 2122 28 F00 _ Cie D amp RGW 2 8 0 Consolidation LokSnd Select Loco P gt 015 2515 28 F00 _ rie Santa Fe 2 8 0 Consolidation LokSnd Micro Loco _ Pp gt 032 1132 28 FOOX _ g Union Pacific EMD NW2 BL Paragon2 Loco P 094 gt 1094 128 F00 _ Of Gregson Silver Digitrax DS 44 Access y P 0023 gt 0091 0000 Ofa McGilligan Lumber Lenz L5150 Access y P 0075 gt 0300 100450__ Ofa Pine Creek Yard NCE Switch 8 Access y _P 0033 gt 0130 02045070 O a Silver Pass NCE Switch tt Access y _P 0040 gt 0157 02 Oa Forest Flat Depot 1 NCE Snap It Access y P 0067 gt 0265 0 DiS Foes Fer tem List Location A Track Status Bar Ai Item List C Documents and Settings T Track Item Lists AT TutorialDemo 43 il Items 26 Curent 1 NCE COM Be aware that whenever an Item List is loaded and you are connected to an NCE Power Pro Command Station but not to an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster a fresh scan of the status of connected NCE Handheld Cabs
46. 127 127 oga Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function FOS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 T 8 g Again when a Block of CVs is being displayed unused grid cells are greyed out and do not respond to any mouse clicks Also as normal and as is shown above when you pause the mouse cursor over any CV value in the grid the pop up label describing the function allocated to that CV is displayed with the CV Address For Quantum decoders this CV Address is made up of three parts comprising the number of the CV used in the Base Page to retrieve the value of the CV from the decoder followed by the Primary Index a value loaded to CV49 prior to accessing the CV value and finally the Secondary Index a value preset in CV50 In the example above the cursor is over CV 55 73 0 which holds the Reverse Light Initial State The full range of defined Quantum CVs are displayed in numerical order through all six Indexed Blocks but like other complex decoders the easiest way of finding the CV value you wish to check or edit is to click on the Description Tab appropriate to the CV category then click on the description of the CV all Lists are arranged in alphabetical order This will immediately display the relevant Block in the CV Value grid highlight the required CV in bold text and display its value for editing in the Parameter Tabs area as described in Section 5 5 Page 108 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Hence
47. 2 and giving it a suitable Description Leave the assigned Addresses at their default values click the Pages Parameter Tab to select the appropriate Decoder Manufacturer and set the correct number of Extended and Indexed CV Pages After clicking the Read Verify CVs Action Button if you are using an NCE Power Cab it is probably safe to select All CV Blocks and All CVs and leave A Track to proceed However with an NCE Power Pro system the safer strategy is to follow the recommendation of selecting and operating on only the single Block in view at a time Select Direct Mode to give the fastest Read Verify operation if you Know that the new decoder supports it otherwise leave the Mode at Paged then click Confirm and proceed as described in the previous paragraphs Programming CV Values Having set up or changed the required values of all or some of the CVs for an Item such as the Primary or Extended Address the next step after saving a copy back to the Item List is to transfer the new CV values to the actual DCC decoder This can be done either on the Program Track Service Mode programming or on the Mainline Track Operations Mode programming Operations Mode programming is useful to fine tune selected decoder parameters when a locomotive for example is running on the Mainline having set up the majority of CV values for the decoder on the Program Track However unless you are using a sound decoder with verbal read out of
48. 2 Truck Climax Lenz Silv Loco _F 052 gt 4004 20 F OD g Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleT ank TCS MCE Loco F O01 a0 20 F O02 ML AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane DH142 Loco ML Gandy Dancer D2120 Loco Mm par ck She o Loco peg DERGW 2 EO Mog DNI geo 7 Say ea 8 a yeas ToS T SM 104 Ree wae 0260 TUS Next close the Item List using File Close dealing appropriately with any prompt to save the List if it has been changed then open a new List with one Blank Item using File New and click Paste ey 4 Track E loj x File Edit wiew MCE Item Help Eii ESS a ee soe ee ee clark Item l sone 2000 D000 to add the copied or cut Items from the Copy Buffer to the new Item List Fal 4 Track loj x File Edit wiew WCE Item Help A S S ada E r eee FP r E a MPS Blank Item 1 None O00 oo00 g AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane DH142 9793 D Gandy Dancer DZ120 3 0718 O RGW 2 Truck Shap DN142 2011 O OARGW 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 E 2917 The Blank Item can either be converted into a valid Item in its own right see Section 5 2 or simply removed by using either Delete from the Edit menu or the A button on the Toolbar or just by pressing the Delete key on the keyboard with the Blank Item highlighted as above Important using the Delete operation does not copy any deleted Items to the Copy Buffer although you can restore such Items using Undo if they were deleted in error Note however that if you Delete a Consis
49. 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Macro backup files contain a selected set of 64 macros from the total of 256 Macros that can be stored in the NCE Command Station Clicking on Macro Backup from the NCE menu will display a simple form to allow you to enter the number of the first Macro in the set you wish to copy to a file If you want to back up Macros other than the first set of 64 000 to 063 you can enter any number in the highlighted textbox from O up to 192 for the first Macro and the number of the last Macro will then be confirmed in the lower textbox NCE Macro Range Select Select set of siety four 64 Macros for which to back up curent accessory allocations amp linkages Starting at Macro Number food includes upto Macro Number OES aros A Track will not allow you to enter a first Macro Number greater than 192 If you attempt to do so the starting number will be reset to 192 When you have the required set of Macros selected click Back Up to continue The normal data transfer progress bar will be displayed with the Macro backup transfer operation taking between 5 and 10 seconds followed by the display of a Save As window to allow you to select or create a destination folder for the backup file The suggested filename for a Macro backup file contains the range of Macro Numbers selected as well as the date when the file was saved ME File name NCE Macto D00 063 Backup 22 Sep 13mbk gt Places Save as type
50. 7 or Windows 8 on a standard Personal Computer PC and which allows you to store full details of all of your locomotives with all of their DCC configuration parameters in a readily accessible format on a personal computer but without requiring you to be any kind of computer expert A Track s back up copy of all of the data held within each DCC decoder fitted in the locomotives which make up your roster safeguards all the hours of effort put in by you or your Club s DCC expert in programming and configuration When linked to your NCE system A Track does not alter the way in which the NCE Command Station and Handheld Cabs operate or are connected to the track and to each other in any respect so that you can continue to use them exactly as before but with A Track available to lend a powerful helping hand in the background When using an NCE Power Cab system including systems which include an NCE SB3a or SB5 Smart Booster unit A Track is connected to your system via an NCE USB Interface unit as shown in the example set up below NCE PowerCab Handheld Controller and Power Cab Panel 12VAC Power Supply NCE USB PC Windows XP Vista 7 or 8 Interface and A Track Software USB Cable NCE Cab Bus Doo ooo ooo ITT Program Track Mainline Track Page 5 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Alternatively if you have an NCE Power Pro Command Station you can connect A Track t
51. A Track window at a time Page 76 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual An Edit CVs window has four distinct areas each containing some information or parameters relating to the corresponding Item e Item Description a piece of descriptive text about the Item this can be anything you wish up to a maximum length of 64 characters e Parameter Tabs a collection of tabs or pages each dealing with a set of related Item CVs or other parameters e Action Buttons to invoke functions related to editing CVs transferring them between Items and DCC decoders and saving the results back to the Item List e CV Values a grid showing the value held in the Item for each Configuration Variable A CV value can lie between 000 and 255 although valid values for specific CVs can be restricted to a smaller range by the NMRA standards or by the decoder manufacturer When opened initially as above the grid shows CVO1 to CV128 but other ranges of CV values can be displayed when required see Section 5 6 When you pause the mouse cursor over any CV value in the grid a pop up label describing the function if any allocated to that CV will be displayed as shown in the example below where the cursor is over CVO1 which holds the Item s Primary Address LIPASE NET v4 Hot Allocated foo Close x Edited x Mot Frog d 011 000 O00 O00 anolsoo0 OOO O00 CV 001 Primary Address d nn ann ane ann ann nnn 100 1107 mh E
52. All Items all Items in the Item List will have their displayed details printed for long Item Lists this also includes Items which are not currently visible but could be viewed by scrolling the main A Track window up or down e Current Selection all Items which are currently highlighted both on and off screen will have their displayed details printed Groups of Items are selected highlighted by clicking on them in conjunction with use of the Shift T and Ctrl Control keys in a similar way to the actions described in Section 4 5 in connection with Item List Copy and Paste operations e Checked Items all Items which have their checkbox located to the left of the Description field ticked will have their displayed details printed If you wish to exclude only a small number of Items from the printed list then check the Items to exclude and then select Invert Checked from the Edit menu Select the Size of paper on which you are about to print A4 or Letter and then the page Orientation In Landscape orientation each Item Description will be printed in full up to 64 characters whereas in Portrait orientation the Description will be truncated if necessary to a maximum length of 34 characters The details for each Item are otherwise the same in either page orientation Click Print to send a text version of the displayed Item List to the printer Key features of the print format Letter Portrait are shown below Description
53. Backup A My Pictures 4 Track Item Lists eBooks My PSPS Files G A Track Macros My Item Lists 4 Track Item Archives New Item Lists 4 Track Printed Items Create and Rename O Clipboardcc New Folder Q WGuild Test Edited Docs nr Received Files My Music O Saved E Mail jLetters My Recent Documents Desktop i s My Documents My Computer a t YRC a File name INCE Macro 000 063 Backup 23 Aug 13 mbk _ Places Save as type Backup Files Plain Text mbk Cancel Click Open to open the new folder edit the suggested filename NCE Macro 000 063 Backup 23 Aug 13 mbk to your own satisfaction if you prefer a more descriptive alternative then click the Save button to save the Macro Backup file to disk Successful completion is confirmed by a final prompt Click OK to continue Note that the status of the saved Macro Set is now shown as Updated compared to Loaded when the Set was initially retrieved from file and Edited whenever any change to any Macro was made Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Select Macro Set Selected Selected 006 Macro 000 063 F Updated Macro Number Macro Entry i Deian Macro 064 127 C Load File Description Macro 128 191 C Edit Macro Enter Value sec 9 oes leche Link to Macro C 0129 Route Retrieve Set Update Set Go Tio Linked Macro 1
54. CV values you cannot use Operations Mode to read back the programmed value and confirm that it has been set correctly Note that not all decoders especially older models support Operations Mode programming commands Be aware also that some decoders which do support Operations Mode programming will still not allow you to change Address values via Operations Mode since the current decoder Address has to be included in the command to update a decoder CV value on the Mainline In such cases Address changes will have to be programmed on the Program Track After opening up an Edit CVs window for the Item corresponding to the decoder to be programmed the method of selecting which CVs to Program is the same as that used for the Read Verify operation in Section 5 9 above and the same decoder access Modes are available Page 122 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual As described for Read Verify operations in Section 5 9 the recommended way of using A Track for Program operations is to handle a single CV Block at a time particularly when using an NCE Power Pro Command Station Hence particularly when accessing a decoder with Extended or Indexed CV Pages before starting the Program operation click on the Pages Parameter Tab and select the Block of interest using the Access CV Page and View CV Block options With the locomotive to be programmed located on the appropriate Track and the only locomotive present if using the Progr
55. Cut Append ctr 2 S MCE Loco O P 001 430 copy ctre Loco 093 9793 Copy Append Ctrl D Loco O P se 0218 Paste triv Loco o 01 2011 Empty Buffer Ctrl E ieee a7 2917 Insert Blank Item Shift Ins Access F 0260 1037 e iic Edl Mut Lead F 120 gt 0464 Mul Mid P 120 gt 0463 Check all Mut Rear P 120 b043 Check Selected Cand P 120 Invert Checked eam Loco OP 085 3989 select All trit sunami Loco OP 075 gt 0750 Invert Selection hace O P 024 3024 Edit Run Macra File Loco eal plg el e Utete sr TOT Caa Select Loco _F 015 2515 g Santa Fe 2 8 0 Consolidation Lok Snd Micro Loco P 032 1132 Any alterations which you choose to make to the Item List are not irrevocable since A Track incorporates an Undo facility which records the last 32 changes to the Item List and allows you to reverse them at any time Once any action or sequence of actions has been undone you then have the choice of performing some other operation on the restored Item List or of reinstating some or all of the original sequence of changes by utilising the Redo facility Toolbar buttons are available for both Undo 7 and Redo as an alternative to opening the Edit menu see Section 10 2 for full details As well as restoring the structure of the whole Item List you can also employ the Undo function to reverse any changes that you have made to the parameters or Configuration Variables of individual Items through the facilities described later in Ch
56. Data Transter Please wait for data transfer to complete Do not operate HCE Handheld Cabs at this time C Erti i S t t t S Allocated Items Item Description Addr Alloc D amp G 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 2917 Move Up l Move Down 7 crcl oe 8 The NCE Command Station and Cabs only identify each loco and consist by their address or more accurately by the address programmed into their DCC decoder which has been selected to be active ie Primary or Extended However where an address corresponds to that of an Item in the current Item List A Track will also display that Item s Description in the Allocated Items list as shown in the lower part of the Allocate Item window The addresses of all Cabs which have been connected to the Command Station since it was switched on are highlighted in the upper part of the Allocate Item window with a light green background The Cab selected for Allocation of this selected Item is highlighted with an orange background if the Cab is identified as having been connected or a yellow background otherwise If you wish to allocate the selected Item to any other NCE Handheld Cab regardless of whether that Cab is or has been connected to the Command Station then click on the address of that particular Cab in the Cab Select grid in the upper half of the window A Track will then transfer the current allocation of locomotives or consists held for the select
57. Decoder Pro can be restored loaded to A Track prompt in File Save dialog changed to Backup Files Plain Text with a file extension of mbk Added Edit Run Macros option to Edit menu to access a major program enhancement which allows Macros to be reviewed edited created and run either directly from Macro Backup files providing an extended macro facility for Power Cab systems equivalent to that provided by Power Pro systems or from the set loaded within a Power Pro Command Station or from a combination of the two sources A description field can be added to each defined Macro as part of the Edit Macros function descriptions saved as additional section of backup files while retaining compatibility with NCE JMRI file format although cannot be loaded to Power Pro Reliability of data transfer process to restore Backup Files to the Power Pro improved by allowing the Command Station more time to handle each data block Error handling when data writes from A Track to Power Pro go wrong improved to make recovery more reliable amended recovery instructions now displayed if such a data transfer error occurs Added additional Consist Status option to View Menu to allow the contents of a Consist Backup file to be viewed against the Consists and Locos currently in the displayed Item List Consists in the Backup file can be transferred to the Item List but cannot be edited nor activated on the track Transfer of Consist data from either th
58. Desktop My Documents My Computer My Burak File name INCE S ystem Backup 22 Sep 1 3 mbk Places Files of type Backup Files Plain Text mbk Cancel we Select the appropriate System backup file and either double click on it or click the Open button If for any reason you select the wrong type of file or the contents of the backup file do not match the expected set of parameters then the restore process will stop and you will see a warning message like that below Page 209 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Incorrect File Format f X AN ddress Data Error in Backup File Error 13 Click OK in to dismiss the message and let you try again although if the problem is corrupt data you need a detailed knowledge of the file structure to attempt a fix help may be available via Support see Section 9 3 The System restore operation takes a little longer than backing up the System parameters but still only takes a few seconds to complete You will see the normal data transfer progress bar before receiving confirmation that the System settings have been restored to their backed up values NCE Restore Complete x Ll i l System Data Restored Restoration of the backed up sets of Consists Macros or Handheld Cabs to the the NCE Command Station is performed in exactly the same way by clicking Consist Restore Macro Restore or Handheld Cab Restore respectively on the NCE menu Tra
59. EMF F BE Cutout Jooo Reverse Direction Update Item Packet Tine Out 000 Phd Feriod fa UEC ose lt 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 f B 4 You can enter the basic settings required for CV29 simply by clicking on the group of checkboxes shown under Basic Operation which will select tick the required set of options for this Item More complex configuration parameters can be accessed Page 78 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual by selecting one of the other sets listed under Parameters Automatic Stop Bi Directional Communications or Alternate Power Source and then selecting from the new group of checkboxes which will be displayed instead of the Basic Operation set Also under the Config Tab you can set more esoteric parameters such as the EMF Feedback Cutout Packet Time Out and PWM Period although it is probably best to leave these alone unless you have some guidance on recommended values from the decoder or locomotive manufacturer Note that the PWM Period value is defined in the NMRA Standards and Recommended Practices by a rather complex formula which while allowing a wide range of values restricts these values to specific numbers Hence if you type a new value into the PWM Period textbox your entry will be converted to the nearest allowed value less than your entered figure Allowed values range from 131 to 32640 microseconds usec For an Accessory Item the format of the Config Tab has fewe
60. Hidden e Archive P System ee z n R Windows Format of LLL ht Page 51 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The window shows details of the current Item List file including the number of Items now in the List compared to the number when loaded Having loaded an Item List you can use the Print function on the File menu or the amp icon on the Toolbar to print out all or part of the displayed Item List or the details of one or more individual Items selected from that Item List either to paper or to a file which can be transferred to another computer for printing at a later time Clicking on Print opens a new window in which the Print Setup option allows you to select a printer to use and other options let you select the printer parameters and required output format Details of the extensive Print facilities which are offered by A Track are described fully in Chapter 8 of this Reference Manual The final options on the File menu are Close which simply terminates display of the currently open Item List leaving the A Track window empty and Exit which also closes any currently open Item List removes it from display and then terminates the A Track program You can also terminate the program in the standard Windows fashion by clicking on the A Track window Close button FJ or top righthand corner of window Note Because A Track is in continual communication with the interface to the NCE Command Stati
61. List i Mo Cancel If you are using an NCE Power Pro system and have made no other changes to any Item it is not essential to save the Item List at this time since the turnout status changes are fully recorded in the Command Station However you are recommended to do so if you are using an NCE Power Cab system which does not collect any turnout status data to be reloaded to A Track Clicking Yes to save the Item List in either case is of course the safe option The example Accessory Items set up in A Track so far have each been for a single type of accessory decoder for convenience in programming since the set up for each manufacturer is different However once the addresses and any other parameters have been programmed into the decoders it is possible to define a super Accessory Item which collects a set of several decoders together with a total of up to eight Outputs under a single control For example we could create a new Accessory Item with the title Silver Pass Gregson Silver and Forest Flat tick the Manuf Specific checkbox on the Config Parameter Tab then select 8 as the Number of Outputs and enter the addresses Page 171 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual corresponding to three programmed Accessory Items already in the Item List into the Output textboxes on the Addrs Parameter Tab Item 27 Configuration ariables 9a Item Description Silver Pass Gregson Silver and Forest
62. Loca Description Paste ridend bis AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN135D Update Item Assigned Loco List Lead Mid 1 4 Rear 0463 F AT amp SF GE44 Switcher ON1350 UD G oa aT Fia a ell In the Edit CVs window shown above you can see that the Address of the promoted Loco has been removed from CV54 and CV55 and placed in the Lead Loco position at CV50 and CV51 The move can also be seen in the Assigned Loco List Item 276 Configuration Yariables nE ltem Description Switcher Consist 2 Program Cis Identity Contig ReadVerify Cys Locomotive Assignment Lead Mid Mid Clear Consist Poppy All Evs C Mid3 Midd Rear Paste Main Euis Assigned Loco ears Remove Loco Add Paste Extend Evis a 0465 Edit Loco este Mard CIE JAT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN135D Update Item Assigned Loco List Lead Mid 1 4 Rear Jae F alll clei Se DN1 Close r OOOO F Nie eee eatin nnn OOOOF No Locomotive Assigned aii OOOO F No Locomotive Assigned 1 0000 F No Locomotive Assigned 2 03ER DAGYW GE44 Switcher ON1350 3 4 5 6 T g 4 Page 135 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Continuing the example if we now click Remove Loco again the single remaining assigned Loco will be moved from the Rear Loco position to be Lead Loco Item 25 Configuration ariables lt i gt Item Description Switcher Consist 2
63. Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Select Macro Set Selected Selected 007 Hane oaa aea e Ead e soe umber Macro Entry Selected Macro Main Silver F Macro 064 127 Description Load File Edit Macro Enter Yalue 7 a Accessory fe Address Normal Sees ll Link to Macro o129 Route e Retrieve Set Update Set Gio To Linked Cancel Mac 1 2 3 4 5 6 F g J 10 Description 000 j 01293N O1S6N OOO0 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Mainline PineCreek 001 0129A OFS0R 0136A OOD ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Runaround PineCrk 002 01293A O30N 0131A OO00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Heath Sawmill 1 003 0125A O30N OFIN 0132A O00 ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Heath Sawmill 2 004 01295A O30N OFIN 032w 0133A 0 ooog ooog ooog 0000 Fine Creek Stores 005 01295A O30N OFIN M32N O133N 0134A O00 ooog ooog 0000 O Grady Leather 006 0125A O3S0N MAN 032w O1S3N OF34N 0135A O000 ooog 0000 Maintenance Shed 0129 R 00N OSIN 32AN D33N 034 N 0135N 0o ooog 0000 Main Silver Fass 003 00 gogg ooog OO00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 005 00d OO00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog Macro 128 191 Macro 192 255 Once you have your initial group of Macros defined you should save them to your computer s hard disk or other permanent storage to safeguard the effort you have put into their creation For convenience Macros are stored by A Track in files containing
64. O33 N O1S4N ONS OOD aoga 0000 Man Silver Pass 008 oooi agad agaa aga aoad agad agad aoad aaa agad 009 O1S5N O1S4N O33 N O1S2N OST N OOD OO00 agog ogg OOOO SilverPass PineCrk O10 oooi agad aaga aoad aoga agad OO00 agad agad agad Once all the commands held in the selected Macro have been sent a message to this effect is shown in the progress window and the Finish button is enabled Running Macro Entry Macro Execution Complete Click Finish to return to the Macro Edit window If a Macro selected for execution contains a link to another Macro such as Macro 001 in the example above the linked Macro Macro 009 will be executed immediately after the commands in Macro 001 have been sent to the Command Station Page 198 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Hac 1 2 3 __4 R R T R 3 10 Description al 000 0129N 0136N gt 009 10 0000 Mainline PineCreek _ 001 0129R 0120A 0132F JO 0000 Runaround PineCrk 002 029A O130N 031A Running Macro Entry O 0000 Heath Sawmill 1 003 029R O130N 03N JO 0000 Heath Sawmill 2 004 029R M20N 03N Finish JO 0000 Fine Creek Stores 005 029R O130N 03N JO 0000 O Grady Leather 006 0125A O1S0N 0131 N OS2N O33 N O134N 0135A OOD agad 0000 Maintenance Shed OOF 0129A O1SON O31 N OI32N O33 N O1S4N 0135M N ooog aoga 0000 Man Silver Pass 008 oooi OO00 aaga agad aoad agad OO00 agag agad agad 009 035N O1S4N O33 N O1S2N OliNo OOD OO00 ogg ogg OOOO Silver
65. Parameters Humber of Recalls loz Analog Hom Channel Joon Transter Changes While the Cab Status amp Setup window is displayed on the screen the Cab status scan is suspended so that no further transfer of Cab parameters will take place automatically until you click the Close or Finish button to remove the window The status scan will then resume until full data transfers from all detected Cabs are shown as complete by the middle indicator on the status bar changing to green Page 225 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual However you can force the immediate transfer of all parameters for the selected Cab such as Cab 02 by clicking the Refresh Selected Cab button The transfer from the NCE Command Station will be indicated by display of the normal Data Transfer progress bar When the transfer is complete the Cab 02 parameters and allocations are displayed as shown below NCE Handheld Cab Status amp Setup Selected Cab Address Type F m mer t e Cab Parameters Humber of Recalls og Analog Hom Channel Jooo Transfer Changes Deallocate All lbems Assign Bell to Function foo Analog Aus Channel Jono Assign Horm to Function foo Analog Bias foo ltem Description Functions D R GW 2 6 0 Mogul DH142 Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay OH121 Central Pacific 4 4 0 American Jupiter 07121 ltem not found in Loaded tern List Allocated Items ltem not found in Loaded Iter List DAG 2 Truck Sha
66. Power Cab 1 28 JP2 ON Smart Booster Smart Booster SB5 SB3a phases SB3 SB3a AAE Smart Booster SB5 SB3a en Power Cab 1 65 JP3 4 ON Page 28 of 303 Version 4 3 2 Power Pro 2007 JP3 4 ON All Systems JP2 3 4 ON A Track Reference Manual Since the NCE USB Interface regardless of the type of Command Station to which it is connected does not provide access to the Command Station internal data store A Track is unable to access either the Consist data block or the status of any connected NCE Handheld Cabs including a Power Cab and no subsequent data transfer or scan of Cabs takes place If either the interface cable or USB to Serial converter is not plugged in or the relevant NCE Command Station is not connected or switched on when A Track is started then the status indicators will remain red All program functions will be fully operational except of course those which deal directly with the NCE equipment Whenever a Command Station is subsequently connected A Track will proceed to identify automatically the type of NCE equipment which has been connected and set both the left and rightmost indicators to green After connecting to an NCE Power Pro Command Station A Track will then retrieve the Consist data block and start the scan of the NCE Handheld Cabs with the middle status indicator changing colour appropriately as described previously With any equipment connected via an NCE USB Interface A Track will simpl
67. Program Evis Locomotive Assignment Read vert y s Lead Mid Mid2 Clear Consist I i Tht _ Copy alive amp vida oC Midd Rea Paste Main Cis Assigned Loco Fwd C Paste Extend Eys SERIES 0464 Edit Loco Description Paste Inderd vs ATRSF GE44 Switcher DN140 Update Item Assigned Loco List Lead Mid 1 4 Rear 0464A AT amp SF GE44 Switcher ON140 Close x 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 T B 4 As well as the Address of the Loco moving from CV60 and CV61 to CV50 and CV51 note that CV62 which holds the operating directions of the assigned Locos has also been updated Rather than remove each Locomotive individually you can use the Clear Consist button shown above to remove all assigned Locomotives from the Consist in a single step Click Update Item to save your changes to the Item List or Close to allow all changes to be discarded Note that after a Clear Consist operation the blank Consist if updated will remain in the Item List where it is available for new assignments If the Item List was updated with the revised Consist after removing the original Lead and Mid Locos the original Rear Loco 0436 will now be shown in the Item List as the Lead Loco of the Consist with the removed Locos 0464 and 0463 returned as independent Locomotive Items me AGW GE44 Switcher ON1 35D MultLead _EP 170 0436 25 F _ O ATESF GE44 Switcher DN140 Loco _EP Ob4 gt O464 28 FOO _ Ce
68. Program Track drive capabilities so that particularly where sound decoders are fitted to your locomotives it is strongly recommended that a programming track booster unit such as the SoundTraxx PTB 100 or the DCC Specialities PowerPax is inserted between the Command Station and the Program Track Once fitted the unit can be left permanently connected for programming and verifying all types of decoders A programming track booster unit is not generally required when using an NCE Power Cab which has a comparatively higher drive capability in Program mode Given the size of hard disks and the amount of RAM in a modern PC A Track can handle equipment roster lists stretching to hundreds or even thousands of equipment items However such large lists tend to be unwieldy to view and manipulate so it is usually easier to compile shorter rosters corresponding for example to an operating session using the facilities available in A Track Page 8 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual You can also use A Track to define Macros which let you execute sets of turnout operations with a single action Both NCE Power Pro and Power Cab systems support the definition and use of Macros and A Track gives you the capability to expand the rather limited Macro facilities of the Power Cab to equal those of Power Pro systems As well as its primary purpose of storing and manipulating the contents of DCC decoders A Track also allows you to control
69. Restore Loco _F g AT amp SF 250 Macro Restore Loco C1 Gandy Dan Handheld Cab Restore Loco F OD 02AG 2 Loco by o DERG 24 Command Station Setup ines E Ofa Accessory Handheld Cab Setup Access y _F 0 AT amp SF GE 44 Switcher ON140 Mult Lead EF The first section of the menu allows you to select one of four sections of the NCE Command Station memory and to copy its contents to a backup file on the PC Any of these backup files can then be used in the future via the second set of menu options to restore the corresponding section of Command Station memory to the state it was in when originally saved to the file You can save as many different variants of your settings allocations and assignments corresponding to different operating sessions for example as you like and A Track allows you to swap them in and out of the Command Station from the attached PC at any time You are of course not restricted to keeping these data files only on the PC s hard disk but can just as easily write them to a USB flash drive memory stick or to CD or DVD for secure permanent storage Page 204 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The last two options on the NCE menu will give you an immediate view of how the Command Station and Handheld Cabs are currently configured and then allow you to adjust any of these settings to your own preferences Note that when the Handheld Cab allocations in the Item List are being refreshe
70. SF 250 Ton Crane DH1 42 Loco Clicking on Support Report Problems will open a window displaying a basic set of instuctions on how to proceed with sending a request for support or assistance to A Train Systems Page 256 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If the computer on which A Track is running has an active connection to the Internet then you can proceed immediately to submit your support request Enter a name in the Your Name textbox in the displayed window The name can be your own or you can use the name of your club for example Any combination of characters can be entered except for an ampersand amp which will be replaced with a symbol If you have previously registered this copy of A Track the Registered User Name will be entered automatically into the textbox 4 Track Request Support or Report a Problem Like the 4 Track software application technical support to resolve any problems i available completely free of charge Priority however will be given to registered 4 Track users IF this computer has an active ntemet connection you can submit a request for support or report a problem you have encountered directly by entering your Hame below and then clicking the Request Support button Othenvice from a computer which has Intemet access vicit the 4 Train Systems Support page at http www a train systens co uksupport php and enter Your Hame plus the 4 Track Version amp S
71. Toolbar removes the selected Items from the Item List ie it moves the Items to the Buffer where the moved Items rep ace any previous contents of the Copy Buffer Copy E on the other hand leaves the Items in the Item list ie it simply copies the Items although the copied Items still replace any previous contents of the Copy Buffer If you wish to add selected Items or copies of the selected Items to the Items which are already in the Copy Buffer then use either Cut Append F or Copy Append These operations work in essentially the same way as Cut and Copy respectively but the Items moved or copied are added to any previous contents of the Copy Buffer instead of replacing or overwriting them This allows you to select the Items you wish to copy or transfer in several stages rather than attempting to perform the operation in a single step When you have all of the required Items in the Copy Buffer you then use Paste to place all of the copied Items back into an Item List The copied Items are added to the end of the current Item List file being displayed by A Track unless you have chosen to sort the Item list by one of the Item parameters in which case they will be inserted at an appropriate position in the List determined by the sort order This can cause you to lose track of some of the copied Items when pasting in a sizeable group of Items so that you are recommended to sort the Item List by File Order either via the V
72. Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Seral Port Baud Rate 3600 bps Miscellaneous Options Test for Loca in Use r Send Function Commands ta Consist fa 30400 bps Enable Ema cy Stop Layout Shutdown fw Enable Radio Fix a Enable AIL Broadcast Hl Enable Function Refresh Hl Transter Changes System Factory Power On Reset Reset Cancel Click Transfer Changes as before to update the Command Station Any other parameter amendments that you have also made will be first be transferred to the Command Station and then you will see a warning that a Power On Reset is required in order to update the serial port baud rate Confirm Action x P Changing baud rate requires the MCE Command Station to S be reset to the normal state when power is First applied All locomotives under control will be stopped Do vou wish to proceed Click Yes to change the baud rate or No to leave it as it is If you do confirm the baud rate change there will then be a short pause of about 3 seconds before the usual confirmation appears in the form of a light green background applied to all parameters which have been updated Senal Port Baud Hate 3600 bps 135200 bps 30400 bps Miscellaneous Options Test for Loca in Use ma Send Function Commands ta Consist fw Enable Emag cy Stop Layout Shutdown w Enable Radio Fix m Enable AIU Broadcast L Enable Function Refresh T Transter
73. Windows 8 screen shots from one of these operating systems are shown as well or an explanatory note is at least included in the text 2 2 Operating System A Track can be installed under and will operate with any of the following Windows operating systems e Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 or later Home Media or Professional Edition e Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or later Home Basic Home Premium Business or Ultimate Edition e Microsoft Windows 7 Starter Home Premium Professional or Ultimate Edition Page 10 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual e Microsoft Windows 8 and 8 1 Standard Professional or Enterprise Edition but note that A Track cannot be run under Windows 8 RT as installed on tablet machines since this version does not support desktop applications throughout the Reference Manual any reference to operation under Windows 8 applies equally to Windows 8 1 2 3 DCC Command Station A Track will operate in conjunction with any of the following items of NCE equipment e NCE Power Cab e NCE Smart Booster SB3a or SB5 e NCE Power Pro 5 Amp System PH Pro or PH Pro R e NCE Power Pro 10 Amp System PH 10 or PH 10 R NCE CS02 Command Station plus PB110 Power Booster Again it is assumed in this Reference Manual that the reader is familiar with the functionality provided by the NCE Power Cab Smart Booster or Power Pro Command Station and any associated Handheld C
74. a previous version of System Backup then you are asked to confirm your choice Consist Backup Saves the complete table of Consists stored in the NCE Power Pro Command Station to a disk file A standard Windows Save File Dialog is displayed allowing you to navigate to the drive and folder where the Consist Backup file is to be saved You can edit the displayed default filename by adding specific details to it enter a completely new filename or select an existing file to be replaced with the current Consist table Click Save to save the Consist Backup file If you have chosen to overwrite a previous version of Consist Backup then you are asked to confirm your choice Macro Backup Saves a selected set from the complete table of Macros stored in the NCE Power Pro Command Station to a disk file A window is displayed to allow selection of the set of Macros to be backed up followed by a standard Windows Save File Dialog to let you navigate to the drive and folder where the Macro Backup file is to be saved You can edit the displayed default filename by adding specific details to it enter a completely new filename or select an existing file to be replaced with the current Macro table Click Save to save the Macro Backup file If you have chosen to overwrite a previous version of Macro Backup then you are asked to confirm your choice Handheld Cab Backup Saves the setup parameters and list of locomotives or consists allocated to each of a selec
75. always supported Paged Mode is generally guaranteed to work but the higher the CV s programmed value the longer it takes to determine the actual value of the CV from the decoder Page 36 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Click Read Verify CVs to open Options Panel Item 3 Configuration Yariables Item Description AT amp SF GE44 Switcher Idep Speed Funct n Pages SUSI Read erify Configuration Variables CV Range CV Scope Current View AICVs C All CY Blocks C Selected 5 gt ov ca 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x When you have set the options click Confirm to start the Read Verify operation During the Read Verify operation the CV currently being accessed will be highlighted in red in the grid in the lower half of the Edit CVs window Once the CV value held in the decoder has been determined it will be displayed in the grid and highlighted in light green if the value read is the same as that held in the Item or highlighted in pink if it differs from the Item s stored value Item 3 Configuration ariables Item Description AT amp SF GE 44 Switcher Readsyerify Cvs Read enfy Configuration arnables C Range CY Scope Hode opt All Es Curent view AlCYs f Paged Paste Main Cvs AICW Blocks Selected Direct Register Paste Entend cys f Address Paste Indenid Evis Update ltem ontinn lose
76. and all other modules and applications A Train Systems means JT Chamberlain trading as A Train Systems official distribution package means a packaged set up file in the form of an executable installation program containing A Track for Windows which is available on portable media or through a file download from a designated page on the A Train Systems website at www a train systems co uk or other authorised source licence agreement means this text document This licence agreement is a legal agreement between you individual or legal Page 301 of 303 entity and A Train Systems You must accept all the terms and limitations in this licence agreement if you wish to use run or copy A Track for Windows in any way licence means a legal right to use A Track for Windows A licence must be acquired by download or purchase of a copy of the A Track for Windows software product 2 WARNING A Track for Windows is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties Unauthorised reproduction or distribution of the A Track for Windows product or any portion of it may result in criminal and civil penalties and will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible under law 3 OWNERSHIP A Track for Windows is proprietary to A Train Systems The product is licensed not sold to you notwithstanding any reference herein to purchases You acknowledge
77. as shown below oe NCE aw P Connected Software Version 6 3 0 Note that the NCE USB Interface does not actually identify the type of NCE equipment to which it is connected but simply reports the current setting of its four configuration jumper links See the NCE USB Interface documentation for full details To ensure that A Track will generate the correct set of commands when communicating with the NCE equipment you should take care to set the NCE USB Interface configuration links so that their positions correspond to whatever type of NCE Command Station is connected to the other side of the NCE USB Interface The position of the configuration links should only be changed when the NCE USB Interface unit is not powered ie disconnected from the Cab Bus unplug the lead from the 6 pin RJ12 connector The icons displayed on the A Track status bar reflect the settings which are automatically read by A Track when it is connected to the NCE USB Interface and depend on which version of the USB Interface unit you are using as well as the setting of the configuration links For the two versions of the USB Interface unit currently in use Versions 6 and 7 the displayed icons are shown in the following tables Note that jumper 1 JP1 Should always be set to OFF NCE USB Interface Version 6 cy W All Systems JP3 4 ON Power Pro 2007 JP3 ON Undefined All other settings NCE USB Interface Version 7 D Power Cab 1 28 All OFF a
78. back into the Item List as a Locomotive Page 56 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual e When you Copy a Consist the assignments of Locomotives Multiples to the copied Item are cleared so that if you Paste the copy back into the Item List it will appear as a blank Consist with the same address as the original but without any assigned Locomotives e If you Cut a Consist then as well as being placed in the Copy Buffer without any assignments all Multiples which were assigned to the Consist are also deleted from the Item List but immediately pasted back as Locomotives with the same parameters as the original Multiples Pasting the cut Consist back into the Item List again results in a blank Consist without any of its original assignments Further details on the handling of Consists and Multiples can be found in Sections 5 11 and 5 12 If you do wish to transfer a complete Consist with its assigned Multiples to another Item List then you should check each of the group of Items Consist plus Multiples by clicking in the checkbox at the beginning of each Item row leaving a tick in each checkbox Then from the File menu select Save Checked to save the Consist and its group of Multiples as a small standalone Item List with an appropriate filename Next close the current Item List saving it if necessary and Open the Item List into which you wish to place the saved Consist Once this Item List has loaded click Open Merge
79. by NMRA for future use R NMRA for future use However if Item Details for an Accessory are printed to a CSV Print File the format is essentially the same as that for a Locomotive or Multiple although only the Base Low CV Block is printed regardless of how many CV Blocks are selected on the Print Items form Part of an example Accessory CSV file can be seen below aa Item Details PineCreek Switch3 30 Sep 13 cs Item List D 5 Tracky 4 Track 4 ItemLists AT Tutorial Demo 43 itl Printed 30 Sep 2013 AcsSYy 0130 Pine Creek Yard NCE Switch 8 Block Ref CY No Description Dec Binary BSL OO1 0 001 Address LS 6 Bits Output Addr Mod 256 34 0010 0001 ee BSL 002 0 002 Auxiliary Input Activation of Outputs 1 8 o o000 0000 Tan BSL O003 0 003 Time On for Function Fl NCE Switch Kat O 0000 0000 BSL 004 0 004 Time On for Function F2 oooo 0d000 BSL O05 0 005 Time On for Function F3 O oooo 0000 BSL 006 0 006 Time On for Function F4 O 0000 0000 BSL OO7 0 007 Manufacturer Yersion Number o 0000 0000 BSL 008 0 008 Manufacturer ID Number o o000 0000 BSL O09 0 009 Address MS 3 Bits Output Addr Div 256 ooo0o 0000 BSL 010 0 010 Reserved by NMRA for future use 0 ooo0 0000 Page 247 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Note that as described fully in Sections 5 14 5 15 and 5 17 most modern Accessory decoders do not use the NMRA defined Configuration Variables and are not designed to be programmed or verified using Service Mod
80. cable into the appropriate PC port will cause both the left and rightmost indicators to turn green whenever the Command Station is switched on Page 24 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If a connection to the NCE Power Pro Command Station exists when A Track is started the program transfers the data representing the status of all Consists sets of locomotives to be controlled as a single unit as currently held in the Command Station to the memory of the PC Retrieval of the data block takes less than 10 seconds to complete with progress displayed on the screen as shown below During the transfer period you should not operate any of the NCE Handheld Controllers Cabs since there is a small risk that communications between A Track and the Command Station can be disrupted File Edit View NCE Item Help A w a aall maeteMl cole meade ete A A Train Systems Version 4 3 167 n A D Mn Please wait for data transfer to complete Do not operate NCE Handheld Cabs at this time NCE Power Pro Active Retrieving Consist Status Register A Track Free for Priority Product Support A A DCC awe Copyright 2008 2013 JT Chamberlain Item List None Loaded NCE COM Connected to both NCE Command Station and Serial USB Interface If you hover your mouse cursor over the status bar panels containing the NCE and COM indicators pop up labels will appear displaying respectively the Comma
81. can review their contents using A Track without requiring the NCE Power Pro Command Station to be connected and switched on While you can review the composition of all of the saved Consists in a file you cannot edit the saved Consist data directly It is however possible to transfer Consists from a backup file to an A Track Item List and therefore have access to all of the normal Consist editing facilities described in Section 5 11 To review the contents of a Consist backup file click on the Consist Status View Backup File entry on the View menu Page 219 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual FA A Track File Edit view WCE Item Help fa C Ce w Toolbar w Status Bar Show Checked Only Large Icons Small Icons List oe o w Details a A P Arrange Items poo A a mm C Line Up Icons Consist Status Item List Cromd Stn p OSAT Consist Status View Backup File P F F g DAC Refresh Item Allocation amp Status La Switcher Consist 2 Consist This will open a standard File Open dialog in which you can select the appropriate backup file to review Load NCE Consist Backup Look ir A Track NCE Backup d EE Ej My Recent Documents Dezkto m My Documents m NCE Macro 192 255 Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk MCE Macro 126 191 Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk NCE Macro 064 127 Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk m MCE HHeld 02 09 Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk m NCE Macro 00
82. characters for the Macro Description the error message shown below will be displayed Entry alue Error X A Macro Description is limited to 18 Characters Page 179 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Click OK to continue after which the entered text will be cut to 18 characters You can either accept this as it stands by pressing the Enter Return key or you can alter the description to fit by for example removing spaces or using abbreviations The next Macro we can define is to enable access to the Runaround Track where turnouts 0129 0130 and 0136 are all set in the Route Reverse or Thrown direction Right click in Macro Grid Entry 1 of Macro 001 and type the first turnout address 129 followed immediately by the letter R or r Entry 1 of Macro 001 will then show 0129R with a pink background Continue by right clicking in Entry 2 and typing 130R folowed by a right click in Entry 3 and typing 136R to complete the definition of the turnout commands for Macro 001 Lastly right click in the Description field and type in a suitable name for the Macro completed by pressing the Enter Return key as shown below Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Select Macro Set Selected Selected Haaa aaea Area aan es ame 001 Macro Enty Selected Macro Macro D64 127 0 Description Edit Macro Enter Yalue 7 ACCeSssor fe Address Normal f a eee
83. command nor alter the recorded turnout status in either A Track or a connected NCE Power Pro Command Station Page 174 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 6 USING MACROS TO CONTROL ACCESSORIES A Macro is a predefined command which when sent to the Mainline track via the Command Station a process called running or executing the macro allows each of a selected group of turnouts to be set to a specified position in a single operation instead of you having to send individual commands to each turnout This assumes of course that each turnout is driven from an Output of an accessory decoder with an assigned address so that it can repond to DCC commands Each Macro consists of a list or set of Accessory turnout commands which when using a standard NCE system without the assistance of A Track are defined using an NCE Handheld Cab and stored within an NCE Command Station Refer to the NCE Power Cab or Power Pro System Reference Manuals for further information The NCE Power Cab system allows you to define and store up to 15 Macros each consisting of up to 8 turnout commands whereas the NCE Power Pro system provides for the storage of up to 256 defined Macros each consisting of up to 10 turnout commands If you need to operate a group of more than 8 or 10 turnouts in a single operation in a large complex switching yard for example then you can link or chain two or more Macros together by using the la
84. controlled on the model railroad layout using DCC commands issued via whichever type of NCE Command Station is connected to your computer Items include each locomotive in your roster each definition of a consist ie a set of several locomotives to be controlled as a single unit and any accessories such as remotely controlled turnouts or signals Groups of Items are collected together in an Item List Each entry in the Item List contains a description of the Item with its key parameters including the values of all of the Item s decoder Configuration Variables CVs and the type of DCC decoder fitted in the Item Specifying the type of decoder is most important where a sound decoder is fitted since this affects the method which A Track needs to use to program the Item CVs Once an Item List is constructed the user can view and edit its composition adding or removing Items as required or selecting any individual Item in order to control it or to amend that Item s operational parameters Item Lists can be stored on and retrieved from the PC s hard disk or any other type of storage medium which can be accessed by the PC by the A Track program The key advantage of A Track is that you can easily view the complete set up of any Item s decoder compare it to other similar decoders and perform complex settings such as function re mapping or defining speed tables much more easily than trying to do so when you only have access to a sing
85. currently loaded Item List then that Locomotive s Description will be displayed in the Assigned Loco Description textbox as shown below Item 1 Configuration ariables lt i gt Item Description Switcher Consist 2 Program Cis Identity Read Verify Cys Locomotive Assignment f Lead Midi Mid2 Popp All Evs C Mids Midd Rear Paste Main Cvs Assigned Loco pee Eiaa oS Address rar Paste Extend y s so Edit Loca Description AT amp SF GE44 Switcher ON140 Update Item Assigned Loco List Lead Mid 1 4 Rear 0000 F No Locomotive Assigned Close ear fonsist Paste lndex d rs lt 0 1 2 a 4 5 G T B 4 If there is no match to the entered address then the Description will show Item not found in Loaded Item List Finally click Add Loco to complete the assignment The Locomotive is added as the first top item in the Assigned Loco List and its address is stored in locations Page 128 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual corresponding to CV 50 and CV51 as shown below by these values being highlighted in pink Item 1 Configuration ariables lt i gt Item Description Switcher Consist 2 Program Cis ReadVerify Cys Locomotive Assignment f Lead Midi Mid2 U ws ll em vida C Midd C Rea Paste Indesd Eis AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN140 Update Item Assigned Loco List Lead Mid 1 4 Rear O464F AT amp SF GE44 Switch
86. currently on view then you will have to display that block from the Pages Parameter Tab before clicking the Read Verify CVs Action Button an example will be shown later Within the selected CV Range you can then choose a CV Scope by clicking on the appropriate option button of either All CVs or only those which are Selected ie are highlighted To select a subset of the CVs currently displayed in the CV Value Grid of the Edit CVs window click on the first CV to be selected hold down either Shift T key then click on the last CV in the group The group of CVs from the first to the last selected will be highlighted with a yellow background Note that selection is done Page 115 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual in columns running from top to bottom in each column then moving rightwards to the next column Single CVs can be added to a selected group which may just consist of one other selected CV by clicking on the additional CV while either Ctrl Control key is held down Conversely clicking on a selected CV while holding down either Ctrl key will deselect that CV and remove its background yellow highlighting After clicking on at least one cell in the CV Value Grid you can also select all CVs in the displayed Grid by pressing Ctrl A hold down either Ctrl key then press the A key You can then deselect any individual CV by clicking on its location while holding down either Ctrl key Alternatively you can f
87. disable periodic scans of attached NCE Cabs is saved by A Track and will be applied each time the program is started Connecting your computer and A Track to an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster via an NCE USB Interface unit will also result in both the left and rightmost indicators turning green assuming that the relevant NCE equipment is powered on However when using an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster as the Command Station the third middle indicator on the A Track status bar will now be replaced by a small icon showing the type of connected unit reported by the NCE USB Interface as Shown below for an NCE Power Cab ewe t eh eemMl mo se med se ete be A Train Systems Version 4 3 167 gas TROCk Digital Command Control with NCE Power Cab and Power Pro NCE USB Interface Power Cab Connected F Register A Track Free for Priority Product Support umaa a Copyright 2008 2013 JT Chamberlain Item List None Loaded NCE COMO 4 Connected to NCE Power Cab via an NCE USB V6 Interface Again if you hover your mouse cursor over the status bar panels containing the NCE and COM indicators pop up labels will appear displaying respectively the NCE USB Interface Software Version and which of your computer s COM ports is Page 27 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual currently being used by A Track to connect to the Interface together with the bit baud rate at which the serial link is operating
88. displayed in the Macro Edit window clicking the Run Sel Macros button after selecting Macros 001 and 011 gives the result shown below 2 3 4 R R 7 R 10 Description a m n o SE 0000 Mainline PineCreek 0130A 0136A 0000 ARunaround PineCrk M30N 03 F Running Macro Entry 0000 Heath Sawmill 1 030 N 0131 N oaoa Heath Sawmill 2 030 N 0131H Finish 0000 Pine Creek Stores 0130 N 0131 N 000 O Grady Leather 030 N 0131 N 033 N O34 0135A 0000 0000 Maintenance Shed 0130 N 0131 N 033 N DI34N O1S5N gt D22 0000 Main Silver Fass OO00 aga OO00 aga aga aga OO00 034 N OTN OSIM 0000 OO00 aaa OOO0 SilverPass PineCrk aga OO00 OO00 aga aga OO00 aga OW N 018 OO00 aaa OO00 aaa 0000 Siver Pass Through 0294 N 0305H agad OO00 aga OO00 OOO0 SilverPass Passing 0294A 0256 N aga OO00 agaa OO00 OOOO SPase McGbmba 0294A 0256 N 0300 R O00 aga OO00 OOOO SPase MclGLrmnbb OS05R 0303A 0296 N 0000 agg ogg OOOO SPassE McGLmbs The progress window indicates that only a single command is sent to the Command Station to execute all of the Accessory commands contained in Macro 001 together with all those in all linked Macros just Macro 009 in this case and will be followed by a similar by a similar notice for Macro 011 Running Macro Entry Finish Page 202 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual with a final notice to signify completion of the operation again including the execution of linked Macros 0
89. does occur recovery of both systems is as painless as possible If a data transfer error does occur a warning message will appear x T Error Data Transfer Cancelled STOP BEFORE Pressing the OK Button below Please Remove Power From the WCE Command Station Unplug then Wait For 30 seconds 4oply Power to the Command Station Again Press OK wait until WCE Status Indicators are Green then Restart the Data Transfer At this point do not press the OK button The error will most likely be due to some corruption in the A Track transfer which has caused the NCE Command Station to stop processing the message and then to wait indefinitely without sending a response back to A Track Therefore the recommended action is to remove power from the Command Station by unplugging it from the supply wait for 30 seconds for the Command Station to fully reset itself about 20 seconds after the red Status LED on the Command Station front panel stops flashing rapidly then plug it back into the power supply Page 189 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual It should now be safe to press OK to remove the warning message and then after a few seconds to restart the failed restore operation as soon as you see that the NCE indicators on the status bar at the bottom righthand corner of the A Track window have both changed back from red or yellow to green indicating that all initialisation operations have been completed 6 2
90. down either Ctrl Control key on the keyboard and clicking anywhere within the Macro to be added to the selection The same action will also deselect any selected Macro removing it from the selected group Starting from the previously selected group of Macros 002 to 007 the result of clicking on Macros 000 004 005 and 009 with a Ctrl key held down is shown below with the selected Macros again highlighted in yellow Mac L 2 3 4 5 6 f g 4 10 Description 29M O16N gt 009 Ooo0 ooog ooog OO00 ooog ooog OO00 Mainline PineCreek 001 0125A 0130A 0136A 0093 0000 ooog OO00 ooog ooog 0000 Runaround PineCrk 01253A O1S0N 0131A 0000 ooog ooog OO00 agog ooog 0000 Heath Sawmill 1 0125A O1S0N OSIN 0132A Oooo ooog OO00 ooog ooog 0000 Heath Sawmill 2 0125A O1S0N OSIN Ose D0I33A go OO00 ooog ooog 0000 Pine Creek Stores 0125A O10N OSIN OFs2N OSS 0134A g d OO00 ooog 0000 O Grady Leather 0125A O1SON OSIN OT32N DI3SN 034w 0135A p ooog 0000 Maintenance Shed 0125A O1S0N MAIN O1S2 N O1SSN O1S4N O1SEN 135 gg 0000 Main Silver Pass OOOO agog ooog ooog ooog ooog OO00 agog ooog ooog D35 N O134N 033M O132N M3N 0000 occo ooo 000 00S SilverPass PineCtk ooog OO00 agaa OO00 aaa aga aoga aaga agg OO00 ooog OO00 aga OO00 aga OO00 aoga aaga OO00 aga Page 194 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Macros 000 and 009 have been added to the group whereas Macros 004 and 005 have been removed If you now click
91. even more care that all text is entered accurately to generate a fresh Activation Key and try again In case of continued difficulty please contact A Train Systems for assistance see Sections 9 2 and 9 3 Page 255 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 9 2 Key Points to Note about Registration Activation While you are free to install as many copies of A Track on different computers as you wish without charge each installation will generate a unique serial number and will require to be separately registered and activated Once an A Track installation is registered the details are locked and you cannot change the name of the Registered User nor the value of the Activation Key If this creates a problem at any time in the future then contact A Train Systems for assistance see below After registering A Track on a particular computer if you uninstall A Track and then Subsequently re install the program details of your registration activation are retained in the Windows Registry so that the new installation of A Track will still be registered This will also be the case if you install a later updated version of A Track although it is possible that some future major revision of the software may require re registration However if you perform any major upgrade or re installation of software on your machine particularly if you upgrade the Windows operating system it is possible that the A Track registration activation
92. execution loop the selected sequence has been terminated Page 200 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Macro 022 was run immediately after Macro 007 so attempting to run it again from Macro 025 would potentially cause the intervening sequence of Macros to be repeated in an infinite loop A Track monitors the full execution sequence and stops further Macro execution when such a situation is detected In this particular case running Macro 022 again would not actually result in an endless loop since the repetition is due to multiple Macro selection rather by the incorrect linking of Macros However A Track always errs on the side of caution just in case you have neglected to check for such a linking loop when creating the Macros by using the Go To Linked button or Ctrl L as explained in Section 6 2 You could of course completely avoid the potential problem of infinite linked loops by omitting links from all of your defined Macros and then manually selecting the sequence of Macros to run as shown below Description 0136 N 000d agog ooog ooog ooog Mainline Pinelreek m 0130A 0136A g ooog ooog ooog Runaround Pineltk Ms0H 0131A g ooog ooog ooog Heath Sawmill 1 0130N OSIM 0i32A OOD ooog ooog Heath Sawmill 2 SON OSIM O1S2N 0133A OOD ooog Fine Creek Stores 0130N OSIM O1S2N 0133 N 0134A g d O Grady Leather MS0ON O1SIN O1S2N O1SSN OT34N 0135A Maintenance Shed O1S0N ON O1F2N O1F3N O134N O135N Main S
93. fou may transter the Software with a copy of this Do vou accept the terms of this license agreement IF you choose Ha setup will close ou must accept the agreement to install the Keyspan USB Serial Adapter U5 419H software Following this click Next to accept the selected destination folder after which the installation of the driver files will proceed You are strongly recommended not to change the destination folder since you may prevent Windows finding and running the correct driver when the Keyspan USB to Serial Adapter is eventually connected to the PC Page 279 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Keyspan USB Serial Adapter USA19H Choose Destination Location Select folder where setup will install files Setup will install the Keyspan USB Serial Adapter 05419H5 software in the following folder Destination Folder E Program Files KevspansUS6 Serial Adapter Installing C Program Files Keyspan US6 Serial Adapter Sw ico InstallShield When installation is complete you will be offered the opportunity to register your copy of the driver Registration is unnecessary for proper operation of the driver and adapter so it is your own choice whether to agree or not Page 280 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual KEYSPAN hat Connections for your computer Thank you for purchasing the Keyspan USA 19H5 Please take a moment to register now so that we can aler
94. guidance on the installation of the various varieties of driver software can be found in Chapter 11 near the end of this Reference Manual Before starting installation of A Track from the Full Installation Package from a Distribution CD or directly from the Setup File ensure that no other applications are running on the PC and that the active User has administrative rights this is the normal status when the operating system is either Windows XP Home or Media Edition in Windows Vista or Windows 7 Starter or Home Editions and in Windows 8 Standard Edition but you may need to log on as an Administrator when using Windows XP Professional Edition Windows Vista and Windows 7 Business Professional or Ultimate Editions or Windows 8 Professional or Enterprise Edition Once all of the necessary driver and program software is installed A Track can be run by any User no aspect of A Track operation requires administrator privileges 3 1 Installation from the Full Installation Package Having downloaded the Installation Package from the A Train Systems website see Section 1 5 unzip the compressed file A Track4_Install zip to a convenient folder by right clicking on the file and then on the Extract All option on the pop up menu if you do not have a dedicated file compression program such as WinZip installed on your computer The installer program A Track4_Install exe can be run directly from the folder into which you unzipped
95. h d Addr 07 56 ww Addr 0157 Output Address mE to be Activated h Gregson 1 y Gregson 2 h d Addr 0089 h d Addr 0090 Mormal Al h Gregson 3 ii Gregson 4 Check Porte b d h d Addr 009 h d Addr 0091 2s Forest Flat 1 Mi Forest Flat 2 l yy Add 0268 esa ore Uptions Close Check that the controls operate their corresponding turnouts correctly then Close the controller and click Yes when prompted to save your customisation changes back to the Item List Finally save the complete Item List to preserve all of your new Items and data Page 172 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 17 Programming Accessory Decoders Control Window As well as operating turnouts the Accessory Operate window soft controller can also be used to program accessory decoders For most modern accessory decoders the basic action of programming the Address of a decoder Output is accomplished Simply by issuing an operate turnout command using the assigned address of the Output when the decoder is configured in the manufacturer defined programming mode Hence as an alternative to using the Program Accessory button from the Edit CVs window as described in Section 5 15 having assigned addresses to the Accessory Item and saved it back to the Item List you can open the Accessory soft controller via the Operate menu option Configure the accessory decoder to be programmed as required by the manufacturer and then cli
96. in a new Locomotive Item if you have one already defined for a similar locomotive then you can first display that locomotive s Speed Table as above in its own Edit CVs window and click on the small Copy button 2 to the left of the graphical area Next open up the Edit CVs window for the new Locomotive Item click on the Speed Tab and select Full 28 Step to reveal a blank Speed Table or at least one you are about to replace Click on the small Paste button to insert the copied Speed Table into the new Item where you can make any adjustments as described later in this Section If you do not have an existing 28 Step Speed Table to copy but have already set up the simple 3 Step Speed Table then you can use the entered 3 Step values to generate a basic 28 Step version by clicking the small 3 St button Eb ltem Description DARGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 0 Read vernty CW s Step Precision Adjustment Parameters cwac e assen een M Paste Main CVs f 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 Paste Exten d C s Henne Tables Deceleration Adjust O00 Select Table Mid Step Jono Paste ndex d Evs simple 3 Step Kick Start T Forward Trim O00 __Uedeteltem Fuzeen m Reverse Trim Close Speed Table Full 28 za jej Linear Exp ees a I I i i I I 1 1 tog T aai Save Table p a600 O00 e sles 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 A Track simply copies the values of V
97. indicated with the normal red and light green highlighting Red highlight CV programming in progress I e gt barr hop CV Ox 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x mim 000 000 O00 000 000 039 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 Mili too 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 sae 000 000 000 001 000 000 000 O00 000 ooo moe geee aan 090 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 mimmi aan AAN Green highlight 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 om programmed CV 000 000 192 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 Orange highlight changed and selected CV CO CON OO Ol GOIN Completion of programming is signalled by the normal success message Paste ndex d iy oo asa da E dy Programming Completed Successfully Update Item contin lose wlej sm ea ma Se Click the Finish button to return to the Addrs Parameter Tab Note that when programming an Accessory s address or parameters there is no feedback from the Mainline Track to positively confirm whether the operation has been successful or not The only way to verify the outcome is to operate the Accessory using a Handheld Cab or via the A Track Operate facility described in the following Section 5 16 If you use NCE Snap It or Switch Kat acccessory decoders there are some additional timing parameters which can be programmed if you require different settings from the default values loaded in th
98. install the driver similarly to the processes described in Sections 11 1 11 2 and 11 3 You can then plug the adapter into a PC USB port and wait briefly while the driver is linked to the port Page 290 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Microchip MCP2200 This device differs from other adapters in that it uses the drivers already built into the Windows operating system rather than requiring custom software to be loaded All that is required is a driver information file which is available from http www microchip com wwwproducts Devices aspx gt dDocName en546923 Scroll down to the Documentation and Software section open it and click on the MCP2200 Windows Driver amp Installer link to initiate download of the file MCP2200 Windows Driver 2013 02 21 zip which needs to be unzipped as explained in Section 11 1 When you have extracted the contents of the downloaded zip file locate the required information file mchpcdc inf Next plug the adapter into one of the computer s USB ports and wait for it to be recognised In Windows XP the Add new Hardware wizard should open automatically Decline the invitations to let Windows search the Internet for a driver or install a driver automatically and proceed to the stage where you can browse for the required driver Locate the folder containing the mchpcdc inf file and click Next to complete the process A different approach is required in Windows Vista
99. is launched so that the middle connection status indicator will first show red before eventually turning yellow then green when the scan is complete pd Item List C Documents and Settings T Track Item Lists AT Tutorial D emo 43 itl Items 26 Current 1 NCE JO COM J Connected Cabs identified Item List C Documents and Settings T Track Item Lists AT Tutorial Demo 43 itl gt COM sz Status of connected Cabs loaded Note that as an alternative to first opening the A Track program and then opening the Item List with which you want to work you can simply locate the Item List file in the folder where you saved it and then double click on the filename This will immediately open A Track and load the Item List with a single action Page 42 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If A Track is already loaded then the Item List which is double clicked will replace any Item List which is currently open in A Track You will be prompted to save any changes which might have been made to the currently open Item list before it is replaced Once an Item List is loaded the pathname of the Item List file is displayed on the Status Bar at the foot of the A track window as shown above If for any reason the Status Bar is not visible then open the View menu see below and check that the Status Bar entry is ticked if not then click on the entry to tick it and hence activate and display the Status Ba
100. marker close to the required value or use Page Up or Page Down then make the final adjustments using the Up and Down Arrow keys Note that once you have selected any Speed Step marker by clicking on it shown by its colour changing from red to green you can move to select the adjacent marker on either side by pressing the Left or Right Arrow keys Also if you decide that a newly set Speed Step value is incorrect pressing the Esc Escape key while the relevant marker is selected green will return that Speed Step to the value currently held in the relevant CV ie return it to the value shown when you first displayed the Speed Table If you are completely dissatisfied with your adjustments you can click on Cancel at any time to discard all changes and retain the original Speed Table settings Click on the Full 28 Step button once again to display the speed curve for another attempt Finally when you are happy with the shape of the speed curve click on Save Table to transfer the parameters of the newly defined speed curve to the Speed Table CVs CV67 to CV94 in the CV Value Grid where any changed values will be highlighted in pink Item 7 Configuration ariables l et Item Description D4AGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Read ernty CW s Step Precision Adjustment Parameters 14 Steps Acceleration Rate O00 Copy All CVs Pas f 25 Steps Deceleration Rate O00 Paste Main Evs f 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust O00 Decelerat
101. of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Entry 4 of Macro 001 will now contain gt 009 with a light blue background as Shown below Mac 1 2 3 4 5 6 f g 4 10 Description O00 29N O156N 0000 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog OO00 0000 Mainline PineCreek 029A O130R 026A gt 009 pooo o000 8 oooo cooo om0 0000 Runaround PineCrk 002 0129R 030M M311A 0000 cooo oooo ooog oomo SS Heath Sawmill H 003 M295A O130N M31N 032A 0000 ooo cooo Oooo oo00 Heath Sawmill 2 004 M295A 030N O131N 032M 033A 000 cooo Oooo 0000 0000 Pine Creek Stores 005 M295A O130N O1S1N 032M O133N M324A 0000 o000 0000 0000 O Grady Leather 006 M295A O130N O131N O132N O133N M34N 035A 0000 0000 0000 Maintenance Shed OOF 0129R O1S0N O1S1N 032M O133N O134N O135N 0000 gt 0000 0000 Main Siver Pass 008 oo00 ooo0 oooo cooo ooo 009 0135N O134N O133N 032M O131N OOOO ooo om0 gt 0000 0000 SilverPass PineCtk o10 cooo ooo oooo cooo cooo oooo cooo oomo oooo onoo 01 cooo ooo oooo cooo cooo oooo ooog oomo oooo onoo The result of this will be that whenever you run Macro 001 see Section 6 4 which follows Macro 009 will also be executed as soon as all of the turnout commands in Macro 001 have been sent to the Accessory decoder s To illustrate the use of a Macro in more than one switching operation we could also place a link to Macro 009 in Entry 3 of Macro 000 using the same sequence of
102. operation eventually in Paged or Register Modes this can take up to 20 seconds regardless of how many times you click the Cancel button but the value read from the currently accessed CV cannot then be relied upon to be correct Item 6 Configuration Yariables SINA Item Description Gandy Dancer DZ120 Identity Config Speed Funct n Pages Read Verify Configuration Variables CY Range CY Scope r Mode Current View AllCVs C Paged C AICV Blocks C Selected C Direct Ji J G Register Egg Timer to C Address L show operation in progress mw N xK Ww x x n x Oo x x ice wo x Tix 12x Green highlight Tim 000 000 000 000 000 000 032 052 06 to show CV read 018 000 o0 is same as Item 000 000 pe ooo ooer O00 000 000 000 O00 042 055 065 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 128 044 056 066 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 001 046 057 000 000 000 000 Red highlight to 000 000 000 000 000 000 048 058 T 000 000 gral read in progress CON 09 Ol mm COIN S Page 117 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Once the Read Verify operation has been completed a message is displayed to indicate the result Item 6 Configuration Yariables SA Item Description Gandy Dancer DZ120 Read Verify Configuration Variables G Range 1 CY Scope r Mode Current View AICVs C Paged C All CV Blocks C Selected C Di
103. order to select it such as Macro 005 and then click the Run Sel Macros button at the bottom of the window Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Select Macro Set Selected Selected Panan ae ee aea ene 005 Macro Enty Selected Macro Macro 064 127 C Description O Grady Leather Load File Macro 128 191 Edit Macro l Enter Yalue r T Macr 192 255 0 Save File er i Addes Normal C ecept Edit Link to Macro 0129 Route fe Banc Retrieve Set Update Set Bo To Linked 1 2 3 4 5 Description 0129W O6N 008 dOO00 agad aga OO00 aga Mainline PineCreek 01295A 0130A 0136A 0098 00o ooog ooog ooog Runaround FineCrk 01293A 0130N 0131A O00 ooog ooog ooog ooog Heath Sawmill 1 0129A 0130N OSN 0132A 00 ooog ooog ooog Heath Sawmill 2 01293A OON 031 N 032w 0133A 0 ooog ooog Fine Creek Stores 0129 R 00N OSIN OT32N O33N 034A OOOO ooog O Grady Leather 01259A OOM OSIN O1F2N O1SSN O1S4N 0135A OOD Maintenance Shed 01295A OIS0N OSIN O1S2N O33 N O34 OSH gt O22 Main Silver Pass ooog gogg ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog OSS HM O14 O33 N O1S2N OSTA gooo aga agga silverPass PineCrk aga aoga OO00 aaga OO00 agg OO00 aga O156M 0157 N 3018 OOD OO00 aga OO00 aga SiverFass Through 0156A 0294M OS05N 0157A ogo aaa aga OO00 silverPass Passing 0156A 0294A O296N 0298 0000 aga OO00 aoa oPaseW McGbmba 0156A 0294A 02956N 02568A 0300A ooog OO00 OO00 oPase MclLmbb 057A OS05R 0303A 0296A 0298
104. pages for both Quantum and ESU LokSound decoders changed to grey rather than black Read Verify and Program operations involving Indexed pages now ignore all unused CV locations in order minimise the time taken Corrected error in handling serial communications timeout errors during Program or Read Verify operations which left all Edit CVs controls disabled so that the window could only be closed by closing the whole A Track program Timeout applied to Read Verify operations using Direct Mode changed to 4 seconds the longer 24 second timeout is still used in Paged Register or Address Modes this speeds up Read Verify when no response is received from the Command Station for any reason when attempting to read the value of a CV File security settings in Windows Vista 7 and 8 can generate a serious error when Start Up Tutorial attempts to save a modified Item List back to the folder in Program Files holding the example Item Lists solved by copying tutorial Item List to a new folder in user s Documents area and directing all subsequent file saves to this area Start Up Tutorial expanded to cover the creation of a first Item List and copying the contents of decoders fitted in the user s roster of locomotives to Items in the new Item List Before opening an Item List from the MRU list on the File menu a check is now made to verify that the file still exists not deleted or moved and display a warning if the file cannot be located
105. postponed until the Command Station is plugged in and powered on Loading will then proceed as before although it may take up to 10 seconds before the date transfer starts with display of the progress bar in the centre of the A Track window Allow the data transfer to complete without interruption The third middle indicator on the status bar which is initially red is used to show the progress of A Track in acquiring the status of all NCE Handheld Cabs connected to the NCE Power Pro Command Station After 15 seconds or so following retrieval of the Consist data when A Track has determined which Cabs have been connected to the Command Station it will turn yellow and eventually green when the full status of all connected Cabs has been retrieved The time taken to complete this full scan iS approximately 2 seconds per connected Cab Note that the complete status for Cab Addresses 01 and 02 is always transferred to A Track whether or not Cabs with these addresses are actually connected so that the minimum total scan period is about 20 seconds Thereafter A Track will check every 10 seconds or so that the NCE Command Station remains connected and powered on If you are using a USB to Serial converter which is fitted with one or more LED indicators then the indicators may flash to show the transfer of commands and responses You can update the displayed Cab allocation and status at any time by clicking the Refresh 4 button on the A Track
106. printing followed by a further row with the Item Type active Address and Description Each output row containing details of a selected CV consists of a Block Reference which identifies the CV Block and the position of the CV within it the CV Number in Indexed form the CV Description and finally the value of the CV in both decimal and binary as shown below in an example of an Item Details CSV file imported into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet aa Item Details D amp RGW 2TruckShay 30 Sep 13 cs Item List D 4 Track4 Track 4 ItemLists AT Tutorial Demo 43 itl Printed 30 Sep 2013 el Loco gt 2 011 D amp 2RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 5 6 Block Ref C No Description Dec Binary BSL 001 0 001 Primary Address ii 0000 1011 le BSL OO 0 002 Start 0000 0000 4 BSL 003 0 003 Acceleration Rate o 0000 0000 10 BSL 004 0 004 Deceleration Rate 0 000 0000 1i B5L 005 0 005 High 0000 0000 12 BSL 006 0 006 Mid O 0000 0000 13 BSL O07 0 007 Manufacturer Yersion Number 249 1111 1001 14 BSL O08 0 008 Manufacturer ID Number 129 1000 0001 15 BSL 009 0 009 Total PWM Period O 0000 0000 16 BSL 010 0 010 EMF Feedback Cutout 0000 0000 17 BSL O11 0 011 Packet Time Out Yalue O o000 000 18 BSL O1 0 012 Power Source Conversion O 0000 0000 19 BSL 013 0 013 Alternate Mode Function Status F1 F 0 ooo0 0000 z0 BSL 014 0 014 Alternate Mode Function Status FL F9 F1i2 O o000 000 1 BSL 015 0 015 Decoder Access Unlock 0 ooo0
107. roster it is usually more convenient for day to day use to compile Shorter Item Lists corresponding for example to an operating session The Item List operations available in A Track allow you to create these working Item Lists Page 39 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual either directly from your master List or from scratch and to copy and move Items easily from one Item List to another 4 1 Accessing and Viewing Item Lists To illustrate the features of A Track a couple of example Item Lists have been provided as part of the A Track installation AT_Demo Development_43 1 itl and Cochise amp Western_100120 itI Although these files have been installed into the folder C Program Files A Track ItemLists it is not a good idea to try to open either of the Item Lists directly from this system folder location because of file security restrictions which will be imposed by Windows Vista and above Before proceeding you should copy one or both of the Item Lists to a less restricted folder If you have run the introductory Tutorial then one of these demonstration Item List files namely AT_Demo Development_43 itl will have been copied to a subfolder A Track Item Lists created within your main Documents or My Documents folder and you are free to access it there If the Tutorial has not been run then you should create the same or a similar folder within Documents or My Documents or another part of your User area and c
108. selected Output Address in the Extended Address column Following a suggestion from Dave Cooper format of the on screen Operate controller improved to allow Locomotive speed to be changed by simply clicking on the relevant part of the Speed disc rather than drag the pointer with the mouse this also avoids display of the spurious mouse trails generated under Windows 7 and 8 Added set of four Speed Increment Decrement buttons to the on screen Operate controller to emulate use of keyboard Up Down Arrow and PageUp PageDown keys in changing speed settings Speed Table values under the Speed tab in the Edit CVs window can now be incremented or decremented by clicking above or below the relevant marker rather than by just dragging the marker with the mouse again avoids display of the Spurious mouse trails generated under Windows 7 and 8 Any changes made to Speed Table values before they are saved can now be cancelled by pressing the Esc Escape key the Speed Table is then re displayed using the values currently held in the Item s CVs Page 298 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Implemented version of the on screen Operate controller for Accessories to allow control of up to eight turnouts each with a separate Output Address controller also incorporates facility to perform direct Operations Mode programming of Accessory decoder parameters When used with a Power Pro system the Accessory Operate contro
109. single CV Page 116 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Note that the NMRA term Paged used here is completely unrelated to the CV Pages defined for the NMRA Indexed Addressing scheme e Direct is much faster but is not supported by all decoders e Register is similar to Paged but only reads a very small subset of seven CVs consisting of CV1 to CV4 CV7 CV8 and CV29 e Address is a legacy mode which only allows you to read the value of CV1 Click to select the required Mode or leave it at the default setting of Paged For a first example of the Read Verify operation assume that no CVs are selected CVRange and CV Scope are left at the default settings and that Register Mode has been selected then click Confirm to start the Read Verify operation During the Read Verify operation the CV currently being accessed will be highlighted in red Once the CV value held in the decoder has been determined it will be displayed in the grid and highlighted in light green if the value read is the same as that held in the Item or highlighted in pink if it differs from the Item s stored value A typical display for a Register Mode Read Verify operation in progress is shown below Note the animated egg timer icon being shown to indicate a currently active operation and that all buttons other than Cancel are greyed out to prevent any interference with the Read Verify process Clicking Cancel will stop the Read Verify
110. that the names you submitted for registration are displayed correctly in the First Name and Last Name textboxes then enter the supplied activation code into the Activation Key textbox The Activation Key code consists of six groups of five characters letters and numbers separated by dashes The letters I and O are not used so that they cannot be confused with the numbers 1 and 0 which may appear Letters can be Page 253 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual typed in either lower or upper case and there is no need to type the separating dashes they will be inserted automatically as you enter the characters of the Key Take care to enter the Activation Key accurately since even a single error will not be accepted The safest way to enter the Activation Key and the First and Last Names if necessary is to copy the value s from the text of the e mail you receive and then paste the copied text into the relevant textbox When the registration information has been entered the Activate button will be enabled and should be clicked to complete the process registenaa train systems co uk Ny Ensure the Hames are entered exactly as used to register this copy of 4 Track then paste the activation key code provided Into the Activation Rey textbox below or type it into the textbox without dashes or spaces and click Activate First Name Tery Last Hame Chamberlain Version 43 167 Senal Number 13
111. the Copy Sel Macros button then move to select a destination say Macro 080 followed by a click on the Paste Sel Macros button the result will be as shown below Mac L 2 3 4 5 6 f g 4 10 Description B O79 0000 ooog ooog ooog agog agog agga ooga agga ooga 0129 H O1SEN 005 OOD agga agog agag ooga agga 0000 Mainline PineCreek 081 0125A O1S0N 0131A o agga agog agga ooga agga 0000 Heath Sawmill 1 082 0129A O1SON O1STN Ol32A gog agga agga ooga OO00 OOOO Heath Sawmill 2 O83 0129A O1S0N OFIN O52 O1S3N O34 0135A go agga 0000 Maintenance Shed 084 01259A OF1S0N OSIN O52 D33 N OT34N O1S5N 135 oo 0000 Main Siler Pass f 085 O1IS5N O1S4N O1S3N Ose OST 0o00 agga agga aaga 0000 SilverPass PineCrk O86 0000 agog ooog ooog agga agog agog ogag agga ooga O87 Oo00 agog ooog ooog agga agga agga ooga agga ooga One important point to note here is that the copied Macros are copied to the selected destination as a single contiguous group without any intervening blank Macros regardless of the relative positions or numbering of the original copied Macros The copy of the selected Macros remains in the internal storage buffer so that you can paste it to another location if you wish until you replace it by another Copy operation or the File Macros window is closed As well as copying Macros from one location to another you can also use the multiple selection facility to erase any number of Macros from the c
112. the Item to its former state and if all else fails you can choose not to save the altered Item List when you close the A Track program leaving you hopefully with a safely stored copy of the original Item List Page 81 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Alternatively when you click on the Close Action Button after making any changes to the Item s parameters you will be presented with a set of options either to transfer the changed values to the Item proper in the Item List Yes or to ignore all changes No leaving the Item in its original state or to return to the Edit CVs window in its current state Cancel allowing you to continue with editing Confirm Action X T CV Values have been changed Update Item before Closing C Edit i Mo Cancel If no changes have been made to the Item s parameters clicking Close simply closes the Edit CVs window 5 2 Initialising a Blank Item Before looking at the other Parameter Tabs it is worth going through the initial actions you need to perform under the Identity and Config Tabs when adding a new Item to the Item List ie starting with a Blank Item inserted using the Edit action described in Section 4 5 Part of this process was previously covered in Section 3 7 as a quick practical introduction to the usage of A Track A double click on the Blank Item opens an Edit CVs window as usual but showing all Item parameters with zero values Item
113. the Macros to incorporate the additional route available Description O000 popi 0000 pong 00sg N O0S2N OOOO ngoj Mainline Gregson OO89R 0090A 0091A 00952A Gregson Silver 1 OO89R OOSON OOSTN 00952A Gregson Silver 2 popi 0000 0000 popi D265 O192N p000 O000 ForestFlat Thru 0265A O1eeAR 000 ngoj ForestFlat Aunard o000 o000 o000 o000 popi popi O000 0000 0000 popi O000 0000 O145N O146N O14 N 0148H Aldboro Mainline 0145A 0146A O47 N 01480 Aldboro Siding 4 045A O146N O14F AR 0148H Aldboro Siding B 0145A O146N O14 N 0148H Aldboro Siding C 0i45 R O146N Olr 0148H Aldboro Siding D poni poni poni poni After saving these edited Macros to a backup file using Save File as before but perhaps to a different filename than that used for the initial Set you can download the Macros to the NCE Power Pro Command Station to replace the current Macros by clicking on Update Set In order to minimise the probability of a data transfer error occurring as the Macro data is written to the Command Station memory A Track will stop any current NCE Command Station activities by sending it a Reset command to return it to the state it would be in when it has just been switched on which will bring any locomotives currently under control to an immediate halt Prior to doing this A Track will display a warning prompt Confirm Action x p This action will reset the NCE Command Station to S the normal state when power is First applied
114. the appropriate selections in the Content section exactly as you would do when sending output to a printer Print Items i x Output a Help Ob Tet File Save ltem Data in Aich Text Plain Text or Comma Separated Yariable file formats C Printer Auto Brother HL 760 on TERR Y ATHLON Printer Setup gt Content AA Select the required Page Size and Orientation if available then click Print In the Windows standard Print to File dialog window which appears select the folder where you wish to save the output print file by using the Save in drop down listbox at the top of the window or create a new folder within say My Documents in Windows XP Windows 7 or Windows 8 or Documents in Windows Vista see Section 4 2 for an example of creating a new folder Initially A Track will open the folder from which you loaded the current Item List but after you select a more appropriate destination A Track will retain the name of the selected Print folder as part of its Registry settings so that when you next use the Print to File facility the dialog window will open showing the contents of that folder 4 Track Print to File l x Save in A Track Printed Items e A g FE E Item Details D amp RGW Consolidation LokSelect 30 5ep 13 rtf T Bl Them Details UPChallenger QuanturmTitan 30 Sep 13 rtF My Recent Them Details DeRGW 2TruckShay 30 Sep 1 3 rth Documents Bl Item 5Summary Tutorial Demo 43 30 5ep 13 rtf E
115. the entry for the unprogrammed Multiple in the Item List right click on CV19 in the CV Value Grid and check that the Consist Address is correctly shown in the Dec textbox in the Configuration Variable Value window which is displayed Enter the correct Consist Address if necessary If the Multiple is to operate in the Reverse Direction then add 128 to the entered value of the Consist Address most easily done by clicking the appropriate checkbox to set Bit 7 Click OK to update the value of CV19 if necessary then click on CV19 in the grid to highlight it yellow background Click on Program CVs to open the Program Config n Variables window where you should choose the CV Range option as Current View and the CV Scope option as Selected If you wish to program the locomotive on the Mainline Track rather than the Program Track and you know the locomotive will accept such programming then click to tick the Program on Main Track checkbox and finally click Confirm to program the required Consist Address into the locomotive decoder If the locomotive is on the Program Track then you can use Read Verify CVs to check that the decoder has now been programmed correctly see Section 5 9 Otherwise test that the Multiple now works correctly as a member of the Consist Controlling Consists When selecting a defined Consist for operation on the track the NCE Command Station Power Cab Smart Booster or Power Pro will normally expect you to enter
116. to locate the CV highlighted in the previous example select the Lights Description Tab scroll down to find Reverse Light Initial State and click on it A Track opens the low Block of Indexed Page 2 and highlights the correct CV CV 55 73 0 which currently contains the value 001 CV Grid Column 2x Row 0 Item 14 Configuration Yariables Ta Rean OE Configuration Yarable Yalue Copy All Cs Bid oats Reverse Light Initial State Paste klam Ds Dec foo Hex o Fema a a i Et COOTCCOTCE Update ltem OF Cancel Close Eees Dx Paste Extend Eys Value Paste Inder d Eys z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 T 8 g ltem Description Union Facific Challenger OSI Titan Steam Rear Mars Light Mas Intensity Rear Mare Light Mid Intensity Rear Mare Light Min Intensity Rear Mare Light Ramp Down Rate Rear Mare Light Ramp Down Time Rear Mare Light Ramp Up Rate Rear Mars Light Ramp Up Time Rear Mare Light Strobe Period Rear Humber Board Lights Initial State Rear Number Board Lights Max Intensity Rear Humber Board Lights Ramp Down Rate Rear Humber Board Lights Ramp Down Time Rear Number Board Lights Ramp Up Rate Rear Number Board Lights Ramp Up Time Rear Overhead Beacon Light Initial State Rear Overhead Beacon Light Max Intensity Rear Overhead Beacon Light Min Intensity Rear Overhead Beacon Light Period Rear Overhead Beacon Light Ramp Up Rate Rear Overhead Beacon Ramp Down Aate Rear Overhe
117. to save the edited Item List under a filename which is the same as that of a file already in the selected folder then Windows will display a warning 4 Track Save Item List x nN C Documents and Settings Terry My Documents Track Item Lists 4T Tutorial Demo 43 itl already exists Do vou want bo replace it and it is your choice on how you wish to proceed click Yes to replace overwrite the file with a new version or No to return to the Save Item List window where you can either rename the file or select a different folder in which to save it or abandon the whole Save As operation Page 48 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Rather than save a complete Item List to a file A Track also offers the capability to Save only selected Items from the List To choose the Items to save to a file click to tick the checkbox located to the left of each Item which you wish to include then click on Save Checked on the File menu or the icon on the Toolbar In the File Save window which then opens type an appropriate filename for the reduced Item list and click Save You could of course just use the existing filename but by doing so you will overwrite the existing Item List and permanently lose all of those Items which were NOT checked so make very sure that you really want to eliminate them If you maintain a number of separate small Item Lists stored on disk then you can use A Track to amalgamate them int
118. to see in the way A Track operates or in the features or facilities provided by the program Please ensure that your Name A Track Version and Serial Number and your e mail address below are completed accurately If details of your Windows operating system type and build number or of your NCE system and software version have not been entered automatically then please type into the System and NCE System Type fields the version of Windows and type of NCE Command Station respectively that you are using with A Track Build details and Software Version can be left blank enter the 6 character security code then click Submit to send your support request or problem report Your Name Terry Chamberlain i ss lt i s S A Track Version 43167 S Serial Number 30928A8E9F53 2 S SOSCS Your E Mail Address ltery atrain systemscouk Confirm E Mail Address lterry a train systemscouk ssts S System MicrosotWindowsXP i itsts SS Build 2600xpsp_sp3_qfe 130704 0421 NCE System Type PowerCab _tst lt i i isSOSC C S NCE Software Version 630 0 Subject Eampls ProblemRepot Use this textbox to enter details of the problem s you have found when using A Track Request Report Details Please enter Security Code Send a copy to yourself Note that A Train Systems will not under any circumstances divulge your e mail address to any other person or organisation and will only use th
119. to the Consist Technically as far as the NMRA DCC Standards amp Recommended Practices are concerned this is known as an Advanced Consist and is the only form of Consist which is handled by A Track An older form of Consist management Universal or Brute Force Consists in which the same commands are sent to each constituent locomotive using their own addresses is supported directly for groups of up to four locomotives by both the NCE Power Pro and Power Cab Systems but not by A Track Further details can be found in the NCE Power Pro and Power Cab System Reference Manuals Consists can be defined independently by either type of NCE System using the commands available through the NCE Handheld Cabs and by the A Track program A Track allows the definitions of Consists to be transferred to and from an NCE Power Pro System so that by letting you see the exact composition of each Consist you will be able to resolve any conflicting Consist definitions which might exist between the two systems As described in Section 3 5 A Track loads the addresses of all defined Consists from an NCE Power Pro System as soon as it is connected to the Command Station This facility is not available when operating with an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster System Note however that as far as control of a specific Consist is concerned the definition of its constituent locomotives currently held in either type of NCE Command Station takes precedence over any C
120. to yellow and eventually back to green when the full re scan has been completed Your choice of whether to enable or disable periodic scans of attached NCE Cabs is saved by A Track and will be applied each time the program is started Note that regardless of the setting of the automatic status update option the Cab allocation and status will be updated each time a new Item List is loaded or when changes are made through A Track to the allocation of Items to attached Cabs See Section 4 6 Page 46 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 4 2 Item List Load and Save Options As introduced in the preceding section all Item List Load and Save operations can be performed using the functions available from the File menu some of which have alternative access via keyboard shortcuts and or toolbar icons see Section 10 1 for full details As an example you can click the L icon on the Toolbar to load Open an Item List or press Ctrl O on the keyboard hold down either Ctrl Control key and then press the O key to perform the same operation Once an Item List has been opened its filename is added to the Most Recently Used MRU list on the File menu as shown below Up to eight filenames can be displayed in the list when you open the ninth distinct Item List then the oldest filename is dropped from the list to make way for that of the latest Item List File Edit View NCE Item Help a aw OO e 4O ae Merge ee Control
121. toolbar See Sections 4 1 7 4 and 10 3 or by clicking on View on the A Track menu bar followed by Refresh Item Allocation amp Status When you use the View menu option you will be asked whether you wish the periodic scan of attached NCE Cabs to resume Cab Status Automatic Update x P Automatic update of WCE Cabs Status we every 6 minutes is currently disabled After this manual status update do WOU Wish bo resume automatic updates Click Yes to enable future automatic scans of NCE Cab status or No to leave the scans disabled Leaving scans disabled is preferred if you want to adjust the setup of the NCE Power Pro Command Station or Cabs or change Consist or Macro settings without being interrupted periodically Further details of the way in which the NCE System Status data is handled can be found in Chapter 7 Page 26 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual A tick mark next to the Refresh Item Allocation amp Status option on the View menu will be displayed to indicate that periodic scans of attached NCE Cabs are enabled In this state every 6 minutes A Track will automatically re scan the status of the NCE Cabs attached to the Command Station The current Cab allocation and status will be cleared from the Item List with the middle indictor on the status bar returning to show red then changing to yellow and eventually back to green when the full re scan has been completed Your choice of whether to enable or
122. will then be enabled For your information the number of the current page is displayed in the bottom righthand corner of the Tutorial window If you want further information about the topic described on any Tutorial page then a click on the More Info button will open another window showing the appropriate section from the full A Track Help Topics the contents of this document You can stop viewing the Tutorial and remove it from the screen at any time by clicking on the Close Window button FY A Track m Fie Edit wiew WCE Item Help A w aagal teetmM oaaae Description Type Flags Prd ExAddr Controller SpSts Speed FL Functie FY Start Up Tutorial Getting Started A Short Tutorial 5 x Welcome to A Track Your DCC Buddy This short tutorial will get you started with the program and will stay on the screen while you try out the A Track controls just drag it aside click on the title bar with the words Start Up Tutorial at the top of this window hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse so that you can see the contents of the main A Track window as well as the tutorial and can click on the 4 Track menubar and toolbar to Investigate the available menus and options as you follow the tutorial pages During the tutorial click More Info below to view further information releyant ta the current tutorial page by displaying the relevant section of the A Track Help Topics which you can acc
123. 0 063 option in the Select Macro Set area to return to the Pine Creek Macros Click on the Macro you wish to use as the destination for the copied Macro group such as Macro 012 then click the Paste Sel Macros button to complete the copy operation Description OIS6M gt 008 0000 ooog ooog ooog Mainline PineCreek 0130A 0136A 008 O00 ooog ooog Runaround FPineCrk 0130M 0131A o000 o000 ooog ooog Heath Sawmill 1 0130W OSIN O1s2R OOD ooog agog Heath Sawmill 2 ISON 0131M DI32N 0133A OOD ooog Fine Creek Stores 0130M O1SIN D32N O1S3N Ol34A 0 O Grady Leather O130N O1SIN O132N O133N O134N 0135A Maintenance Shed 0130W O1SIN O1S2N O1S3N O1S4N 0135H Main Silver Pass ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0134M O1SSN DI32N O1S1N OOD ooog SilverPass PineCrk ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 057M 072 po ooog ooog ooog SilverPass Through 0294M O305N 0157A OO00 ooog ooog SilverPass Passing 0294A O2deN 02958 N O00 ooog ooog SPaseW McGLmbas 0294 A 0300 A 0000 ooog SFassw MecGLmbE Copy Sel Macros Clear Sel Macros Aun Sel Macros Close A Track does not incorporate any automatic facility to amend any link addresses to reflect the new locations of the copied Macros so you will need to do this manually as shown below where the link in Macro 007 now points to the relocated Macro 012 rather than to its previous position at Macro 135 Page 196 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual
124. 0 9 000 000 054 000 000 000 048 172 236 000 000 000 Alternatively clicking on the Full 28 Step button will reveal a similar graphical area Showing the currently held user defined Speed Table values if any as a speed curve such as that shown below Item 7 Configuration ariables Item Description Dar iw 2 Truck Shay ON142 Read erty CW s Step Precision Adjustment Parameters f 14 Steps Acceleration Rate pog Copy All Cis re 0 25 Steps Deceleration Rate O00 Paste Main CVs f 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 Sea eet Cvs Define Tables Deceleration Adjust O00 Select Table Mid Step Jooo Paste nder d Eis Simple 3 Step Veet het T Update ltem 3 Forward Trim O00 Reverse Trim O00 Close Speed Table Full 28 Step 255 r mi 1 i 1 1 L 1 1 1 z a ees Seas EEE a EE be T Sees E E i T fs i i i l l l p I p r TE cu cu cr T a ee cc a Li com cm co 7 ma T E om 7 co 7 l E l mi T p La a Ph nm Page 93 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The horizontal axis represents Speed Steps the commanded speed from the controller and the vertical axis represents the relative speed corresponding to each Step 000 is stationary and 255 is maximum 100 speed Rather than set up a Speed Table from scratch
125. 0 063 Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk My Computer aii RATE File name NCE Consist Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk Places Files of type Backup Files Plain Text mbk Cancel E If you select either the wrong type of file or the contents of selected file have been corrupted in some way you will be presented with an error message Incorrect File Format f xj Incorrect File Format l xi A Mot a Consist Backup File A ddress Data Error in Backup File Error 13 or Page 220 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Click OK in either case to dismiss the message and let you try again although if the problem is corrupt data you need a detailed knowledge of the file structure to attempt a fix help may be available via Support see Section 9 3 Otherwise when the backup file loads a Consist Status window similar to that described in Section 5 12 will be opened but with a reduced set of functions Defined Consists Status Backup File Selected Consist Address 127 i Locos Assigned to Consist Backup File List te Curent Item List 7 Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Consists which are defined solely within the currently loaded A Track Item List are shown in blue eg 120 in the Consist Address grid while those defined only in the loaded Consist backup file are shown in green eg 85 and 66 Clicking on any non highlighted Consist Address in the grid such as the defau
126. 00 SpdTabl Mid 000 F ward Trim 000 Kick Start 001 R vrse Trim 000 WY Start OOO vV Mid OOO vY High OOO Spd Tabl O01 O16 O32 O46 O64 07o O92 106 Spd Tabl 08 118 130 142 152 162 12 150 Spd Tabl 15 155 196 204 210 216 2a8 226 Spd Tabl 22 232 236 240 244 246 208 255 240 Sy ogee ee Re eG 224 ee 224 206 206 5 192 giS 192 t 176 ee 176 e 160 p g 160 P 144 144 126 oe 1265 Y 1iz 112 a O96 i O96 1 O80 7 O80 u 064 ke 064 e 046 O46 O32 O32 O16 O16 ogg ogg SpeedStep gt 1 2 3 456 76 G 0 1 2 5 4 5 6 7 9 0 1 2 35 4 5 6 7 86 AltPwr Mode _ 2a 2 2 es Func Enabl 25 z2 a Active Func z 2a ae fess in Consist E Funct Map gt FLF FLE Fl Fe FS F4 FS F F Fe FS Fido Fii Fiz File Fila F Fil Pad u F1 F10 rh eo FQ C Fo Fo t FY F7 F F 5 FS F5 e F4 F4 L F3 F3 e Fa Fa C Fi Fi t FLE FLE FLF FLF O7P Active gt FLF FLE Fi F2 F3 F4 FS F FY FS FO Fi Fil Fiz Page 1 Printed 30 Sep 2013 Loco 2011 Item Details Defined Parameters Identity Configuration Speed amp Functions Page 237 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual C Block Base Loy CVs 001 126 C Ho Description Dec Binary OOL Primary Address O11 0000 1011 O02 WeStart O00 0000 0000 003 Acceleration Rate O00 0000 0000 004 Deceleration Rate 000 000 000a 00S Y High O00 0000 0000 00e V Mid
127. 0000 22 BSL 016 0 016 Decoder Lock ID Code 0 o000 000 3 BS5L 017 0 017 Extended Address M5 6 Bits 199 1100 0111 BSL 018 0 018 Extended Address L5 8 Bits 219 1101 1011 o BSL 019 0 019 Consist Address O oooo 0d000 6 BSL 0270 0 020 Reserved by NMRA for future use o ooo0 0000 27 BSL O21 0 021 Consist Address Active for F1 F8 Oo 0000 0000 eo BSL O22 0 022 Consist Address Active for FL F9 F12 0000 0000 9 BSL 023 0 023 Acceleration Adjustment 0 ooo0 0000 30 BSL 024 0 024 Deceleration Adjustment o ooo0 0000 31 BSL 025 0 025 Speed Table Mid Range Cab Speed Step o 0000 0000 32 B5L 026 0 026 Reserved by NMRA for future use Oo o000 0000 33 BSL O277 0 027 Decoder Automatic Stopping Configuration o oo0o0 0000 34 BSL 0278 0 028 Bi Directional Communication Configuration 0 ooo0 0000 35 BSL 029 0 029 Configuration Data 34 0011 0110 The width of columns C and E has been increased in this case to let you see the full CV Descriptions and CV Binary values and columns D and E have been right aligned but any additional formatting is left as an exercise for the interested user As mentioned above the CV Number is shown in Indexed form where a prefix of 0 is used to identify CVs in both Base and Extended Blocks with 1 2 etc for Indexed Blocks as used in LokSound decoders CV Numbers for Quantum decoders use the standard QSI indexing scheme Two examples of the numbering scheme are Shown below Page 244 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Tra
128. 03 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 4 6 Control Allocation of Locomotive Items As well as providing facilities to edit Item parameters when connected to an NCE Power Pro Command Station but not Power Cab or Smart Booster A Track can also allocate specific Locomotive Items including Consists and Multiples to be controlled by any connected NCE Handheld Cab Although access to these functions is available via the Item menu the more usual method is to use the Pop Up menu which appears whenever an Item is right clicked The Pop Up menu also contains selected options from the Edit menu for convenience but note that here the functions apply only to the single Item which was right clicked FN A Track File Edit View NCE Item Help ASCPHMS s PSA oo Hs wUOeE ag PrAddr ExAddr aQ gt 2014 Item Menu Functions 1 Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 Loco CIE Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 Truck Shay Z14SR Loco im Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truck Climax Lenz Silv Loco Wi Colorado Mining 0 6 0 S gt O CI AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane 5 t C s s3793 1 Gandy Dancer Dz120 locate NCE Cab gt 08 0218 CI DLRGW 2 Truck Shay _ Operate o Selected Edit 1 D amp RGW 2 6 0 Mogul DI Delete Item o Menu Functions Ca Accessory Decoder Wa CS AT amp SF GE44 Switcher SU CIA AT amp SF GE44 Switcher Cut Append CE DRGW GE44 Switcher COPY WRear P 120 gt 0436 Cla Switcher Consist 2 Co
129. 0807 0E 9F53 System Microsott windows F Build Z2600 spp_ p gfe 130704 042 NCE Power Cab Software Version 6 3 0 Activation Key DSFIR BVAZY W307 WXT a BGRG4 DeP5D Activate Register Online Close Assuming that the entered names and Activation Key are correct the program status will be updated to Activated with a confirmation of success message displayed below the Activation Key textbox entering your First and Last Names below each name must Activated contain at least 3 and no more than 20 characters and then clicking the Register Online button Otherwise e mail your two Names the Serial Humber and System data displayed below to registenaa train systems co uk nd Ensure the Hames are entered exactly as used to register this copy of 4 Track then paste the activation key code provided Into the Activation Rey textbox below or type it into the textbox without dashes or spaces and click Activate First Name Tery Last Hame Chamberlaini Version 43 167 Senal Humber 13092848E 9F53 System Microsott windows F Build 2600 epep p gfe 130 704 0421 NCE Power Cab Software Version 6 3 0 Activation Key DSFIR BVAZY WSO WT a BGRG4 DePoD Activation Successful Register Online Close Page 254 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Click Close to remove the Register Activate window from the screen After activation each time you start A Track the start up window will show that the pr
130. 18 025 022 000 and finally 009 Running Macro Entry Macro Execution Complete Click Finish to return to the Macro Edit window If you have made any changes to a Macro Set retrieved from the NCE Power Pro Command Station and then chose to run one or more of the displayed Macros before updating the Macro Set in the Command Station you will see the following warning prompt Macros Edited but Not Updated x Selected Macro Set retrieved From the NCE Power Pro Command Station has been edited but not updated Macros currently defined in the Command Station may differ From those displayed on the screen Do vou wish bo continue and execute the Macros which are currently displayed and selected Click Yes to continue and run the selected and possibly edited Macros or No to abandon the operation Assuming you choose to continue the selected Macro s will be executed by sending individual Accessory commands from the Macro s rather than by requesting execution from the Command Station memory Otherwise you have the opportunity to update the Command Station by clicking the Update Set button before continuing with Macro execution Page 203 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 7 NCE POWER PRO COMMAND STATION amp CAB OPERATIONS As well as helping you to manage and maintain your roster of DCC locomotives and accessories A Track provides a number of facilities to assist you in the configuration and hand
131. 2 A Track Reference Manual 3 5 Starting the Program Start A Track from the Start Menu as shown in Section 3 4 or by double clicking the A Track icon be on the Desktop or in Windows 8 by clicking the A Track tile PA on the Start Screen A Track displays a start up window in front of its main window and then checks to see if an NCE Power Cab Smart Booster or Power Pro Command Station is connected to one of the PC s Serial or USB ports and powered on If no connection is detected then you will see the window contents as displayed below Fie Edit View IGE Item Help jee Mia st te ete Mo e mel es eoe be A Train Systems Version 4 3 167 s TROCE Digital Command Control with NCE Power Cab and Power Pro COM Interface Not Connected Register A Track Free for Priority Product Support a A P pim DCC ainiai Copyright 2008 2013 JT Chamberlain Item List None Loaded NCE COM 4 Connection Status for NCE Command Station and Serial USB Interface neither connected at this time The three indicators on the status bar in the bottom righthand corner of the main A Track window are red to show that no NCE hardware unit is currently connected or operational Connecting an NCE Power Pro Command Station by plugging a suitable RS232 Serial cable or USB to Serial converter into the 9 pin Serial Port socket on the front panel of the Command Station and the other end of the serial or USB
132. 2 small letters O x File Edit wiew WCE Item Help ace HM S pE ooann Aaea Description Flags eee QO Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 Loco C 004 s2014 nc OF oiz g Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 Truck Shay 2145A Loca C 00E 1206 ne Ob a FOU _ Dc Mal Lake Lumber aes Climax nal alis Loca _F 052 4004 20 FOO _ Oa 21 FG w zi z aT 1 Loco 093 9793 2A FOO _ O Gandy Dancer 07120 Loco AP 018 0218 NC 09 2A FOO _ Ca CRAG W 2 Truck Shay DN142 Loco 011 2011 20 FOO _ C1 C2 AGW 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 Loco C ol r2O1F ne Oe 20 FOO _ Ofa Accesso Decoder Wangrow Sh 104 Access y iP gt 0260 1037 1234 mie AT amp SF GE44 Switcher ON140 MultLead P 120 0464 2A F OO Note that any updates to NCE Cab allocations will not appear instantly in the Item List Whenever a Cab allocation is updated from A Track details of all NCE Cab allocations are cleared from the Controller column of the Item List and the full scan of all NCE Cabs is restarted The delay before the Controller column is refreshed will normally be less than 30 seconds but could be considerably longer if a large number of Cabs are connected to the NCE Power Pro Command Station It is also important to note that by using the normal NCE Handheld Cab controls it is perfectly possible to allocate a specific locomotive to more than one NCE Cab Provided one or both NCE Cabs hold that locomotive inactive within their Recall list this need
133. 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 Ca Accessory Decoder Wangrow SM 104 CS AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN140 1S AT amp SF GE 44 Switcher DN135D Cig ORGW GE44 Switcher DN135D Clo Switcher Consist 2 CIE Union Pacific Challenger QSI Titan Steam CIE Southem 4 6 0 Baldwin SoundTraxx Tsunami g Union Pacific 2 6 2 Prairie SDN144PS CE D amp RGW FMH10 44 Quantum o x File gdt View NCE Item Help ASCSHMS BAM O Hwade GO Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 CI Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 Truck Shay 214SR 1 Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truck Climax Lenz Silv 1 Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleT ank TCS MC6 CIG AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane DH142 CI Gandy Dancer DZ120 A C D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 View CI D amp RGW 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 C a Accessory Decoder Wangrow SM 104 C1 AT amp SF GE 44 Switcher DN140 Cs AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN135D ime DRGW GE44 Switcher DN135D lt gt Switcher Consist 2 1 Union Pacific Challenger QS Titan Steam 1 Souther 4 6 0 Baldwin SoundTraxx Tsunami 1 Union Pacific 2 6 2 Prairie SDN144PS CIG D amp RGW FMH10 44 Quantum Small Icons The Large Icons view as its name implies shows larger versions of each Item s Icon with the Description below the Icon and checkbox Page 44 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual FA 4 Track E 10 x File Edit View NCE Item Help Al g AA td S SF Ma as we Vos eo Of ong Westside DA
134. 27 Configuration ariables be Item Description Blank Item HEr Read erty y s Item Type Primary Address 000 Copy All EYE f Accessory Extended Address o000 Poste Main eve Consist Consist Address 000 127 UE TY ec Locomotive User Identifier 1 ood f Multiple User Identifier 2 and a t lea amp None Manutac Version Mo 000 Manufacturer ID 000 Update ltem Paste Extend y s vy Not Allocated foo x Edited E3 Not Frog d 0 1 2 3 4 5 G T B 4 First select the Item Type the available choices are Accessory Consist and Locomotive You cannot proceed to define any other parameters while the Item Page 82 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Type remains at None Your selection will change the Item Description appropriately and highlight it in pink indicating that it has been changed since the Edit CVs window was opened Note that once you have selected an Item Type you cannot change it to another Type if you select the wrong Type by mistake simply click Close select No when prompted to update the Item then double click on the original Blank Item to re open it in a fresh Edit CVs window Assume that we select Locomotive so that the Description becomes Blank Locomotive 27 together with an icon appropriate to a Locomotive amp see Section 4 1 as shown below Item 27 Configuration Yariables INA Item Description Blank Locomotive 27
135. 28 191 C Edit Macro Enter Value Fi F Macro 192 255 Save File aee Address Wermal tt ccept Edit Link ta Macro Jon 29 Route C Retrieve Set Update Set Bo To Linked Cancel Mac 1 2 3 4 5 6 T g g 10 Description O129N 0000 O000 pooo pooo oo0o oo0o gt ooga aooo ooga 00i 000i ooog aga aaga aga agaa aga aga aoa aga 002 000i aoga OO00 aaga OO00 agaa aga aga OO00 agad Select Macro Set Macro 000 063 ff Edited Page 178 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Next right click in the next Entry Entry 2 of Macro 000 and type the second turnout address 136 This time however take a shortcut by typing the letter N or n immediately after the address rather than clicking the Accept Edit button The second Macro Entry will then show O136N with a light green background to complete the Macro Note also that the current Macro Set is now marked as Edited in the Select Macro Set area Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 p Select Macro Set Selected Selected 000 Macro Entry 2 Meena om0 oe e Edid Macro Number Selected Macro Macro D64 127 Load File Description Edit Macro Enter Yalue r F Accessory fe Address Wormal t Accept Edit l l Link to Macro 0136 Route i Cancel Retrieve Set Update Set Bo To Linked Mac 1 3 4 5 6 T g g 10 Description C129N D136 N 0000 OO00 8 cooo ooga
136. 286 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Follow any displayed prompts to complete the uninstallation procedure including a restart of your computer if necessary Now locate the Prolific driver installation file which you downloaded previously preferably into its own separate folder The files contained in the recommended download need to be unzipped on your PC before installation by a right click on the filename and then a click on Extract All on the pop up menu unless you have a third party utility such as WinZip installed on your computer in which case follow the appropriate procedure In the window which opens simply click on Extract which will unzip the executable installation files into the same folder as the original downloaded file Prolific include useful documentation PL2303 Windows Driver User Manual v1 8 0 pdf with the driver software covering installation instructions for various versions of Windows together with some notes on problems which can arise However installation is very straightforward and you can proceed without needing to refer to the documentation Double click to run the installer file PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller _vi1 8 19 exe ensuring that all other open windows are closed A warning notice such as that shown below may appear depending on your security settings requesting permission to continue Open File Security Warning J X Do you want to run this file
137. 4 Track For Windows on your computer Extracting Files C Program Files 4 Track 4 Track_43 chri Pe Copyright 2008 2013 4 Train Systems o _ Installation by Inno Setup 5 5 2 Installed files are linked into the Windows Registry as required Page 18 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 2 Setup A Track for Windows Ioj x Installing Please wait while Setup installs 4 Track For Windows on your computer Registering files C Copyright 2008 2013 4 Train systems o Installation by Inno Setup 5 5 2 Cancel and then a final window is displayed to show that the A Track installation is complete ig Setup A Track for Windows Completing the A Track for gt Windows Setup Wizard Setup has Finished installing 4 Track For Windows on your computer The application may be launched by selecting the installed icons Click Finish to exit Setup Click Finish to close A Track SetUp and return to the Desktop To launch A Track double click on the program icon P on the Desktop In Windows 8 a corresponding tile is placed on the Start Screen In Windows versions other than Windows 8 you can also launch A Track from the Start Menu by clicking on Start then Programs or All Programs depending on your selected Start Menu format Locate and move the mouse to the A Track Page 19 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual folder and then click o
138. 5 and Cab 06 Intermediate Handheld Controllers which are not fitted with an LCD display panel are identical to those of the NCE ProCab range certainly as far as the Command Station and A Track are both concerned This means that the Cab 04 Cab 05 and Cab 06 Handhelds could in theory hold up to six Locomotives or Consists in their Recall lists by setting the Number of Recalls to 06 using the A Track NCE Handheld Cab Status amp Setup window and by programming the OPTION button on the Handheld Cab itself to have a key value of 66 so turning it into the equivalent of the ProCab s RECALL button Setting the Cab 04 Cab 05 or Cab 06 OPTION button to operate any of a range of alternative functions is explained fully in the appropriate NCE Cab Operations Manual Programming it to act as a RECALL button is performed as follows 1 Unplug the Cab from the powered on NCE Command Station 2 Press and hold down the SELECT LOCO button while you plug the Cab back into the Command Station The Cab will enter its setup mode indicated by flashing of its status LED 3 Press the 4 button to enter the OPTION key setup mode 4 Enter 66 as the new key value for the OPTION button press the 6 button twice then press the ENTER button 5 Press SELECT LOCO to complete the operation While it would be possible theoretically to operate a Cab 04 Cab 05 or Cab 06 Handheld with six Locomotives or Consists in its Recall list by us
139. 6 f g 4 10 Description 128 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 ooog ooog ooog ooog o000 129 O00 OO00 agog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 130 Oooo OO00 ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 131 000 gogg ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 132 OO00 OO00 ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 133 000 O000 ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 134 OO00 OOOO ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0156 N 057W 072 0000 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 SilverPass Through 136 0156A 02954 O305N 0157A O00 ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 SilverPass Passing 137 0156A 02954A O296N O298N OOO ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 SPassw MecaLmb 138 0156A 02954A 0256 02568A 0300A 0 ooog ooog ooog 0000 SPaseW MclGLmbe 139 0157A 0305A 0303A 0256A 0298 O00 ooog ooog ooog 0000 SPazssE McGLmbs 140 057A 0305A O303N O300N 0 ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 SPassE McGLmbb 141 00 OOOO ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog iil Link to Macro 0156 Route Cees Page 192 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Note that Macro 135 is itself linked to yet another Macro Macro 072 There is no limit placed on the number of Macros which may be linked together but you need to take care that you do not accidentally add a link at the end of the current Macro which points to a Macro which itself contains a link directly or via other linked Macros back to the current Macro Such an action would create a closed loop and if loaded to
140. 64 Macros rather than following the suggested format of a single large group of 256 Macros given in the NCE Power Pro System Reference Manual However if you have saved all of your NCE Power Pro Macros in a single file using a program such as Hyperterminal or JMRI s Decoder Pro A Track will quite happily load all 256 Macros from such a file into the relevant Macro Sets Clicking the Save File button highlighted above will display a prompt for you to specify which group of 64 Macros you wish to save You can begin your selected group at any Macro not just at 000 064 128 or 192 by entering the number of the first Macro in the Starting at Macro Number textbox NCE Macro Range Select i Select set of sixty four 64 Macros for which to back up curent accessory allocations amp linkages Starting at Macro Number food includes upto Macro Number OES aros When you enter a start Macro number the number of the last Macro to be saved will be updated and displayed for your information For the present exercise just leave the starting value at 000 and click Back Up to display a standard dialog entitled Save Macro Backup Data where you can create a specific folder to hold your Macro files In the example below this has been named A Track Macros Page 183 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Save Macro Backup Data 2 x Save in E My Documents cE Pe My Received Files SampleDocs Track
141. 7 Configuration ariables 6354 Item Description Colorado Southem 2 6 0 Mogul Z14SR Progam CVs_ Identity Config Speed Funct n Pages Basic Config Acceleration Adjustment Acceleration Rate ate Mod New Item Decoder Manufacturer Basic Other NMRA C With Indeve w NCE Corporation SoundT raxx OSI Solutions Quantum Digitrax Inc Model Rectifier Corporation MRC JESU LokSound Lenz Electronik Train Control Systems TCS 000 Broadway Limited Paragon 2 non A MTH Electric Trains Proto Sound 3 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 002 000 Update Item Close CV Ox 1x 000 003 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 Hint 000 000 000 000 DOL 000 000 000 000 00 000 000 000 000 JUU anja 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 OIS INID Ol OO No d Pages Specific Manufacturer Select from list below NCE Corporation Basic Other NMRA CY Definitions Description entered Configuratio Consist ddre Consist ddre Consist Address Active for FL F9 F12 Deceleration Deceleration Decoder Manufacturer Decoder Loci selected EMF Feedbad Extended Address LS 8 Bits Extended Address MS 6 Bits Forward Trim Indexed Pagg Indexed Page De Ut Default Pri
142. 7 and 8 Plug the adapter into a USB port and wait for the driver installation to fail Close the failure notice then access Control Panel from the Start Menu Open Device Manager and wait for the list of devices to appear Open the Ports entry and right click on the MCP2200 entry marked with a yellow exclamation icon Click on Update driver software from the pop up menu then in the window which opens select Browse my computer for driver software Browse to the folder containing the mchpcdc inf file and click Next to complete the process Note Microchip have recently provided executable driver installation files for both 32 bit and 64 bit Windows systems as part of the downloaded zip file and you can simply run the correct one of these to install the correct Windows drivers rather than the manual method described above Page 291 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 12 A TRACK REVISION HISTORY Release 4 1 1 Initial release of Version 4 of A Track for evaluation Release 4 2 1 Communications interface to A Track rewritten to use any COM device or port including a standard PC Serial Port or USB to Serial adapter tested with Prolific FTDI Keyspan Silicon Labs and Microchip devices Interface handling extended to include NCE USB Interface allowing use of A Track with Power Cab and Smart Booster systems as well as Power Pro although with reduced functionality neither Power Cab nor Smart Booster sup
143. 9 Current View C All CY Blocks Acceleration Adjustment Acceleration Rate Alternate Mode Function Status F1 Alternate Mode Function Status FL Bi Directional Communication Conf Configuration Data Consist Address Consist Address Active for F1 F8 Consist Address Active for FL F9 F Deceleration Adjustment Deceleration Rate Decoder Access Unlock Decoder Automatic Stopping Confi Decoder Lock ID Code EMF Feedback Cutout E Pages CY Scope AICVs C Selected Mode C Paged Direct C Register Address Green highlight to show CV read is same as Item pea 0 Red highlight to 000 000 show current CV 000 000 000 000 read in progress When all available or selected CVs have been read exit the final Read Verify operation by clicking Finish then click Update Item to save the values retrieved Page 121 of 303 Version 4 3 2 5 10 A Track Reference Manual from the decoder to the Item in the Item List Finally save the complete changed Item List to secure the information This back up philosophy ensures that you have an accurate record of the contents of the Item s decoder stored within the A Track Item List and should be regarded as an essential operation to record the original state of a newly acquired locomotive decoder before you begin to make any changes or improvements As explained previously do this by first creating a new Locomotive Item see Section 5
144. 92 255 C Page 184 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The structure of the saved Macro Backup file is a plain text file which is compatible with the backup format specified for Macros in the NCE Power Pro System Reference Manual See Section 7 1 with an additional section to hold the Macro Descriptions While you can examine the contents of the saved Macro files with any text editor such as Notepad which comes with all versions of Windows it is strongly recommended that you do not try to edit them since it is very easy to corrupt the file structure which will prevent you reloading it into A Track If you really do want to edit the file outside of A Track then make a copy of the file first and edit the copy just in case Note that if you you click the Close button at the bottom right corner of the File Macros window after creating or editing Macros but without saving the changes to a file A Track will display a warning message Abandon Macro Changes x T Macro Contents hawe been changed Do vou wish to exit and discard all changes Click Yes to abandon all changes made to the Macros or No to return to the File Macros window where you can then click Save File to preserve your modified Macros Once any set of Macros has been saved to a file it can be retrieved simply by clicking the Load File button locating the file in the standard Load Macro Backup Data dialog which opens and clicking the Open butto
145. A Track Reference Manual oes TR OCE Your DCC Buddy Reference Manual Version 4 3 2 2008 2014 JT Chamberlain The copyright in this document is the property of JT Chamberlain A Train Systems February 2014 A Track Reference Manual CONTENTS 1 A TRACK AND YOUR NCE DCC SYSTEM cccccnsccnnssennsecnneennnssenes 5 1 1 Principal Features Of A TraCK sssss2 5 1 2 Safeguarding Your DCC Decoder Configurations s ss s 7 1 3 Securing Power Pro Command Station amp Handheld Cab Setups 7 1 4 Additional Facilities sicceisticsdavavercdevatevccuvateucdswstentunennVnGunennCnGuncinNneuennunnn 8 1 5 Obtaining Your Copy of A TraCK sssss2 s 9 2 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS wissstisinecinsdivintsttinessiineisitieaerntinnennns 10 2 1 Personai COMPUULER aiaia 10 2 2 Op rating SV SCI sirrinin ai 10 2 3 DCC COMMANG Statio ivessiwissedvewivwestewiscaruswitenenswiewsdiswessnsnsneesusnsaneneds 11 3 GETTING STARTED sitisseseiiieedetcictrivecsesnvedinsweusistinestideeusidueetanunns 12 3 1 Installation from the Full Installation PackaGe sccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeenens 12 3 2 Installation from the Distribution CD ccccccccccceceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 13 3 3 Installation from the Setup File ccccccccccccecceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeseeeeeeeeeeees 15 3 4 Installing A Track Step by St pP
146. AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN135D Z lt OoOo o Mid 3 0o00 nM emmo f Rear 0436 DAG GE44 Switcher ON 35D 10 20 30 40 SO 60 70 80 30 100 110 mW a A A S eA A St a 10 111 121 ma 17 q7 I a7 Bd ca Ta D7 o7 7649490 497 Thc Continuing with the situation where you are connected to an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster System the Consist Status window now offers you the opportunity to activate the Consist ie to program the address of the Consist into the assigned Locomotives on the track Select the required Consist by clicking on its highlighted Address in the grid 120 for example then click the Activate button to start the process which will begin by again displaying the warning about the limited support available from NCE Power Cab systems NCE PowerCab SmartBooster Connected X NCE PowerCab SmartBooster systems do not allow Consists set up by 4 Track to be loaded into their list of Consists Consists activated From 4 Track can be operated directly From 4 Track or by entering the Consist Address to the PowerCab as 4 Loco address Defined Consists Stal us Selected Consist Address 120 ATrack F i APE Locos Assigned to Consist HEE Command Station Current Item List t Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 0464 AT LSF GE 44 Switcher OM140 followed by a reminder to Midi 0000 ensure that the
147. ATESF GE44 Switcher DN1350 Loca _EP 063 0463 25 FU t gt Switcher Consist 2 Consist EF 120 F OU If an NCE Command Station is connected when you click Update Item then a request to Activate the Consist will appear as shown previously Page 136 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If the Consist has been previously activated so that the Consist Address has been programmed into each of the assigned Locomotives then you should activate the Consist again in order to re program the decoders of all Locomotives which have been removed from the Consist deleting the Consist Address from their CV19 locations Details of activation are explained in the following Section 5 12 Whether or not you choose to activate the Consist when the changed Consist is saved back to the Item List then all de assigned Locos will be returned to the Item List with their Type changed back to Locomotive as shown above and no longer containing the address of the Consist A similar de assignment of Locos will occur if you Delete a Consist from the Item List the Consist will be removed but all of its assigned Locos will stay in the Item List as normal Locomotives However note very carefully that if the Consist has previously been activated then the real Locomotive decoders will still be programmed with the Consist Address in CV19 and you will have to remove it manually from each Locomotive by programming the value of CV19 to zero 000 if y
148. All locomotives under control will be stopped prior to restoration of the selected Macro parameters Mo MCE Cabs should be operated during this period Do vou wish bo proceed 7 Page 188 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual You now have the opportunity to bring everything on the layout to a controlled halt before allowing A Track to proceed by clicking Yes or you can click No to abandon the Update operation After clicking Yes there will be a pause of about 3 seconds to allow the NCE Command Station to reset and return to an operational state followed by the normal NCE Data Transfer progress bar The Update operation will take between 20 and 30 seconds to complete after which you will see a confirmation prompt NCE Restore Complete X l Macro Data Restored Click OK to continue Even after resetting the NCE Command Station there is still a chance that data transfer errors can occur because both the Command Station and A Track are carrying out their normal operations completely independently Ideally whenever A Track sends a command to write backup data to the Command Station memory the Command Station should suspend all of its own operations which involve the Same area of memory Since there is no way that A Track can request the Command Station to do this the only option available to A Track is to try to execute each part of the transfer so as to cause minimal interference and to ensure that if an error
149. Also in this case the Transfer button at the foot of the Consist Status window is enabled allowing you to transfer the Consist definition from the backup file to the loaded Item List If you choose to do this click Transfer to add the Consist to the Item List and then follow the steps described fully in Section 5 12 in order to add the directions of the assigned Locomotives which are not stored in the Command Station or backup file and to handle the renaming and any required update of the newly created Consists and Multiples Note that it is not possible to Activate a Consist program the Consist address into the actual assigned Locomotives on the track directly from a backup file The Consist must first be transferred into the A Track Item List 7 4 Handheld Cab Setup and Status As described earlier in Section 3 5 A Track initially reads data from the NCE Command Station to determine the current status of all attached Handheld Cabs The progress of this exercise is shown by the state of the middle indicator in the group of three at the righthand end of the Status Bar at the bottom of the A Track main window This Handheld Scan indicator is initially red when A Track is started The indicator remains red while each Handheld Cab address is checked to see whether the corresponding Cab has been connected to the Command Station The indicator will turn yellow after about 15 seconds when A Track has determined which of the possible 63 Cabs h
150. Block that is normally displayed in the Edit CVs CV Value grid you can select a CV Range of All CV Blocks for Read Verify Irrespective of the selected CV Scope All CVs or Selected A Track will then proceed to step progressively through every selected CV value in each CV Block allocated to the Item Note however that this extensive Read Verify operation will take an appreciable amount of time In the case of ESU LokSound decoders for example the full operation will take around 20 to 30 minutes to complete when using Direct Mode where each CV read requires 1 to 2 seconds If you choose to use Paged Mode instead the operation will potentially occupy several hours Although Read Verify of QSI Quantum decoders takes up to 4 seconds per CV Value because of the overhead of setting the Primary and Secondary Indexes before reading each value the overall time to access all CV Pages in Direct Mode will only be around 35 minutes because of the lesser number of CVs to access Again in Paged Mode the operation will need several hours to complete Unfortunately the NCE Power Pro Command Station and its Serial Interface in particular was never designed to be used continuously for such extended periods and it is highly likely that it will lock up at some stage even when used in conjunction with a programming booster unit This is usually indicated by a sequence of failed CV reads followed by one or both of the left and rightmost Status Bar ind
151. COM21 fa or Processors HM Sound video and game controllers fal Gd Saeckern dewiree LU et i NVIDIA Network Bus Enumerator FI ny Ports COM amp LPT Bde E Communications Port COML oo 4g ECP Printer Port LPT1 oo 4g PCI Parallel Port LPT3 oo 4g PCI Serial Port COM2 oo 4g PCI Serial Port COM3 oie IE Prolific USB to Serial Comm Pork COM21 4 Fe Processors H D Sound video and game controllers el od Svekerm dewvired Assuming that the adapter shows up as above and with Prolific in the name right click on its entry in the list and then click on Uninstall on the pop up menu which appears followed by OK on the Confirm Device Removal notice Page 285 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual LU a et E NVIDIG Network Bus Enumerator Confirm Device RE Ea x Ely Ports COM amp LPT B a7 Communications Port COM1 Prolific USB to Serial Comm Port COM21 bo pee F ECP Printer Port LFPT1 PCI Parallel Port LPT3 F PCI Serial Port COM Warning You are about to uninstall this device from your system UY PCI Serial Port COM3 bb Prolific USB togia H Processors H Sound video and Leis Ie 2 System devices Update Driver Universal Serial Br Scan For hardware changes Cancel Properties When the entry in the port list disappears unplug the Prolific USB to Serial adapter and set it aside The next step is to remove any installed but non operatio
152. Consist is activated but does not store this aspect of the assignment in its own memory A Track therefore sets all Directions in the Consist definition to Forward and requests that you change the Direction of any Assigned Loco wherever necessary The example below shows the Direction of the Rear Loco being set to Reverse Select required Direction of Operation for each Assigned Loco to complete Mid 3 Fwd Rev C transter of the Consist daa Fed Re Cancel Confirm Te Elear Tiranster Mu Click Confirm to continue and copy the Consist details to the Item List or Cancel to abandon the transfer leaving the Item List version of the Consist unchanged Page 146 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual After the transfer the new composition of the Consist can be seen in the Item List C1 De RGw 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 Loco ees OF 2417 25 F _ Dm Logging Consist Consist EP gt O66 FOO 0 Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay OH121 MultLead E_ 066 2014 eo FOU _ 0 D RGW 2 Truck Shap DN142 Mult Mid _E_ 066 2011 20 FU Di Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truck Climas Lenz Siv MultHear EP 066 4004 eo F O02 Note that the previous Rear Loco 2917 highlighted above the revised Consist now appears in the Item List as an independent Locomotive and has been replaced by a new Loco 4004 with its type changed to Multiple Rear If for any reason you have second thoughts about the new definition of the Consist y
153. D TO AS THE LICENSED SOFTWARE USE OF THE LICENSED SOFTWARE IS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE accept this agreement ave As Print don t accept this agreement Back Cancel Page 275 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual and click Next again to start the installation of the driver and its support files CP 710x USE to UART Bridge Driver Installer 7 The drivers are now installing gS oo 5 Please wait while the drivers install This may take some time to complete Wait until the installer indicates that file transfer is complete CP 710x USE to UART Bridge Driver Installer Completing the Installation of the CP210x USB to UART Bridge Driver The drivers were successtully installed on this computer ou can now connect pour device to this computer IF your device came With instructions please read them first Driver Hame s Silicon Laboratories sila Ready to use then click Finish to complete the initial software installation and remove the window from the screen You can now connect the NCE USB Interface unit to any available USB port on your computer using a standard USB A B cable when you should see a set of small notices appear in the bottom right corner of the screen Page 276 of 303 Version 4 3 2 11 2 A Track Reference Manual i Found New Hardware x i Found New Hardware x CP2102 USB to UART Bridge Controller d3 me ag
154. Directional Comms Main Track gt gt Decoder Unsolicited T NEE Decoder Auxillary Input Activation ir aw am 47 Sh BD 7 am Update Item Outputs 1 4 Address Time On 1037 oo0 to3s fooo 1o3s Joo0 1040 o00 ose Paste Extend it s Paste nder d Eris lt 0 1 2 3 4 5 G T 8 4 As can be seen above each Output Address value has an associated textbox to its right where you can set the period for which either output of each pair will stay in the On state following receipt of an activating command The value to be entered into a Time On textbox for a given output duration is set by the decoder manufacturer commonly as units of 0 1 second In addition you can select which of the decoder s Auxiliary Inputs connected to external pushbuttons for example will operate the corresponding Accessory Output when activated by clicking to tick the appropriate checkbox in the Auxiliary Input Activation area Although the NMRA DCC Standards and Recommended Practices generally assume that accessory decoders like those for locomotives will have their Address at least programmed on a separate Program Track this is not always practical where a particular decoder is likely to be wired directly and permanently to both the Mainline Track and to the turnout motors or other accessories which it is intended to control and to be located near to the accessories rather than to a Program Track Hen
155. Displays the contents of a selected Macro backup file in the Macro Edit window or optionally displays a blank Macro Edit window in which new Macros can be created or into which a selected set of the Macros stored in a connected NCE Power Pro Command Station can be loaded for review Page 264 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 10 3 View Toolbar Hides the A Track toolbar icons Click again to show the icons once more The menu entry shows a tick mark when the toolbar icons are displayed Status Bar Hides the A Track status bar Click again to show the status bar once more The menu entry shows a tick mark when the status bar is displayed Show Checked Only Displays only those Items which are checked ie have tick marks in the checkboxes to the left of the Descriptions Click again to display the full Item List again The menu entry shows a tick mark when only checked Items are displayed Note This action does not remove any Item from the Item List it simply hides unchecked Items from view which can be useful when dealing with long Lists Large Icons Displays the Item List using the Large Icon view ie each Item is shown by a large icon corresponding to its Type with a label taken from the Item Description abbreviated if necessary and the Item s checked status The Item List is displayed in as many columns as will fit within the A Track window Small Icons Displays the Item List using t
156. Ehanges System Factory Power On eset Reset Click Close to remove the Command Station Setup window from the screen While A Track gives you additional convenience when setting Command Station parameters it does not interfere in any way with the facilities provided by NCE through the ProCab Handheld Controllers to change any of the Command Station settings directly as described in the NCE Power Pro System Reference Manual Any parameter changes you make using a Handheld Cab will take effect immediately just as before and A Track can then be used if you wish simply to review and check the resultant Command Station set up Page 218 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Although changing the majority of parameter values via a Handheld Cab has no effect on A Track operation be aware that this is not necessarily the case if you change the serial port baud rate A Track is in continuous communication with the NCE Command Station checking every 10 seconds that the Command Station is still connected and progressively updating each section of its copy of the status of attached Handheld Cabs every 6 minutes If you change the baud rate when A Track is in the middle of a data transfer then not only will the data be corrupted but the likely outcome is that either the Command Station or the Serial or USB Adapter port or both will stop communicating and fail to respond to any further A Track messages A Tr
157. Eys Sorel ae User Identifier 1 se Multiple User Identifier 2 Parede de Manytac Version Mo O00 Hone Manufacturer ID 000 Update ltem v4 Not Allocated 00 E3 Edited E3 Not Prog d Close z 0 1 2 3 4 5 G E B 4 then click in the Item Description box and type a suitable description for that locomotive to replace the Blank Locomotive caption generated automatically by A Track Next click on the Pages Parameter Tab where you should click the Specific Manufacturer option button in the Decoder Manufacturer section If the make of decoder fitted appears in the drop down list when you click on the down arrow vw at the righthand end of the listbox then click on that maker s name Otherwise or if you do not know the make of decoder click the Basic Other NMRA option button Remember that full help with setting up Item details can be accessed by selecting the appropriate section of the A Track Help Topics displayed by pressing the Fi key again if necessary Page 34 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 3 Configuration Yariables Program C s Readverty Cys Copy All CVs Paste Main ys Paste Extend rs Paste Inderid rs Update Iter Close ltem Description AT amp SF GE 44 Switcher Decoder Manufacturer Basic Other NMAA 7 with Indexed Pages Specific Manufacturer f Select from list below Digitras Inc Basic 7 Other
158. Flat Program Evis Addrs Read ernty CW s Copy All Cys Paste Mam Es Paste Extend Es Paste nder d Eris Output Address Sel Output 1 Output 2 Output 3 Output 4 Output 5 Output 6 Output 7 Output 8 Number of Outputs le Program Accessory Sequential Addresses HCE Options P Enable OP Toggle T Ho Legacy Ope Prag Disable P Button IPs T Enable GP Exercise Update ltem Close eoeeee ee co C Ox ix 2x 3x 4x 5x Gx Zx 8x 9x 10x 11x 12s O MN 000 000 O00 O00 ooo oooi ooo ooo ooo oog ooo ogo q NO ANA ANA AAAS ANA AAN AA AAI ANA AAAS AnA ANA AAN After clicking Update Item to save the new super Accessory back to the Item List right click on the new Item to open the PopUp menu then click on Operate to Show the Accessory controller for the Item where you can click Options and enter descriptive titles for each of the eight Outputs Item 27 Silver Pass Gregson Silver and Forest Flat ip Output 1 iin Output 2 Operate Setup CS0 h d Addr 0156 wy Addr 0157 Output Address T to be Activated ii Output 3 ii Output 4 h d Addr 0089 h d Addr 009 Normal Al Check h Output 5 h Output 6 Check Pouite b h d Addr 0090 h d Addr 0091 y Output 7 iin Output 8 y Addr 0265 Yy Addr 0182 Options BA gson Silver and Forest Flat Item 27 Silver Pass Gre ZS Silver Pass East MB Silver Pass West MENS s Salo alh
159. Item menu changes back to the Allocate NCE Cab option and the Operate option is enabled Shortcut Key None Toolbar Icon None Item Pop Up menu Operate Opens an Operate Item window for the currently selected Item If several Items are selected highlighted then the Operate Item window is opened for the last selected Item identified in the Item List by an outline box drawn around the appropriate Item The Operate Item window provides a soft controller on the screen giving you control of the Item s speed direction and functions for Locomotive Items or output states for Accessory Items using mouse and keyboard Note Up to eight Operate Item windows corresponding to eight selected Items can be opened simultaneously on the screen so that you can in theory control up to eight Items directly from the PC The facility should be used with caution as it is very easy to lose track literally of which Item is under control from a particular Operate Item window Shortcut Key None Toolbar Icon Cy Item Pop Up menu Help Help Topics Displays a comprehensive set of Help pages containing all of the information contained in this Reference Manual The standard Windows HTML Help format is employed with all Help pages accessible from a Contents list Although an Index facility is not available there is a full Search capability which can be employed to locate all pages containing a particular word or phrase Note Help page
160. Link to Macro 0129 Route e Retrieve Set Update Set Go To Linked Cancel Mac L 2 3 4 5 6 f g 4 10 Description O00 029N O1S6N OOD agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog OO00 Mainline FPineCreek O129R 030A M326A 0000 ooo ooo ooo cooo 0o00 0000 Runaround PineCrk 002 OOo ooog OO00 OO00 OO00 aga OO00 OO00 agg aga 003 0000 aoga OO00 aoga OO00 agg agaa agad OO00 aga Runaround PineCrk Load File Macro 128 191 Macro 192 255 i Save File Note that the yellow highlight has moved to Macro 001 to indicate that this is the currently selected Macro and that when a Description is entered the Entry highlight always moves back to Entry 1 The current selections Macro Entry and Description are as usual shown in the three Selected textboxes at the top of the Macro Edit window Repeating the definition steps for the appropriate turnouts we can then construct Macro 002 to set the route to Heath Sawmill Siding 1 Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Select Macro Set Selected Selected IE EE ee ae eread all stone ee Macro Entry Selected Macro Maca 064 127 C Description Heath Sawmill 1 Edit Macro Enter Yalue 7 ACCeSsOr fe Address Normal a eee Link to Macro amp 0129 Route e Retrieve Set Update Set Go To Linked Cancel Mac L 2 3 4 5 G f g 4 10 Description 000 j 01293N OS6N OOD agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Mainline P
161. Linking Macros Although linking Macros is not strictly necessary in the example of the Pine Creek Yard where there are only eight turnouts in total and any switching combination can be accommodated within a single Macro linking is useful in a layout where you need to switch more than ten turnouts to set up a particular switching operation and would like to do this with a single action Linking can also be used where one or more patterns of turnout positions are common to different switching operations allowing you to reduce the amount of duplication when entering your Macro data As a simple example of how Macros are linked together using the set of Macros created in Section 6 1 suppose that when the Runaround Track is in use we want to set all turnouts on the Silver Pass spur to the Normal position The first step is to define a new Macro say Macro 009 with Normal switch commands for the turnouts in question as shown below As said previously in Section 6 1 the order of placing the turnout commands within the Macro is unimportant as long as there are no empty gaps left between commands 1 2 3 4 5 6 T B 4 10 Description 029 O1S6N 0000 O000 nogi O000 nogi O000 nogi 0000 Mainiine PineCreek M29R 020A 0136A O00 O000 nong O000 O000 O000 O000 Runaround PineCrk 029A O10N 0131A 0o00 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 Heath Sawmill 1 029A O10N MAIN 0132A O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 0000 Heath Sawmill 2 029A O10N OSN O32N 0133A 8 O000 O000 nong
162. Locomotives Mid 2 0463 ATSSF GE44 Switcher DN135D to be programmed are ae x physically present on the Mid 4 Ensure that all Locomotives in the Consist are currently located on the Mainline Track Mainline Track not the Program Track 10 i Cancel Click OK to proceed with the i5 issue of the appropriate programming commands to the NCE System or Cancel to abandon the Activation process if for example the required Locomotives are not all in position 230 33 43 53 63 73 83 93 103 113 123 24 34 44 54 64 F74 a4 94 104 114 124 25 35 45 55 65 75 g5 95 105 115 125 26 36 46 56 66 76 96 596 106 116 12 oF ar Aa 5 BF FF oF 97 107 117 127 28 38 48 56 66 76 88 96 108 118 29 39 493 59 69 79 89 99 109 119 lear Transfer Close Page 141 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Once activated the Consist Address entry is highlighted in dark blue and details of the assigned Locomotives are shown in the Consist Status window Selected Consist Address F Da nA Locos Assigned to Consist HEE Command Station t Current ltem List i Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 0464 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN140 Mid 1 0000 Mid 2 0453 AT amp SFGE44Switcher DN135D 2222000 Mid 3 0000 Mid 4 0000 0436 DAGW GE44 Switcher DN135D Clear Transfer Important Note Due to the limitations of the NCE USB Interface and NCE Power Cab or Sm
163. Manual Startup Tutorial updated to reflect changes in CV structure and editing and to make it more robust when moving forwards and backwards particularly where the user makes additional changes in the A Track windows Release 4 2 2 Corrected error which caused a program crash when the A Track window was minimised the implemented fix also imposes a minimum size on the main A Track window to prevent it being made smaller than the size required to display some key information Release 4 3 1 Verified operation with Windows 8 only difference is in the way the Uninstall option is accessed due to the way Microsoft have implemented the Start Screen A Track can now be started by double clicking on any saved Item List a file with an extension of itl when the program is opened in this way the Start Up Tutorial is not displayed even if it is set to be shown when A Track is run directly When starting A Track a check is made to ensure that the program is not already running if so a warning message is displayed and program load of the second instance is abandoned Handling of serial communications port used by A Track to connect to the attached NCE system revised to ensure that the port is fully closed and released when A Track is closed so that it is then available for use by other programs When A Track is running a different Item List can be loaded simply by locating and double clicking on the required Item List in Windows Explore
164. Minimum screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels 1024 x 768 preferred showing at least 256 colours 8 bit colour setting or better e One available RS232 Serial port or USB 2 0 port e CD R drive if installing the software from a distribution CD e Printer optional It is assumed in this Reference Manual that the reader is familiar with the basic operation of a Personal Computer using a Windows operating system including the use of mouse and keyboard and is able to find his or her way through file and folder structures to store and retrieve any required files or other data In this Reference Manual click means a left click of the mouse ie press and immediately release the left mouse button Right click means the same action applied to the right mouse button and double click means two left clicks performed in rapid succession As far as possible A Track uses only common Windows operations to manipulate the data involved in handling DCC decoders and the NCE Command Station and Handheld Cabs Hence if anything in the descriptions is not clear you should be able to find further information and more detailed explanations in any of the multitude of introductory personal computer and Windows books available on the market Most of the illustrations in this Reference Manual have been captured from the screen of a machine operating under Windows XP Where operations are Significantly different under Windows Vista Windows 7 or
165. Mogul LokSnd Select Program CVs_ Identity Config Speed Funct n Pages Basic Config Sound Acceleration Adjustment Click to paste the Indexed CV values into the new Item Deceleration Adjustment Decoder Manufacturer dess Low Byte Indexed Page selected to view Output Control for Function F06 Output Control for Function F07 Output Control for Function F08 Output Control for Function FOS After copying the required set s of CVs into the new Item you can then proceed to make any further adjustments to its parameters where necessary such as under the Config Parameter Tab The key change of course as already shown in the example is to assign different Primary and Extended Addresses by clicking in the relevant textboxes on the Identity Parameter Tab and typing the address values required for the new Locomotive This is essential to ensure that the new Item can be uniquely identified within the Item List particularly when allocated to a Controller Once this is done you can click on Update Item to transfer the edited Item and its new parameters into the Item List Ofa Silver Fass MCE Switch lt Access y Ofa Forest Flat Depot 1 NCE Srap lt Access y Ofa Forest Flat Depot 2 MCE Switch Kat Access y Cia Colorado Southern 2 6 0 Mogul LokSrd Sel Loco 0040 QUE 0046 gt Os 0157 0265 0152 irar Items Ar Current Ar NCE C e COM
166. N OO00 ogg ogg oPassk MclGLmbe Copy Sel Macros Paste Sel Macros Clear Sel Macros Aun Sel Macros Close Page 197 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Note that the Run Sel Macros button is only enabled if a Command Station is connected when the Macro Edit window is opened However if the connection has subsequently been lost for any reason you will see a warning message x AN NCE Command Station Not Connected Click OK to terminate the operation and return to the Macro Edit window Check your connections and when communications are re established try running the Macro again Otherwise with a solid connection to the NCE equipment a progress window will be displayed showing the number of the Macro being executed together with the number of the Entry Accessory Command being sent currently to the NCE system While the Macro is being run the selection highlight on the Macro will also change from yellow to orange Mac L 2 3 4 R R f R a 10 Description 000 0129N O135N gt 009 100000 Mainline PineCreek _ 001 0129R o1s0R 032R J0 0000 Runaround PineCrk 002 029A 030N 031A Running Macro Enw 3 fo oo00 Heath Sawmill 1 003 029R M20N 03N JO 0000 Heath Sawmill 2 004 029R M20N 03N Finish JO 0000 Fine Creek Stores 005 0129R O130N 0131H JO 0000 O Grady Leather 006 0125A O1S0N OSIN OS2N O1SS3N O134N 0135A OOD aoad 0000 Mantenance Shed OOF 0129A O1SON O31 N O1S2N
167. N OS2N O1SSN 0134A ooo0 O Grady Leather O1SOM OISIN O1S2N O1S3N O1s4N 0135A Maintenance Shed O1S0M OAN O32N O1F3N O1S4N 0135H Main Silver Fass OO00 agaa aga aga OO00 OO00 OiS4N O1S3N O32 O1S1N 0go OO00 silverPass PineCrk aga aga aga OO00 aga agaa mMS57N 08 0000 aga aga aga Siver Pass Through 0294 N OS05N 0157A ooog OO00 OO00 silverPass Passing 0294A O256N O298H O00 aga aga oPazeW McGLbmba 0294A U256N 0298A OS00R O00 aga oPaze MclLmbb 0305 A 0303A 0296A 0298M 0000 ogg oPazsE McGLbmb Page 199 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Clicking Run Sel Macros will first execute Macro 000 followed by the linked Macro 009 and then continue with Macro 011 Since Macro 011 is linked to Macro 018 execution will then proceed with Macro 018 Mac L 2 3 4 R R f R 4 10 Description H129N O136N gt 009 JO 0000 Mainline PineCreek 001 029R O130R M3R JO 0000 Runaround PineCrk 002 029R O130N O131R Running Macro Entry JO 0000 Heath Sawmill 1 003 029R O130N O131N 3O 0000 Heath Sawmill 2 004 029R O130N O131N Finish JO 0000 Pine Creek Stores 005 029R O130N O131N I 0000 O Grady Leather 006 0129A O1S0N OSIN OS2N O1S3N O1S4N 0135A 0go aaga 0000 Maintenance Shed OOF 0129A O1SON OSIN Ose O1S3N O1S4N OFS5N 3 O22 0000 OOOO Main Silver Pass O08 Oo00 agaa agad aga aga agga agad OO00 agaa OO00 009 0S5N O1F4N OF153N O132N O1FTN OOOO ogg oggi o000 OO00 SilverPass PineCrk O10 ooo ag
168. N135D MultRear EP 120 gt O436 20 FOO _ Dlt Switcher Consist 2 Consist TER 120 Fis The Consist details are displayed with its sole Address in the Primary Address column where it is shown as the active address gt 120 The Item Flags E and P are set as a reminder that the updated Consist and its assigned Multiples have not yet been saved as part of the Item List and that the Consist has not been activated Each of the assigned Locomotive Items has now had its Type changed to Multiple with the Lead Rear and Mid Locos identified both in the Type column and by the appropriate icon at the beginning of each row see the table of icons at the end of Section 4 1 The active address of each assigned Loco is displayed in the appropriate column either Primary or Extended with the address of the Consist shown in the other Address column preceded by an symbol Note that if a Locomotive is added to the Consist but the entered Loco address cannot be identified with an Item in the loaded Item List then when the Consist is updated a new blank Locomotive Item will be added to the Item List as shown below New Locomotive 36 0 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher M140 Mul Lead _EF 120 gt O464 z F _ 0 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher ON135D hdult Mid _EP 170 gt 0463 zA F _ Cit DAG GE44 Switcher DN1350 MulRear _EP 170 gt 0436 ZA F _ 0 New Locomotive 36 hlult Mid _EP 120 0478 z F _ a Switcher Consist 2 Consist SE
169. NMRA CY Definitions NCE Corporation Sound rass ESU LokSound Lenz Electronik Config Sound Acceleration Adjustment Acceleration Fate Alternate Mode Function Status F1 F8 Alternate Mode Function Status FL F9 F12 Bi Directional Communication Configuration Configuration Data Consist Address Consist Address Active for F1 F8 Consist Address Active for FL F9 F12 Deceleration Adjustment Deceleration Rate Decoder Access Unlock Decoder Automatic Stopping Configuration Decoder Lock ID Code EMF Feedback Cutout Extended Address LS 8 Bits Extended Address M5 6 Bits Basic Forward Trim Indexed Page Address High Byte Indexed Page Address Low Bute Eick Start Output Control for Function FOT Output Control for Function FOZ Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function Foe Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function FOG Output Control for Function FO Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function FOS z Train Control Systems TCS Broadway Limited Paragon 2 HTH Electric Trains Proto Sound 3 D G a aT Fa a a ell Before adding any more details to your newly created Loco Item the safe way forward is to click the Update Item button to save the basic Item back to the Item List With the first initialised Item shown in the Item List you can repeat the same steps with each of any other blank Items you add
170. O00 0000 0000 OO Manufacturer Version Number 249 1111 1001 008 Manufacturer ID Nurber 129 1000 0001 O09 Total PWM Period O00 0000 0000 O10 EMF Feedback Cutout O00 0000 0000 O11 Packet Tine Gut Value O00 0000 0000 O12 Power Source Conversion O00 0000 0000 O15 Alternate Mode Function Status F1 F6 O00 0000 0000 O14 Alternate Mode Function Status FL FS Fle OOO 0000 0000 O15 Decoder Access Unlock O00 0000 0000 O16 Decoder Lock ID code O00 0000 0000 O17 Extended Address MS 6 Bits 199 1100 0111 O15 Extended Address LS 6 Bits 219 1101 1011 O19 Consist Address O00 0000 0000 O20 Reserved by NMRA for future use OOO 0000 0000 O21 Consist Address Active for F1 Fs O00 0000 0000 O22 Consist Address Active for FL FS Fl 2 OOO 0000 0000 023 Acceleration Adjustment OOO 0000 0000 O24 Deceleration Adjustment OOO 0000 0000 025 Speed Table 7 Mid Range Cab Speed Step OOO OOOO 0000 O26 Reserved by NMRA for future use OOO 0000 0000 O27 Decoder Automatic Stopping Configuration OOO 0000 0000 O26 Bi Directional Conmminication Configuration OOO 0000 0000 O29 Configuration Data O54 0011 0110 O30 Error Information O00 0000 0000 O31 Indexed Page Address High Byte OOO 0000 0000 O32 Indexed Page Address Low Byte OOO 0000 0000 O33 Output Control for Function FL 000 o0O00 0000 O34 Output Control for Function FL it OOO 0000 0000 O35 Output Control for Function F1 OOO 0000 0000 O36 Output Control for Function Fe OOO 0000 0000 O37 Output Control for Function F3 O
171. O000 0000 Pine Creek Stores 029A O10ON MAIN OF32N OSS 0134A g0 nggi nggi 0000 O Grady Leather 029A O10N MAIN OS2N O1F3N OF134N 0135A 0000 O000 O000 Maintenance Shed 0129A O1S0N MAN OSA2N O1SSN OS4N OSS N OOOO OOO 0000 Main Silver Pass O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 0135 H O134N OSSN OS2N OST NHN OOUD OOO OOO OOO OOOO SilverPass PineCtk O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 To link this Macro to the Runaround Track Macro Macro 001 right click on the next free Entry in Macro 001 which is Entry 4 highlighting it as 0000 as shown below Next click on the Link to Macro option button in the Edit Macro area and finally click in the Address textbox in the Enter Value area and type 9 as the address of the Macro to which you wish to link ie Macro 009 Click Accept Edit to complete the operation or simply press the Enter Return key on the keyboard Macro 064 127 C Macro 128 191 Waco 192 255 0 Save File Description HUNArOUNI FINELTE Edit Macro Enter Value F T Accessory B Address Normal f _ geome Link to Macro i E Route f Retrieve Set Update Set Go To Linked Cancel Mac L 2 3 4 5 6 Fj g 9 10 Description O00 29N O136N O00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Mainline FineCreek 01293A 0130A OS6R 000 OOD ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Runaround PineCrk 002 0125A O130N 0131A OOD ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Heath Savill 1 Load File i Page 190
172. OO o0O00 0000 O36 Output Control for Function F4 OOO 0000 0000 039 Output Control for Function FS OOO 0000 0000 O40 Output Control for Function F 000 0000 0000 O41 Output Control for Function F7 OOO ddad 0000 O42 Output Control for Function FS OOO 0000 0000 O45 Output Control for Function F9 OOO 0000 0000 044 Output Control for Function F10 OOO 0000 0000 045 Output Control for Function Fil OOO oO00 0000 O46 Output Control for Function Fle OOO 0000 0000 O47 Reserved for Manufacturer use O00 0000 0000 045 Reserved for Manufacturer use O00 0000 0000 O49 Forward Light Effect Headlight OOO 0000 0000 O50 Reverse Light Effect Backup Light OOO 0000 0000 O51 Function 1 Effect O00 0000 0000 O52 Function 2 Effect O00 0000 0000 O55 Function 3 Effect Fa Only O00 0000 0000 054 Function 4 Effect FE Torque Comp sn Switch Speed F 3 000 0000 0000 Page 2 Printed 30 Sep 2013 Loco 2011 Item Details Basic Configuration Variables CVO0O1 to CV054 Page 238 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual C Block Quantum 1 Low C s 001 128 CY Ho Quantum Description Dec Binary O55 52 15 0 Cylinder Cocks Gas Turbine Whine Volure O11 0000 1011 O56 52 16 00 Air Purp 1 Volure O11 0000 1011 057 52 17 00 Lir Purp 2 Volure Steam Locos O11 0000 1011 O58 Mot Used Ooo ooo0 0000 O59 52 19 00 Steam Blower Hiss Fans Volume O08 0000 1000 O60 Not Used Ooo 0000 0000 O81 52 21 00 Long Air Let Off VYolure O11 0000 1011 O62 52 22 0
173. P 120 Fo If the new Locomotive exists in another of your Item Lists then you could copy it into this Item List see Section 4 5 and then copy its parameters and CVs into the new Multiple New Locomotive 36 you cannot just change the Item Type from a Locomotive to a Multiple directly but in performing the copy you need to be very careful to keep all Address CVs CVO1 CV17 CV18 and the Consist Address CV19 plus the Configuration Data CV29 exactly the same as they are in the Multiple or you risk breaking the Consist Alternatively you could try reading all CVs from the real Locomotive decoder into the new Multiple but you will still need to take care to preserve all of the current Multiple s Address and Configuration values Page 131 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Hence the safest and recommended way to deal with this situation is to remove New Locomotive 36 from the Consist as described later in this Section then copy the relevant Item from another Item List or create a new Item in this Item List to correspond to the real Locomotive that you wish to add to the Consist Once the correct Item is present in the Item List you can then re open the Consist Item Switcher Consist 2 Edit CVs window and add the Locomotive into the Consist as shown previously This ensures that all of the Consist and Multiple parameters and their CV values are maintained fully consistent After completing the Consist assi
174. P This action will Reset the NCE Command Station Sr back to the original Factory Settings 4ll Consists Macros Handheld Cab allocations and System Setup parameters will be lost re you certain that you wish to proceed Click Yes to continue or No to cancel the operation If you choose to proceed then you must next type in a four character code exactly as shown in the following window Confirm System Factory Reset To return the MCE Command Station to the original factory settings type the four displayed characters into the textbox then click OF bo confirm the operation Click Cancel to abort the reset operation xAcU 0000 Cancel Letters must be entered exactly as shown using upper or lower case where appropriate To avoid confusion upper case letters I and O and lower case letter I will not appear so that they cannot be mistaken for digits 1 or O which can appear in the code Page 216 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If you make a typing error then you will see an error message with another opportunity to type the four character code correctly Once the code is entered correctly click OK to reset the Command Station to its Factory Settings or click Cancel to abandon the complete operation Confirm System Factory Reset Incorrect Code Entered Please re enter code noting that letter characters are case sensitive Click Cancel to ab
175. Page 132 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 12 Configuration Yariables Item Description DRGW GE44 Switcher DN135D Item icon now shows Type as Multiple Rear Primary Address Extended Address Consist Address Locomotive User Identifier 1 Mult Rear User Identifier 2 Cc None Manufac Version No Manufacturer ID CV Ox 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x Consist Address my 000 000 000 O16 000 000 035 125 215 255 255 015 set in Item with 036 000 000 000 032 000 000 044 134 224 255 255 000 000 001 000 000 064 000 000 053 143 233 255 po Reverse Direction 000 000 000 001 O16 000 000 062 152 24 j 128 added to 000 000 000 002 032 O64 000 071 sto 000 Address in CV19 000 000 000 004 064 128 002 6 Tee 255 000 000 000 000 000 008 128 gs 15 179 255 255 000 000 051 193 000 O16 2 oe 008 098 188 255 255 000 000 129 180 O0Becot 000 000 017 107 197 255 255 000 000 000 2487038 008 000 000 026 116 206 255 255 255 WOON Oo Cl iN oS You now have the opportunity for example to click on the Speed Parameter Tab and check that the Speed Tables and other settings are consistent with the other assigned Locomotives or perhaps to click on the Funct n Parameter Tab and set the Headlight to be operative when the Lead Locomotive is operating in a Consist Item 23 Configuration Yariables Item Description AT BSF GE 44 Switcher OM140 Pe n Enable i
176. Page Last Updated 25 August 2012 El Although the A Track program and its on going support are provided to you completely without charge if you have found A Track to be useful and a benefit in pursuing your model railroading activities then you might like to consider making a donation to assist in the cost of maintaining the website and the equipment used to develop the software further You can donate any sum you wish in a completely safe and secure manner by clicking the Donate button shown above This will connect you to the PayPal secure website where you can use any credit or debit card to make your donation even if you do not have a PayPal account of your own Any amount you choose to contribute will be gratefully received If the computer on which you run A Track is not connected to the Internet then you can register A Track manually by going to the Registration webpage at http www a train systems co uk register php from any computer which does have Page 252 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual an Internet connection Carefully enter your First and Last Names each name must contain a minimum of 3 characters and a maximum of 20 characters together with the installed program Serial Number as displayed in the Register Activate window 130807W8E9F53 in the example complete the type of Windows and NCE System you are using as far as you can Build and NCE Software Version can be left blank and click the Regist
177. Pass PineCrk O10 oooi OO00 aaga aaa aoad agad agad OO00 agad agad As soon as all of the commands held in Macro 009 have been sent the progress window will confirm that execution of Macro 009 is complete with the Finish button again enabled Running Macro Entry Macro Execution Complete Click Finish to return to the Macro Edit window As well as executing single Macros A Track allows you to run as many Macros as you wish to select from any loaded Set of 64 Macros in a single operation without necessarily requiring the Macros to be linked together This provides a great deal more flexibility in executing sequences of Macros compared to the facilities available with an NCE Handheld Cab and the use of fixed Macro links Click on the first Macro you wish to run hold down either Ctrl Control key and then click on each additional Macro to be executed When your selection is complete click the Run Sel Macros button and the selected Macros together with any other Macros to which they are linked will then be run in numerical order regardless of the order in which they were selected As a simple example suppose Macros 000 and 011 have been selected as below Description a 0I36N gt O09 O000 O000 O000 O000 Mainline PineCreek B 0130A 0136A 009 O000 O000 O000 Aunarund Pinelrk O30 0131A 000 O000 O000 nogi Heath Sawmill 1 130M SIN 0132A O00 nogi O000 Heath Sawmill 2 O30 OSIN OS2N 0133A O00 nogi Pine Creek Stores O1SOM OISI
178. R Gw Switcher Santa Fe 2 8 0 NCE Snap lt p 2 Truck Sha Consist 2 Consolidatio 3 Truc kS shay DH121 SY ZY amp o 2a Large Icons View Greenbrier amp D amp RGW 2 6 0 Union Pacific Union Pacific NCE Elk River 3 Mogul DN Challenger EMDNW2 Switch Kat OM 0G oOo Me Clear Lake Accessory Southem 4 6 0 Digitrax D544 Lumber 2 Tr Decode Baldwin So You can use the Line Up Icons option from the View menu to increase the number of columns to fill up the window width for both the Small Icons and Large Icons views FY A Track oj x File Edit View NCE Item Help IARE AE o 7 og Westside D amp RGW Switcher Santa Fe 2 8 0 NCE Snap lt Greenbrier amp D amp RGW 2 6 0 Union Pacific Union Pacific re 2 Truck Sha Consist 2 Consolidatio Elk River 3 Mogul DN Challenger EMD NW2 Shy o Va o o Sa 0 a o 18 o amp o La Clear Lake Accessory Southern 4 6 0 DigitaxDS44 Colorado AT amp SF GE44 Union Pacific Lenz L5150 Switch Kat Lumber 2 Tr Decode Baldwin So Mining 0 6 Switcher La rge Icons 1B 0S 0 oe 9B oe Ven AT amp SF AT amp SFGE44 D amp RGW NCE Switch 8 Gandy Dancer DRGW GE44 DARGW 2 84 Lined Up 250 Ton Cra Switcher FMH10 4 DZ120 Switcher Consolidatio A amp AA ia in OS o a Note that the following icons are used to identify different types of Items Locomotive Multiple Lead Loco Loco assigned to a Cons
179. Short fir Let Off Volume O11 0000 1011 O63 Not Used Ooo 0000 0000 O64 Se 24 0 aquealing Brakes Yolutre O11 0000 1011 O65 Not Used Ooo o0oo00 0000 O66 52 26 00 Steam Dynamo Diesel Generator Volure O11 0000 1011 O87 Not Used Ooo o0o00 0000 O66 S2 265 0 Dynamic Brakes Fans Yolutre OOO 0000 0000 O69 Se 29 0 Boiler Pop Oft Spitter Valve Volume O11 0000 1011 070 52 30 0 Blow Down Volume O11 0000 1011 O71 52 31 00 Injector Volume O11 0000 1011 Ove Se 32 0 Fuel Sounds Volume Coal Shovel Coal Auger O11 0000 1011 O73 Not Used Oooo 0000 0000 O74 S2 34 0 Coupler Sounds Volume O11 0000 1011 075 Not Used Ooo 0000 0000 O76 Not Used Ooo Q000 0000 OT S2 37 0 Lir Brakes VYolutre O11 0000 1011 07A Not Used Ooo o0o00 0000 079 Not Used Ooo a000 000a O50 52 40 0 Alternate Horn Volume O11 0000 1011 O81 Not Used Ooo o0o00 0000 O82 Not Used Ooo 00n 0000 O83 Not Used ooo A000 0000 084 Not Used Ooo o0o00 0000 O85 Not Used Ooo o0o00 0000 O56 S2 46 0 User Sound Effect Volume O11 0000 1011 O87 Not Used ooo 000 0000 O86 Not Used 000 o0o0o0 0000 O89 Not Used Ooo ooo00 0000 o90 Not Used Oooo 0000 000a oo1 Mot Used 000 A000 0000 O92 52 52 0 Crew Talk Volume O11 0000 1011 093 S2 535 0 Water Loading Scenario VYolure O11 0000 1011 O94 2 54 0 Water Scoop Volume O11 0000 1011 095 52 55 0 Fuel Loading Scenario Wo lume O11 0000 1011 O96 S2 56 0 Maintenance Scenario Volume O11 0000 1011 097 S2 57 0 Motor Max RPM Volutrre 000 o0o00 0000 O98 S2 565 0 Moto
180. Start VMid and VHigh to Speed Steps 1 14 and 28 and adjusts the values of the intervening speed steps to lie on straight lines between them An even simpler Speed Table is generated by clicking Linear which produces a Straight line speed curve between the current values of Speed Steps 1 and 28 either taken from the 3 Step Table as above or by clicking in the relevant column for Speed Steps 1 and 28 or by dragging the markers to set them to the values you require and using Page Up Page Down and the Up and Down Arrow keys for fine adjustment the marker you have selected will change colour to green Page 94 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual and its actual Speed Step value will be shown in the yellow textbox at the bottom lefthand corner of the graph Item 7 Configuration ariables Item Description Dar iw 2 Truck Shay ON142 Read erty CW s Step Precision Adjustment Parameters f 14 Steps Acceleration Rate pog Copy All Cis __Conpaicvs fe 25 Steps Deceleration Aate O00 Paste Main CVs f 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 Paste Extentd C s Tete ale Deceleration Adjust O00 Select Table Mid Step Joon Paste devi Eus Simple 3 Step Kick Start 00 Forward Trim O00 Update ltem _ Update Item Full 28 5tep Reverse Trim 000 Close Speed Table Full 28 Step 25h O E D T S E E D O S S E E a a ee ee ee a mo ee a e oa ee a aot sst liner a i i io
181. Systems Digital Command Control with NCE Power Cab and Power Pro Installation Guidance gt Install A Track Program D View User Guides D Open Folder Install Adobe Reader gt Adobe Reader Copyright 2008 2014 JT Chamberlain Installation Guidance View Notes opens a copy of these instructions in webpage format html and displays them in the browser program installed on your computer If no browser is found then Windows will display an error message Install A Track Program Install will close the installation window and then run the A Track SetUp process as described for installation from the Setup File in Section 3 4 below However note that if you have a previous version of A Track installed on the PC then it is recommended that you uninstall it before proceeding to install the latest version most easily done by using the Uninstall A Track option from the Start Menu or Start Screen also described in Section 3 4 below View User Guides Open Folder will open a folder containing the A Track User Guide Installation Guides and Reference Manual in Portable Document Format pdf which can be read using the Adobe Reader program Install Adobe Reader will install a copy of this free program Version 11 0 6 if you do not already have a suitable version installed on your computer just follow the prompts to complete the straightforward set up Close removes the A Track installation window from the screen
182. Tab page The 3 Step Speed Table is used in all other circumstances Clicking on the Simple 3 Step button shows you graphically the current table values referred to as VStart VMid and VHigh together with some control buttons on the left as shown below The vertical axis represents the relative speed corresponding to each step 000 is stationary and 255 represents maximum 100 speed full track voltage applied to the locomotive motor Item 7 Configuration ariables St Item Description D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Read vernty CW s Step Precision Adjustment Parameters 14 Steps Acceleration Rate 000 Copy All Cys _ Compas f 28 Steps Deceleration Rate O00 Paste Main CVs f 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 Seine Dene Tahe Deceleration Adjuzt O00 Select Table Mid Step Jono Paste nder d Es Kick Start 001 Forward Trim O00 Eoee Full 28 5 tep Reverse Irim oog Speed Table Simple 3 Step 255 Fal Copy Paste Values T ae near Set Default Values for 5 WStart VMid andVHigh T2 2 poco aeee Log Exp Save Table Transfer Set Values to Cs coc _ _ Cancel Quit No Change to C s Votat Wiid don ar i ig Although you can use the Linear Log and Exp buttons on the left to set values for the 3 Step Table they are more commonly used to assist in setting up the 28 Step Table and their actions will be described in detail later in this section Cli
183. The only disadvantage in this case is that you will not be able to execute these Macros from the Power Cab itself but only from the A Track screen Page 175 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 6 1 Defining Editing and Saving Macros Independently of the type of NCE Command Station you use the facility to create edit and execute a set of Macros to assist in the control of your layout is found on the Edit menu where you should click on the last entry Edit Run Macros as Shown below File Edit View NCE Item Help fal j Undo Reda Loco C Eind Ctrl F Z145R Cut Ctr Lenz Silv Loco ar Cut Append Chril z CS MCE Loco O P Copy Ctrl C ie o Copy ppend ctrl E Ee A F Paste Ctrl een A Empty Buffer ctrl E Ga o Insert Blank Item Shift Ins 104 CCESE Y P Delete Item Del MultLead _EP Mult Mid EP Check all MulRear _EP Check Selected Cancia EP Invert Checked Stearn Loca P Select All Crrl 4 Taken ees Pp Invert Selection r Lata P e Edit Run Macros Loco P oeoa eooo oand Select Loco _F g Santa Fe 2 8 0 Consolidation LokSnd Micro Loco _F You are then asked whether you wish to open a previously saved Macro Backup File or to create a fresh set of Macros Macro Review Edit and Run X y Doyo wish to open an existing Macro Backup File For edit I Fi Click Yes to select and open the required File Click Wo to open a blank set of Macros For edi
184. These details will also be Shown when an Item is allocated to an NCE Cab through an NCE Power Pro Command Station provided that automatic updates of current Cab allocation and status remain enabled See Section 4 1 As mentioned before while A Track will run quite happily as a background monitor of system operation when connected to your NCE Power Pro System there is no requirement to run it continuously leaving you free to start A Track only at those times you wish to make use of its facilities Note also the symbol now shown after the Item List filename on the status bar to indicate that the Item List has been changed This is a prompt to remind you that after checking that you now have a new Locomotive Item in the Item List you Should save the changed Item List to the PC s hard disk to preserve your work To complete the set up of your new Locomotive Item you can again double click on its entry in the Item List to re open the Edit CVs window Here you will be able to check the settings of all relevant CV values against the manufacturer s recommendations in the first instance before progressively tuning the parameters to give the desired performance As always after making changes to the parameters of any Item you should save the changed Item List to the PC s hard disk to preserve your work as described previously in Section 4 2 Ensure of course that you do not overwrite and destroy the copy of the original val
185. Type Flags PrAddr ExtAddr Control SpSts Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH1 Loco 004 gt 2014 nc02 28 Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 Truck Sha Loco gt 006 1206 nc06 28 Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truck Climax Loco 052 gt 4004 28 Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleTank T Loco 001 gt 4301 28 AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane DH142 Loco 093 gt 9793 28 Gandy Dancer DZ120 Loco gt 018 0218 28 D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Loco 011 gt 2011 28 D amp RGW 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 Loco gt 2917 28 Accessory Decoder Wangrow SM 104 Access y 1037 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN140 Mult Lead gt 0464 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN135D Mult Mid gt 0463 28 DRGW GE44 Switcher DN135D Mult Rear gt 0436 28 itche onsist 2 Comia p Page 1 Printed 30 Sep 2013 C Documents and Lists AT Tutorial Demo 43 itl Page 234 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual As can be seen details of each constituent Item are printed on a separate row underneath a header row at the top of each page showing the title of each column and a footer row at the bottom of each page showing the page number today s date and the Item List filename and folder directory path Where the Item List printout occupies several pages the header and footer are repeated on each page The number of Item rows printed per page depends on the paper size and orientation which has been selected A4 paper allows 61 rows in portrait and 39 rows in landscape while Letter paper allows 57 rows
186. V Grid in addition to the other NCE Options CVs by highlighting them in yellow or orange whereas clicking No will leave the selection at the NCE Options only Highlighted NCE Timing CVs 000 000 000 000 001 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 002s 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 001 000 192 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 OOO NO Ol iN a Again if you do not want to program all of the selected NCE Timing or Options parameters at this time you can remove the yellow or orange highlight from those you want to leave unprogrammed by holding down either Ctrl Control key on your keyboard and then clicking on the relevant cell in the CV Grid Programming values which do not apply to this particular type of accessory decoder will not cause a problem since the programming commands will simply be ignored by the decoder Page 166 of 303 Version 4 3 2 5 16 A Track Reference Manual When you are happy with the selection click Confirm to proceed with programming as described previously In all cases when you have finished programming any type of accessory decoder do not forget to restore the decoder to an operational state resetting switches or removing any programming links or temporary wiring where necessary Controlling Accessory Decoders As mentioned in the previous Section 5 15 the only real way to verify that an accessory decoder has been programmed succ
187. When programming of all selected CVs is completed they should all be highlighted in light green Page 123 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 25 Configuration ariables 0 Item Description 4T amp SF GE44 Switcher DN140 Program Configuration arnables C Range CY Scope Hode Read erty y s Pop Alleys f Current View O All Cs 0 Paged TERE Al Cy Blocks Selected i Direct Changed Register Paste Estenid Es Progra or C Address Main Track Paste Indesa rs y Programming Completed Successfully Update Item ontinmn ose lt 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 T B 4 Note however that this even together with the displayed message Programming Completed Successfully does not necessarily signify that the Program operation transferred the correct value to each of the highlighted CVs Acknowledgements that the decoder has accepted the value being programmed are only generated on the Program Track when using Service Mode programming but even here it is allowable under NMRA Recommended Practices for the Command Station to proceed to program the next CV regardless of whether any acknowledgement was received from the decoder No acknowledgements are generated by the decoder when it is sent Operations Mode programming commands on the Mainline Track although some decoders will still power the locomotive motor on for a brief period to show that a programming command was receiv
188. Windows systems However before attempting to run your newly downloaded and saved driver installer and certainly do not attempt to Run any driver installation file directly from the Internet you need to get rid of any current installation which is not working properly since this is likely to prevent installation of the correct driver Ensure that the active User has administrative rights this is the normal status when the operating system is either Windows XP Home or Media Edition and in Windows Vista or Windows 7 Starter or Home Editions and Windows 8 Standard Edition but you may need to log on as an Administrator when using Windows XP Professional Edition or Windows Vista and Windows 7 Business Professional or Ultimate Editions or Windows 8 Professional Edition Also make sure that the USB to Serial adapter which is giving trouble is unplugged from your computer at this point Now open Device Manager by going to Control Panel from the Start Menu or Start Screen and double clicking on System Alternatively for all systems except Windows 8 right click on Computer on the Start Menu then click on Properties In Windows 8 from the Start Screen or Desktop right click in the bottom lefthand corner of the screen and then click on Device Manager on the pop up menu If you have opened System n Windows Vista 7 or 8 you should then double click on Device Manger in the top left corner of the window In Windows XP you first need to c
189. a CEC nnn anne ann The Edit CVs window opens showing the Item Description and the contents of the Identity Parameter Tab as shown on the previous page This Tab displays the Type of Item Locomotive in this case and allows you to set or change the Item s Primary and Extended Addresses or Consist Address if the Item is a Consist or Multiple and to enter your own values for the User Identifiers if required The Item Type and Primary Address at least must be defined before the Item becomes usable and it is always advisable to enter a sensible Item Description possibly with details of the fitted decoder and in a club roster the owner s name or initials before proceeding The Identity Tab also shows the current allocation of the Item to either an NCE Cab only if you are using an NCE Power Pro Command Station or to a Console under direct control from the PC screen When allocated to an NCE Cab as the current Item under control the relevant Cab Address is shown 02 here together with a green white tick icon es h pes Manufacturer 1D 129 Update ltem Close CY Ox 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x Gx 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x o MN 000 000 O00 O00 O00 O00 oes 180 240 O00 ooo ogo if Active N Cab 02 x Edited x Not Frog d Page 77 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Alternatively if the Item is held in the Recall List not under active control the alternative yellow
190. a as described in Section 5 5 An example is shown below where the parameter Diesel Manual Notching Offset has been selected from the Config Description Tab A Track has opened the high Block of the Base Page and highlighted in bold text the correct CV CV131 which currently contains the value 012 CV Grid Column Ox Row 3 Page 106 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 18 Configuration Yariables p i Sa ltem Description DERG 2 8 0 Consolidation LokSnd Select AC Mode Voltage Maximum Speed Program Cvs AC Mode Voltage Start Speed Analog Mode Select TTE Configuration arnable Yalue Automatic Decoupling Push Time Automatic Decoupling Removal Time Copy All Cs Ey 121 i l l Automatic Decoupling Speed Diesel Manual Notching Offset A amp ssign Function Brake Mode Paste Main E s Stop Forward C 3 5 Brake Mode Configuration mz joc Constant Brake Mode Paste Extend Eye Dec 012 Hex JOC Constant Brake Stopping Distance alue 7 ad a 2 qo DE Made Voltage Maximum Speed Paste Inde Eis Et CCC ee DC Mode Voltage Start Speed Diesel Manual Notehing Offset Update Item Extended Configuration 1 Ok Cancel Extended Configuration 2 Ausiharny Settings Close Grade Crossing Holding Time Load Control Operating Range Ox Load Control Parameter I Load Control Parameter K Load Control Reference Voltage Load Control Slow Speed Parameter K Helper Mode M
191. a aga OO00 aga OO00 aga aga aaga OO00 O11 0156 N 0157N 08 0000 aga aga aaa OO00 aaga 0000 Siver Pass Through 012 056A 0294M OS05N 0157A 0000 OO00 aga OO00 aaga OOO0 SilverPass Passing and then with linked Macros 025 and 022 Description O167 A 03205A O303A Oed6R O000 S Passe McGLbmba O67 A O305R O303N 0300H nogi S Pass McGLmbe O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 OOBYM OOYZM O25 OOO OOO Mainline Gregson 0089A OOS0R 0091A 0092A O000 Gregson Silver 1 0089A OOS0M OOSIN 0092 R O000 Gregson Silver 2 nogi O000 O000 O000 O000 OF65M O192N gt OOD o000 o000 ForestFlat Thru 0265A 0182A O00 O000 nogi ForestFlat Aunard O000 O000 O000 O000 O000 0145 N O46 O14 N O46 N O000 Aldboro Mainline 0145A 0146A O14 N 0148H O000 Aldboro Siding 4 0145A 0146N 047A 0148H O000 Aldboro Siding B 0145A O146N O4 N 0148h O000 Aldboro Siding C 0145A O146N O4PN 0148H O000 Aldboro Siding D O000 O000 non O000 O000 After Macro 022 has been run exection then follows the link to Macro 000 and finally finishes by again running the linked Macro 009 Running Macro Entry Macro Execution Complete However as an alternative exercise if we select Macros 007 and 011 the execution sequence proceeds in a similar manner until we complete execution of Macro 025 At this point execution will be halted with display of the following message Linked Macro Error X A Linked Macro 072 has already been executed To prevent any possibility of an endless
192. a0 An An AAI A A a ii OS Oe as ie This action will enable the corresponding number of Output Address textboxes and will fill them with sequential Output Address values calculated from the current Decoder Address 0001 here as entered on the Identity Parameter Tab Item 27 Configuration ariables 9a Item Description Gregson Silver Digitras D544 Program Cis Addrs Read Yerty Cys Number of Dutputs EIE Output Address Sel Output 1 Copy All CVs Program Accessory Output 2 32 i E Paste Main ove ilkine Sequential Addresses Output 3 Paste Extend Eys NCE Options Output 4 Paste Index d i s F Enable OVP Togale Output 5 F No Legacy Ope Prog Output 6 Update Item Disable P Button I P Output Enable D F Exercise Output Close LLL E A We O00 O00 000 000 OOO d 00 000 000 000 OOo OOO OO1 O00 000 000 OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO d An An AI i A A a ii Page 155 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual You can now enter the set of Output Addresses that you want for the Item into the enabled textboxes in accordance with any rules or limitations set out by the manufacturer of the target decoder ie as a group of sequential values or as several independent addresses In the example below after clicking in the Output 3 textbox an address of 91 has been entered followed either by a press on the Enter Return key the Tab key or a click on any other t
193. abilization Forward Light Effect Headlight Function 1 Effect Function 2 Effect Function 3 Effect Fs Orly Function 3 Effect Fes Function 4 Effect Fs Torque Cormp sn Switch Speed F3 Function 4 Effect F lt Function 5 Effect Fe Function 6 Effect Fess Horm Delay Threshold Lights Keep Alive Aate Notch Aate Notching Slip Mode Reverse Light Effect Backup Light Scaleable Speed Stabilization Intensity Sound Project Author IO Sound Project ID Sound Project Variant IO Static Compensation Scaleable Speed Stabilization Steam Chuff Cam Configuration Steam Gear Ratio Trim Page 103 of 303 e am ee ee ee ae ee ee ee Air Compressor On Time Air Drier Rate Auto Coupler Sequence Threshold Yalue Bell Ring Rate Bell Delay Bell Yolume Compressor Run Aate Horm r Whistle Setup Horm Whistle Volume Master Yolume Control Miscellaneous Sounds Volume Mute Volume Prime Mover Chuff Yolume Sound Scheme Select Steam Blowdown Safety Volume Time Scattered Air Effects Volume Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual A left click on the name of any CV in a Description Tab will immediately highlight the relevant CV in the CV Value grid and display its value in the Parameter Tab area ready for editing if required as described previously in Section 5 5 Clicking on Configuration Data on the Basic tab for example will highlight CV29 and show details of its present value 054 as shown b
194. ack feature which is of interest to you which is by far the best way to get to grips with A Track You cannot cause any damage to the program or its files by doing so However note that after branching off on your own from the Tutorial and changing the state of the loaded A Track data it may not be possible for the Tutorial to continue on its intended course when you click the Next or Back button A message to this effect will be displayed inviting you to click Close Window after which you can if you wish restart the Tutorial by clicking on Help on the A Track menu bar followed by Start Up Tutorial See the menu details in Section 10 6 The Start Up Tutorial window will appear each time you start A Track unless you click on the Do not display at start up checkbox in the bottom left corner of the window At any future time after you have done this the Tutorial window can be displayed once more from the Help menu by selecting Start Up Tutorial If you want to print out any page shown in the Tutorial window for reference you can highlight the text by using the normal Windows procedure with the left mouse button copy the highlighted text hold down either Ctrl Control key then press the C key and paste it into any word processor A more comprehensive set of Help pages the full text of this Reference Manual can be viewed by clicking on Help Help Topics on the A Track menu bar or on the icon on the A Track toolbar or b
195. ack or an attached NCE Power Pro System the NCE Command Station is not subject to the same constraint and both systems can independently modify the assignments of any existing Consist without the other being directly aware of the changes A Track therefore provides a facility for you to view the composition of all Consists currently defined in either the NCE Power Pro Command Station or in A Track itself and to decide where there are different versions of the same Consist which version to accept as the one to use A Track then allows the accepted Consist definition to be transferred to or from the NCE Power Pro System so that both systems hold the Same data The composition of Consists defined in an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster System are not available for access from A Track so that any conflicts cannot be resolved directly You can however activate a Consist defined in A Track so that it can be controlled on the track using an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster System Remember however as noted previously in Section 5 11 that as far as control of a specific Consist is concerned the definition of its constituent locomotives which is currently held in the NCE Command Station takes precedence over any Consist with the same address currently defined in the A Track Item List To see the definitions of all current Consists click on Consist Status Item List Cmnd Stn on the View menu as shown below File Edit View WCE Item Help fa
196. ack will show this by changing the leftmost NCE indicator on the status bar at the foot of the A Track window from green to a continuous yellow in which case you will need to re establish serial communications by switching off the Command Station for 30 seconds then powering it on again In very rare cases it may be necessary to unplug the Serial cable or USB Adapter briefly from the PC s port then reconnect it again and then possibly close down and restart the A Track program itself Do not otherwise deliberately unplug the Serial cable or USB Adapter while the A Track program is running A Track will then adjust the serial interface settings automatically to the new Command Station baud rate and continue with its normal activities If you are fortunate enough to change the Command Station baud rate using a Handheld Cab when no data transfer is in progress then you may see the leftmost NCE indicator on the status bar flicker briefly from green to yellow and then back to green again as A Track first receives a garbled response then proceeds to correct the serial interface baud rate and resume normal operation However the best way to change the serial port baud rate using a Handheld Cab as part of the Command Station setup is to do this when the A Track program is not running and thus not communicating with the Command Station 7 3 Viewing Consist Backup Files Once you have created and stored one or more Consist backup files you
197. ad Beacon Ramp Down Time Rear Overhead Beacon Ramp Up Time Rear Step Lights Initial State FT I Dm tenat Reverse Light Initial State 22002 Reverse Light Max Intensity Reverse Light Ramp Down Rate Reverse Light Ramp Down Time Reverse Light Ramp Up Rate Reverse Light Ramp Up Time A Track handles all of the QSI CV Indexing mechanism automatically including inserting the required index values in CV49 and CV50 so that you can access any of the CV values in very much the same way as for any other decoder Note If you have any Items with Quantum decoders which were set up under Version 4 1 or an earlier release of A Track with a simpler CV format then they will be converted to the new Indexed Page format automatically as soon as you open the Edit CVs window for the Item Because of this the Update Item Action Button will then be enabled even if you make no explicit changes to the Item yourself If you choose to use the Close button to terminate the edit then you will be prompted to save the changed Item back to the Item List Warning Once you have selected a Decoder Manufacturer which uses Indexed Pages and load and save data from a decoder into the Item s Indexed Pages then at a later time if you re open the Item and change the Decoder Manufacturer selection you will jose any CV data loaded to those Pages If you do this by accident you can recover by clicking Close and choosing not to update the Item When yo
198. addresses are concerned A Track will display the currently selected Output Address as the Accessory Address on the Identity Parameter Tab and will use its value to update the Decoder Address in CV01 to 023 here together with the related group of Output Addresses on the Config Parameter Tab as shown below in order to maintain consistency as far as possible with the NMRA DCC Recommended Practices Note that these updates within the Item have no effect on the way the real accessory decoder is handled by A Track using the specific programming and operating mechanisms defined by the particular decoder manufacturer see the following Sections 5 15 and 5 17 on programming accessory decoders La Item Description Gregson Silver Digitrax DS 44 Accessory Address and Output Group now contain Selected Output Address Item Type Acc y Output Addr 0091 Accessory Extended Address Consist ddress LLorrsist Locomotive User Identifier 1 ooi ables Multiple User Identifier 2 JOC 00C aaa ne Manufac Version No 000 regson Silver Digitrax DS4 Ee Manufacturer ID i j Config Addts Not Allocated 00 amp Edited NotProg d meters Programming xtended Decoder Type M Manuf Specific Sx_ 10x 11x utput Addressing Program on O Bim 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 i directional Comms Main Track 1_ 023 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 f gt D
199. afe Run shared folder laa Shared Documents My Documenta Sue s Documents O My Documents My Network Places My Computer lt ve Se File name Ten save as type item Lists itl Cancel wi Once you are Satisfied with the choice of destination folder and the filename click Save to save your new Item List file to the selected folder or Cancel to abandon the operation The next step is to again double click on your just initialised Item in the Item List to re open its Edit CVs window Now place your first locomotive on your programming track or if you are using a Power Cab and do not have a separate switched programming track as shown in the connection diagram in Section 1 1 ensure that it is the ONLY locomotive on the main track Note that if your locomotive has a sound decoder and you are using an NCE Power Pro system then you will generally need to connect a programming booster unit such as the SoundTraxx PTB 100 or DCC Specialities PowerPax between the Power Pro and the programming track a booster is not usually required with an NCE Power Cab system Click the Read Verify CVs button in the Edit CVs window to display the Read Verify Configuration Variables panel where for a first attempt at reading your locomotive decoder s CV values you should set the CV Range and Scope options to Current View and All CVs and the Mode to Paged While Direct Mode will read CV values more quickly it is not
200. ails of the assigned Locomotives will be displayed where available Defined Consists Status Backup File Selected Consist Address 85 Locos Assigned to Consist Backup File List f Curent Item List 7 Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 3024 Union Pacific 2 6 2 Prairie SDN144PS Mid 1 3028 Item not found in Loaded ltem List Defined Consists Status Backup File eee 2000 fl 7 2 2 Selected Consist Address 66 Backup File oe Mid 3 0o00 M Med Locos Assigned to Consist Backup File List f Current ltem List 7 Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 201 4 westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 Hid 1 2m DRAG Truck Shay ON142 Hid 2 0000 Hid 3 0000 Hid 4 0000 Rear 4004 Clear Lake Lumber Z T ruck Climas Lenz Silv Hid 4 0000 Rear 5278 Item not found in Loaded ltem List 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 m a aA aA A si er AAN 02 12 22 32 42 52 62 72 92 92 o3 13 29 33 A 59 63 73 89 93 04 14 24 34 44 54 G4 74 o4 gA 05 15 2 35 45 55 65 75 85 45 06 16 26 36 46 56 66 76 66 46 of 17 27 a7 47 5 67 77 oF 9 08 18 28 38 48 58 686 76 88 498 o9 19 29 39 49 59 69 79 89 99 Transter Transter Close Page 222 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual
201. al setup is complete there is a warning to close all other windows After doing so click Next to continue and then click Yes to agree to the terms of the software licence Keyspan USB Serial Adapter USAI9H Keyspan USE Serial Adapter USA19H5S Setup This program will install the Keyspan USB Serial Adapter U5479H5 on your computer Check Account Privileges Close All Other Windows lf you are Upgrading a previous version of the USE Serial Adapter software clase all other windows before proceeding Cancel Keyspan License Agreement This Agreement constitutes a legal agreement between you the end user and Keyspan a division of InnoSys Incorporated Keyspan ou should carefully read the following terms and conditions before installing this software INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1 Grant of License Keyspan grants to you the night to use this copy of the sothware Software on a single computer fou may not use or install the Software on more than one computer at the same time 2 Copy Restrictions Ownership of Software fou own the media on which the Software is recorded Keyspan retains title to the Software including copies regardless of form or media and to all copyrights therein You may make one or more copies of the Software solely for archival or backup purposes The Software and accompanying written matenals are copyrighted 3 Transter Restrictions
202. ally run immediately under Windows XP in the case of either Windows Vista Windows 7 or Windows 8 the standard operating system in built security measures will first display an AutoPlay window to confirm that you wish to run the program or DVD Drive E A Track4_Install Always do this for software and games Install or run program from your media Run A Track4_Install exe ay Publisher not specified General options Open folder to view files using Windows Explorer Click Run A Track4_Install exe to continue and then click Yes on the following security prompt similar to that shown below to allow the A Track installation to proceed Program name A Track4_Install exe Publisher Unknown CD DVD drive A Hide details Help me decide Change when these notifications appear Page 13 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If for any reason the Autorun or AutoPlay facility has been disabled on the PC and the CD R fails to run automatically click on My Computer in XP or Computer in Vista or 7 and locate the DVD CD drive usually D or E In Windows 8 you will first need to open File Explorer on the Desktop in order to locate the DVD CD drive in Computer Double click on the drive icon to reveal the list of files and folders then double click on the file named A Track4_Install exe The A Track installation window which opens presents you with a set of simple options i T f A Train
203. altered and the new value has not yet been transferred to the Item s real DCC decoder or where the parameters of a Consist have been changed but the Consist has not yet been activated ie transferred to the NCE Page 87 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Power Pro Command Station and or programmed directly into the DCC decoders of the constituent Locomotives see Sections 5 11 and 5 12 Both flags remain set when an edited Item is updated and show in the Item List Flags field The Not Programmed Flag P will be cleared when an Item s CV values are programmed into a decoder as described later in Section 5 10 or when a Consist is activated The Edited Flag E is cleared when the Item List is saved to permanent storage and A Track is closed Hence when an Item List is loaded no Item will normally have its Edited Flag E set unless from an old Item List saved before this version of A Track has been installed but may show the Not Programmed Flag P as set if the Item List was saved without that Item s CV values being programmed into a decoder or in the case of a Consist without the Item having been activated As an option on the Identity Tab page you can enter two numbers each in the range O to 255 in the User Identifier textboxes These numbers are purely for your own use to add some extra personal information to the Item and can be programmed into the corresponding decoder as CV105 and CV106 if you so de
204. alue Page 227 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The Cab Parameters shown are the only ones which are stored in the NCE Command Station and which are therefore accessible by A Track Other Cab Setup Parameters such as Yard Mode Speed Button Repeat Rate or the OPTION key value are stored locally within each Handheld Cab and are not available to A Track These local setup parameters can only be changed using the particular Cab itself by holding down the SELECT LOCO button while plugging the Cab into the Command Station and then following the instructions given in the NCE Power Pro System Reference Manual Once you have entered new values for any of the Cab Parameters in the Cab Status amp Setup window changed values are indicated by a pink background colour NCE Handheld Cab Status amp Setup i Selected Cab Address Type F m mer t E Cab Parameters Humber of Recalls og Analog Hom Channel Jong Transfer Changes Deallocate All lbems Assign Bell to Function o2 Analog 4ue Channel f ad Assign Horm to Function o Analog Bias og Click the Transfer Changes button to write the new values to the NCE Command Station memory NCE Handheld Cab Status amp Setup E Selected Cab Address Type F DS iiad Cab Parameters Humber of Recalls o Analog Horm Channel Joos Assign Bell to Function o2 Analog Aus Channel fz23 Assign Horm to Function lor Analog Bias joe Deallocate All Items Afte
205. am Track and Service Mode click on the Program CVs Action Button to show the Program options page In addition to options to program All or Selected CVs you can also choose to program only those CVs whose value has been Changed ie those currently highlighted in pink Note that whenever a changed CV is selected its highlight will become orange rather than pink or yellow Click Confirm to start the Program operation Item 25 Configuration ariables E AIRO Sia Item Description AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN140 Speed Funct r Program Configuration Variables CY Range 1 CY Scope Mode Current View C AllCYs Paged C All CY Blocks Selected C Direct L Changed Register Address Green highlight to show CV was programmed veseeseesesseeseesseseeeseg sssssssssessese Red highlight to show current CV programming in progress Orange highlight to show changed CV which is also selected CO OD Ol a aN jma In the example above programming of the decoder is set to be on the Program Track in Paged Mode of the Selected CVs from CVO1 up to CV29 yellow CV0O5 and CVO6 are currently shown as changed as well as being selected orange CVO1 through CVO3 have already been programmed successfully so are now shown with a light green background while CV04 which is currently being programmed into the decoder is highlighted in red
206. and agree that a A Track for Windows is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties b A Train Systems retains all copyrights and other intellectual property rights in A Track for Windows c There are no implied licences under this Licence and any rights not expressly granted to you hereunder are reserved by A Train Systems d You acquire no ownership or other interest other than your licence rights in or to A Track for Windows software e A Train Systems owns all copies of the A Track for Windows software product regardless of how they have been made or distributed 4 GRANT OF LICENCE A Train Systems is only willing to grant you these rights if you obtained A Track for Windows from A Train Systems or an A Train Systems authorised distributor If you obtained A Track for Windows from any other source you may not install or use the A Track for Windows product A Train Systems grants you the following rights provided that you comply with all terms and conditions of this Licence Agreement a Usage You may install use access and run A Track for Windows on any number of computers which are personally owned by yourself b Privacy A Train Systems has not implemented any mechanism protocol method or algorithm spyware within A Track for Windows which would collect sensitive information from your computer and then would automatically send the i
207. ange of this Item s CVs OO COIN OO Ol GOIN As soon as the copy is complete the Paste Main CVs and Paste Exten d CVs buttons will be enabled If the Item you are copying is set up to use Indexed CV Pages as is the case in the example above then the Paste Index d CVs button will also be enabled You can leave this Edit CVs window on the screen if you wish when proceeding to the next stage but it is probably safest to Close it now to avoid any mistakes when transferring the copied CVs into another Item Next open the Edit CVs window for the Item which is to receive the copied CVs This can be either an existing Item or more usually a new Blank Item which has just been created If you have not already done so carry out the basic initialisation of the Item by setting its Type as Locomotive for example and entering a Description then reading in and safely saving a copy of the current decoder CV settings just in case of any unfortunate accidents as described in Section 5 2 Now before you change the recipient Item s Primary and Extended Addresses click on Paste Main CVs in the Edit CVs window of that Item Page 112 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 27 Configuration Yariables AER New Item ree Item Description Colorado Southern 2 6 0 Mogul LokSnd Select Descri pti on Progam CVs _ Identity Config Speed Funct n Pages susi Read Verify CVs Type Pri
208. antum Digitrax MRC LokSound Selection of Pages Tab in Edit CVs window extends window width to display categorised lists of all CVs specific to the selected manufacturer selecting CV from list highlights CV in grid and opens frame to edit CV value intended to avoid need to consult manufacturer s documentation in order to find CV number corresponding to a particular function Read Verify and Program facilities updated to allow selection of specific Block of CVs for access to simplify handling of complex decoders with large ranges of CVs Page 292 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Changing CV selection or right clicking on a CV during Read Verify or Program operations no longer causes the Read Verify or Program frames to be hidden by a Parameter Tab blocking access to the Cancel Finish button Premature exit from Program operation no longer clears any remaining yellow highlights on selected CVs ie selected CVs which were not accessed during Program now consistent with Read Verify operation Excessive time taken to select group of CVs or to start or exit from Program and Read Verify operations observed especially under Windows 7 now eliminated Error is not now generated if address values in the Identity Tab of the Edit CVs window are entered with a leading zero Error handling improved for entry of all numerical values so that entry of an out of range value will no longer result in a potentially fata
209. any selected locomotive on the Main Track directly from the PC using the mouse and a soft on screen controller by issuing DCC commands directly to the NCE Command Station Although this control function is really intended as a test facility to check the results of programming a locomotive decoder for example you can call up and operate as many as eight soft controllers on the screen simultaneously if you think you possess the capability and dexterity to run eight locomotives simultaneously on the layout by yourself 1 5 Obtaining Your Copy of A Track A Track may be downloaded from the A Train Systems website at http www a train systems co uk getatrack htm completely free of charge for your personal or club use Support to resolve any problems which you may encounter in using A Track is also available free through the website see Section 9 3 You can choose to download A Track either as a simple executable Setup File together with the Reference Manual and or User Guide and Installation Notes or as a complete Installation Package including Adobe Reader Click on the selected file to download then select Save not Run to copy the file to a folder on your computer In Windows XP the default location will be My Documents or Downloads in Windows Vista Windows 7 or Windows 8 although you can choose any other folder as a destination if you wish but take note of where the file is saved so that you can locate it lat
210. apter 5 If immediately after making alterations to an Item s parameters and evaluating its new characteristics on the track you want to return the Item to its original state then simply click Undo on the Edit menu or the Undo icon on the toolbar The edits made to the Item s parameters will then be undone assuming that you have not made any other changes to the Item List in the meantime if so you will have to undo these subsequent changes before the desired Item is restored and then make the subsequent changes to the Item List again if necessary Note carefully however that restoring an Item s CVs to their original value in the Item List does not change the corresponding values in the real physical DCC decoder in your locomotive or accessory To do that you will have to program or Page 53 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual re program the restored values into the actual decoder on the track as explained in detail in Section 5 10 The next function on the Edit menu Find also available through the 4 icon on the Toolbar acts as an aid which allows you particularly when dealing with large Item Lists to search the complete Item List for particular Items Click to display the Find Item window then simply type any combination of letters or numbers that you believe are in the Description or Address Primary or Extended of the required Item s your text will replace the prompt in the textbox N Fi
211. are may be left in a state from which an orderly recovery is not possible This is very likely to occur if the disruption occurs during the A Track initialisation period or if the equipment is re connected very quickly after any disconnection In such cases first disconnect the serial or USB cable then close down A Track see Section 4 3 and switch off the NCE Command Station Allow around 20 seconds for the Command Station to power down fully then switch it back on reconnect the cable to the PC and start the A Track program again Page 29 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual With an NCE Power Pro Command Station the middle status indicator will revert to red after any disconnection then subsequently show yellow and green after reconnection and completion of a full Handheld Cab status scan 3 6 An Introductory Tutorial Once A Track has completed its initialisation the start up window disappears and will be replaced by a Tutorial window which you can use to get a feel for the basic facilities provided by the A Track program including how to access the key menus and functions and which will then guide you through the first steps in using A Track with your own roster of locomotives The opening page of the Tutorial is shown below with its straightforward controls Having read the first page click on the Next button to display the next page Thereafter you can return to a previous page by clicking the Back button which
212. art Booster Systems the assigned Locomotives have to be programmed with the Consist Address using Operations Mode Programming on the Mainline commands If the Locomotives do not fully support Operations Mode particularly with regard to allowing programming of their Consist Address then their assignment and activation of the Consist will fail although A Track will assume that the operation has succeeded since there is no feedback of status from the track via the NCE equipment in Operations Mode If you watch the assigned Locomotives on the track during programming you may see each Locomotive move briefly as a visual acknowledgement of receipt of the Consist address depending on the decoder fitted as power is applied momentarily to the motor The activated Consist can be controlled from an NCE Power Cab or Pro Cab by pressing the SELECT LOCO key and entering the Consist address followed by the Cab s ENTER key However note that the NCE System will not recognise it as a Consist but will simply treat it as another Locomotive Assuming that the selected Consist was successfully activated selecting its highlighted Address in the Consist Status window will now give you the option to deactivate or kill the Consist by clicking the Clear button as shown in the example above After clicking Clear you will again be prompted to ensure that the Locomotives to be removed from the Consist are physically present on the Mainline Track wi
213. at you wish to make click the Transfer Changes button at the foot of the window to update the Command Station with the new parameter values If you amend the current time value remember that the clock will not change to the new time until the Transfer Changes button is clicked so you might want to set the value a little in advance of the required time Confirmation of the transfer is shown by a light green highlight applied to all parameter values which have been updated Page 213 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Software Revision Number Tue Mar 1 22 30 26 2007 F rA TPE System Clock Set Ratio System Real Time 06 12 Hour bode ff StopClock 0 Set Hour js Set Minute 58 24 Hour Mode C Run Clock i Note that after you click Transfer Changes you cannot make any further changes to any of the displayed parameters The only remaining active button is Close which previously showed Cancel at the foot of the window Click Close to remove the Command Station Setup window then if you do wish to set any other parameters re open it from the NCE menu km i E l e e E E ee Enable AID Broadcast E System Factory Power On C Heset Heset Enable Function Refresh Transter Changes With a few exceptions which are explained later you can amend as few or as many of the Command Station parameters at one time as you wish in any of the various categories Where entry of a numeric value is required only valid value
214. ate window Stop button of the stopped Item will apply an Emergency Stop to all Items currently on the mainline track by stopping the output of all normal DCC commands from the NCE Command Station then replacing them with a continuous set of Emergency Stop All commands for a period of about 4 seconds If you are connected to an NCE Power Pro Command Station but not a Power Cab or Smart Booster system an advisory message AT E STP is sent to the LCD display of all attached NCE ProCabs by A Track to make all operators aware of what has happened together with a warning message displayed on the PC screen Emergency Stop Emergency Stop Activated Click Resume to restart operations AFTER cause of problem is resolved Click Cut Power to remove Track Power Resume Clicking on Resume cancels the Emergency Stop of all Items although each Item will remain stationary on the track until a new speed command is sent from the Controller to which that Item is allocated Note that Items under the control of an NCE Cab can be restarted as soon as the string of Emergency Stop All commands finishes and without the Resume button being clicked although it would be sensible to check on why an Emergency Stop was activated before continuing with track operations The A Track advisory message can be removed from the LCD display of any NCE ProCab by pressing the Cab s ENTER key If instead of clicking Resume you click on Cut Powe
215. ave been connected to the Command Station and the program then proceeds to read the full status of those connected Cabs The time taken to complete this full scan is approximately 2 seconds per connected Cab but note that the complete status for Cab Addresses 01 and 02 is always accessed and transferred to A Track whether or not these Cabs have actually been connected so that the total minimum scan period is about 20 seconds Once the first scan of all connected Cabs is complete and their status data transferred to A Track the indicator will change to green However if the Serial cable or USB Adapter is either unplugged from the PC Serial or USB port or from the NCE Command Station serial port or the NCE Command Station is switched off the middle status indicator will revert to red until the connection or power is restored to allow the Handheld Cab status scan to recommence Whenever a new Item List is loaded the scan of Handheld Cab addresses will also be restarted with the middle status indicator initially showing red again Thereafter you can update the displayed Cab allocation and status at any time to check whether each connected Cab has sent new commands to the Locomotive or Consist currently under control in which case a full update of that Cab s status is transferred to A Track or whether any additional Cabs have been connected to the Command Station Do this by clicking the Refresh button on the A Track toolbar
216. aviiiisdisnacessndnueeeivnnaecssinnasensscudesecannincevaeadaaes 193 6 4 RUNNING MACOS siccdericisesteiniscedcinievainddisenieraevareanestaennegeasinninneernunaaee 197 7 NCE POWER PRO COMMAND STATION amp CAB OPERATIONS 204 7 1 Command Station Data Backup and Restore sssss2222 205 7 2 Command Station Setup and StatuS sss s 212 7 3 Viewing Consist Backup Fil S sss ss 2 2 219 7 4 Handheld Cab Setup and StatuS sss 2 22 2 2022522222222252222222520 20 223 7 5 Using Handheld Cabs without an LCD Display sssussus2222222 231 8 PRINTING LISTS AND ITEM DETAILS nnssssnsnnnnnunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 232 8 1 Output FORINGUS sscaiscsccsinesctccdvstaasctsetasscaestesscaws Aai a sacdeacneaagenccs 233 8 2 Direct Printing Of an Item SUMMALY s ss 234 8 3 Direct Printing Of Item Details sssssssss2s22 235 8 4 Printing t a Text File siisii 241 8 5 Printing Consist and Accessory Details sssssonsnnunnnnunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 245 9 REGISTRATION AND SUPPORT cccccscccnscccnsseneesenneeeneesenuesenes 249 9 1 Registration and Activation ssssss 249 9 2 Key Points to Note about Registration Activation sssssseeeseeeees 256 9 3 Obtaining Support and Reporting ProblemMS ssss2
217. being edited you cannot change or edit the Item List All relevant File menu options such as New Open and Close and the complete Edit menu are disabled until you close all editing windows 5 1 Edit Configuration Variables Window Click on Edit CVs in either menu or on the icon on the toolbar or simply double click on the Item itself in the Item List to open the Edit Configuration Variables window for the selected Item Item 7 Configuration Yariables EN Item Description D amp AGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Item noae Description Read Verify CVs item Type Primary Address Copy All CVs Accessory Extended ddress 2011 Ar Consist ddress Paste Main CVs Paste Exten d CY User Identifier 1 User Identifier 2 Manufac Version No Parameter Tabs VY NotAllocated 00 Xy Edited Action Buttons Cl CON n Ol WON S Note that you can open Edit CVs windows for as many Items as you wish at the same time and work with any selected window including the main A Track window while all Edit CVs windows remain on the screen The windows can be minimised to the Task Bar to reduce screen clutter if required If you have several Edit CVs windows open then in order to see them all on the screen at the same time make sure that the main A Track window is not maximised otherwise you will only see one Edit CVs window displayed on the screen in front of the maximised
218. boxes Note that if All CV Blocks are selected then the full Item Details printout for an Item with a Quantum decoder will occupy 25 pages whereas that for an Item with a LokSound decoder an Extended CV Page plus three Indexed CV Pages will occupy 31 pages If the All Items option is selected in conjunction with Item Details then the relevant data pages will be printed for every Item in the Item List Details of Items will be printed in the order in which the Items are currently displayed on screen ie in the order in which they are sorted at present This is also the case if a group of Items is selected either by simple highlighting or by ticking their checkboxes Pages will be numbered consecutively for the complete printed output rather than being reset for each individual Item as its details are printed Page 236 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item Descr D amp RGH 2 Track Shay DNi22 Type Locomotive Flags Active navred Prograrred Prim y Addr O11 Consist Addr OOO Extend Addr 2011 Contigur n Exten diddr SpeedTable WNobibirCom AltPwrCony 26Spsteps Fwdbirn Auto Stop i Ss a5 Bibir Comme a Decoder Mnf DPigitrax Inc Controller We Oe Speed Steps 26 Manut Versn 249 User ID 1 000 HManufac ID 129 User ID 2 000 Alt n Power None DECC Only EMF FEk C O 000 Pkt TimeOut 000 FAM Period 131 Acceln Rate 000 Deceln Rate 000 Accl Adjust 000 Decl Adjust 0
219. can be your own or you can use the name of your club for example but each name must contain a minimum of 3 characters and a maximum of 20 characters Any combination of characters can be entered except for an ampersand amp which will be replaced with a symbol Once both textboxes contain an acceptable name the Register Online button will be enabled as shown below 4 Track Register Activate When installed this version of 4 Track for Windows is fully operational without any restrictions IF this computer has an active ntemnet connection you can obtain an activation key to quality for priority product support by Register entering your First and Last Names below each name must for contain at least 3 and no more than 20 characters and then Priority clicking the Register Online button Otherwise e mail your two Support Names the Serial Humber and System data displayed below to registenaa train systems co uk iN Ensure the Hames are entered exactly as used to register this copy of 4 Track then paste the activation key code provided Into the Activation Rey textbox below or type it into the textbox without dashes or spaces and click Activate First Name Tery Last Mame Chamberlain Version 4 5 16 Senal Number 130807 SE 9F53 System Microsott windows F Build 2600 epep p gfe 1 30704 0421 NCE Power Cab Software Version 6 3 0 Activation key Please Enter Hames then Activation Rey Code Ach ya
220. ce original style accessory decoders such as the Wangrow SM 104 shown in the example above or the similar Digitrax DS54 are now regarded as obsolete and most manufacturers now produce accessory decoders which are designed to have their Addresses and any other parameters programmed directly from the Mainline Track in conjunction with switch settings on or special temporary wired connections to the decoder itself Page 153 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Also instead of having a fixed set of four output pairs linked to a common Address a range of accessory decoder types are now produced by several manufacturers with between 1 and 8 output pairs together with the facility to allocate separate independent Addresses to each output pair An attempt to reflect this situation has been made in the latest revisions of the NMRA DCC Standards and Recommended Practices which extend the range of valid Accessory Addresses to be from 1 to 2044 4 times 511 with the intention of allowing an Address to be allocated to an individual Output by setting the decoder Configuration appropriately Clicking the Output Addressing checkbox in the Parameters section will in theory enable this feature However the method of allocating an Address to a specific Output is not clearly defined within the NMRA publications so that the decoder manufacturers have largely adopted their own mechanisms to allocate Addresses to accessory decoders and to pro
221. ce Manual 2 Setup A Track for Windows Ioj x Welcome to the Track for Windows Setup Wizard This will install 4 Track For Windows 4 3 167 on your computer It is recommended that you close all other applications before continuing Click Mext to continue or Cancel to exit Setup Cancel Click on Next to continue with the installation or Cancel to quit SetUp and to display the end user licence screen Here the full text of the licence under which the A Track software is provided is available if you wish to read it printed in full in Chapter 13 of this Reference Manual You must accept the terms of the licence by clicking on I accept the agreement in order to display the Next button and to be able to continue with A Track installation Setup A Track for Windows License Agreement Please read the Following important information before continuing Please read the Following License Agreement You must accept the terms of this agreement before continuing with the installation 4 Track for Windows Copyright 2008 2013 JT Chamberlain 4 Train Systems All rights reserved www a train systems co uk IMPORTANT RESO CAREFULLY This licence agreement is 4 legal agreement between you individual or legal entity and JT Chamberlain trading as 4 Train Systems YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS LICENCE Ido not accept the agreement Copyright te 2008 2013 4 Train Systems o
222. cesses foo Set Clack foo Program Macros foo Humber of Packets Stop Jong Temporary 005 ACCESS0r Joos Horn Off O02 Set C mand Station foo Program Signals foo Program p04 Set Cab Itself foo Frogram Consists foo Homentum Enable Consist Momentum Momentum Decin Rate Full Momenturn Multipler Hal Seral Port Baud Rate 3600 bps 135200 bps 30400 bps Miscellaneous Options Test for Loco in Use Send Function Commands ta Consist w Enable Emag cy Stop Layout Shutdown w Enable Radio Fix ma Enable AIU Broadcast T Enable Function Refresh B System Factory Power On Reset Reset Cancel The first row of information shows the revision number together with the date and time of release of the software installed in EPROM within the Command Station Immediately below this are the System or Fast Clock settings showing that the clock is currently running at a Ratio of 10 times faster than real time and in 12 Hour Mode Click in any of the textboxes then type the required value on the keyboard to change the Clock Ratio or to set the time you wish to show on any of the Handheld Pro Cab LCD displays NCE Power Pro Command Station setup Software Revision Number Tue Mar 1 22 30 26 2007 F E TAE System Clock e a Parmer Stop Clock C Set Hour js Set Minute 24 Hour bode Aun Clock Changed values are highlighted with a pink background When you have completed all of the changes th
223. checkbox to select the contents of all CV Blocks to be printed or of selecting to print only the contents of specific CV Blocks by ticking the appropriate checkboxes as shown above Note that even if All is ticked only those CV Blocks used by the Item will be printed Cancel mim cs i i Page Onentation f Portrait f Landscape Click Print to send a text version of the selected Locomotive Item parameters to the printer Page 235 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The first page output contains the Item s Identity details plus the selected Decoder Manufacturer followed by all parameters defined by the NMRA DCC Standards as normally displayed under the Configuration Speed and Function Parameter Tabs of the Edit CVs window These main blocks of information can be seen from the examples which follow where the top block shows the Item s Description Type Addresses and Configuration together with the motor control parameters This is followed by details of the Item s Speed Tables if any and a graphical approximation of the Item s speed curve to the extent that it can be represented by text characters Finally there are details of how the Item s Functions are controlled in various configurations including any Function Remapping again shown graphically for clarity no Functions have been remapped in this example Subsequent pages list the full descriptions and current values of each of the Ite
224. ck Invert Selection to reverse the highlighting 4 5 Editing Cut Copy and Paste To facilitate copying and moving Items between Item Lists A Track incorporates a private storage area known as the Copy Buffer Copies of selected Items are moved into and taken from the Copy Buffer by using the Cut Copy and Paste operations on the Edit menu To select an Item which is to be the target of one of these Edit operations click on it the whole Item row is then highlighted To select a group of Items click on the first Item in the group hold down either Shift T key and click on the last Item in the group Single Items can be added to a selected group which may just be one other selected Item by clicking on the Item to be added while either Ctrl Control key is held down Conversely clicking on a selected Item while holding down either Ctrl key will deselect that Item and remove its highlighting Once one or more Items have been selected you can use either Cut or Copy to place copies of the selected Items in the Copy Buffer Page 55 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Note that when any Edit CVs window is open the whole Edit menu is disabled together with the Delete Item Cut Cut Append and Copy Append entries on the Pop Up menu and all of the relevant Toolbar icons Hence if you are unable to access the Item List Edit features check first that all Edit CVs windows have been closed Cut the amp icon on the
225. ck Reference Manual E Item Details D amp RGW Consolidation LokSelect 30 5ep 13 c5 935 X2H 026 2 410 Assign Function F4 Select Function F8 Physical 0 000 0000 936 X2H 027 2 411 Mot Used 0 0000 0000 937 X27H 0O78 2 412 Assign Function F4 Select Function F8 Logic 1 0 o000 0000 938 X2H 029 2 413 Assign Function F4 Select Function F8 Logic 2 0 0000 0000 X2H O30 2 414 Assign Function F4 Select Function F8 Sound 1 3 0000 0011 940 X2H 031 2 415 Assign Function F4 Select Function F8 Sound 2 0 o000 0000 A2H O3 2 416 Assign Function F4 Sound 3 129 1000 0001 a42 X2H 033 2 41 Mot Used 0 0000 000 O45 42H O34 2 418 Mot Used 0 0000 0000 9344 X2H 035 2 419 Mot Used 64 0100 0000 945 42H 0O390 2 420 Wot Used 0 oo0o0 0000 946 XAH OS 2 421 Wot Used 0 o0o00 0000 O47 AZH O38 2 422 Wot Used 0 ooo0 0000 X H 039 2 429 Not Used 0 0000 0000 949 X2H 040 2 424 Not Used 0 0000 0000 X2H 041 2 425 Not Used 0 0000 0000 951 X2H 042 2 426 Assign Function F5 Select Function F9 Physical o 0000 0000 O52 X2H 043 2 427 Mot Used 0 0000 0000 953 X2H 044 2 428 Assign Function FS Select Function F9 Logic 1 64 0100 0000 954 2H 045 2 429 Assign Function Fo Z Select Function F9 Logic 2 0 0000 0000 955 X2H 046 2 430 Assign Function F5 7 Select Function F9 Sound 1 0 o000 0000 956 X2H 047 2 431 Assign Function F5 Select Function F9 Sound 2 o 0000 0000 X2H 048 2 432 Assign Function F5 Sound 3 0 ooo00 0000
226. ck on either of the green or red control buttons d or Y associated with the Output Address to be programmed If multiple separate Output Addresses are to be programmed on the same decoder then this alternative method can involve fewer keystrokes than by using the Edit CVs window and the normal Program sequence While the Edit CVs window is the best way of programming the parameters of NCE accessory decoders which are held in Configuration Variables see Section 5 15 the parameters of decoders from other manufacturers such as Lenz and Digitrax are often programmed by issuing control commands to specific addresses You can do this by using the Operate Setup section of the soft controller window as seen below in the control window for a Lenz LS150 accessory decoder Item 22 McGilligan Lumber Lenz 5150 iin Incoming 1 ii Outgoing 1 Operate Setup C301 Ww Addr 0294 h d Addr 0296 Output Address mE FN to be Activated Incoming 2 Outgoing 2 Addr 0298 5 Addr 0300 Karmad Al din Warehouse h Maintenance Check Bouie b h d Addr 0303 h d Addr 0305 LN Output 7 LN Output 3 aan Suet aus phions ose 7 7 Pe Using the LS150 decoder s pushbutton and indicator LED to set the decoder into programming mode following the manufacturer s instructions the address of each of the six Outputs is programmed into the decoder in sequence by clicking either of the green or red control buttons 4 amp o
227. cking the Zero button as is fairly obvious will set all of the VStart VMid and VHigh values to their default state of zero 000 where they will have no effect on the speed characteristics of the decoder and the Locomotive The normal way of setting the 3 Step Table is simply to click within one of the three white columns on the graph near to the desired value for Vstart Vmid or Vhigh When you press down on the left mouse button the relevant red marker will change colour to green then when you release the mouse button the marker will move to the position of the mouse cursor Alternatively you can click on one of the red markers changing its colour to green hold down the left mouse button and drag the marker upwards to the required value Page 91 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Note that dragging a marker generally works fine in Windows XP but depending on your graphics controller in Windows Vista 7 and 8 you may see a trail of marker images as you drag the selected marker up or down While this is a little distracting it does not affect the final position of the marker or the corresponding speed value Either clicking or dragging you will find that the markers are constrained to move only vertically and to stay within the limits of the vertical scale When the mouse button is released the current value of the associated table entry will be shown in the yellow textbox located next to the bottom left c
228. coders A Track gives you total control over decoder programming and locomotive tuning You can make changes to the decoder parameters directly without having to compute or type in complicated numerical values then immediately try out the effects and decide whether to keep the alterations or go back to the original values Being able to keep back up copies of each decoder s settings is especially valuable if you make an error in programming one or more parameters and completely upset your careful tailoring of a locomotive s performance and characteristics A Track will allow you to retrieve the previous decoder set up and restore the locomotive to the state it was in before your inadvertent mistake Because A Track lets you look at the decoder set ups for several locomotives at the same time and see the differences between them it is relatively simple to tune the speed and function characteristics of these locomotives to run together in a consist You can then run the locomotives individually or together in the consist on the track directly from the PC screen in order to check out the results returning to the programming function if necessary to complete any fine tuning Whenever you purchase a new locomotive which is similar to one already in your roster you can save a lot of programming time and effort by using A Track to copy the decoder parameters from the configured locomotive to the new one after making a back up copy of the
229. ctical limit to the number of different Command Station or Cab setups which can be saved to or restored from the computer s permanent or removable storage 1 4 Additional Facilities Using A Track you can look at and compare the major characteristics of any items of equipment on your roster to check for example that two locomotives have not been allocated the same DCC address and thus avoid any future conflicts when attempting to operate them simultaneously on the same layout It is also possible to view complete groups of CVs together in a decoder rather than only one CV at a time to simplify complex set up operations such as function re mapping or the definition of speed tables A Track allows all or part of the equipment roster to be saved to CD R to USB flash drive memory stick or to any other medium for safe keeping or for loading into another A Track NCE system elsewhere Sets of CV values can be copied from one decoder to another which can significantly reduce the time to program and set up a new locomotive added to your roster Programming of decoders can be performed directly from A Track through the NCE equipment on either the Main Track Operations Mode or on a separate Program Track Service Mode Use of Service Mode on the Program Track allows the programmed values to be read back and verified as correct before releasing the locomotive under control on the Main Track Note that the NCE Power Pro has limited
230. ction Status FL F9 F12 Bi Directional Communication Configuration Configuration Data Consist Address Consist Address Active for F1 F8 Consist Address Active for FL FO F12 Deceleration Adjustment Read Werity Cys Decoder Manufacturer Copy all CV s Basic Other NMRA f P with Indexed Pages Specific Manufacturer f Select from list below Paste Main Cvs Digitras Ine r Paste Exten d Cvs View CY Block Deceleration Aate Paste Inder Li s Extended f Decoder Access Unlock Lo 001 128 i al a Decoder Automatic Stopping Configuration Update Item l Indexed 4 Indeved2 Decoder Lock ID Code Hi 129 256 Indeved 3 ff ndeved4 i EMP Feedback Cutout Extended Address LS 6 Bits Extended Address M5 6 Bits Forward Trim nan Indexed Page Address High Byte aaa Indexed Page Address Low Byte Eick Start Output Control for Function FOT Output Control for Function FO Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function F04 Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function FOB Output Control for Function FAF Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function FOS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 T 8 4 One or more CV Description Tabs will be displayed in the righthand panel with each Tab containing a list of CVs arranged alphabetically relating to the type of DCC Decoder selected in the Decoder Manufacturer section of the Pages Parameter Tab The Basic CV Description Tab will always be shown regard
231. d automatically every 6 minutes the NCE menu is disabled in order to avoid any conflicts in accessing the Command Station If this refresh interferes with your backup or setup operations for example it can be stopped as described in Section 3 5 by using the Refresh Item Allocation amp Status option on the View menu 7 1 Command Station Data Backup and Restore When performing any backup operation and particularly a backup of NCE Handheld Cab parameters you should not operate any of the Handheld Cabs so that the Command Station is not active in generating any new DCC commands From the NCE menu click on System Backup to transfer the current System settings from the Command Station to A Track These settings include those for the System Fast Clock allowed operations by Handheld Cabs and locomotive Momentum amongst other parameters together with the Serial Port Baud Rate The transfer only takes a second or two to complete but you may get a glimpse of the normal data transfer progress bar A standard Save As window will then open requesting you to choose a destination folder for the copied System data In the example shown below a new folder to hold backup files has been created within My Documents Click Open to open the new folder or select an existing folder by double clicking on it Save NCE Memory Backup i 21 xi Save in My Documents eae Fe O A Track Item Archives C SampleDocs d 5 My PSP8 Fi
232. d fab E 01 Oz 03 04 05 DE OF o PEM io 1 i2 13 14 15 d Cab Detected which will result in the background of all the Allocated Items textboxes changing to light green Allocated Items Item Description Spd Functions ltem dealocated from Cab ltem dealocated from Cab ltem dealocated from Cab ltem dealocated from Cab ltem deallocated from Cab ltem dealocated from Cab Cab Connected Status Retesh Selected Cab 0 Oz 03 04 05 DE OF o PEM io 1 12 13 14 15 d Cab Detected At this point because the NCE Command Station has been reset it is not possible to make any further immediate changes to the selected Cab so the only action available is to click the Finish button and thus close the Cab Status amp Setup window 40 4 42 43 44 45 46 4 y Cab Data Loaded 40 49 50 5l gz JE a4 oo 56 oF gg od BO E be E3 Finish While the program is running A Track remembers the last Handheld Cab Address selected so that the next time the Handheld Cab Status amp Setup window is opened from the NCE menu that Cab will be selected and its parameters and allocations displayed in the relevant sections However if A Track is closed and then re started the selected Cab will revert to the default of Cab 02 Page 230 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 7 5 Using Handheld Cabs without an LCD Display Although perhaps not widely appreciated the setup parameters and facilities of the NCE Cab 04 Cab 0
233. d then you may choose to temporarily remove the actual locomotive physically from the Consist place it on your Program Track and re program whichever parameters are necessary Once the correct Items are present in the Item List you can then re open the Consist Item New Consist 28 Edit CVs window and add the Locomotives into the Consist as shown previously This ensures that all of the Consist and Multiple parameters and their CV values are maintained fully consistent You may then give the Consist an appropriate Description before clicking Update Item to copy it back into the Item List Although the procedures described in this section should result in the implementation of correctly configured Consists in both A Track and the NCE Command Station there may be occasions where one of the constituent Locomotives fails to be programmed with the correct Consist Address when the Consist is activated such as not being physically present on the track at the time It is possible to fix this by directly programming the Consist Address into the affected Locomotive Multiple on either the Mainline or the Program Track using the techniques described in Sections 5 5 and 5 10 This should be regarded as a repair operation only since it will not have any effect on the definition of the Consist in either the NCE Command Station or A Track Page 150 of 303 Version 4 3 2 5 13 A Track Reference Manual Open an Edit CVs window by double clicking on
234. d 150 1001 0110 1 279 Not Used oo0 0000 0000 1 250 Not Used 000 0000 0000 1 251 Not Used 000 0000 0000 1 252 Mot Used 000 0000 0000 1 283 Slot 4 Volume Bell Signal Horn 2 o99 0110 0011 1 254 Not Used 00i 0000 0001 1 255 Mot Used 126 1000 0000 1 256 Not Used 1286 1000 0000 1 287 Not Used ocd ooo0 0000 1 2568 Not Used 000 0000 0000 1 259 Mot Used 000 0000 0000 1 290 Mot Used 000 0000 0000 1 291 Slot 5 Volume Shovelling Oil Firebox Fan Motor Aux 2 126 1000 0000 1 292 Not Used 00i 0000 0001 1 293 Mot Used 126 1000 0000 1 294 Mot Used 128 1000 0000 1 295 Mot Used a00 0000 0000 1 296 Mot Used O00 0000 0000 1 297 Mot Used 000 0000 0000 1 298 Mot Used 000 0000 0000 1 299 Slot 6 Volume Air Pump Compressor Dynamo Dynamic Brake 126 1000 0000 1 300 Not Used O00 0000 0000 1 301 Not Used 128 1000 0000 1 302 Not Used 1286 1000 0000 1 303 Mot Used 000 0000 0000 1 304 Mot Used 000 0000 0000 1 305 Mot Used a00 0000 0000 1 306 Mot Used 000 ooo0 0000 1 307 Slot 7 Volume Station Announcement 1 Air Pump Compressor 126 1000 0000 1 308 Not Used O01 0000 0001 1 309 Not Used 128 1000 0000 1 310 Not Used 128 1000 0000 Page 14 Printed 30 Sep 2013 Loco O15 Item Details LokSound Sound Decoder CVs CV1 257 to CV1 310 Page 240 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 8 4 Printing to a Text File To send your printed output to a file rather than to paper select Text File in the Output section of the Print Items window then make
235. d CV value has been set click OK to transfer the new value to the selected location in the CV Value Grid or click Cancel to discard the entered value and leave the existing CV value unchanged Important Note A Track does not perform any checks that the value entered into the selected CV is valid or an allowed value for the parameter to which that CV is allocated You must ensure that the value entered is within the limits defined by either the NMRA DCC Standards and Recommended Practices or the Decoder Manufacturer for the selected Configuration Variable You can use this facility as a simple converter to view any decimal hexadecimal or binary number in both of its other forms although the range of numbers it can handle is restricted to 0 to 255 decimal 00 to FF hexadecimal or 00000000 to 11111111 binary Page 101 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 6 Accessing Further CV Pages Sound and Complex Functions For Locomotive Items click on the Pages Parameter Tab to access the additional pages of CVs associated with decoders which provide Sound and Complex Function features This Tab is not enabled for Consists or Accessories An additional panel opens extending the normal Edit CVs window to the right as shown below Item 27 Configuration Yariables ltem Description DRG Truck Shay DM142 Acceleration Adjustment Acceleration Rate Alternate Mode Function Status F1 F8 Alternate Mode Fun
236. d Yarable file formats f Printer Auto Brother HL 760 on TERR Y ATHLOW Printer Setup Content Select C Blocks All Haze f ltem Summary i ltem Details P Print GY Values Extended Items Indexed 1 ff All lkerme Indeved 2 f Curent Selection Indeed 3 f Checked Items lndeved 4 Page Size Ad f Letter What is printed is determined by the Content selection where you can choose to print an Item Summary which is essentially same as the Item List Details View as Shown on the screen or Item Details which gives you full details of each Item For either chosen Content option you can select an Items option to print the relevant information about all Items in the Item List or to restrict what is printed to only those Items which are currently either selected highlighted or checked Cancel f Landscape A Track can print the selected information to pages which are formatted for output to either A4 297mm x 210mm 11 69 x 8 27 or Letter 11 x 8 5 279mm x 216mm size sheets in either Portrait or Landscape orientations by selecting the appropriate options under Page Size and Page Orientation If printing to a Printer you can use the Printer Setup facility Shown below to select a particular printer to receive the output and to set its specific parameters but be aware that any Paper Size settings selected here apply only to the actual paper that is to be loaded to the printer These physical size settings are complete
237. d4 i EMF Feedback Cutout Extended Address LS 8 Bits Extended Address MS 6 Bits Forward Trim Cv 0 BAM ooo ooo oooi ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo oog ooo ooo oog indexed Page Address High Byte 1 Update ltem Close 000 ooo O00 O00 OOO oOo ooo O00 ooo OOO oon OOO 000 a ala Low Byte 000 000 ooo 000 000 ooo O00 ooo O00 O00 ooo 000 000 Output Control for Function FOI Although the Basic Other selction gives you an Item where you can handle the full range of CVs for the most complex decoders with access to all CV Pages it does suffer from the disadvantage that it only has a single Basic Description Tab Hence you will need to refer to the manufacturer s documentation in order to identify which CVs you need to access and program in order to extract the required functionality from the decoder Consideration will be given to supporting decoders from other manufacturers in future releases of A Track if there is sufficient demand from users Page 110 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 7 Serial User Standard Interface SUSI SUSI is an interface for adding a slave or secondary decoder to the primary DCC decoder proposed by the German company Dietz Modellbahntechnik It is intended to support sound and complex function decoders and has been provisionally incorporated in the NMRA DCC standards where it is allocated the use of CV897 to CV1024 inclusive Although SUSI does not appear to have achieved any gen
238. date ten Confirm Cancel ose ooo O00 O00 ODD ooo ooo ooo oga 000 000 O01 000 ooo ooo ooo oga 000 ooo O00 oon 000 001 ooo 000 000 O00 O00 000 ooo O00 O00 O00 ooo OOO O00 O00 12 O00 O00 O00 z UD G oa aT Fa a a ell Clicking on the NCE Options button in the Access y Scope area will then highlight the parameter values in the CV Grid in yellow or orange in this case since the CVs were already marked as changed with a pink highlight If you do not want to program all of the NCE Options at this time you can remove the yellow or orange highlight from those you want to leave as they are by holding down either Ctrl Control key on your keyboard and then clicking on the relevant cell in the CV Grid If you make a mistake you can restore the highlight by simply clicking on the CV cell again while continuing to hold down a Ctrl key To assist selection of the correct CV descriptions of each CV will pop up when you hover the mouse cursor over each cell in the CV Grid Update lten lose O00 ooo O00 O00 ODD ong 035 ooo ooo ooo oga O00 000 000 000 O01 000 000 O00 ooo ooo ooo ona O00 000 000 000 O00 ooo 000 000 000 001 ooo 000 000 O00 00 OOo O00 O00 O00 OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO O00 192 O00 OOO OOO OOO OOD 0 1 2 3 4 5 G T B 4 Page 164 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual When you are satisfied click Confirm to proceed where progress will be
239. dated Macros and Descriptions can then be saved to a new set of backup files on your computer s hard disk or removable storage For the present example you can first delete the Descriptions attached to any blank Macros such as Macros 000 004 and 007 by right clicking on the Description in the Macro Grid to highlight the text in the then pressing first the Del Delete key followed by the Enter Return key Next right click in the Description field of each displayed Command Station Macro and then type in a suitable description to replace the highlighted text in the Selected Macro Description textbox followed by the Enter Return key Select Macro Set Macro 000 063 ff Edited Macro 064 127 C Selected Selected Macro Number Macro Entry 1 Selected Macro ve Description Aldboro Siding C Edit Macro Enter Yalue 7 Accesso Address Normal ccept Edit Link to Macro 0145 Route F Retrieve set Update Set Go To Linked Cancel Mac 1 2 3 4 5 6 f g 4 10 Description 000 oon OOOO ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 001 OOS9N 0032 0000 agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Mainline Gregson OO2 0089A 0050A 0051A 0092A 0 ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Gregson Silver 1 003 0089A O0S0N 0051M 0092A 0 ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Gregson Siver 2 004 000d gogg ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 005 0265N O92 O00 agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 ForestFlat Thru 006
240. e current Item List before it is closed Save As Saves the currently open Item List to permanent storage A standard Windows Save File Dialog is displayed allowing you to navigate to the drive and folder where the current Item List is to be saved You can either enter a new filename under which to save the Item List or click Save to save the List under its existing filename If you choose the latter option then you are asked to confirm that you wish to overwrite the previous version of the Item List Shortcut Key Ctrl S Toolbar Icon i Save Checked Saves only those Items in the open Item List which are checked ie where the checkbox to the left of the Item Description is ticked to permanent storage A standard Windows Save File Dialog is displayed allowing you to navigate to the drive and folder where the current Item List is to be saved You can either enter a new filename under which to save the Item List or click Save to save the List under its existing filename If you choose the latter option then you are asked to confirm that you wish to overwrite the previous version of the Item List Note By choosing to overwrite the existing Item List you will permanently lose all those Items which were not checked so make sure that you really want to eliminate them or have another copy stored safely elsewhere Shortcut Key None Toolbar Icon Properties Displays details of the currently open Item List file including file format
241. e A Track program is uninstalled close the open Control Panel window Before running the Setup File by double clicking on it ensure that no other applications are running on the PC Although the Setup File will normally run immediately under Windows XP in the case of either Windows Vista Windows 7 or Windows 8 the standard operating system in built security measures as described in the preceding section on installation from the distribution CD will prompt you to allow the file to run click Yes to continue You may also receive some cautionary messages from any anti virus or Internet security software which is installed on your machine 3 4 Installing A Track Step by Step If installing from the Installation Package click on Install Program or otherwise locate and double click on the SetUp File A Track43 1 SetUp exe in the appropriate folder to start the installation The default security settings in Windows Vista Windows 7 or Windows 8 but not under Windows XP will then display a couple of warnings requiring you to allow the set up program to run and you may also receive some cautionary messages from any anti virus or Internet security software which is installed on your machine before the A Track SetUp Welcome screen shown below is displayed Again as noted in the SetUp window it is recommended that any other open programs or windows are closed before proceeding further Page 15 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Referen
242. e Address Low Byte Kick Start Output Control for Function FOT Output Control for Function FO Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function F04 Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function FOE Output Control for Function FAF Output Control for Function FUS Output Control for Function FOS SS eT Fa ee In order to add four Indexed Pages to the Item click to tick the With Indexed Pages checkbox next to the Basic Other option with the result shown below Item 25 Configuration ariables i ltem Description Colorado Southern 2 6 0 Mogul Basic Acceleration Adjustment Program Lis Conti Speed Funct n P Acceleration Rate __ Program Cvs Config Speed Funct n alee Alternate Mode Function Status F1 Fe Ready erty Cys Decoder Manufacturer Alternate Mode Function Status FL F9 F12 Bi Directional Communication Configuration Cony All C s Basic Other NMRA of z fe With Indexed Pages F snliguahon ala Specific Manufactures Select from list below Consist Address oT Consist Address Active for F1 F8 Basic Uther NMRA CY Definitions Consist Address Active for FL F9 F12 Deceleration Adjustment Paste Main Cvs Paste Index d Cy View C Block Access CY Page Deceleration Rate e En i Eea teek z Lo 001 128 Race e Decoder Access Unlock Paste Extend Eris Decoder Automatic Stopping Configurati eed Ind C Derose sister ton Hi 129 256 Indexed 3 f Indexe
243. e Manual As an example we could transfer the Silver Pass Macros in Macro Set 128 191 introduced in Section 6 2 into the same Set as the Pine Creek Yard Macros defined in Macro Set 000 063 in Section 6 1 perhaps in order to control switching operations associated with freight traffic between the Heath Sawmill at Pine Creek and McGilligan Lumber at Silver Pass Assuming we have both groups of Macros loaded click the Macro 128 191 option in the Select Macro Set area to bring the Silver Pass Macros into view Click on Macro 135 hold down either Shift key and click on Macro 140 to select the complete Macro group 134 OOOO OOOO agaa aga OO00 OO00 agaa aga aaga aga i56 N 0157M 0o00 cooo oooo ooog cooo oooo SS SilverPass Through O156R O294N O305N O1S7R Oooo O00 oO00 cooo 0000 0000S SilverPass Passing O156R 0294A O296N O298N 0000 cooo oooo 000 8O000 0000 6 SPassW McGLmb DI56R 0294A 0296M 0298A 0200A o000 oooo cooo Oooo 0000 SPassW McGLmbB MSZA 0305A 0303A 0296A O298N 0000 Oooo cooo 0000 O000 SPassE McGLmbeA MSZA 0305A O303N O300N pooo o000 oO00 cooo 0000 0000 SPassE McGLmbe 0o00 opoo ood oo oooo oooo cooo oomo ooga 142 0000 cooo oooo cooo cooo oooo cooo cooo oooo onoo 143 0000 agg ogg ogg ogg ogg ogg ogg O00 ogg Copy Sel Macros Paste Sel Macros Clear Sel Macros Aun Sel Macros 141 Close Click Copy Sel Macros then click the Macro 00
244. e NCE documentation together in his System Technical Manual and continues to add to this data in his web pages A Track could not have advanced as far as it has done without this invaluable reference material The author would also like to thank the members of the Cochise and Western Model Railroad Club and Charles Cole in particular for their assistance in testing and using A Track under real operating conditions and for their patient support and help in ironing out the many bugs that cropped up during development NCE Corporation was not involved in the creation or development of A Track Page 4 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 1 A TRACK AND YOUR NCE DCC SYSTEM As you may have noticed this Reference Manual is a fairly large document which describes all features of A Track in detail You are not expected to read all of it before using A Track but rather to dip into it as required when you want to use specific A Track facilities For the key points that you do need to know before getting to grips with the program see the Installation Notes and the User Guide 1 1 Principal Features of A Track A Track for Windows A Track is a powerful FREE extension to complement the facilities of your NCE Corporation Power Cab or Power Pro Digital Command Control system and to assist you in running your roster of locomotives on your model railroad A Track is a software application which runs under Windows XP Windows Vista Windows
245. e Power Pro Command Station or a Backup file can now be cancelled at any point up to the final confirmation without affecting the state of the Item List Adjusted timing and repetition of commands sent during Consist Activation routines to improve reliability of the process and ensure that all assigned Locomotives are programmed correctly Corrected error where the Allocate option on the Item or PopUp menus was not properly enabled for all Items assigned to a Consist Mult Lead Mult Mid and Mult Rear Corrected setting of Edited and Not Programmed flags for Consists and Multiples so that they are consistent with flag settings for Locomotives and Accessories Before attempting to Activate a Consist defined in the Item List a check is now made that an NCE Command Station is connected and operational otherwise a warning is displayed Added CV Descriptions and List sets for Lenz TCS including sound and Broadway Paragon 2 decoders to the Edit CVs facility a specific Decoder Manufacturer is now selected from a drop down list on the Pages tab rather than via separate option buttons Print routines updated to include additional descriptions lists Page 296 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Slow update of the CV Value grid observed following changes to or selection of sets of CVs cured by preventing re display of the new grid contents until all changes are complete Cell shading of unused CV locations on Indexed
246. e Set which is selected have been edited and not yet saved a warning prompt will be displayed Abandon Macro Changes x A Selected Macro Set has been edited Do you wish bo continue and discard all edits that have been made to this Set Click No to abandon the load process and allow you the opportunity to save your changes to the currently displayed Macros Otherwise click Yes to proceed when the normal NCE Data Transfer progress bar will appear after which the loaded Command Station Macros if any will be displayed Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Select Macro Set Selected Selected Macro Number 007 Macro Entry 1 Macro 000 063 Loaded Selected Macro Main Silver P Macro 064 127 Description Edit Macro Macro 126 191 Enter Yalue A Si Macro 192 205 f Accessory ie Address Momal f _ Accept Edit t Link to Macro poog Route Eaa Description al ngoj D000 ngoj OO00 ngoj Mainline FineCreek E OOBSH o0s2N OOOO OO00 ngoj Aunaround Pinelrk 0059A OOYOR 0091A 0092A Heath 5 awmill 1 009A OOSON 0091N 0092A g n Heath Sawmill 2 ngoj D000 ngoj OO00 ngoj Fine Creek Stores 0265H O192N O000 OO00 ngoj O Grady Leather 0dis2A 000 OO00 ogoi Maintenance Shed O000 ngoj OO00 ngoj Main Silver Pass D000 ngoj OO00 ogoh D000 ngoj OO00 ngoj O46 Ol4 N og ngoj 046R Olr N 8 og ngoj O46 0147A 0000 0000 O46 Ol4 N 8 OO00 ngoj OO00 OO00 ngoj OO00 ngoj OO00 poni n
247. e aE W Enable OP Toggle Snap lt Recharge o F W No Legacy Ops Prog Snap lt Qutput Ma 35 Update Item Disable P Button P s y Config Addrs Enable OVP Exercise switch Kat Output Joon Close a Ere er of Outputs 2 gt Output Address Sel Output 1 CY Ox Tx 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x fx 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x pgram Accessory Output 2 E BIELE BIELE nw nnn nnn nnn nnn nor 4A ie sD nm nan Be ee Sequential Addresses Output 3 Paste Extend Ciis NCE Options Output 4 Output 5 Paste Index d Cvs Enable O P Toggle I No Legacy Ops Prog Output E Update ltem Disable P Button Ps Output 7 M Enable OP Exercise Output 8 i i Der Senay wie Close Item 23 Configuration Yariables ax By Gx fx Sx 9x 10x 11x1 12 2a Item Description Pine Creek rard NCE Switch 8 Program Cis Addrs Read Yerty Cys Wiumberor Outs ls gt Output Address Sel Output 7 Copy All CVs Program Accessory Output 2 im Paste Mammy Sequential addresses Output 3 Paste Extend Eys NCE Options Output 4 E C Enable 0 P Toggle Output 5 Ho Legacy Ops Prog Output 6 Update Item Disable P Button vs Gutput If Rev Output Polarity Output 8 Close C Ox ix 2x 3x 4x 5x Gx Zx 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x 7 Annan nnn nw nnn nnn nnn nnn Ann nwa nnn nnn Annan eee eee oe Note that some of the NCE Options apply to individual outputs such as Rev Outp
248. e address you have provided to acknowledge your support request and to inform you of any consequent updates to the A Track software If you have any other comments regarding A Track or anything else on the website then you are very welcome to forward them using the Contact form 4 Top of Page 4 Home Copyright JT Chamberlain 2004 2013 All rights reserved All trademarks and logos used in these pages are the property of their respective holders Page Last Updated 25 September 2013 i Page 258 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If you would like a copy of your submitted request report to be e mailed to you for your own records click to tick the Send a copy to yourself checkbox Finally click the Submit button to complete the request process Your entries will be checked for validity and error messages will be displayed on the page if any entry is judged to be incorrect or inconsistent If this occurs simply correct the erroneous text enter the new security code which will be displayed and click Submit again Once all entries are accepted an acknowledgement message will be displayed as Shown below Due to the limited resources available on some occasions it may not be possible to reply individually to your submitted support request or problem report but you will be informed when any necessary corrections have been incorporated in a future release of the software Note that A Train Systems will never disclose your e
249. e changed No WCE Cabs should be operated during this period Do vou wish bo proceed Click No to abandon the Power On Reset operation Otherwise if you have locomotives under control on the layout at this time then you may wish to bring them all to a controlled halt before clicking Yes Also as stated in the warning notice any amendments you might have made to the Command Station Setup parameters before pressing the Power On Reset button will be disregarded and not transferred to the Command Station Page 215 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Completion of the reset operation is confirmed as usual by the Power On Reset button being shown with a light green background System Factory Power On Rezet Click Close to remove the Command Station Setup window from the screen Then if you still wish to change any other parameters re open it from the NCE menu The second large button System Factory Reset allows you as is fairly obvious to return the Command Station parameters to the state they were in when the unit was originally delivered Before using this facility it is worth considering whether you should make backups of some if not all of the current settings before erasing them completely To avoid accidental loss of Command Station parameters clicking System Factory Reset does not result in immediate data erasure Instead you are first presented with a request to proceed Confirm Action x
250. e from the same website While driver installations follow a fairly standard set of steps the details can vary a lot between manufacturers It is very important therefore that you read any instructions before doing anything and then follow them exactly in the course of installation most failed installations result from skipping a vital step or doing things in the wrong order Before starting to install driver software ensure that the active User has administrative rights this is the normal status when the operating system is either Windows XP Home or Media Edition and in both Windows Vista and Windows 7 Starter or Home Editions but you may need to log on as an Administrator when using Windows XP Professional Edition Windows Vista and Windows 7 Business Professional or Ultimate Editions or Windows 8 Professional or Enterprise Edition As an illustration of how to proceed three examples are given below one for the NCE USB Interface unit another for a Keyspan USB to Serial interface adapter and finally advice on how to deal with the cheaper type of adapters which employ chipsets made by Prolific However be aware that all driver software and their installation programs tend to be updated frequently so the installation steps to be followed for the version you obtain for your adapter may not be exactly as shown in the following paragraphs NCE USB Interface Unit The NCE USB Interface unit is not supplied with any software but t
251. e power from the Command Station by unplugging it from the supply wait for 30 seconds for the Command Station to fully reset itself about 20 seconds after the red Status LED on the Command Station front panel stops flashing rapidly then plug it back into the power supply It should now be safe to press OK to remove the warning message and then after a few seconds to restart the failed restore operation as soon as you see that the NCE indicators on the status bar at the bottom righthand corner of the A Track window have both changed back from red or yellow to green indicating that all initialisation operations have been completed 7 2 Command Station Setup and Status As well as saving and restoring the NCE Command Station System parameters to or from a backup file on your PC A Track also allows you to view and amend the complete Command Station parameter setup on the PC screen Click Command Station Setup on the NCE menu to see the current values of all System parameters The example below shows the Command Station settings as Originally delivered from the factory Page 212 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Software Revision Number Tue Mar 1 22 30 26 2007 F Ea aiad System Clock Set Ratio System Real Time 10 12 Hour blode ff Stop Clock f Set Hour foo Set Minute 04 24 Hour Hode C Run lock t Highest Cab Enabled Use Program Track foo Program on Main foo Assign Loco to Cab foo Program Ac
252. e stock items by the manufacturer The NCE Timing parameters are displayed next to the other NCE Options on the Addrs Parameter Tab where you can enter the value or values you require in the relevant textbox having checked the decoder documentation for the allowable range of values Page 165 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 276 Configuration ariables La Item Description Forest Flat Depot 1 HCE Srap lt Frogram y s Addrs Readeru Cy s Humber ef Dipu BA Output Address Sel Output 1 Copy All CVs Program Accessor Output 2 E fe este Main CVs Wam e Sequentialiddresses Output 3 Paste Extend cvs NCE Options NCE Timing ai e E Enable 0 F Toggle Snap lt Recharge o F iW No Legacy Ops Frog Snap lt Output E Update ltem W Disable P Buttor Ps l Enable O P Exercise Switch Kat Output Joon Close C Ox 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x Gx 7x Sx 9x 10x 11x 12x ane monn Ann nn AR A A a I aA a Aa After you click Program Accessory and have answered OK to the normal request to configure the decoder for programming when you click on the NCE Options button on the Program CVs page a further message will be displayed Select Program Scope x Pi Do you wish to program the Capacitor Recharge and 7 Qutpuk On Times For the NCE Snap It Decoder or the Output On Time For the NCE Switch Kat Decoder Clicking Yes will select the relevant NCE Timing CVs in the C
253. e to take adequate steps to protect A Track Page 302 of 303 A Track Reference Manual for Windows from unauthorised disclosure or use You agree that you will not disclose internal details of the licenced version of A Track for Windows or of any parts of it to any third party 9 DISCLAIMER A Train Systems expressly disclaims all warranties whether express implied or statutory including without limitation the implied warranties of merchantability of fitness for a particular purpose non infringement of third party intellectual property rights and any warranty that may arise by reason of trade usage custom or course of dealing Without limiting the foregoing you acknowledge that A Track for Windows is provided as is and that A Train Systems does not warrant that A Track for Windows will run uninterrupted or error free nor that A Track for Windows will operate with hardware and or software not provided by A Train Systems This disclaimer of warranty constitutes an essential part of the agreement Some states do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties so the above exclusion may not apply to you and you may have other rights which vary from state to state 10 LIMITED LIABILITY The entire risk as to results and performance of A Track for Windows is assumed by you Under no circumstances will A Train Systems or its licensors be liable for any direct or special indirect incidental exemplary or consequential damage
254. e when connected to a Program Track Instead they are normally programmed in Operations Mode via the Mainline Track in conjunction with manual manipulation of direct electrical connections jumpers or switches on the decoder The exception is the range of Accessory decoders produced by NCE Corporation which use a set of CVs to hold various options and parameters The CVs in question will be printed on the second page of Item Details as shown below Accessory CV Block CVs 001 128 CV No Description 033 NCE Switch 8 Reverse Output Polarity 034 Reserved for Manufacturer use 035 NCE Switch It Enable Output Exercise 036 NCE Switch It Snap It Enable Output A Toggle 037 NCE Switch It Enable Output B Toggle 038 NCE Snap It Capacitor Recharge Time 039 Reserved for Manufacturer use 040 NCE Snap It Output On Time Reserved for Manufacturer use NCE Switch It Snap It Disable Legacy Ops Programming Reserved for Manufacturer use NCE Switch It Snap It Disable Pushbutton Inputs Reserved for Manufacturer use Rasorved fo anufacturer use Since no modern Accessory decoders support a connection to a Program Track it is not possible to read and verify the state of their CVs and programmed parameters directly in order to load the data into an Item in the Item List and then Subsequently to produce a printout or print file like those shown above Details of Accessory Items will generally have to be created manually in an Edit CVs window settin
255. ecoder Unsolicited I I T NCE Decoder e nnn on ann Ann NANANA NANN NANANA Ann ANAL UNO NANANA NAN O O NNN jette a oe Auxiliary Input Activation HB Sot Be GS E On Outputs 1 4 Address Tjme On Efo ceso foon er ooo oez oos Decoder Address value derived from Selected Output Address 000 000 000 023 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 NNN NANN NANN NANNAN NANANA NANNA NANANA NANNA NANNAN NANANA NANNA NANNAN NNN Page 157 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If you enter a new value in the Acc y Output Addr textbox on the Identity Tab then this value will be transferred to the currently selected Output Address on the Addrs Tab as well as updating the Decoder Address and the addresses shown on the Config Tab Be aware that if the Sequential Addresses checkbox is ticked then a Output Addresses will be updated as well as the selected active Address Returning to the initial setup of a new Accessory Item if the target decoder is an accessory decoder manufactured by NCE Corporation then as well as ticking the Manuf Specific checkbox in the Programming area you should also tick the now enabled NCE Decoder checkbox As before this action will enable display of the Addrs Parameter Tab but when you click on the Addrs Tab and select the Number of Outputs as 1 from the drop down list only three of the eight Output Address textboxes will be shown together with two
256. ed The only reliable way to check that the decoder programming has been successful is to perform a subsequent Read Verify operation on the Program Track Once the Program operation has completed fully click Finish to close the process and return to display the previous Parameter Tab Programming on the Mainline Track is performed in exactly the same way as on the Program Track but before clicking the Confirm button to start the operation click the checkbox labelled Program on Main Track to place a tick in it This will disable the Program Track access Modes The example which follows shows the Operations Mode programming of the decoder s Speed Table CV67 to CV94 which has just been set up under the Speed Parameter Tab so that the CVs are highlighted in pink Page 124 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual As with Read Verify clicking Cancel at any time will stop the Program operation as soon as possible displaying the appropriate status message as shown in the result below Item 25 Configuration Yariables SINA item Description AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN140 Program Configuration Variables CV Range CV Scope Mode gt f Current View C AllCVs C Paged C All CY Blocks C Selected C Direct Changed C Register C Address Program on i Main Track Operations Mode Selected eno a AQUI GT oT X Cancelled Program of Selected 0 1 2 3 Pi
257. ed Funct n FP i __ Program Cvs Identity Config Speed Funct n SS SUSI Alternate Mode Function Status F1 F8 ReadVerify Cvs Decoder Manufacturer Altermate Mode Function Status FL F3 F12 Sart aca OTa Bi Directional Communication Configuration Copy All CVs Basic Other NMRA f P with Indexed Pages Configuration Data Specific Manufacturer Select from list below Consist Address Consist Address Active for F1 F JESU Lok Sound Consist Address Active for FL F9 F12 Paste Extend Eye Deceleration Adjustment View CY Block Access C Page Deceleration Fate Paste Man Es Paste Indera Evis Decoder Access Unlock Lo 001 128 C Extended Decoder Automatic Stopping Configuration Update Iten i Indexed 1 Indexed2 Decoder Lock ID Code Hi 125 256 i Indexed f Indexed d 7 EMF Feedback Cutout Extended Address LS 6 Bits Extended Address MS 6 Bits Forward Trim Indexed Page Address High Byte oa a eee a Indexed Page Address Low Byte Kick Start 123 O00 164 K O00 OOO add Output Control for Function FOT inr AA Output Control for Function FOZ Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function F04 ua ae Output Control for Function FOS O00 OO Use Output Control for Function FOG O00 Output Control for Function FO ooo opa oga Output Control for Function FOS 000 Output Control for Function FOS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 T 8 g When a Block of CVs from an Extended or Indexed Page is being displa
258. ed Cab from the Command Station and display them in the Allocated Items list Clicking on Cab Address 09 for example would result in the window contents shown below where Cab 09 has only a single locomotive allocated to it at present Page 61 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Allocate Item to NCE Cab Cab Select 49 ou 5l oF gg od Allocated Items Item Description Addr Alloc Gandy Dancer 07120 one fiter not found in Loaded ltem List oop B item not found in Loaded ltem List oog c ERNE _ ia r Having selected a particular NCE Cab the next step is to select a suitable slot to which to allocate the selected Item that was originally right clicked or selected in the Item List The number of allocation slots available is determined by the Recall Depth defined for the selected NCE Cab see Section 7 4 In the examples shown above Cab 02 has a Recall Depth of 6 with 3 slots currently allocated including one to a Locomotive with Address 0060 which is not in the loaded Item List whereas Cab 09 has a Recall Depth of 3 with only one slot allocated The locomotive or consist shown in the topmost slot Slot 1 of a Cab is the one which is under active control by that specific Cab Returning to the first example showing the allocation status of NCE Cab 02 you can see that Slot 4 is currently unallocated since it is shown with address OOOO Hence this is the most obvious slot to wh
259. ed because of a connection problem correct it and restart the Read Verify operation See Section 5 9 for detailed instructions Pa he derin Ey asa Inda dy Read erty Completed Successtully Update ltem aaa fontinn ose lt 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 T B 4 If all went well you may now wish to read all of the decoder s CVs by changing the CV Range option to All CV Blocks and perhaps the Mode to Direct Click the Update Item button at any point to save the Item s CV data back into the Item List and close the Edit CVs window Repeat the operations as often as required to obtain the full set of CV values currently programmed into this locomotive s Page 86 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual decoder then save the updated Item List as your reference before making any of your own changes to the locomotive decoder s CV settings Back in the Edit CVs window the first adjustment you are likely to make is to give the Item a unique address or pair of addresses Click in the Primary Address textbox and enter the desired Primary Address for the new Item any value from 001 up to 127 to replace the currently shown default value of 003 and press Enter Return or click in any other textbox A value of 000 can also be entered but the Locomotive will then be configured for DC rather than DCC operation and cannot be operated via an NCE Handheld Controller The value of CV0O1 in the CV Value Grid is u
260. ed by using the scroll bar at the righthand margin to scroll through the other 48 Macro Grid entries or you can use the PageUp and PageDown keys on the keyboard As shown all Macros are empty and Macro 000 is shown as the current selected Macro by having a yellow background to its number The first entry of the selected Macro is highlighted in bold text ready to receive and store the first Accessory turnout command The numbers of the selected Macro and Accessory Entry are always shown at the top of the Macro Edit window so that you are aware of the current selection even if it is scrolled out of sight If you wish to review or edit Macros in any of the other three Macro Sets Macros 64 to 255 simply click on the appropriate option button in the Select Macro Set area and that Set will be displayed in the Macro Grid Note that A Track holds the data for all possible 256 Macros at all times so that selecting a Set to view does not lose any data you have may entered to Macros in the other currently non displayed Sets The easiest way to illustrate how Macros are constructed is to use a practical example such as the control of turnouts in a simple switching yard Page 177 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual To Silver Pass O Grady a EE eatner eath Sawmill 0131 0130 1 O19 gt o West Mainline East Pine Creek Yard Here we have a set of eight turnouts identified by their allocated Accessory Add
261. ed to the new Item List by double clicking on them to open their own Edit CVs window and finally saving the updated Items back to the Item List At this point before proceeding to the next stage of collecting each Item s Configuration Variable values from the actual locomotives it is a good idea to safeguard your initialised Item List by saving it to a folder on your PC To do this click on File on the Menu Bar followed by Save As on the drop down menu When the A Track Save Item List window appears a suggested filename with today s date is displayed New ItemList 11 May 13 itl in this example you are free to change it to whatever other format you prefer If you ran the Tutorial to the stage of loading the demonstration Item List then the destination folder offered will be Documents A Track Item Lists otherwise Documents or My Documents but you can select any other folder if you wish Click the down arrow vw at the end of the Save In listbox to view folders as shown below for Windows XP or select them from the folder list in the lefthand pane in Windows Vista Windows 7 or Windows 8 or choose to create a new folder into which to store the Item List see Section 4 2 Page 35 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 4 Track Save Item List x My Recent Documents aces sea H bly Compute E H 3H Floppy r z MDTIG0 WinP C 2288 a MDT160 Wind D 4a DVOACD RM Drive F Cee S
262. edit actions as described above Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Select Macro Set Selected Selected Ma e aor oe e eded lll cc umeei 000 Macro Enty L3 Selected Macro Mainline Fine Cigek Macro 064 127 Description Load File Macro 128 191 Edit Macro l Enter Yalue 7 F a a E E Accessom Address Normal ff _ Accent Edt Link to Macro t Joos Route t Retrieve Set Update Set Go To Linked Cancel Mac 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 g 10 Description 029N O0136N gt 009 0o00 o000 cooo cooo 000 p000 0000 Mainline PineCreek 001 0129A 0130A 0136A 009 0000 aga agaa agaa aga 0000 Runaround FineCrk 002 0129A OS0N 0131A Oooo aga agg agaa agad agg OOOO Heath Sawmill 1 003 0129A OS0N OSIN 032A 0000 OO00 aga OO00 aga a000 Heath Sawmill 2 004 0129A OS0N OIN Ose 0133A OOD OO00 aga aoa 0000 Pine Creek Stores 005 0129A OS0N OSIN Os2eN O1S3N 0134A 0000 OO00 aga OOO0 O Grady Leather 006 0129A OS0N OSIN OS2eN O1S3N O1S4N 0135A OOD aoa 0000 Maintenance Shed OOF 0129A OS0N OSIN Os2N O1SSN O1S4N O1S5N OOD aga 0000 Main Silver Fass 008 000i aoga OO00 agag aga aga OO00 agad aga OO00 009 SSN OS4N O1SSN Ose W 031w OOD aga aga aga OOO0 SilverPass PineCrk O10 Oooo aoga agaa OO00 agg OO00 OO00 OO00 aga aga MBEE Hence whenever you run Macro 000 to set the Mainline as a through route the turnouts on the spur to Silver Pass will all be set to their Normal posi
263. either the address of the assigned Lead Loco for normal forward control or the address of the assigned Rear Loco for operation of the Consist in reverse These two Loco addresses are used by the Command Station to identify the Consist Note in passing that if you enter the actual Consist Address after pressing the SELECT LOCO button on an NCE Handheld Cab the Command Station does not identify the entry as a Consist although any subsequent speed or function commands sent to the track are interpreted correctly If you wish to control a complete Consist directly from the A Track screen Console then you can allocate either the Consist Item itself or any of its Assigned Locomotives Multiples to an on screen controller in order to achieve the desired result see Section 4 7 However note that it is not possible to allocate any part of a Consist to an NCE Handheld Cab or to an on screen Console from the A Track Item List unless the Consist has been activated ie transferred to the NCE Command Station as described in the preceding Section 5 12 If you allocate any of the Lead Mid or Rear Locos of a Consist to an NCE Cab from A Track then the Command Station will recognise the allocation of the relevant Consist and exercise the required control You can also of course allocate the Consist itself to the Cab to achieve the desired control over the whole group of locomotives but note again that the NCE Command Station will not indicate t
264. eld in the NCE Power Pro Command Station immediately without any request for confirmation Page 268 of 303 Version 4 3 2 10 5 A Track Reference Manual Macro Restore Opens an existing Macro Backup file and transfers the contents to the NCE Power Pro Command Station A standard Windows Open File Dialog is displayed allowing you to navigate to the folder where the target Macro Backup is held Note that selecting the appropriate file and clicking Open will initiate the update of the parameters held in the NCE Power Pro Command Station for the set of Macros stored in the Backup file immediately without any request for confirmation Handheld Cab Restore Opens an existing Handheld Cab Backup file and transfers the contents to the NCE Power Pro Command Station A standard Windows Open File Dialog is displayed allowing you to navigate to the folder where the target Handheld Cab Backup is held Note that selecting the appropriate file and clicking Open will initiate the update of the parameters held in the NCE Power Pro Command Station for the set of Cabs stored in the Backup file immediately without any request for confirmation Command Station Setup Displays a window showing the current values of the NCE Power Pro Command Station Setup parameters allowing any of the parameters to be changed and returned to the Command Station The Command Station may also be reset to its power on state or have its factory default parameters restored
265. elow To display any another CV Value simply click on its description in the list under the Basic or any other Tab or click Cancel to return to the normal set of Parameter Tabs Item 27 Configuration ariables l h ltem Description DRG Truck Shay DM142 Poot Os _ Renan OA Configuration Yarable Yalue Copy All Cvs mi ea Configuration Data Paste Main CW s Acceleration Adjustment Acceleration Rate Alternate Mode Function Status F1 F8 Alternate Mode Function Status FL F9 F12 Ei Directonal Communication Configuration n Configuration L Consist Address Consist Address Active for F1 F8 Consist Address Active for FL F9 F12 Deceleration Adjustment Deceleration Aate Decoder Access Unlock Decoder Automatic Stopping Configuration Decoder Lock ID Code EMF Feedback Cutout Bits fw fw fe fe Extended Address LS 8 Bits Extended Address MS 6 Bits Update ltem ok Cancel Forward Trim nnn Indexed Page Address High Byte Indexed Page Address Low Byte Eick Start Output Control for Function FOT Output Control for Function FO Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function F04 Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function FOB Output Control for Function FAF Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function FOS Paste Exten d Cvs E Dec os4 Hex 36 alue Paste Inder y s se a te el 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 E Hn g Note that for all Decoder Ma
266. em ODEC Data Windows Memory Configuration Sources 32 bit PowerShell 186 A Track ODEC Data Windows ORORO Uninstall Open new Run as Open file window administrator location If an A Track tile does not appear on the Start Screen you can access the program by a right click on a blank area of the Start Screen then on the All apps option Page 20 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual or in Windows 8 1 click the All Apps button on the Start Screen and then locating the A Track group of tiles While you can click on Uninstall to go through the normal Control Panel process it is quicker to click instead on the Open file location option and then double click on the Uninstall A Track option shown when the File Explorer window opens on the Desktop Application Tools Home Share View Manage Manage hai i gt t E Microsoft Windows Start Menu Programs t A Track Search A Track p x l a odified BB Desktop Mame Date modified Size Libraries By A Track Help 03 10 2013 20 11 2 KB Pe Homegroup A Track 03 10 2013 20 11 2 KB UB Terry 03 10 2013 20 11 J AppData Application Data This window also gives you access to the A Track Help file although alternatively this can be reached from the Start Screen by a right click on a blank area of the Start Screen then on the All apps option or in Windows 8 1 click the All Apps button on the Start Screen and t
267. ems co uk Confirm E Mail Address terry a train systems co uk System Build 2600 xpsp_sp3_qfe 130 04 0421 NCE System Type Power Cab NCE Software Version 6 3 0 Please enter Security Code Note that A Train Systems will not under any circumstances divulge your e mail address to any other person or organisation and will only use the address you have provided to send you your registration key and occasionally to inform you of any available updates to the A Track software If you encounter any problems with registration or in using A Track please use the Contact form to request assistance Top of Page 4 Home Copyright IT Chamberlain 2004 2013 All rights reserved All trademarks and logos used in these pages are the property of their respective holders Page Last Updated 25 September 2013 Ei Enter your e mail address in each of the two textboxes below the displayed Serial Number taking care to type the address correctly and then enter the six characters shown in the box with the multi coloured backgound into the final Security Code textbox The characters are selected from the numerals O to 9 and the uppercase letters A to F Page 251 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Finally click the Register button to complete registration Your entries will be checked for validity and error messages will be displayed on the page if any entry is judged to be incorrect or inconsistent If this occurs simply correct the erroneous text ente
268. enabled sets of additional options Item 27 Configuration ariables 9a Item Description Forest Flat Depot 1 NCE Srap lt Program Cis Addrs Read erty Cy s Rambern ct Dtp J Output Address Sel Output 1 Copy All CVs Program Accessory Output 2 m Eys Pase Mains ilib F Sequentialddresses Outputs Paste Extend Lys NCE Options NCE Timing See rar A Enable 0 P Toggle snapelt Recharge No Legacy Ops Frog Snap lt Dutput Update Iter Disable P Button Ps l Enable O P Exercise gt itch Kat Output Jooo Close Me OOO O00 000 125 000 co 000 000 000 OOO 6OO0 OOO OO1 O00 000 000 OOO OOO OOO OOO 000 000 Ooo a An An AAI i AAA AAAS AAA a ii The NCE Timing parameters apply only to NCE Snap It or Switch Kat accessory decoders which have only a single Output Address Hence if you set the Number of Outputs to any value other than 1 the NCE Timing area will be removed with the Output Address Sel area expanding to show all eight Output Address textboxes again Item 27 Configuration ariables La Item Description Silver Pass NCE Switch lt Program Cis Addrs Read Yerty Cy s Number ci Output 2 Output Address Sel Output 1 Copy All CVs Program Accessory Output 2 ast 7 e ene i Pa Maiev Sequential Addresses Output 3 Paste Exten d v s NCE Options Output 4 Paste Index id Gis Enable 0 F Toggle Output 5 No Legacy Ope Prog Output 6 Update Item
269. ended margin settings to accommodate small differences in character height and pitch between printers are 0 75 19mm for Left and Top Margins and 0 5 13mm for Right and Bottom Margins e Plain Text txt this type of file contains only ANSI encoded text characters separated by line break CR LF and page break FF characters where required but without any other character bold or italic or page size and margin formatting The contents of the file can be displayed and printed using any text editor such as Notepad or a word processor but you will have to set page size and margins manually to the values suggested in the paragraph above You can of course then format the text in whatever manner you wish using a suitable word processor e Comma Separated Values csv this is a specialised file format intended to allow the import of Item parameters and data into tables or spreadsheets If you save an Item Summary or Item Details in this type of file then it is assumed that you have the necessary expertise to transfer the data into an appropriate application such as Microsoft Excel and to handle it within the application The suggested file format is Rich Text shown by the rtf extension to the initially displayed filename Click on the drop down arrow at the righthand end of the Save as type listbox as shown below and then select from the listed options the type of output file to be generated The All Files
270. ential Addresses Output 3 Paste Extend Ew NCE Options Output 4 Paste Indev di Cis Enable OP Toggle Output 5 I No Legacy Ope Prog Output 6 Update Item Disable P Button Ps Output If Enable 0 P Exercise Output 8 Close SoS a te eo lt 0 1 2 3 4 5 G T B 4 In this example for an NCE Switch It Accessory decoder Output Address 1 0156 has been selected for programming together with the required state of the available options in the NCE Options section of the Addrs Tab In this instance the relevant Configuration Variables have been updated to reflect the selections so are highlighted in pink although this would not be the case if no changes had been made in the Edit CVs window after it had been opened Programming of the additional NCE decoder parameters should of course only be done after programming the NCE decoder Output Address as described in the Page 163 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual previous paragraphs but is then initiated as before by clicking on the Program Accessory button to open the Program CVs page Item 24 Configuration ariables La Item Description Silver Pass NCE Switch lt Read verify Cv s Program Configuration Yariables CY Scope Mode Access y Scope eee Output Address C Al Cs Paged Paste Main vs ie MCE Options Selected Direct Changed f Register Paste Exten d zA pele et cd i tides Paste Inderid Eis Up
271. er ON140 UD G aa aT Fia a ell Clear Consist Paste Main Lys Assigned Loco a Te Address 0464 i Paste Extend Eis DE ation Fey C Edit Loco Assigning further Locomotives to the Consist in either the Rear position or any of the Mid positions is done by repeating the above steps as often as required The final state of the example Consist is as shown below Item 1 Configuration ariables lt i gt Item Description Switcher Consist 2 Program Cis Readerty Cys Eopp All EYE Paste Mair Es Paste Extenid Es Paste Indesid Eus Update ltem Locomotive Assignment C Lead Midi Mid C Mid3 Mid4 amp Rear Assigned Loco DAGY GE44 Switcher ON1 35D Assigned Loco List Lead Mid 1 4 Rear 0436 R DRG GE44 Switcher ONT 35D O464F ATESF GE44 Switcher ON140 OOOO F No Locomotive Assigned O463F AT amp SF GE44 Switcher ON1 35D OOOO F No Locomotive Assigned lear Consist Remove Loca Fad e Address 0426 Pa Description Hey ft Edit Loco OOOO F Mo Locomotive Assigned OOO OOO O00 O00 OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO nnn nnn 1407 nnn nn nnn nn nnn Here the Assigned Loco List has been dropped down by clicking on the down arrow v at the end of the listbox and shows that the Rear Loco is set for operation in the Reverse direction and one Mid Loco has been assigned to the Mid 2 position Page 129 of 303 V
272. er button to receive your Activation Key Alternatively you can register your copy of A Track by sending an e mail to register a train systems co uk with your First and Last names together with the Serial Number and the other data In this case every effort will be made to return an Activation Key to you within 48 hours The automated e mail message sent from the website with your registration details will look similar to the example shown below To terryi a train systems co uk Subject 4 Track Registration Your 4 Track Kegistration Key Hi Terry Chamberlain The activation key for senal Ho 1S080 7 WHESP553 registered to First Hame Terry Last Name Chamberlain is as follows Eey DOVJR 6VA2Y VW307 VXT9X BGRGA D amp PSD Open the A Track Register Activate window from the Help menu ensure that the Names are entered exactly as those used to register A Track then paste the activation key code provided into the Activation Key textbox Cor type itinte the textbox without dashes or spaces and click Activate Best regards Tran Systems A Track Version 4 353 167 system Microsoft Windows XP Build 2600 2psp sp3_gte 130 704 0421 NCE System Power Cab WCE software Verson 6 3 0 terryi a tram systems co uk 66 147 139 241 Once you obtain the e mail containing the Activation Key open the Register Activate window once more unless it is still open from when you started the Registration process Check
273. er for installation Once installed see Sections 3 1 through 3 4 you have the option of registering your copy of A Track also without any charge as described in Section 9 1 Registered users will have priority with regard to support and assistance in rectifying any problems which they come across If after using A Track you think that it is of benefit to your model railroading activities and would like to support future A Track development and enhancements then you are welcome to make a voluntary donation but you will not be nagged or pressured to do so Donations can be made safely and securely via PayPal using any credit or debit card even if you do not have a PayPal account of your own Very Important Please note that the term completely free of charge must not be confused with free for you to exploit as you wish A Track is copyrighted software and not a public domain product You may not distribute or sell A Track either alone or as part of any commercial item as set out in detail in the terms of the A Track licence in Chapter 13 Page 9 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 2 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS 2 1 Personal Computer e Pentium 3 processor or better running at 500 MHz or faster e At least 512 MByte RAM 1 GByte recommended to get the best performance form the Windows Operating System A Track itself requires minimal memory e At least 40 MByte of hard disk space available for installation e
274. er which would conflict with the transfer in progress Further details of the Handheld Cab status scan and the current state of any Cab s accessible parameters can be reviewed on the PC screen at any time that the NCE menu is available and amended if required by clicking Handheld Cab Setup on the NCE menu This will open the Cab Status amp Setup window which displays the last recorded status of all Handheld Cabs and specific details of the last selected Cab which in the example shown overleaf are those of the Handheld Cab with address 02 The overall state of the Cab status scan is shown in the bottom section of the Cab Status amp Setup window where in the Cab Connected Status grid the background colour of each cell shows the connection status of each Cab from Cab 01 to Cab 63 as follows e Cab Address not yet scanned white never seen in normal usage e Cab Address scanned Cab detected light green e Cab Address scanned Cab not detected pink If a particular Cab is selected to display its parameters and allocated Items by clicking in the grid cell corresponding to its Address then the cell background colour will change to dark green where the Cab has been detected connected to the Power Pro Command Station at some time since it was switched on or to dark red if that Cab has not been detected Page 224 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual NCE Handheld Cab Status amp Setup i Selected Cab Addre
275. eral Number and System details as shown below together with details of the support required 4s a final option you may also submit the same information by e mail to sLipporkia train systems co uk Tour Name Tery Chamberlain Version 4 3167 Seral Humber 13092549E 9F53 System Microsott Windowe F Build Z600 spp_ sp gfe 130 704 0421 NCE Power Cab Software Version 6 3 0 Request Support If you do not wish to proceed with your request at this time then you can click Close to remove the window Otherwise click Request Support to connect to the Internet and to the Support page of the A Train Systems website A Track will copy your entered Name together with the Version and Serial Number of the installed A Track program displayed in the Support Report Problems window above as 4 3 167 and 130928A8E9F53 details of the version and build of Windows installed on this computer and the type and software version of the NCE System to which you last connected to the webpage where you can complete your request report details as shown on the following page As noted in the introductory text on the Support webpage before you submit a request for help with a problem it would be very much appreciated if you could carefully check the relevant sections of this Reference Manual or the A Track Help Topics just in case you have misinterpreted the way in which A Track is supposed to work That said if you are unhappy for any reaso
276. eral acceptance and is not incorporated in any product from the major DCC manufacturers other than in some decoders from Lenz it is supported by A Track to be fully compliant with the NMRA DCC standards Even when a decoder features SUSI programming of the attached secondary decoder is usually handled by the manufacturer through settings made to the CVs of the primary decoder rather than directly according to the NMRA standards For Locomotive or Multiple Items click on the SUSI Parameter Tab to reveal the available options note that the Tab is not enabled for Consists or Accessories The options available under the SUSI Tab allow you to set the defined CV values for all subsets of the SUSI parameters Item 3 Configuration ariables ek Item Description Clear Lake Lumber 2 T ruck Climas Lenz Silw identi Config Speed Funatn Pages Program Evis Read yerty Es Range Select Module Identity f SUSI f Sound Manufac ID 000 Copy All Cv s ea e aon aa Tih Paste Main Cvs f SUSI Il i Features Era Delta tel Cote Sound Yolume Range Number Select Wol 000 FOS 000 FOF 000 Fil 000 FOO 000 FO4 000 Foe 000 Fiz 000 O00 O00 Paste Index d is Update ltem Fu FOS 000 FOS oui FU FOR 000 FIO 000 Close g 1 2 3 4 5 6 T B 4 However A Track does not provide any further operational support for SUSI equipped decoders and will not do so until use of SUSI becomes more widespread
277. ersion 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The format of the Assigned Loco List is fairly obvious with each row showing the Loco Address followed by its set operating direction F or R and the Loco Description from the Item List where available Closing the Assigned Loco List click on the w down arrow again allows us to see where the addresses of all of the assigned Locos are held namely in locations corresponding to CV50 through CV61 with the operating directions of each of the Locos stored in the lower six bits of CV62 Update ltem Close lt 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 T B 4 However note that for a Consist its Configuration Variables are regarded as a private storage area so that you cannot edit any of the CV values directly as you could for any other type of Item the updated CV values are displayed solely as confirmation that the assignments have been made successfully All changes to the Consist s parameters must be made using the buttons and textboxes provided under the Identity and Config Parameter Tabs Once you have completed assignments to the Consist click Update Item to transfer the changes to the Item List If A Track is connected to an NCE Power Pro Command Station a request to Activate the Consist will appear as shown below Activate Updated Consist x T Do you wish bo Activate the updated Consist 7 Click Yes bo transfer the Consist to the Command Station rhe Consist will then be ac
278. ess during normal operation by pressing the F1 key Click the Close Window button to remove the tutorial completely fram the screen If you no longer want this tutorial window to appear each time you start 4 Track then tick the Do not display at start up checkbox below before closing the window Click the Next button to proceed with the tutorial Donot display at start up Back Nent More Info Close Window Item List None Loaded NCE PHCM E Page 30 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Although the Tutorial window is always displayed in front of the main A Track window you should drag it to one side to leave the Tutorial window on the screen where you can see most of the main A Track window as well the contents of the Tutorial move the mouse pointer to the window title bar where the text Start Up Tutorial is shown hold down the left mouse button and move the mouse to drag the window to where you want it to be then release the mouse button As you step through the Tutorial various A Track functions and features will be demonstrated with additional windows being opened as necessary It is important to note that all of the main A Track controls and those in all of the demonstration windows are fully operational when the Tutorial is running especially if an NCE Command Station is connected and powered on as indicated here Hence you are free to explore further at any time any A Tr
279. essfully is to operate the Accessory While you can do this easily using a Handheld Cab A Track provides an Operate facility which allows you to exercise all of a decoder s outputs from the computer screen From the Item List if you right click on an Accessory Item the Operate option on the PopUp menu also available from the Item menu allows control of the state of individual Accessory Outputs g Union Paciic EMD AM BL Faragonz Loca _F 094 1094 Ofa Gregson Silver Digitras D544 Access y _F T 0091 i McGiligan Lumber Lenz L5150 Access P 0075 gt 0300 O1 Silver Pass MCE Switch Edit Cvs Access y _ P 0040 O57 Oss Forest Flat Depot 1 Mr eSa Accessy P 0067 0265 Ofa Forest Flat Depot 2 Mi deha Access y _F 0046 0182 Cut iH ltem List C Documents am Cut Append tem List A T T utorial Demo 43 itl lte Copy Copy Append Clicking Operate opens a new window on the screen in the form of a soft controller similar to that described in Section 4 7 for Locomotive Items which by use of the mouse to click the relevant buttons lets you issue commands to switch the state of the Accessory Outputs together with some additional functions S G hd hd S G hd hd G S hd hd G S hd hd The example above shows the controls for an NCE Switch 8 accessory decoder with eight Outputs opened as Controller CS01 Each Output has a customisable label set by default to be Output 1 through Output 8
280. estore power to the mainline and control of each Item can then be regained by sending the Item any command from their allocated Controller Pressing the Pause Break key when the NCE Power Pro Command Station is not connected and operational will of course have no effect on A Track or on any locomotives on your model railroad track Note An Emergency Stop can also be generated from any of the NCE Cabs which are currently connected to the NCE Cab Bus as described in the NCE Power Pro and Power Cab System Reference Manuals but in the current A Track release this is a completely independent function A Track is not aware that such an Emergency Stop has been activated from an NCE Cab and normal track operation can only be resumed from the activating NCE Cab following the procedure described in the NCE System Reference Manuals Page 75 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 ITEM OPERATIONS The characteristics of each Item in the Item List are set primarily by the values of the Configuration Variables CVs which are programmed into the real DCC decoder fitted within the locomotive or accessory corresponding to the Item You can obtain access to set and modify the Item s CVs together with the various other parameters which provide a full Item definition through either the Item or Pop Up menus as explained in Section 4 6 refer also to Chapter 10 for descriptions of all menu operations While the CVs of any Item are
281. ever such data is not available from an NCE Power Cab system so the column only shows data sent from A Track and saved within the Accessory Items in the Item List See the following Section 5 16 on Accessory control for further details regarding the monitoring of Output states Page 160 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 15 Programming Accessory Decoders Edit CVs Window Since an accessory decoder is likely to be wired directly and permanently to both the Mainline Track and to the turnout motors or other accessories which it is intended to control and to be located near to these accessories it is frequently impractical to attempt to program the address or other parameters of such a decoder using a separate Program Track as is generally assumed by the NMRA DCC Standards and Recommended Practices All available modern accessory decoders which are designed to operate turnouts can have the address of each of their outputs programmed remotely via the Mainline Track The usual method of doing this is to send an Operate Turnout command from the Command Station to the required output address while the accessory decoder is configured in programming mode The configuration method required to do this is specific to each manufacturer where techniques include the use of switches mounted on the decoder temporarily fitted wire links or push on jumpers or additional temporary connections from the decoder to the Mainline Track wh
282. ever that neither the NCE Power Cab nor Smart Booster entry level systems provide access to their internal status or parameters so that A Track is unable to offer Command Station or Handheld Cab back up and restore facilities when linked to these systems Page 6 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual While A Track will run quite happily as a background monitor of system operation when connected to your NCE Power Pro System there is no requirement to run it continuously leaving you free to start A Track only at those times you wish to make use of its facilities Keeping the PC connected with A Track inactive will have no effect on the normal operation of your NCE equipment 1 2 Safeguarding Your DCC Decoder Configurations Using A Track you can read and save the status and parameters of each new locomotive decoder as delivered by the manufacturer You will then be able to see the complete configuration details of the locomotive at a glance on the PC screen rather than only being able to check one parameter at a time by using a standard handheld Cab A Track can handle all types of decoders including sound decoders from all manufacturers who comply with National Model Railroad Association NMRA DCC standards Currently the system has been successfully tested with Digitrax NCE Lenz SoundTraxx QSI Quantum ESU LokSound Train Control Systems TCS Broadway Limited Paragon 2 Model Rectifier Bachmann Hornby and ZTC de
283. ew of the checkboxes as you wish to enable a specific Function as active when operating the Locomotive Item in either Alternate Power Mode or as part of a Consist An enabled Function is indicated by a tick in the relevant checkbox Click on an enabled checkbox to remove the tick mark and disable that Function in the respective mode s When not operating in either Alternate Power Mode or as part of a Consist any settings in these Function Parameter Tab sections are ignored The third bottom section Function Output Mapping allows you to specify which Function Outputs will react to a specified Function command particularly where you wish to make the Function Output different from that which would normally be activated by a specific Function command Where no selection is made each Function simply activates its normal corresponding Function Output For example suppose you wish to swap Functions Fi and F2 First click to select Function Fi on the top row then click the checkbox on the bottom row corresponding to Output F2 Function 7 Output Mapping 8 Geese wean eee LFLA 1234 65 6 9101112 Ee gaa oe o a a S a Paste Indenid Eys Update ltem Close Page 99 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Next click to select Function F2 on the top row followed by the checkbox for Output F1 on the bottom row Function 7 Output Mapping 8 BO oe Haan eee LFLA 1234 66 ff 9101112 He a a a oe od
284. extbox option button or checkbox In this case the Sel option button for Output 3 has been clicked to select this address as the current active address for the Accessory Item Item 27 Configuration ariables La Item Description Gregson Silver Digitras D544 Program Cis Addrs Read verity Cys Humber ct Output a z Output Address Output 1 Copy All CVs Program Accessory Output 2 Paste Main Es Sequential Addresses Output 3 Paste Extenid Ciis NCE Options Output 4 F Enable OVP Toggle Output 5 Wo Legacy Ope Prog Output 6 Update tern Disable P Button I P Output Enable G F Exercise Output 3 Close C Ox ix 2x 3x 4x 5x Gx Zx 8x 9x 10x 11x 12s T 1 gi Paste ndex d Eys LiL oee Me Ooo O00 000 000 OOO OOO 00 000 000 000 a OOO O23 O00 000 000 OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO An An AAI i A A ii Valid Output Addresses must lie between 0001 and 2044 so that if you enter a value outside this range an error message will be displayed Entry alue Error X A Gutpuk Address must be between 0001 and 2044 and the entered value will be reset to 0001 If you wish to set all of the enabled Output Addresses to a set of sequential values without entering each address individually then you should click to tick the Sequential Addresses checkbox Now enter any one of the required address values into the appropriate Output textbox a
285. f the Esc Escape key while the marker is green will return that Speed Step to the value currently held in the relevant CV ie return it to the value shown when you first displayed the Speed Table Once you are happy with all three values click Save Table to transfer the values to the corresponding CVs or click Cancel to discard any changes and quit this particular operation If you elect to Save the values then any changes made are reflected in the appropriate CV values in the grid and highlighted in pink As you can see in the example below the value of Vstart 13 is stored in CVO2 VMid 82 in CVO6 and lastly VHigh 206 in CVO5 Page 92 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 7 Configuration Yariables Item Description DERGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Read Verify CVs isi Adjustment Parameters C 14 Steps Acceleration Rate 000 Copy All CY __ Copy Alls 28 Steps Deceleration Rate 000 Paste Main CVs C 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 Paste Exten d CV s Define Tables Deceleration Adjust 000 Select Table Mid Step ooo Simple 3 Step Kick Start 001 Forward Trim 000 Full 28 Step Reverse Trim 000 CY Ox 1x Set Table points gt ne ae transferred to aml 013 000 CV Values grid 3 000 000 4 000 000 5 206 0901 6 082 000 000 000 000 048 000 142 222 000 000 000 000 7 249 199 000 000 000 000 O16 152 228 000 000 000 000 8 129 219 000 000 000 000 032 162 232 000 000 000 00
286. ferred to as Multiples are stored in the Multiple Items themselves The Consist Config Tab shows you in a drop down list which Locomotives are currently assigned to this Consist together with controls to alter the Locomotive assignments to suit your requirements Note however that a Consist Item does not possess any real Configuration Variables of its own and that you cannot directly edit any of the values shown in the CV Value Grid Page 80 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 13 Configuration ariables i lt i gt Item Description Switcher Consist 2 Program Cis Read yernty CW s Copy All EYE Locomotive Assignment f Lead Midi Mid2 Clear Consist Mid Midd Rear Assigned Loco Seman LB Address 464 Edit Loco Description AT amp SF GE44 Switcher ON140 Assigned Loco List Lead Mid 1 4 Rear 0464 F AT amp sF GE 44 Switcher ON140 0464 E AT oF GE44 Switcher DW140 0000 F No Locomotive Assigned O463F ATE amp SF GE44 Switcher ON1 35D OOOO F No Locomotive Assigned OOOO F No Locomotive Assigned 04367 DAGW GE44 Switcher ON135D Paste Main rvs Paste Extend y s Paste Index d rs Close UD G oa aT Fa d a ell T By selecting any of the assigned Locomotives listed under the Config Tab and then clicking the Edit Loco button you can open a new Edit CVs window displaying the parameters of t
287. folder location file size number of Items and the dates of creation and last modification Print Allows you to print all or part of the Item List and details of selected Items to any printer selected from those installed on the computer or to an output file and to select the basic print format and characteristics that you require Shortcut Key Ctrl P Toolbar Icon E Most Recently Used Files Shows the filenames of the most recently opened Item Lists Click on any displayed name to open the corresponding Item List Up to eight filenames can be displayed in the list when you open the ninth distinct Item List then the oldest filename is dropped from the list to make way for that of the latest Item List Exit Closes any currently open Item List and removes it from display before terminating the A Track program If the Item List has been changed in any way then you are asked whether you wish to save the current Item List before it is closed Shortcut Key None Window Close button E4 or 4 Page 262 of 303 Version 4 3 2 10 2 A Track Reference Manual Edit Undo Restores the Item List to the state it was in prior to the immediately preceding Edit action This includes returning an edited Item and its constituent data values to their state before they were changed Up to 32 Edit actions can be recorded and undone If more than 32 Edit actions are performed then only the most recent 32 remain in the record and can sub
288. from the File menu then locate and select the small Item List containing the Consist A final click on Open in the Merge Item List window will add the Consist to the second Item List as desired If you make a mistake when using Cut Copy or Paste remember that you can easily put the Item List back to the state it was in previously by using the Undo function described in Section 4 4 always bearing in mind that Undo only records the last 32 Edit actions performed on the Item List although each Edit action can include any number of Items With a selected set of Items in the Copy Buffer you can transfer them to either another existing Item List or you can create a new Item List to hold them Do this either by clicking on File Open to open an existing List or on File New to create a new Item List with one Blank Item and in either case saving the current Item List if necessary when prompted The contents of the Copy Buffer are then added to the newly displayed Item List by clicking Paste A typical sequence of actions is shown below for the case of a completely new Item List First select and Copy or Cut a set of Items Page 57 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual ey 4 Track loj x File Edit wiew MCE Item Help aie e a Ree Sen te eee SU Wee e OG westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DLC C 004 b204 ne 02 23 FOD g Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 Truck Shay 2145A Laca E 00E 1206 ne 06 25 F iiz O Clear Lake Lumber
289. g addresses and other parameters to correspond with the values sent or entered directly to the decoder so that the data can then be safely saved to disk and or printed Page 248 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 9 REGISTRATION AND SUPPORT A Track is supplied for you to use free of charge and support to fix any problems you may encounter when using A Track will also be provided without charge However a great deal of time and effort has gone into the development of A Track so that if only to get some feedback that this effort has not been wasted you are invited to register your copy or copies of A Track Registration has the benefit that registered users will receive priority in resolving any problems they report or in attending to their requests for support When A Track is initially installed it is fully functional with no restrictions placed on any of its facilities and it will continue to operate in this way whether you choose to register or not After installation when you run A Track the initial window as described previously in Section 3 5 will display an invitation to register for free priority support as shown below and this notice will continue to be displayed each time you start the program be A Train Systems Version 43 167 es TRECE Digital Command Control with NCE Power Cab and Power Pro NCE USB Interface PowerCab Connected Register A Track Free for Priority Product Support _ E a i
290. g ooog ooog ooog ooog OO00 ooog nna Ann Ann An Annan Ann Ann Ann Ann Annan Ann Lit LILI WILL WILL LILI LILI LILI LILI LILI WILL WILL O15 0000 OOO0 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog h Paste Sel kacs Clear Sel Macros Aun Sel Macros Close Now click in any Entry of Macro 003 or on 003 in the Mac column to highlight Macro 003 then click on the now enabled Paste Sel Macros button at the foot of the window to load a copy of Macro 002 including its Description into Macro 003 Mac L 2 3 4 5 6 f g 4 10 Description O00 01293N O156N OO00 ooog agog ooog ooog ooog OO00 0000 Mainline PineCreek 001 0129A 0130A O1S6R OOO0 ooog ooog ooog ooog agog 0000 Aunaround PineCrk O02 01293A O30N 0131A O00 ooog ooog ooog ooog OO00 OOOO Heath Sawmill 1 O129 A O30N 0131A Oooo ooog ooog ooog ooog OO00 OOOO Heath Sawmill 1 004 OO00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog OO00 ooog nne Ann Anan Ann Ann Annan Ann Annan Annan Annan Ann U i Simmi LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL LLL LLL LLL O15 0000 OOO0 ooog ooog ooog OO00 ooog ooog ooog ooog s Copy Sel Macros Clear Sel Macros Aun Sel Macros Close Right click on Entry 3 of Macro 003 so that the address 0131 appears in the Address textbox in the Enter Value area Click on the Normal option button in the Same area to change the direction of turnout 0131 then click on the Accept Edit button Entry 3 will change to show 0131N with a light green background
291. gister Activate window in order to complete registration After registration activation the window displays the Registered User s name and the Activation Key value Support Report Problems Opens a window which displays information relating to the version of A Track which is running the Serial Number generated when you installed A Track details of the version and build of Windows installed on this computer and the type and software version of the NCE System to which you last connected If this copy of A Track has been registered the window also shows the Registered User Name Otherwise enter your name and then access an online facility which allows you to submit a request for support or a report of a problem with A Track About A Track Opens a window displaying the Version number of the program a brief description and copyright and trademark information About 4 Track X A Track for Windows AP Vista r amp E Copyright 2008 2013 JT Chamberlain 4 Train Systems Version 4 3 16 Digital Command Control for Model Railroads in conjunction with WCE Power Cab and HCE Power Pro DCC Systems Power Cab Power Pro and the NCE loga are trademarks of NCE Corporation Copyright 1994 2013 Page 271 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 10 7 Pop Up When an Item in the Item List is right clicked a pop up menu appears and offers a set of actions selected from the Item and Edit menus The detail
292. gnments you may wish to check that the parameters of each of the assigned Locomotives are consistent with each other Double clicking on an Item entry such as that for the Lead Loco in the Item List will open its Edit CVs window in which you can see the changes made by assigning it to the Consist ie the addition of a value and direction for the Consist Address under the Identity parameter Tab and the value of the Consist Address loaded to CV19 Item 23 Configuration Yariables Gh _ Item Description AT amp SF GE 44 Switcher DN140 Item icon now shows Type as Multiple Lead item Type _ Primary Address 164 Accessory Extended Address 164 Consist Consist Address Locomotiv User Identifier 1 Mult Lead User ldentifier 2 C None Manufac Version No Picea Manufacturer ID Jpaate iter Close Ox Consist Address 000 5x 000 CV Ox 1x we 000 set in Item with 064 000 000 000 000 000 106 129 000 000 000 000 000 000 193 208 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 171 Forward Direction OIS Nin Cll a aN mS 000 120 050 000 Opening the Edit CVs window for the Rear Loco or any other Multiple which has been set to operate in the Reverse direction shows that in such a case the value of CV19 containing the Consist Address is set to the assigned Consist Address plus 128 248 in this case
293. goi ngoi OO00 Copy Sel Macros Paste Sel Macros Clear Sel Macros Aun Sel Macros Close Note that the Macro selection still remains as before Macro 007 and that more importantly no Macro Descriptions are stored in the Command Station so that Page 186 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual none are loaded with the Macro data A Track therefore retains the Descriptions from the previous set of displayed Macros see earlier in this Section Although this is not a particularly useful feature in this case it is more relevant after you have added proper Descriptions to the loaded Command Station Macros and saved all of the data to a backup file Subsequently the normal way of using Macros with A Track and an NCE Power Pro system would be to load the relevant Macro backup file complete with Descriptions edit the Macros as required and then update the Macro Set s in the Command Station Alternatively if Macros have been amended directly in the Command Station using a Handheld Cab the recommended way to proceed is to again load the Macro backup file s with the saved Macro Descriptions and then reload the current Macros from the Command Station This will allow you to review the changes that have been made in the Command Station Macros with the Descriptions providing a reminder of the Macros functions and to check that all of the Descriptions are still accurate or to see where they need to be amended The up
294. gram or set other parameters without in general making explicit reference to the set of Configuration Variables defined by the NMRA Hence when you set up an Item to represent one of these modern accessory decoders you should click to tick the checkbox labelled Manuf Specific Program on Main Track in the Programming area This will automatically set Output Addressing mode and then disable the checkbox so that the mode cannot be deselected by accident When the Manuf Specific checkbox is ticked a third Parameter Tab labelled Addrs will be displayed and will allow you to allocate up to eight addresses to the Accessory Item together with several other options as shown below for a new Item in the process of being set up Item 27 Configuration ariables La Item Description Gregson Silver Digitras OS 44 Program Cv s Config Readernty CW s Parameters Programming Extended Decoder Type W Manuf Specific eon i Output Addressing Program on Paste Main Ds Br Directional Comms Main Track gt gt Decoder Unsolicited P NCE Decoder Auxillary Input Activation ir o len e ee ar Update Item Outputs 1 4 Address Time On 0001 fooo eoo2 fooo ooo3 fooo oo04 ooo Paste Extenid Eiis Paste ndex d Es 0 1 2 3 4 5 G f o 4 Page 154 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Note that the Decoder Address for this new Item has been set to the default value of 0001 and
295. green tick icon is used eS Manufacturer ID E Vv Active N Cab o2 x Edited x Not Frog d Update ltem Close CY Ox 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x Gx 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x o MN 000 000 ooo ooo O00 ooa oes 180 240 O00 ooo OOD Allocation of the Item to direct control through the PC screen and mouse is indicated with a green white tick icon together with display of the corresponding Console address 01 here C Manufacturer ID fi a9 Update ltem if Active Consl o x Edited xK Mot Frog d Close C Ox 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x O Eg 000 000 O00 O00 O00 ooa oes 180 240 O00 O00 OOD Besides an identifying Address the other key parameter which must be defined before using the Item with a real decoder is the Decoder Configuration held in Configuration Variable CV29 whose current settings can be found under the Configuration Tab Click on Config to reveal the tab s contents as shown below for a Locomotive or Multiple Item Item 7 Configuration ariables Item Description Dar Gi 2 Truck Shay ON142 Read erty CW s Parameters gt 3 gt Basic Operation f Basic Operation J Extended Address Copy All CY __ Copy Alcs f Automatic Stop W Use Speed Table Paste Main Cvs C Bi lirectional Comme Bi Directional Comms Paste Extend CY Alternate Power Source J Non DCC Pwr Convert Paste Exten d Cvs SELEN z W 28 Speed Steps Paste Index d Cvs
296. h can be used to 9999 which suggests this value as an upper practical limit on Item List length While merged Item Lists have the same structure and format as any other Item List and can be stored with the same itl file extension you may like to treat them as a master or reference List or Item Archive For convenience A Track provides the facility to use a different file extension ita for any large or merged Item List that you wish to treat as an Item Archive After you have created a merged Item List or Archive you can add further Item Lists to it at any time using Open Merge or extract smaller Item Lists from it by using the Save Checked option While there is nothing to stop you saving your merged file under a different filename of course in the same folder as your other Item Lists it is a good idea to create a separate folder to hold such merged Lists especially if they are to be regarded as Archives Start by opening the File menu and clicking on Save As If using Windows XP in the Save Item List dialog window which opens locate a Suitable parent folder such as My Documents using the drop down Save in listbox Page 49 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 4 Track Save Item List Save jni My Documents sz oy My Recent Documents My Recent Documents EEM Documents H My Computer H s Floppy Se MDOT 160 WineP C s MDT160 Wind D i DYDVCD AMW4 Drive F Cee Safe Run shared fo
297. h ltem Addresses f Search Down If Search ltem Addresses f Search Down Close Hert If you wish you can move the Find Item window out of the way so that it does not obscure any of the Item List details by clicking on its title bar holding down the left mouse button and dragging the window to a convenient part of the screen The Find Item window will remain on the screen in front of the main A Track window until you click on the Close or Finish button and does not interfere with any other A Track or Item operations Hence having found a matching Item you can examine its parameters in detail see Section 5 1 to check if it is the Item you require before resuming the search of the Item List Page 54 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual At any point in using the Find Item function you can change any of the search parameters or click on any Item in the Item List to define a new starting point for a revised search After any such changes click Next to restart the Find operation Note that you can also do this by simply pressing the Enter Return key although be aware that when the Finish button becomes active at the end of a search the Enter Return key will instead close the Find Item window The next group of options on the Edit menu relating to Cut Copy and Paste operations together with Insert and Delete are dealt with fully in the following Section 4 5 while the final option Edit Run Macro File is c
298. hat you are controlling a Consist Page 151 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 14 Accessories Operation and Parameters As introduced in Section 5 1 Items in A Track can also hold the parameters of decoders designed to operate model railroad layout accessories such as turnout and signal controllers At present there are not many signal controllers on the market SO support in A Track is currently directed towards DCC decoders intended to drive a variety of turnout motors Although A Track will handle accessory decoders from a range of suppliers including Digitrax and Lenz specific features are implemented to Support the range of accessory decoders produced by NCE Corporation For an Accessory Item held in an A Track Item List the format of the Identity Parameter Tab contains the same information as any other Item as shown below A new Blank Item is initialised as an Accessory by clicking on the Accessory option under Item Type and then entering a suitable Description possibly describing the function or location of the Accessory on the layout followed by a Decoder Address in the appropriate textboxes Item 9 Configuration ariables La Item Description JAccessary Decoder Wangrow Sh 104 Program C s Identity Read erty Cy _Read Vetly Cvs Item Type Acc y Decoder Addr 0260 Copy All Cvs if Accessory Extended Address onzizt Addrezs Paste Main Ey Consist ree f Locomotive User Identifier 1 Mul
299. he Small Icon view ie each Item is Shown by a small icon corresponding to its Type with a label taken from the Item Description abbreviated if necessary and the Item s checked status The Item List is displayed in aS many columns as will fit within the A Track window List Displays the Item List using the List view ie each Item is shown by a small icon corresponding to its Type with a label taken from the Item Description abbreviated if necessary and the Item s checked status The Item List is displayed with one Item per row Details Displays the Item List using the Details view ie the Item List is displayed with one Item per row and with ten columns to show the Item s Description Type Status Flags Primary Address Consist Address for Consists Decoder Address for Accessories Extended Address blank for Consists selected Output Address for Accessories Controller to which the Item is currently allocated only used with NCE Power Pro Systems Speed Step precision current Speed and Direction Headlight state the last two only used with NCE Power Pro Systems and state of Functions 1 to 8 or Outputs 1 to 8 for Accessories respectively The Description field also contains the Item s checked status and a small icon corresponding to its Type Note Either the Item s Primary or Extended Address Decoder or Output Address for Accessories will be preceded by a gt character to indicate which Address will be acti
300. he action will have no effect and the following response to the Emergency Stop may be displayed Emergency Stop Emergency Stop Failed Click Resume to restart operations AFTER cause of problemn it resolved Cut Power Since there is no active connection to the NCE Command Station it is obviously not possible to request removal of power from the mainline track so the Cut Power button is disabled in this case If you are using an NCE Power Pro Command Station but not a Power Cab or Smart Booster system an alternative means of effecting an Emergency Stop using A Track is to press the Pause Break key on the PC keyboard usually located on a standard keyboard as one of the rightmost keys of the top row of keys ie the row which contains the Function keys F1 to F12 Page 74 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Activating an Emergency Stop from the keyboard will stop a Items on the mainline and the normal Emergency Stop warning window is displayed as shown previously Again an advisory message AT E STP is sent to the LCD display of all attached NCE ProCabs from which it can be removed by pressing that Cab s ENTER key A second press of Pause Break is equivalent to clicking the Cut Power button and will cause power to be removed from the mainline ensuring that no Items can be restarted by an NCE Cab Clicking Resume in this state will send a command to the NCE Power Pro Command Station to r
301. he amount by which you change the Item s speed when clicking on any of the Minor or Major Step buttons or on the blue speed ring can be adjusted by clicking on the down arrow vw at the righthand end of any of the three listboxes and then clicking on the whichever value you would like from the drop down lists as shown above on the right Step values are given in terms of speed control knob divisions with available values as follows Minor Step 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 Major Step 0 5 1 0 1 5 2 0 Disc Click Step 1 0 1 5 2 0 2 5 The speed control knob can be set to operate as a centre zero control by ticking the appropriate checkbox An example with Function F1 set to operate as a toggle switch for the Bell Function F2 set as a pushbutton to sound the Whistle the Minor Step value left at 0 1 divisions the Major and Disc Click Steps set at 1 0 and 2 0 divisions respectively and the Speed knob set for centre zero operation is shown below Page 70 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 7 D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN14 2 Step Sizes are set for each Ww FL Headlight Bell click on the Inc and Dec W Use fw Latch buttons or on the Speed Disc in terms of Speed Dial h d whistle Function F3 divisions 0 to 10 v Use Latch W Use Latch v F D From Fas WW Function F4 Function F5 W Use wv Latch W Use Latch Major Step F 10 Z Function FE Function F7 Disc C
302. he page and the Hi button the upper half Confirmation of which Block is currently on display is indicated by a number in the top left corner of the grid OOO for the low block of the first CV page see all preceding pictures and 128 for the high block as shown below ee ed ee Eee eer oe rear eet Deceleration Rate Decoder Access Unlock Decoder Automatic Stopping Con Decoder Lock ID Code EMF Feedback Cutout Extended Address LS 6 Bits Extended Address MS 6 Bits Forward Trim Indexed Page Address High Byte Indexed Page Address Low Byte Kick Start Matak Cartreal fee Fimtan FAT View CY Block Access CY Page Lo 001 128 C Base e Estended t Epeen Baa eee ei TEE Indexed Indexed f Indexed C CU eases Indexed 3 Paste nder d Eris 20 O64 032 102 O00 ooo O00 225 128 064 128 000 O10 000 OOO O25 OOO 000 OOO OOo 128 064 064 128 000 010 000 OOO O20 OOO 000 Where the selected Decoder Manufacturer such as Digitrax or SoundTraxx does not use any CV greater than CV256 only the Base Page will be enabled in the Access CV Page section as shown above However for decoders which use larger numbers of CVs the next Extended Page CV257 to CV512 may also be enabled A Track will again display the contents of the Extended Page in two Blocks the low block CV257 CV384 indicated by having 256 in the top left corner and the high block CV385 CV512 with 384 Two CV Pages however a
303. he selected locomotive If you open Edit CVs windows for all of the assigned locomotives then you can check that all of their individual parameters are consistent with each other In particular ensure under the Speed Parameter Tab that each Locomotive uses the same Speed Step Precision 14 28 or 128 and that their speed characteristics are matched Matching speed characteristics so that each locomotive runs at the same track speed for any given speed controller setting may require implementation and tailoring of one of the Speed Tables for each locomotive individually even if they are nominally the same model from the same manufacturer See Section 5 3 for details of Speed Table settings and Section 5 11 for full details of how Consists are constructed and handled Feel free to explore all of the options available in the Edit CVs window and experiment with changing the various CV options You cannot do any damage to the Item s actual stored values because in the Edit CVs window you are only working with a temporary copy of each Item s parameters As soon as you make any change to the Item s parameters or CV values the Update Item Action Button will be enabled as shown above When the Update Item button is clicked all edits will be transferred immediately to the Item in the Item List replacing all previous parameter values Even then after updating an Item s parameters the Item List Undo option is still available to return
304. he transfer is complete the Consist Status window is updated to show all Consists which are currently defined Consist Addresses which are in use currently are highlighted in the grid in the lower half of the window with one of three background colours Consists which are defined solely within the A Track Item List are shown in blue eg 120 those defined only in the NCE Power Pro Command Station in green eg 85 and those Consists which exist in both the Item List and the Command Station are shown in orange eg 66 Defined Consists Status Command Station b Selected Consist Address F iA TAE Locos Assigned to Consist HEE Command Station t Current Item List t Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead Ba Mid1 Mid 2 Mid 3 Mid 4 Rear gene lear Transfer Activate Page 139 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Clicking on any non highlighted Consist Address in the grid such as the default address of 127 shown above will simply display the message Not in Use in the textbox at the top of the window If on the other hand you are connected to an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster System there is no data transfer and a simple message is displayed NCE PowerCab SmartBooster Connected X NCE PowerCab SmartBooster systems do not allow Consists get up by 4 Track to be loaded into their list of Consists Consists activated From 4 Trac
305. headlight comes on when loco is stopped in a forward direction with the front headlight on forward and reverse headlights now operate as expected Following a suggestion from Dave Cooper extra options have been added to the Operate window to set the size of step for the speed increment and decrement buttons and for each click on the speed disc in terms of speed dial divisions equivalent to rotation angles four step values are now available for each of Minor 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 4 Major 0 5 1 0 1 5 2 0 and Speed Disc Click 1 0 1 5 2 0 2 5 Steps selected step values are stored in the Item to which they apply In response to a request from Tony Leighton MTH have been included in the list of Decoder Manufacturers together with the corresponding lists of manufacturer specific CVs for their Proto Sound 3 decoders Users can now view the COM port and baud rate in use by the serial link to the Power Pro or USB Interface by moving the mouse cursor over the COM indicator at the righthand end of the status bar and the NCE software version by similarly hovering over the NCE indicator following a suggestion from Tony Swanborough Page 300 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 13 A TRACK END USER LICENCE AGREEMENT A Track for Windows Copyright 2008 2014 JT Chamberlain A Train Systems All rights reserved www a train systems co uk IMPORTANT READ CAREFULLY This licence agreement is a legal agreement between
306. hen locating A Track Help in the appropriate group of tiles Services System Configuration System Information AN A Track A Track Help Keyspan Serial Assistant Task Scheduler EA Digital Certificate for VBA Projects Windows Firewall PsP Jasc Paint Shop Pro Digital Certificate with Advanced 8 for VBA Projects Returning to Uninstall note that when using Windows Vista Windows 7 or Windows 8 their default security settings will display one or two warnings requiring you to allow the uninstall program to run The Uninstall process starts with a request for confirmation 4 Track for Windows Uninstall x 4re you sure you want bo completely remove 4 Track For Windows and all of its components Version 4 3 2 Page 21 of 303 A Track Reference Manual Click Yes to continue or No to abandon the uninstall process During the uninstall process you may be presented with a set of windows inviting you to remove shared files which were installed with A Track and which are not believed to be used by any other installed program For example 4 Track for Windows Uninstall Uninstall Status Please wait while 4 Track for Windows is removed From your computer Remove Shared File x U The system indicates that the Following shared File is na longer in use by any programs Would you like Far Uninstall to remove this shared File IF any programs are still using this File and it i
307. her open windows including Windows Explorer are closed A warning notice may appear depending on your security settings requesting permission to continue Open File Security Warning X The publisher could not be verified Are you sure you want to run this software Name CP210xVCPInstaller_x66 exe Publizher Unknown Publisher Type Application From C Documents and Settings Terry My Documents Click Run to start the installation setup IY Always ask before opening this file This fle does not have a valid digital signature that verhies its publisher ou should only run software trom publishers you trust How can decide what software to run CP 710x USE to UART Bridge Driver Installer Welcome to the CP 10x USB to UART Bridge Driver Installer This wizard will help you install the drivers for pour CP270 USB to UART Bridge device Click Next and then click again to select the option accepting the terms of the licence agreement To continue click Hest CP 710x USE to UART Bridge Driver I License Agreement z Back ss To continue accept the following license agreement To read the entire 3 agreement use the scroll bar or press the Page Down key LICENSE AGREEMENT SILICON LABS YOP DRIVER IMPORTANT READ CAREFULLY BEFORE AGREEING TO TERMS THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS THE SILICON LABS WCF DRIVER AND INSTALLER PROGRAMS AND OTHER THIRD PART SOFTWARE TOGETHER THESE PRODUCTS ARE REFERRE
308. here is a link to the required driver software from the relevant page of the NCE website at http www ncedcc com component virtuemart page shop product details amp flypa e flypage tpl amp product id 73 amp category id 1 Page 273 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Clicking on the link there takes you to a Silicon Labs webpage see Section 11 4 where you should download a copy of the CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Driver for Windows XP Server 2003 Vista 7 8 v6 6 1 by clicking this time on the link labelled Download VCP 3 49 MB in the Windows section of the page not Windows 2K At the download prompt click Save to transfer the installation file CP210x_VCP_Windows zip to a suitable location on your computer Do not try to Run the driver installation file directly from the Internet When download is complete locate the folder into which you downloaded the installation file The file is in a compressed or zipped form so the next step is to right click on the filename and then click on Extract All on the pop up menu unless you have a third party utility such as WinZip installed on your computer in which case follow the appropriate procedure Folders EP Desktop ACP Windows zig f Open El G My Documents a D A Track Item Archi earch oO rack Item Archives a C 4 Track Item Lists 9 4 Track Macros 9 4 Track NCE Backup Extract All 9 4 Track Printed Items Clipboa
309. here the Consist is currently defined only in the A Track Item List and then clicking Activate details of the Consist will be transferred to the NCE Command Station where it will be available for control and operation on the track The transfer is preceded by the usual reminder to make sure that Locomotives making up the Consist are physically present on the Mainline Track Defined Co p Selected Consist Address 120 A Track F DS iad Locos Assigned to Consist HEE Command Station t Current ltem List f Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 0464 AT ASF GE 44 Switcher ON140 Mid 1 0000 Mid 2 0463 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN135D miz x Mid 4 Hear Ensure that all Locomotives in the Consist are currently located on the Mainline Track 121 i Cancel 12 23393 49 53 63 73 83 93 103 113 123 4634 44 A E4 F74 B4 94 104 114 124 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95 105 115 125 26 36 46 56 66 76 86 96 106 116 126 oF yo 4 OF 67 OFF OF 97 107 117 127 28 385 46 58 68 78 86 98 108 118 29 39 49 59 69 79 89 99 109 119 lear Tiranster Close Click OK to proceed with the transfer which will be confirmed by the background to Consist Address 120 changing from blue to orange Page 143 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Defined Consists Status Command Station Selected Consist Address 120 Locos Assigned to Cons
310. hough this will not affect the transfer of the duration value to the LS150 decoder The same method using the Operate Setup area controls can be used to set up the many operational parameters of the Digitrax DS64 accessory decoder as a further example In this case as well as the address value used the direction of the issued command ie whether the Normal or Route button is clicked is significant as regards how the command will be interpreted by the decoder Full details can be found in the relevant Digitrax documentation for the DS64 In addition to issuing programming or setup commands to the decoder directly associated with the Accessory Item soft controller the controls of the Operate Setup area can be used to program the address of any other suitable decoder on your layout Simply enter the required address into the Output Address textbox configure the target decoder for programming in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions and click either the Normal or Route control button to program that address into the decoder You can also check the last commanded state of any turnout on your layout by entering its address to the Output Address textbox and then clicking the Check button Either the Normal or the Route button will then be displayed in its bright state amp or Y to show the current turnout status with the other button in its dark state a or Y Clicking Check does not issue any turnout
311. hown in the example below Accessory Items Output States from Last Sent Commands OE Union Pacific EMD A 2 BL Paragon2 Loco _P 094 gt 1094 128 F00 Of Gregson Silver Digitrax DS 44 Access y _EP 0023 gt 0091 0000 Oa McGilligan Lumber Lenz L58150 Access y _P 0075 gt 0300 100450__ O12 Pine Creek Yard NCE Switch 8 Access y EP 0033 gt 0130 12040070 Oa Silver Pass NCE Switch lt Access y _EP 0040 gt 0157 02 O12 Forest Flat Depot 1 NCE Snap It Access y _EP 0067 gt 0265 0 Ofa Forest Flat Depot 2 NCE Switch Kat Access y P 0046 gt 0182 1 i Item List C Documents and Settings T Track Item Lists AT Curent 24 NCE COM Current Accessory Current Selected Decoder Address Accessory Output Address The Decoder Address of the Accessory is shown in the Primary Address column with the currently selected Output Address shown in the Extended Address column Accessories using Manufacturer Specific programming are identified by placing a gt symbol in front of the Output Address whereas older style decoders using NMRA Standard addressing will have the gt symbol preceding the Decoder Address The rightmost Function 1 8 column is used to show the state of each Accessory Output which resulted from the last issued command If you are using an NCE Power Pro Command Station then this Output data is obtained from the Command Station so reflects commands sent from both A Track and Handheld Cabs How
312. hted then the Allocate Item window is opened for the last selected Item identified in the Item List by an outline box drawn around the appropriate Item The Allocate Item to NCE Cab window allows you to allocate control of the selected Item to any NCE Handheld Controller Cab via the NCE Power Pro Command Station and to adjust the Item s position in the selected Cab s Recall list Note If the Item currently selected highlighted in the Item List has been allocated to an NCE Handheld Controller then the Allocate NCE Cab entry on the Item menu changes to Deallocate and the Operate option is disabled The identity Page 269 of 303 Version 4 3 2 10 6 A Track Reference Manual of the allocated NCE Cab appears in the Controller column of the Item List row corresponding to the Item under control Shortcut Key None Toolbar Icon None Item Pop Up menu Deallocate Only enabled with NCE Power Pro Systems Opens a Deallocate Item from NCE Cab window for the currently selected Item If several Items are selected highlighted then the Deallocate Item window is opened for the last selected Item identified in the Item List by an outline box drawn around the appropriate Item The Deallocate Item to NCE Cab window allows you to remove the selected Item from the NCE Handheld Controller Cab to which it has been allocated Note Once an Item has been deallocated and that Item is selected in the Item List the Deallocate entry on the
313. i deett BE ooie tii Log Exp ae 1 1 1 1 1 p 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 a ee oe a cr a ee eo I I T I I I I I I I I I SaveTabe 2 jepo tii F 00 ea Canos 206 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 2 Two other options are offered to generate speed curves between the current values of Speed Steps 1 and 28 Firstly clicking Log generates a logarithmic curve as shown below Item 7 Configuration Yariables ltem Description D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Read erty CW s Step Precision Adjustment Parameters f 14 Steps Acceleration Rate 000 Copy All Cys _ Conpaicvs fe 25 Steps Deceleration Rate O00 Paste Main CVs f 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 ae Deine TSWE Deceleration Adjust O00 Select Table Mid Step Joon Paste Indexid Ers Simple 3 Step Kick Start ont Forward Trim O00 Update ltem __Update tem Full 26 Step Reverse Trim 000 Close Speed Table Full 28 Step 255 es x 3 5 Linear L 4 T dh i T e ane T L 4 z A L lt P mi 1 i 1 1 L 1 1 1 1 1 Exp p p Save Table i I LE han hi i Di m Di oo Os 10 12 14 16 16 20 2 om Caneel i A Se a Page 95 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual and clicking Exp generates an exponential speed curve the inverse of the logarithmic curve Eh ltem Description JDARGW 2 Truck Sha
314. ic Operation setting held in CV29 Bit1 Choosing 128 speed steps does not affect any CV values directly it only determines the type of speed command which will be generated by A Track when using the Item Operate option and sent to the locomotive Selection between 28 or 128 Step commands when using an NCE Handheld Cab for Item control is made by pressing the 28 128 button on the Cab The Adjustment Parameters deal with the locomotive s momentum ie how it behaves when starting and stopping If you are unsure of the most appropriate values to use then you should refer to the manufacturer s recommendations Simply click in the textbox relating to a selected Adjustment Parameter type in the recommended value and press the Enter Return key The value will be transferred to the corresponding CV where it will be displayed and highlighted in pink in the CV Value Grid A Track allows you to set up the two Speed Tables defined in the NMRA DCC standards a simple 3 Step Table and a more comprehensive 28 Step Table These Page 90 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual tables are used to set the response of the locomotive to the speed commands from the Controller Cab in order to give an appropriate locomotive top speed together with accurate control at low and or high speed The Full 28 Step Speed Table is only effective when the Use Speed Table option is selected ticked in the Basic Operation section on the Config
315. icators changing to yellow In such cases cancel the Read Verify operation then switch off the NCE Power Pro Command Station Allow around 20 seconds for the Command Station to power down fully then switch it back on when A Track should re establish the connection Only in exceptional circumstances should it be necessary to restart the A Track program itself The NCE Power Cab is much more robust in this respect and can usually be relied upon to complete even the most extended Read Verify operation However the recommended way of using A Track for Read Verify operations and for Program operations as described in the following Section 5 10 is to handle a single CV Block at a time Hence before starting the Read Verify operation click on the Pages Parameter Tab and select the Block of interest using the Access CV Page and View CV Block options Page 120 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 14 Configuration Yariables 33 Item Description Union Pacific Challenger OSI Titan Steam Basic Config Sound Read Verify CV s Copy All CVs Paste Main Cys Paste Extend Cys Paste Index d CVs Update item WON OO ON S Ensure the locomotive is on Progam Cvs _ Identity Config Speed Funct n Pages Decoder Manufacturer Basic Other NMRA With Indeved Pages Specific Manufacturer Select from list below fasi Solutions Quantum View CV Block Lo 001 128 Hi
316. ich to allocate the selected Item If no free Slot is available then you will have to choose one of the currently allocated locomotives or consists to be replaced with the selected Item Select a slot for allocation by clicking the Alloc option button next to the chosen slot which is then highlighted in yellow al Jr Ht vl ale wil ars Lt Allocated Items Item Description Addr Alloc DaRGW 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 2917 Westside Lumber 3 T ruck Shay DH121 20 4 litem not found in Loaded ltem List OOO litem not found in Loaded ltem List ooo Move Up Al Move Down Y crcl The choice of slot at this stage is not fixed and can be changed simply by clicking any other Alloc button Page 62 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Choosing any slot enables the Move Up and Move Down buttons below the allocation slots Clicking the Move Up button transfers the Item in Slot 2 into Slot 1 with the Item in Slot 1 moving to the bottom slot defined by the Recall Depth and all intermediate Items moving up one slot Move Up achieves the same effect as pressing the physical RECALL button on an NCE ProCab Handheld Controller once Items have actually been allocated but note carefully that at this stage moving Items from one slot to another has no effect whatsoever on the actual current allocations within the selected NCE Cab Move Down lets you rotate allocations in the opposite direction eg fro
317. iew Arrange Items menu or the J icon on the Toolbar before or after executing the Paste operation The pasted Items can then all be found together at the end bottom of the List If you Paste the Items back into the same Item List as they were taken from then you will have a set of duplicated Items While this is perfectly allowable and A Track treats such duplicates as different Items even though their parameters are identical it can lead to problems subsequently when you are never going to be sure which duplicate Item is the one to be edited or controlled Hence the recommendation is to change at least the Address of each duplicate Item immediately and preferably their Descriptions also to eliminate any confusion Creating duplicate Items is a useful shortcut when you are adding a new Item to your roster which is very similar to one that you already have there and can save a lot of time in setting up all of the Configuration Variables CVs and other parameters for the new Item Important Note When using Cut Copy and Paste operations on Items which are either Consists or Multiples Locomotives assigned to a Consist you need to be aware that the links within and between such Items require them to be handled in a special way e When you Cut or Copy a Multiple the Item placed in the Copy Buffer is changed to a Locomotive with exactly the same parameters but which is no longer linked to the Consist and it will be Pasted
318. ify operation During the Read Verify operation the CV currently being accessed will be highlighted in red in the grid in the lower half of the Edit CVs window Once the CV value held in the decoder has been determined it will be displayed in the grid and highlighted in light green if the value read is the same as that held in the Item or highlighted in pink if it differs from the Item s stored value Page 85 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 27 Configuration ariables ne Item Description Colorado Souther 2 6 0 Mogul 2145A Program Evis Identity peed Pages SUSI Read Verify C s Read ernfy Configuration anables CY Range LY Scope Foppa Eiis 0 Curent View f All CVs f Paged Paste Main C s C AIC Blocks C Selected C Direct Register Faste Exten d Evs i Address Paste Index d rs Update Item ontinn ose lt O00 O16 oo0 ooo ooo OOD ooo ooo 000 001 ooo 000 oo2 ooo 000 004 O00 000 oog ooo 000 me iti ooo 004 000 000 008 ooo 000 UD G aa aT Fa a ell Wait patiently while the first 128 CV values are read from the decoder and displayed in the grid If required the whole operation can be stopped at any time by clicking the Cancel button although you will have to wait for the current CV Paged Read operation to complete up to 20 seconds When the Read Verify operation is complete click the Finish button in the Edit CVs window If an error occurr
319. il to load from the supplied installation program or the drivers are not installed before plugging in the adapter Problems can also arise in the cheapest adapters from the incorporation of counterfeit chipsets which will fail to operate even when the latest genuine Prolific driver software is installed In this case the only solution is to scrap the defective hardware and invest in a better quality adapter Page 283 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Assuming that you are having problems but do have an adapter with a genuine chipset from Prolific then you should be able to get it operating properly by following the steps outlined below Your first action should be to obtain an up to date copy of the Prolific driver installation package from a reliable source such as http lugable com drivers prolific Here the currently available file PL2303 Prolific DriverInstaller v1 8 19 zip contains both the driver installer and documentation Alternatively if you want to check that this is the most up to date version of the driver or one which will run on older PC systems you can visit the Prolific download webpage itself at http www prolific com tw US CustomerLogin aspx where you need to log in using GUEST not your e mail address as both user name and password then click the link labelled PL2303 USB to Serial Drivers to access a list of available driver software including the latest versions for all
320. ile Order simply by clicking on the appropriate column header Clicking on the same column header again will change the Item sort order from ascending to descending or vice versa When clicked the column header will show a small icon to indicate ascending a or descending sort order Line Up Icons In the current release of A Track this only has an effect in Small Icons and Large Icons views where if the icons are shown in a few columns this menu option will increase the number of columns to fill the full width of the window Normally in Large Icons and Small Icons views the Item entries automatically realign themselves after any Item has been dragged to a different position within the window Page 266 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Consist Status Item List Cmnd Stn Displays a window showing all Consists which are currently defined in either an NCE Power Pro Command Station Consist table or the A Track Item List or both together with a list of the Locomotive addresses assigned to the selected Consist within the Power Pro Command Station but not necessarily in the Item List Where any Locomotive assigned to a Consist is identified in the Item List its description is displayed alongside the address Click on any Consist Address to display the status and assignment details of that Consist Where appropriate details of the selected Consist can be copied from the Item List to the NCE Power Pro Command Station
321. ile programming takes place Of the major accessory decoder manufacturers only NCE Corporation makes use of Configuration Variables CVs to program decoder settings remotely via the Mainline Track Operations Mode programming Settings for accessory decoders from other manufacturers are generally programmed directly at each decoder by means of jumper links or sequences of switch operations possibly in conjunction with accessory operational commands Addresses selected for Accessory Items defined in an A Track Item List together with some additional parameters can be programmed into the corresponding decoder once the decoder is connected to the Mainline Track in either of two ways one via the Edit CVs window as covered in the rest of this section and the other by issuing Accessory operating commands which is described in Section 5 17 For the first method double click on the Item to open the Edit CVs window then click on the Addrs Parameter Tab Select the Output Address to be programmed by clicking on the relevant Sel option button Output 3 in the example below then click the Program Accessory button Item 271 Configuration ariables Va ltem Description Gregson Silver Digitras D544 Program Eris Addrs Read verity CW s Wumberof Dutput i Output Address Copy All CV s Output 1 i Output 2 Paste Man Ee AE aE W Sequential Addresses Output 3 Paste Extend i s NCE Options Output 4 Enable O P Toggle Outp
322. ilver Pass OO00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog M34 OSM DI32N OSTA 000 ooog SilverPass PineCrk OO00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0157 N po agog ooog ooog ooog ailverPass T hrough 0294 N OS06N 057A O000 ooog ooog SilverPass Passing 0294A 0256N 02956 0000 ooog ooog 0294A 0256N 02956A OS00R O00 ooog OS05R 0303A 0296A 0296H 000 ooog 0305A 0303A 0296A S Passe McGLmba 0305A OS03N 0300H S Passe McGLmbe oo00 gooo ooo ogsa N gogi ngoj Mainline Gregzon DOIOR 0091A 0092A Gregson Silver 1 00906 0091 N 0092A Gregson Silver 2 En O000 O000 O000 0is2 N 0000 O000 ForestFlat Thru 02A OOD ogag ForestFlat Runarmnd O000 O000 O000 O146N O14 7N D148 N Aldboro Mainline Ol46AR O14 N O148N Aldboro Siding 4 Ol46M O14 AR 0148H Aldboro Siding B O46 O14 N O146R Aldbora Siding C Ol46M O14 N 0148H Aldboro Siding D O000 nog O000 O000 This of course needs more effort to set up requiring selection of seven Macros rather than two In practice a combination of linking and multiple Macro selection will probably produce the most workable solution If you are using an NCE Power Pro system Macros stored within the Command Station memory can also be run under the control of A Track once they have loaded into the Macro Edit window With an NCE Power Cab system internally Page 201 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual stored Macros are not accessible to A Track and so cannot be run from the computer
323. in portrait and 41 rows in landscape 8 3 Direct Printing of Item Details The Item Details option lets you print the settings and CV values of any or all Items from the displayed Item List The option features are best illustrated by printing the full details of a single Locomotive Item so before opening the Print Items window from Print on the File menu or from the toolbar icon click on a suitable Item to highlight it Next in the Print Items window select the Printer and Item Details options and click Printer Setup if necessary to select the approriate printer Click on Current Selection to restrict printing to the selected Item and for this example click on the Print CV Values checkbox to ensure that it is ticked Select the required Page Size but note that for Item Details the Page Orientation is restricted to Portrait Print Items X Output ero oye a E pee a Vicars orn Help Save ltem Data in Rich Text Plain Text or Text File Comma Separated ariable file formats f Printer Auto Brother HL 760 on TERR Y amp THLOW Printer Setup Content Select CY Blocks All Base ltem Summary f ltem Details I Print CY Values Extended Items Indexed 1 C Allltems Indexed 2 f Curent Selection Indexed 3 Checked Items Indexed 4 Page Size O Ad f Letter Having ticked the Print CV Values checkbox the Select CV Blocks options are enabled and you have the choice of either clicking the All
324. ineCreek 001 0129A OS0R O1S6R OOD ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Runaround PineCrk 0129 R 030N 031A gogg aga aga agaa OO00 agad OOO Heath Sawmill 1 003 0000 aoga aga aoga aga aga agad aaa OO00 aga Load File Macro 128 191 Macro 192 255 Save File i Page 180 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Note that the order in which you enter the turnout commands into a Macro is not important but you must fill the entries in order without leaving gaps since when the Macro is run the commands are executed starting at Entry 1 and continuing with each entry in turn until an entry with 0000 is encountered Execution of the Macro then stops and any turnout commands beyond this point are ignored While we could continue in this manner to define Macros for all of the Yard routes repeatedly typing in all of the turnout addresses can get a little tedious Hence to reduce this effort A Track incorporates a facility allowing you to copy and paste Macro data With Macro 002 still highlighted click the Copy Sel Macros button at the foot of the window to copy Macro 002 to an internal storage buffer Mac L 2 3 4 5 6 F g 4 10 Description 000 029N O156N OO00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ogag 0000 Mainline FineCreek 001 0129A 0130A 0136A g0 ooog ooog ooog ooog OO00 OOOO Aunaround PineCrk O129 R OS0N 0131A Oooo ooog ooog ooog ooog OO00 OOOO Heath Sawmill 1 003 oon ooog ooog ooo
325. information will be lost in the process In this case simply repeat the registration process to obtain a new activation key If you encounter any unusual difficulties regarding A Track registration or any other aspect of the program then you should contact A Train Systems either by submitting a Support Request as described in the following Section 9 3 or through the Contact page on the website You can also get in touch via e mail by sending a message to support a train systems co uk 9 3 Obtaining Support and Reporting Problems Although every effort has been made to test A Track as fully as possible and to make the program as resilient as possible it is impracticable to predict every situation under which the software will operate especially given the complexity of modern computer operating systems or to eliminate every last bug and error in the program code and any programmer who declares otherwise is seriously deluded Hence if you find that A Track does not behave as you expect under some circumstances or even crashes then you should submit a Support Request or Problem Report by clicking on Help on the menu bar and then selecting Support Report Problems from the drop down menu File Edit view NCE Item Help w Start Up Tutorial Description CESS Me Register Activate Oe Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 TEn aia es Ca Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truc S EI Colorado Mining 0 6 0 Sa SPa amp Track g AT amp
326. ing A Track to provide a visual display of which Item was currently in the top active Recall slot this is not really a practical option when operating a real model railroad layout The recommendation therefore if you wish to use the RECALL function with a non LCD display Handheld is that you restrict the Number of Recalls to the default level of 02 The OPTION button can then be used to swap between either of two Locomotives or Consists allocated to that Cab without confusion Page 231 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 8 PRINTING LISTS AND ITEM DETAILS A Track provides a range of facilities to print out all or part of the currently displayed Item List or the details of one or more individual Items selected from that Item List either to paper or to a file which can be transferred to another computer for printing at a later time or to be sent to someone else by e mail The Print facility is accessed from the A Track menu bar by clicking on File Print or from the toolbar by clicking on the icon or simply by pressing the CtrI P key combination on the keyboard hold down either Ctrl Control key then press the P key The Print Items window which then appears offers you the Output option of printing directly to an attached printer or to a text file in one of several formats Print Items X Output c e maa ce ee Oae Tan Help a Save ltem Data imn Aich Test Plain Test or Text File Comma Separate
327. ing bold or italic characters All text is output as monochrome black and white and no colour features are incorporated for any purpose This means that the pages output by the Print facility should print without any problem on any type or configuration of printer The printed output has left and top page margins both set equal to 0 75 19mm When printing to a file you have a choice of printing in either Rich Text Format RTF or as plain ANSI text The simple text formatting employed by A Track is incorporated in an RTF file so that when loaded into most word processors it Should produce the same printed page as when printing directly from A Track to an attached printer It is also possible to print the Item or Item List data fields to a file as Comma Separated Values CSV Such a CSV file can be imported into a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel which will allow you to display manipulate and then export or print the Item or Item List data fields as a table of values see Section 8 4 for further details Page 233 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 8 2 Direct Printing of an Item Summary To print an Item Summary from the displayed Item List open the Print Items window as described in the introduction to Chapter 8 above then select the Printer and Item Summary options click Printer Setup if necessary to select the approriate printer and then choose the range of Items to be included in the printed output e
328. inimum Stearn Chuff Distance Power Fail Bypass RailCom Configuration lt UD O5 Oh TT Fa ee You should refer to the manufacturer s data sheet or user manual for details of how to set and adjust each CV value in order to obtain the particular operational function or type and volume of sound you require from the specific decoder Note in the particular example selected above while CV131 is used by LokSound for the Diesel Manual Notching Offset parameter in their current Version 4 decoders it is also used for a completely different Function Assignment purpose in their earlier Version 3 5 decoders If you select Assign Function Stop Forward C V3 5 from the Assign Description Tab then you will find that you will again end up at CV131 as shown below Item 18 Configuration Yariables ltem Description DiR Gi 2 6 0 Consolidation LokSnd Select Progam Vs _ Read Verify CVs Configuration Variable Value Copy All Cys ny i Diesel Manual Notching Offset Assign Function Paste Main Divs Stop Forward C 3 5 Paste Exten d Ciis Dec 012 Hex oc Yalue P35 n aa Paste Inderid Evs Btt COCCO ate Update ltem OK Cancel Close Assign Function Sensor Reverse B V3 5 Assign Function Sensor Reverse C V3 5 Assign Function Stop Backup amp 3 5 Assign Function Stop Backup B 3 5 Assign Function Stop Backup C 3 5 Assign Function Stop Forward 4 3 5 Assign Functi
329. ion Adjust O00 Select Table Mid Step Jooo simple 3 5tep Kick Start T Forward Trim O00 Update Item Full 28 Step ai Reverse Trim Paste Exten d Eiis Define Tables Paste Index d rs g 1 2 3 4 5 6 f B 4 Click Update Item to save all changes to the Item List then save the updated Item List as usual Do not forget however that you will need to program the newly changed CV values into the physical decoder before they will have any effect on the operation of the relevant Locomotive see Section 5 10 Page 98 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 4 Functions and Function Mapping For Locomotive Items click on the Funct n Parameter Tab to access the set of Item parameters associated with Functions This Tab is not enabled for Consists or Accessories Item 26 Configuration ariables i ltem Description Dar Gi 2 Truck Shay ON142 Readsverify C s Enable in Alternate Power Mode FLF FLA Fl Fe FS F4 FOF FY F8 FY F10F11 F12 Copy All Cvs E E E E EE EEEE E E E E Paste Main Cis Active under Consist Address FLF FLA Fl Fe FS F4 FOFE FY F8 FY F10F11 F12 Paste Exten d CVs E E EEE gee gee e Paste Inderid Gis Function 7 Output Mapping Oe HHH e HHee Hee Update Item Hia Ti gad BE rze S1071 12 Close Ee gee eee eee 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 f B 4 In the first two sections Enable in Alternate Power Mode and Active under Consist Address click on as many or as f
330. ions in Page 127 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual any order and at any time and while it is good practice to do so it is not essential to assign either a Lead or Rear Loco to the Consist Click on one of the Locomotive Assignment buttons to select a position the Lead position is selected in the example above If the position is available then the Assigned Loco Address textbox will show 0 and the Add Loco button will be enabled as shown above If a locomotive is already assigned to the slot then the Assigned Loco Address textbox will show the address of that Locomotive and the button will show the caption Remove Loco instead Assuming that the slot is available click in the Assigned Loco Address textbox type in the address of the Locomotive to be assigned to the Consist If you type a two or three digit value less than 128 then it will be taken as a Primary Address while a three digit value greater than 127 or any four digit value is assumed to be an Extended Address If you wish to enter an Extended Address which is less than 127 then add one or more leading zeros to pad it out to four digits Next click either of the Fwd or Rev buttons to the right of the textbox to choose whether the Loco is to be operated in the Forward or Reverse direction If the entered address of the assigned Locomotive can be matched to an active address the address shown preceded by a gt symbol of a Locomotive in the
331. irst select those CVs you do not want in the final selection by using the mouse in conjunction with either Ctrl key and then press Ctrl I either Ctrl key plus the I key to invert the selection If you make an error in selecting a group of CVs then simply click on any CV to remove the unwanted highlighting and leave only the CV on which you clicked highlighted This last CV highlight can be removed by clicking on the highlighted CV while holding down either Ctrl key The example below shows a group of CVs selected by a click on CVO1 followed by a click on CV46 with a Shift key held down and then CV20 and CV26 removed from the selection by clicking on them in turn with a Ctrl key pressed Following selection a click on the Read Verify CVs Action Button reveals the Read Verify Configuration Variables page Item 6 Configuration Yariables SA Item Description Gandy Dancer DZ120 Cras Ermel Panac 4 AN gyut speed Funct n Page Read Verify Configuration Variables C Range CV Scope r Mode Current View AllCYs Paged C All CV Blocks Selected Direct I Register T re T LJ Te MG WUG ii Aep gt L CV Ox Yellow highlight 0 Ei to show CVs selected for Read Verify OIO Nin a N You should also consider which decoder access Mode is to be used e Paged is the most common mode and most likely to work correctly but is also slow and may take up to 20 seconds to read the value of a
332. is installed and ready to use If you wish you can open Device Manager again and check that the Prolific adapter appears correctly in the list of serial ports With the serial end of the adapter connected to your NCE Power Pro Command Station A Track will automatically identify the correct COM port and establish communication However if you are using a JMRI software application then you will need to take note of the COM port number corresponding to the Prolific adapter as shown by Device Manager and select the correct port in the JMRI setup window Note that if on some future occasion you choose to connect the Prolific USB to Serial adapter to a different USB port on your computer you will see the Found New Hardware notices appear again as the driver software is linked to the new USB port After the process completes A Track will automatically handle any consequent changes to communications port allocations although you will again have to change any JMRI settings manually Links to USB to Serial Interface Vendors The webpage links given in this section represent the best available information at the time this Reference Manual was written for those adapter manufacturers whose devices are known to work with A Track However like all information posted on the Internet the locations of these webpages are subject to change without notice If any link no longer appears to function and you are unable to find the data you require
333. is that we can see how the Consist Locos are physically placed relative to each other on the track Defined Consists Status Command Station i Selected Consist Address 85 NCE F 4 Locos Assigned to Consist NCE Command Station tf Current Item List Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 2024 Union Facitic 2 6 2 Praine SON144P5 Hid 1 3028 Item not found in Loaded ltem List Mid 0000 Hid 3 0000 Hid 4 0000 Rear 5278 Item not found in Loaded ltem List Tec Directions of Operation for the Lead Fwd Rev Assigned Locos are not stored in the NCE Command Station 0 are not Hid 1 available for transter to A Track weeeeeenee Hev i Mid 2 Fwd ft Select required Direction of Operation for each Assigned Loco to complete Mid 3 Fwd Rev C transfer of the Consist ranster of the Consis Midd Fad Rev Cancel Confirm Rear Find tf Pex lear Transfer Activate ose Page 149 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Clicking Confirm will complete the transfer to A Track The background of the Address changes to orange together with the creation of a new Consist Item in the Item List shown as New Consist 28 in the Item List fragment below a New Consist 28 Consist See 085 FOU _ 0 Union Pacific 2 6 2 Frame SON144P5 MultLead _EP 185 g
334. isabling all NCE menu functions during Cab Status Refresh Handling of filename extensions in File Save Checked corrected to be consistent with normal File Save As operation Minimum size set for main A Track window to prevent generation of fatal error if window dimensions reduced below a critical point any attempt to drag window edges to make window size less than the minimum is ignored Page 293 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual In Startup Tutorial error causing restart when attempting to go Back from page 2 is now fixed action now returns correctly to Page 1 Inconsistencies in enabling entries for Allocate Deallocate and Operate between Item and Pop Up Menus and when different types of NCE System are connected have been corrected NCE Cab Selection grid is now disabled during Cab Deallocate Operate window Functions are no longer disabled if Options are accessed then closed without changing anything Changing Operate window Options and then choosing not to update the affected Item when closing the Operate window no longer disrupts communication with the NCE Command Station Print function extensively revised to handle new CV Page and Block structure with added annotation of output pages Selecting Landscape Orientation in Print Setup no longer overrides the default Portrait selection when printing Item Details Paper Size selection in Print Setup now has no effect on the Size selection in the main Print Item
335. ist Consist Multiple Mid Loco Group of Locos Accessory Turnouts or Signals MIPE Rear roc Of those View menu options not covered so far Toolbar simply enables display of the row of command icons located immediately below the Menu Bar each icon corresponds to a selected option from one of the A Track menus Clicking Toolbar will disable display of the icons removing the tick beside the option Click again to re enable display of the Toolbar Page 45 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Show Checked Items only displays those Items where the checkbox to the left of the Item has been clicked to show a tick It is useful when selecting a subset of Items from a long List in order to check whether all required Items have been marked Click the option again to re enable display of the complete Item List Consist Status Item List Cmnd Stn allows you to review all of the consists currently defined in the Item List and an NCE Power Pro Command Station if connected Full details are covered in Section 5 12 Consist Status View Backup File is only relevant if you have backed up Consist data from an NCE Power Pro Command Station to a file stored on your computer If so you can then review all of the consists held in the file with those currently in the Item List Full details are covered in Sections 5 12 and 7 3 In the standard A Track installation automatic status updates of the NCE Cabs attached to the C
336. ist NCE Command Station Current ltem List f Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 0464 AT ASF GE 44 Switcher ON140 Mid 1 0000 Hid 2 0463 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher ON1350 Hid 3 0000 Hid 4 0000 Rear 0436 DAG GE44 Switcher ON 35D Remember that as described previously in Section 5 11 you can also activate a Consist immediately after creating or modifying it in A Track by clicking Yes in response to either of the prompts which will appear as soon as you click Update Item in the Edit CVs window The more complex prompt is shown in cases where a Consist with this Address already exists in the NCE Command Station Consist Address Exists J X 4 Consist with the same address is currently stored within the MCE Command Station Do vou Wish to replace the stored Consist with this new version Click Yes bo replace the current Consist in the Command Station the Consist will then be activated Click Mo to save the Consist in the 4 Track Item List only rhe Consist will not be activated Click Cancel to return to Cw Edit tand allow the address ta be changed and a simpler version is displayed if the new or edited Consist only exists at present in the A Track Item List Activate Updated Consist q x T Do you wish bo Activate the updated Consist Click Yes bo transfer the Consi
337. it remains in force each time A Track is started until cancelled by the user Register and Support forms amended to display details of the Windows version in use together with details of the A Track version and the type of NCE equipment connected and to send this data to the relevant A Train Systems webpages for onward transmission having this information greatly assists in providing support and solving reported problems Major enhancements made in the handling of Accessory decoders to accommodate the modern practice of using Operations Mode programming to set their parameters rather than connecting to a Program Track features added to handle parameters specific to the NCE range of Accessory decoders any Accessory Items defined in Item Lists using previous versions of A Track will be automatically updated to use the new format when accessed Addresses for Accessory decoders now displayed in a four digit format with Decoder and Output Addresses identified separately for each Accessory decoder Output Addresses derived from current Decoder Address in accordance with NMRA Recommended Practice RP9 2 2 now shown on Config tab in the Edit CVs window for Accessories with decoders where Output Addresses can be individually programmed these addresses now displayed on separate Addrs tab When displaying the Item List using Details view Accessory addresses are now Shown with the Decoder Address in the Primary Address column and the currently
338. itch or pushbutton you also get visual feedback that the action has been recognised as Shown below Item 7 D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 a FL Headlight Vv Function F2 v Function F4 Function F5 1 NY runction Fro lt a Function r 0 10 Rev Fwd 7 Function F8 Inc Dec O w QO 4 alas siz Dy The behaviour of the function switches and the speed control knob can be programmed to suit the requirements of the Item and your personal preferences To adjust the settings first Stop the Item by clicking on the red white cross in the centre of the speed control knob then click on the Options button If you click Options without first stopping the Item then you will receive a warning Commands Active for Item x A Cannot Change Function Speed Options Speed CSO1 l Function F1 5 ey FL and Fl Activated while Commands are Active Stop Item and Cancel All Commands click Yes to continue or No to abandon the action With the Item stopped the Operate window changes to reveal the options which are available for you to customise Page 69 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 7 D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 s s sXKW Step Sizes are set for each Shep Sizes are set for each y FL Headlight Function F click on the Inc and Dec click on the Inc and Dec W Use Latch buttone oron the Speed Disc buttons
339. ith its Description as also shown on the pop up label next to the CV location and its current value listed in decimal hexadecimal and binary bits To change the value of the CV simply click in either of the Dec or Hex textboxes and type in a new value The value shown in the other unclicked textbox is updated automatically to match the entered number Page 100 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 26 Configuration ariables fe Item Description D amp AGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Program Cs Speed Read Veriy C s Configuration Variable Yalue Copy alls ee Configuration Data Paste Main Cs Paste Exten d Cvs ps Dec 054 Hex 28 alue 76543210 Bits CMM MND Update ltem OK Cancel Close Paste Index d rs 0 1 2 3 4 5 G D B 4 CV 029 Configuration Data Decimal numbers are entered using the normal digits 0 to 9 while hexadecimal numbers use the letters A to F in addition to digits O to 9 you can type the letters in either lower or upper case small letters or capitals Alternatively you can click on one or more of the Bits checkboxes to set or clear each individual bit of the byte representing the value of the CV A tick in a checkbox represents a set bit value 1 and an unticked checkbox represents a cleared bit value 0 Again the values in the Dec and Hex textboxes will be automatically updated to reflect the new value of the CV as each bit is changed Once the require
340. ith the status indicators in the bottom righthand corner of the A Track window showing green as described in Section 3 5 above Next click on File on the Menu Bar and then New as shown below FY A Track File Edit View NCE Item Help Ctril N Ctrl 0 GrH AAE __ Pr ddr ExAddr Controller_ SpSt Click New to create your initial Item List Item List used for Getting Started Demo Print Chri FP C Documents Track Item Lists AT Tutorial Demo 43 itl Exit which will create your first Item List containing a single blank Item that you can then use to collect full details of the first locomotive in your roster FA a Track loj x File Edit wiew MZE Item Help A S E Haal tpe o ommna Description Type Flags Prd _ExAddr Controller SpSts Speed FL Functia O Blank ltem 1 None P 000 O000 At this point you can if you wish click on Edit and then on Insert Blank Item to add further blank Items to match the number of locomotives you have Alternatively you can repeatedly click on the icon on the Toolbar to perform the Same operation or you can leave this step until later Page 32 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual ity 4 y al Des 2 ee OS _ Flags eee OS Find Ctrl F gt 000 0000 Co m gt 000 0000 Cle Cut Ctrl x gt 000 0000 Cut Append Ctrl Z Copy Ctrl C Copy Append Ctrl D Paste Gri y
341. ivities then you might like to consider making a donation to assist in the cost of maintaining the website and the equipment used to develop the software further Page 259 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual You can donate any sum you wish in a completely safe and secure manner by clicking the Donate button shown above This will connect you to the PayPal secure website where you can use any credit or debit card to make your donation even if you do not have a PayPal account of your own Any amount you choose to contribute will be gratefully received If the computer on which you run A Track is not connected to the Internet then you can access A Track Support manually by going to the A Train Systems Support webpage at http www a train systems co uk Ssupport php from any computer which does have an Internet connection Carefully enter your Name together with the installed program Version 4 3 167 in the example see Help About or Help Support and the Serial Number 130928A8E9F53 in the example see Help Register or Help Support complete the other entries as shown previously and click the Submit button to complete your support request or problem report Alternatively you can submit a support request or problem report via an e mail to Support a train systems co uk containing full details together with your name the program Version and the installed Serial Number In this case every effort will be made to
342. k NCE Backup d t EF EN NCE Macro 192 255 Backup z 2 5ep 13 mbk E NCE Macro 128 191 Backup 2 5ep 13 mbk Oss ee a Ah enemas 13 a My ent Documents Lon cai OTe Macro 000 063 ne 22 ER 13 mbk NCE Consist Backup 22 5ep 13 mbk E NCE System Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk Desktop My Documents My Computer J di Deena Filename NCE HHeld 02 09 Backup 22 Sep 13mbk gt Plac Files of type Backup Files Plain Text mbk Cancel we Wait for around 20 30 seconds for the Consist or Macro data transfer to complete or about 10 15 seconds for the Handheld Cab Restore as shown by the normal transfer progress bar and then click OK on the final confirmation message NCE Data Transfer Please wait for data transter to complete Do not operate WCE Handheld Cabs at this time x amp 7 5 NCE Restore Complete xj ag in J Handheld Cab Data Restored With regard to restoring Consist data to the Command Station note that doing so does not necessarily establish the real Consist on the track particularly if an NCE Handheld Cab has been used to delete the Consist KILL CONSIST after the Consist backup file was created In such a case you will need to transfer the Consist to A Track as described in Section 5 12 and then Activate the Consist ensuring that the assigned Locomotives are physically present on the track Page 211 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual
343. k can be operated directly From 4 Track or by entering the Consist Address to the PowerCab as a Loco address clicking OK then reveals the Consist Status window which shows in the grid in the lower half of the window highlighted in blue only those Consists which are currently defined in the Item List ie 120 and 66 Defined Consists Status Command Station i Selected Consist Address F ie er Pte Locos Assigned to Consist HEE Command Staton t Curent ltem List Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead base Mid1 Mid 2 Mid 3 Mid 4 Rear ez Clicking on any highlighted Consist Address in the grid will display the addresses of those locomotives assigned to the Consist in the upper half of the window with the Current Item List option selected in this case to show that this is the A Track Item List definition of the Consist If the displayed addresses correspond to Locomotives in the Item List then those Locomotive Descriptions will be shown in the textbox to the right of each address as can be seen below Page 140 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Defined Consists Status Command Station Selected Consist Address 120 ATrack F Da i Locos Assigned to Consist HEE Command Station t Current ltem List C Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 0464 AT LSF GE 44 Switcher OM140 Mid 1 0o00 nM Hid 2 0463
344. l copy the buffered values of CV257 to CV512 into the new Item together with the Block of CVs specific to SUSI CVs namely CV897 to CV1024 Having the SUSI CV values loaded into the A Track Item will not cause any problems with decoders which do not support SUSI since this range of CVs will only be transferred to a decoder if you select and Program them explicitly see Section 5 10 Returning to our example you will note that in the new Item because we have not yet selected the Decoder Manufacturer the Paste Index d CVs button is currently disabled even though the Indexed CV Pages were copied from the original Item Click on the Pages Parameter Tab click on the Specific Manufacturer option button and select ESU LokSound from the drop down list as the Decoder Manufacturer the same as the original source Item If you now select one of the enabled Index Pages and then click Paste Index d CVs you can see the copied Index Pages being transferred to the new Item Page 113 of 303 Version 4 3 2 Read Verify CVs Decoder Manufacturer Copy All CVs Paste Main CV s ESU LokSound Basic Other NMRA With Indexed Pages Specific Manufacturer Sele Paste Exten d CVs Lo 001 128 Base Block Access CV Page C Extended C Indexed Hi 129 256 C Indexed3 C COON OO Cli a Win m A Track Reference Manual SN item Description Colorado Southern 2 6 0
345. l overflow error Initialisation of frames for Bidirectional Comms and Alternate Power Source parameters is now performed correctly in the Config Tab of the Edit CVs window Consist handling changed to prevent a Locomotive being allocated to two Consists at the same time in the same Item List Consist handling extended in a limited fashion to Power Cab and Smart Booster systems Consists can be activated or de activated with such systems although it is not possible to coordinate Consist definitions between the systems and A Track as can be done with Power Pro Abandoning the creation of a Consist before it has been saved to the Item List will not now leave the selected Consist Address still allocated error was previously generated if that Address was later selected for a new Consist Warning message added to advise that all assigned Locomotives must be present on the mainline track when Consists are activated or de activated Warning added to alert of any Items currently being edited when A Track is closed to allow program close to be aborted and Items saved rather than for the open Edit CVs windows to be simply closed and any changes discarded Opening of A Track amended to make certain that only a single instance of A Track can be run at any given time to prevent disruption of communications with the Command Station Conflicts caused by accessing Command Station Status while a Cab Status Refresh operation is in progress now prevented by d
346. lder laa Shared Documents 9 Sue s Documents O My Documents My Network Places Dezkto m 2 My Documents am Saved E Mail My Computer i SampleDocs N My Network File name Merged ItemList 1 B May 1 3 Z Places save as type item Lists itl Cancel A Double click on the parent folder to open it then use the Create New Folder button on the File Save window toolbar as shown below Type in a suitable name for the new folder click Open to open it then click again on the same button now labelled Save to save the Item List using either the suggested filename based on today s date Merged ItemList 16 May 13 here or one which is more meaningful to yourself together with the ita extension selected from the Save as type drop down listbox 4 Track Save Item List i ES Save in E My Documents e amp elea Fe Q Track Item Lists My Pictures My Item Lists eBooks My PSPS Files C New Item Lists My Received Files New ItemLists G A Track Backup 4 Track Printed Items Create and Rename Create New Folder My Recent Documents 6 Desktop O Clipboardcc New Folder S C WGuild Test Edited Docs WOES I Received Files My Music Pr O Saved E Mail My Computer satan D SampleDocs a RETETE File name Merged ItemList 6 May 13 Places Save as type Item Lists itl item Lists itl Item Archive
347. le CV value in one decoder at a time You are also not totally reliant on the retention by the Command Station and individual decoders of your Item settings between operating sessions on the layout Backups of your Item List files can be made easily on to removable media such as USB flash drives memory sticks or CD R disks and stored elsewhere for security If any decoder has its settings corrupted for any reason it is a matter of minutes to use A Track and the appropriate stored Item List to re program and restore the decoder to its previously programmed state It cannot be over emphasised that you should always keep back up copies of your Item Lists at least in a separate folder on your PC s hard disk and preferably in a physically separate location Then you will always be able to recover not only from major disasters but also from inadvertent editing errors made when using A Track Although in theory given the size of hard disks and the amount of RAM in a modern PC there is essentially no limit to the size of Item Lists which can be handled by A Track an upper limit of 32704 Items per Item List has been set in the software This limit should be more than adequate to build Lists for all practical purposes even in Clubs with very large locomotive rosters However very large Lists tend to be unwieldy to view and manipulate so while you may choose to keep a master reference Item List containing every Item of your or your Club s
348. lected click Back Up to continue The normal data transfer progress bar will be displayed with the Handheld Cab backup operation taking less than 10 seconds followed by the display of a Save As window to allow you to select or create a destination folder for the backup file The suggested filename for a Handheld Cab backup file contains the range of Cab Addresses selected as well as the date when the file was saved EME File name INCE HHeld 02 09 Backup 22 Sep 1ambk gt Places Save as type Backup Files Plain Text mbk Cancel Ze As before you can edit or change the filename as much as you like perhaps to reference a particular operating session or an operator or a specific allocation of locomotives After clicking Save successful completion will be confirmed by the usual form of acknowledgement NCE Backup Complete X _ l Handheld Data Sayed to File It does not matter if the set of selected Cabs includes Cab Addresses which are unused These inactive Cabs will be recorded with whatever parameters and allocations happen to be stored in the Command Station at the time You should however avoid creating backup sets of Cabs whose Addresses overlap since when the files are restored to the Command Station the parameters of Cabs in the overlapped range will depend on the order in which the files are restored This also applies to Macro backup sets where the ranges of Macros overlap where the c
349. ler i a gt 006 1206 Save As Ctrl S 1 Most Recently Used Save Checked Item List s Properties ae Print Ctrl P gt 2917 C Documents Track Item Lists AT Tutorial Demo 43 itl gt 0260 1037 C Documents Item Lists CochiseWestern_All_121115 itl 120 0464 Ext 120 gt 0463 TESOFUN Tit 44 nA PT DTS D IL t m 1 20 gt 0436 _ lt Switcher Consist 2 Consist _P gt 120 CI Union Pacific Challenger OSI Titan Steam Loco P gt 089 3939 Once an Item List appears in the File menu MRU list you can open this Item List at any subsequent time simply by clicking on its filename in the MRU list without having to go through the standard File Open window As well as opening an existing Item List you can use the File menu to generate a completely new List by clicking on New or the al icon on the Toolbar or by pressing CtrI N on the keyboard which creates an Item List containing a single Blank Item If an Item List is already loaded and has been changed in any way then you are asked whether you wish to save the current Item List before it is replaced with the new List F 4 Track 4 O x File Edit wiew MCE Item Help Aaaee al te eA o Ala D Blank Item 1 as 000 000g Having generated a single Blank Item the next thing to do is to change it into a valid DCC Item having an Item Type of Locomotive Consist or Accessory You should also give the Item a unique Description and Address The se
350. les 2 my Pictures CD 4 Track Item Lists eBooks 4 Track Macros C amp Track NCE Backup O My Received Files Desktop My Videos My Item Lists gt New Item Lists Create New Folder _ Clipboardcc D WGuild Test Edited Docs Received Files My Music O Saved E Mail Letters File name INCE System Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk v Save as type Backup Files Plain T ext mbk v Cancel A A Track as you can see above provides a suggested filename NCE System Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk showing the type of backup data together with today s date However you can edit this suggestion as much as you like in order to give this Page 205 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual particular set of system parameters a description appropriate to your own layout or the operating session to which they apply When you are happy with the filename click Save to save the backup file to the selected folder after which the System Backup operation will be confirmed by an acknowledgement MCE Backup Complete X Caj k i System Data Saved to File Click OK to continue Backup of the set of Consists stored within the NCE Command Station is performed in exactly the same way by clicking Consist Backup on the NCE menu Because of the larger quantity of data to be copied the transfer takes longer than that of System data requiring between 5 and 10 seconds to retrieve all Consist data so you will see the data t
351. less of the decoder type selected with a list of all of the CVs defined in the NMRA DCC Standards and Recommended Practices When first accessing the Pages Parameter Tab as part of the initial setup of a new Item as described in Section 5 2 your first action is to select the type of decoder fitted to the Item since this will determine the number and content of the CV Description Tabs which will be displayed The simplest case is where the manufacturer of the fitted decoder appears in the list which can be shown by clicking on the Specific Manufacturer option button and then on the down arrow v at the righthand end of the listbox below the option button Page 102 of 303 Version 4 3 2 Item 27 Configuration Yariables ltem Description DiR Gi 2 Truck Shay ON142 Basic Other NMRA with Indexed Pages Program Cis Readverty CW s Copy All Cvs Paste Main Cis Faste Exten d CM s Paste Inderid Evis Update Iter Close lt UD Sp eT Fa ee i Decoder Manufacturer Specific Manufacturer 0 Basic Other HMAA CY Definitions MCE Corporation Sound rass Model Rectifier Corporation MAC ESU LokSound Lenz Electrorik Train Control Systems TCS J Broadway Limited Paragon 2 HTH Electric Trains Proto Sournd 3 Select trom list below Digitrax Inc og A Track Reference Manual Acceleration Adjustment Acceleration Rate Alternate Mode Functio
352. lick Step j20 Use fy Latch Use F Latch A Function F8 Ok Cancel Centre Zero Controt Use fy Latch Minor Step d Wei Once all the controls are set as required click OK to return to an operational mode with the new set of controls Item 7 D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN14 2 Speed CS0O1 v FL Headlight F cell whistle v Function F4 A Function FE C Function F A Function Fa i STOP Options The settings will be retained as part of the Item s parameters if you choose to save them when you cease using this Operate soft controller see below Function F3 Function FS i When an Item is being operated using an A Track soft controller its status is shown in the Item List as in the example below Here the Item allocation is shown in the Controller column as CS 01 with a forward speed of F 64 and the status of FL Headlight and Function F1 indicated as on B z 4 Track loj x File Edit wiew WCE Item Help QO Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 Loco 004 2014 25 Fi g Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 Truck Shay 2145A Laca C 00E 1206 ne Ob 20 FOU _ Cie Clear Lake Lumber Truck Climas Lenz Silv Loco _F 0542 gt 4004 20 FOO _ 1 Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleTank TCS MC6 Loco AP j 4301 NC 02 20 FOO _ Ci AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane OH142 Loco _ 093 9793 2A FOO _ O Gandy Dancer 07120 Loco AF 018
353. lick on the Hardware tab and then on the Device Manager button In all cases a window showing all installed devices should open where you can double click on Ports COM amp LPT to view the installed serial ports as shown below Page 284 of 303 Version 4 3 2 c Device Manager File Action View A Track Reference Manual Mii Ei H E Acronis Devices m Computer Es Disk drives El Display adapters Fl DYD CD ROM drives ne Floppy disk controllers El fa Floppy disk drives Fy IDE ATA ATAPI controllers a keyboards Mice and other pointing devices H Monitors E Multifunction adapters ee Network adapters fl NVIDIA Network Bus Enumerator FI ay Ports COM amp LPT Bde a Communications Pork TOMI a YF ECP Printer Port LPT1 W PCI Parallel Port LPT3 oo YF PCI Serial Port COM2 ee W PCT Serial Port COM fa of Processors H Sound video and game controllers fel al Sveshern devices Now plug your problem adapter into the USB port on your computer that you normally use The Device Manager display will update itself automatically and you should see an additional serial port with or without a yellow fault flag as shown below LU Sr et i NVIDIA Network Bus Enumerator I ny Forts COM amp LPT Bd a Communications Port COMI F ECP Printer Port LPT1 F PCI Parallel Port LTS Uy PCI Serial Port COM2 F PCI Serial Port Coma o he E Prolific USB to Serial Comm Fort
354. ling of the NCE Power Pro System equipment together with its associated stored data and parameters These facilities are not available to NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster Systems The basic NCE Power Pro System depends for retention of all of the system data stored in the NCE Command Station including your set of operational preferences on a small coin cell battery fitted internally and which must be replaced periodically While this generally works very well there is still a risk that this data and your settings can be lost inadvertently requiring you to re enter everything again by hand hopefully from notes that you have kept of your original settings Using A Track not only can you see all of your operational settings in the Command Station at a glance but you can also save all of these settings to files on the hard disk of your computer from which you can restore them to the Command Station at any time This also applies to the parameters and locomotive allocations associated with each Handheld Cab and to your defined sets of Consists and Macros Access to these facilities is available via the NCE menu which is only enabled when an NCE Power Pro Command Station is connected to A Track and operational E3 4 Track File Edit View MCE Item Help ial Cc Ce System Backup Description rs 0O eE eatside Macro Backup Loca g Greenbrier Henane G12 See CE Loca E gt Clear Lake System Restore Loco _F g Colorado b Consist
355. ller makes use of the Turnout Monitoring data available from the Command Station state of turnout according to last command sent with Power Cab or with no NCE system connected details of the last command sent to each turnout is maintained within the Accessory Item The Turnout Monitoring data available from the Power Pro can be used by the on screen Operate controller for any Accessory to check on the current state of any turnout decoder address according to last command sent State of Accessory outputs is now shown in the Function column of the Item List when using the Details view Prompt to save changed Operate Options shown when either a Locomotive or Accessory Operate window is closed now shows the correct Item Number Updated Print routines to handle full details of revised Accessory Items Corrected display of CV Block Select checkboxes in Print setup form checkboxes now enabled correctly and consistent with other selection options when Print facility opened Serious error in Command Station Setup where cancelling the Power On Reset or System Factory Reset process at any point would leave the Setup window with all controls disabled so that neither the window nor the A Track program could be closed now corrected abandoning either operation at any point returns the user to the Setup window with all controls re enabled Wording of System Factory Reset warning message reformatted to improve clarity The version of USB Inte
356. lt address of 127 shown above will simply display the message Not in Use in the textbox at the top of the window Clicking on any highlighted Consist Address in the grid will display the addresses of those locomotives assigned to the Consist in the upper half of the window If the displayed addresses correspond to Locomotives in the currently loaded Item List then those Locomotive Descriptions will also be shown in the textbox to the right of each address as can be seen below Page 221 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Defined Consists Status Backup File Selected Consist Address 120 ATrack Locos Assigned to Consist Backup File List t Current ltem List Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 0464 AT LSF GE 44 Switcher OM140 Hid 1 0000 Hid 2 0463 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher ON1 35D Hid 3 0000 Mid 4 0000 Rear 0436 DAG GE44 Switcher ON 35D 10 240 sO 40 SO 60 70 80 30 100 110 mW aA A S Bo A St at 10 111 121 Since the selected Consist 120 is defined in the loaded Item List the Current Item List option above the Loco Descriptions is enabled in this case as confirmation Alternatively if you click on a highlighted Consist Address identified as within the backup file such as 85 or 66 the Backup File List option will be enabled and again det
357. ly ignored by A Track Page 232 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Note however that your choice of an Orientation setting in the Printer Setup window will be transferred to the A Track Print Items window and vice versa but the setting selected in the Print Items window when you click Print will override any Orientation setting selected in the Print Setup window Print Setup eee E E EE Properties Status Ready Type Brother HL r60 Wher STERAY ATHLON SBroHL 60 Comment Orientation r Source Automatically Select Network Cancel Portrait f Landscape A Track remembers whatever print settings you select in the main Print Items window storing them in the Windows Registry so that the same set of options will be presented the next time you use the Print function If you require further information regarding any of the Print options then you can click on Help to view the relevant Help Topics Clicking Cancel in the Print Items window at any time will abandon any alterations you have made to the Print options and will close the Print Items window 8 1 Output Formats In order to simplify the formatting of the data which is output to either a printer or to a text file A Track uses a standard Windows fixed pitch character font Courier New so that all columns are correctly aligned The only text formatting which is applied is to highlight some data categories or fields us
358. m s Configuration Variables in the selected CV Blocks Each page of CV values on either A4 or Letter paper contains 54 rows of data so that each CV Block occupies three printed pages Two header rows are printed at the top of each page of CV values showing the name of the CV Block and the range of CV addresses which it contains followed by the titles of the columns showing CV Number CV Description and CV Value shown in decimal and binary At the bottom of each page is a footer row showing the page number today s date and the Item Type and active Address These features are shown in the four example printouts on the following pages the first an Item Details page from an Item with a standard locomotive decoder followed by a page showing the basic NMRA CVs then an example CV Block page from an Item with a Quantum sound decoder and finally an Indexed CV Block page from an Item with a LokSound sound decoder The pages showing details of the Item s Configuration Variables are fairly self explanatory If you do not need details of any of the Item CVs then ensure that the Print CV Values checkbox is not ticked by clicking on it if necessary so that only the first Item Details page will be printed for each selected Item Alternatively if you only wish to print out a subset of the CV Values such as those specific to sound decoder settings for example then tick the Print CV Values checkbox and the appropriate Select CV Blocks text
359. m Slot 1 to Slot 2 and thus acts like a reverse NCE ProCab RECALL button You can use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to move the contents of the selected slot to Slot 1 for example so that when you finally allocate the Item which was originally right clicked to the NCE Cab it will become the locomotive or consist under active control by that Cab al Jr al vl Li wil ar Li Allocated Items Item Description Addr Alloc Item not found in Loaded item List f litem Hot found in Loaded Item List 0o00 C item not found in Loaded ltem List 0o00 D amp RGW 2 6 0 Mogul ON142 2917 i r r westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay OH121 2m 4 litem not found in Loaded ltem List oogen Move Up Move Down Y Allocate Cancel Once you are satisfied that you have picked the right slot and that the Items are in the positions you want click the Allocate button The Address and Description of the Item to be allocated is copied from the Item List to the selected slot and displayed against a pink background IL Ir pe Lm ll eLm wil ars Li Allocated Items Item Description Addr Alloc Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleT ank TCS MCB aam fe ItemnotfaundnLoadediiemLst DOD Move Up Al Move Down 7 ee Ta epn Page 63 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual At this point the allocation and selected slot position are both frozen and cannot be altered Click Confirm to t
360. mail address to any other person or organisation and will only use the address on occasion to acknowledge your submitted request and to let you Know when an applicable A Track software update is available esT roi Model Railroad Electronics and Control lt Wv S ti Leis Home Contact Site Map A TRACK Get A TRACK Projects amp DCC Download Links About Thank You Your support request problem report has been sent Every request or problem will be investigated and you will be informed when any necessary corrections have been incorporated in a future release of A Track Thank you again for your interest Donations are Welcome 4 Track software and support are provided to you completely free of charge However if you have found A Track of benefit to your model railroading activities then you might like to contribute to the future development and upkeep of the program by making a donation You can do this safely and securely via PayPal using any credit or debit card even if you do not have a PayPal account Click on the button below to proceed a Copyright JT Chamberlain 2004 2012 All rights reserved All trademarks and logos used in these pages are the property of their respective holders Page Last Updated 20 August 2012 Although the A Track program and its on going support are provided to you completely without charge if you have found A Track to be useful and a benefit in pursuing your model railroading act
361. mary Address Output Contre 000 Output Contra 000 Output Contra Output Contra Default Extended 1 Address At this point before adding any more details to your new Loco Item the sensible step is to click the Update Item button to save the Item with its initial identity back to the Item List To be doubly safe you could also save a copy of the amended Item List back to the PC s hard disk or other permanent storage Before re opening the Item s Edit CVs window to continue by a double click on the saved updated Item ensure that your NCE Command Station Power Cab or Power Page 84 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Pro is connected to the PC powered on and communicating correctly ie with status indicators showing green The next stage is to copy the current contents of the decoder fitted in the locomotive which the Item will represent into A Track This step ensures that you capture all of the CV settings preset in the decoder by the manufacturer as a starting point before you start to enter any of your own preferred customisations To do this open the Edit CVs window by double clicking on the Item in the Item List then place the locomotive on your programming track or if you are using a Power Cab and do not have a separate switched programming track as shown in the connection diagram in Section 1 1 ensure that it is the ONLY locomotive on the main track Note that if yo
362. mary Address a Copy AllCvs Accessory Extended Address to Ee reat Fs PY mm esob A rielcoee i Paste Main CVs the copie ase Paste Exten d CVs _ CV values into the new Item User Identifier 1 User Identifier 2 Manufac Version No Manufacturer ID 3 Update Item Close Set Primary Address CV Ox 1x 2x a Mi 000 oon a after Paste 037 000 000 016 000 O00 O75 O15 O66 188 000 000 000 h N 002 000 000 003 000 032 200 018 074 208 000 030 003 040 128 000 000 et Extende 030 003 000 000 S ded 000 gt pon Address 022 000 000 000 ne mt after Paste OID INID Ol me COIN S Oo T a C oO So Oo oO So This action copies the values of CV1 to CV256 from the CV Copy Buffer into CV1 to CV256 of the new Item The contents of the CV Copy Buffer are retained until replaced by a further Copy All CVs action so the values can be copied to as many further Items as you wish While it is reasonably safe to copy the Main Base CV Page into an Item with any type of decoder the Page still contains a large number of manufacturer specific CVs as well as the standard NMRA defined CVs and you may experience some unusual responses if you copy such values into a decoder from a different manufacturer It is highly recommended that you restrict copying to between Items which will be fitted with the same make and preferably model of decoder The same caution applies if you click Paste Exten d CVs which wil
363. n If the any of the currently loaded Macro Sets have been edited and the contents of the file to be loaded would replace or overlap any of these edited Sets then a warning will be displayed Overwrite Macro Changes x Range of Macros in selected Macro Backup File overlaps Macro Sets which hawe been edited Do you wish to continue and possibly owerwrite any edits that hawe been made to these Sets Click Yes to overwrite the current Macros or No to abandon the file Load Once one or more Macro Backup files have been loaded the range of Macros loaded is displayed in the title bar of the window and the name of the last file loaded can be seen by hovering the mouse cursor over the Edit Macros icon Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Selected Selected Macro Number Macro Entry 1 Selected Macro Load File Description Edit Macro Last Loaded NCE Macro 000 063 Backup 23 4ug 13 mbk Page 185 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If you are using an NCE Power Pro system then as well as loading Macros from backup files on the PC you can also load any stored Macros directly from the Command Station memory To do this click on the appropriate option in the Select Macro Set area to select the Macro Set to retrieve then click on the Retrieve Set button Note that neither the Retrieve Set nor Update Set buttons are enabled when A Track is connected to an NCE Power Cab system If the Macros in th
364. n While this is a little distracting it does not affect the final position of the marker or the corresponding Speed Step value Rather than drag a marker you can simply click above or below the marker on the graph near to the desired value When you press down on the left mouse button the relevant red marker will change colour to green then when you release the mouse button the marker will move to the position of the mouse cursor As before fine adjustments to the Speed Step value can be made using the Up and Down Arrow keys or the Page Up and Page Down keys and that the actual value is displayed in the yellow textbox Page 96 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 7 Configuration ariables Item Description DERGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Read Verify CV s Step Precision Adjustment Parameters C 14 Steps Acceleration Rate 000 All CV __ Copy cvs 28 Steps Deceleration Rate 000 Paste Main CV s 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 Paste Exten d CVs Daina ae Deceleration Adjust 000 Select Table Mid Step 000 Paste Indexd Eys Simple 3 Step Kick Start 001 Forward Trim 000 Update Item Full 28 Step 000 Speed Table Full 28 St i 25 t Spi iriiidis 5000909 por or ot tr a res 3St Linear SERONT oP rr bd Speed Step value ae ch PE ee ee ee G i Log Exp Be fs ee tee L selected by click mm Sa BEEPS or marker dragged Save Table
365. n with the way A Track handles your requirements please go ahead and submit the details of the problem Enter your e mail address in each of the two textboxes below the displayed Serial Number taking care to type the address correctly complete the Subject and Details textboxes and then enter the six characters shown in the box with the multi coloured backgound into the final Security Code textbox The characters are selected from the numerals O to 9 and the uppercase letters A to F Page 257 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual sT R gt a h Model Railroad Electronics and Control SYSTEMS Contaci Request Support or Report a Problem with A Track If you encounter any problems in using A Track such as when the program does not behave in the way you expect or produces an incorrect result then please use the form below to send full details It would be very much appreciated if you could carefully check the User Guide or Help pages before reporting a problem just in case you have misinterpreted the way in which A Track is supposed to work It may not be possible to reply individually to your query but every problem will be investigated and you will be informed when any necessary corrections have been incorporated in a future release of the software Priority will be given to requests for support or problem resolution from registered A Track users You are also very welcome to propose any improvements you would like
366. n Alternate Power Mode FLF FLA Fl F2 Fa F4 FOFE FP FR FO F10F11 F12 Copy All Cs Baggage gage E E E E Eea nlan Active under Consist Address FEF FLA FIF2FS3F4 FOF FA FS FS FIORI Pea MO OCC CCOO OC ee Thesis miery cys Function Qutput Mapping Oe ossos HHO soos Update ltem LFLA 1234 56 7 8 39 1011 12 Close i gage gee eee lt 0 1 2 a 4 5 6 D B 4 Page 133 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual After making any other necessary adjustments click Update Item to save the amended Item While the Edit CVs window and Config Parameter Tab for the Consist was still open it would also have been possible to access the details of any of the assigned Locomotives directly instead of going back to select them from the Item List Select an assigned Locomotive by clicking on either the relevant Locomotive Assignment button or on the Locomotive s entry in the dropped down Assigned Loco List then click on the Edit Loco button This will open a new Edit CVs window displaying the parameters of the selected Locomotive If you open Edit CVs windows for all of the assigned locomotives then you can check directly that all of their individual parameters are consistent with each other Finally when you are satisfied with the definition of the Consist and its assigned Locos and after closing all Edit CVs windows you can now save the complete changed Item List to secure storage Removal of an assigned Loc
367. n Status F1 F8 Alternate Mode Function Status FL F9 F12 Bi Directional Communication Configuration Configuration Data Consist Address Consist Address Active for F1 F8 Consist Address Active for FL F9 F12 Deceleration Adjustment Deceleration Aate Decoder Access Unlock Decoder Automatic Stopping Configuration Decoder Lock ID Code EMF Feedback Cutout Extended Address LS 8 Bits Extended Address MS 6 Bits Forward Trim Indesed Page Address High Byte Indesed Page Address Low Byte Kick Start Output Control for Function FOT Output Control for Function FOZ Output Control for Function FOS Dutput Control for Function FO4 Output Control for Function FOS Qutout Control for Function FOE Output Control for Function FAF Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function FOS In the example above selecting Digitrax as the decoder manufacturer results in the addition of Config and Sound CV Description Tabs which will contain lists of all those CVs used by Digitrax to control specific features provided in their range of decoders The Config Tab covers parameters such as lighting effects and the control of momentum and acceleration while the Sound Tab obviously covers the selection of specific sound effects and their relative volumes as shown below b O a ee ee j A Directional Headlight Transponding amp Split Field Motor Setup Ditch Lights Holdover Time Dynamic Compensation Scaleable Speed St
368. n the A Track program as shown in the Windows XP screen shot below which also shows the A Track Desktop icon lr Startup a 4 Track Yh A Track B 4 Track Help i Uninstall 4 Track At i ni d Dins Explorer ES Adobe Reader 6 E Internet Explorer AN Microsoft Office PowerPoint viewer 2003 at Microsoft Works Task Launcher ai MsN ea Outlook Express ye Remote Assistance 4 Track Set Program Access and Defaults Windows Catalog Windows Update y Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Windows Media Player 3 Windows Messenger SA Windows Movie Maker LL Note that as well as an entry for the executable program A Track the A Track Start Menu folder also contains a link to the A Track Help file This file contains the full text of the A Track Reference Manual this document and as will be described later can be accessed from anywhere within the A Track program while it is running by using the normal Help menu or by pressing the F1 key at any time The third entry within the A Track Start Menu folder is Uninstall A Track which will launch an Uninstall utility to completely remove A Track from your computer This is a quicker route to program removal than going through the Windows Control Panel However for reasons known only to Microsoft this option is not displayed directly on the Windows 8 Start Screen but can be accessed by a right click on the A Track tile cy Windows Syst
369. n the Command Station and the Program Track such a unit is not generally required when using an NCE Power Cab The decoder does not support the use of specific CVs and does not respond to Read Verify commands when these CVs are accessed This is a feature of QSI Quantum sound decoders for example and once you know which CVs are Page 118 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual unsupported you can omit these CVs from your selection in order to speed up the overall Read Verify operation The Read Verify operation continues with the next CV following any failure However when an unexpected failure does occur or for any other reason you can stop the operation by clicking the Cancel button although as noted previously this can take up to 20 seconds in Paged or Register Modes regardless of how many times you click the Cancel button In the example shown below with a selected range of CV15 to CV35 Read Verify has failed to read the values of CV27 and CV28 and has been halted by the user in the course of reading CV32 for which the value shown may be incorrect leaving the remainder of the selection CV33 CV35 unread Item 6 Configuration ariables i SAA Item Description Gandy Dancer DZ120 Speed Funct n Pages Read Verify Configuration Variables CY Range r CY Scope r Mode Curent View C All CYs Paged C All CV Blocks Selected C Direct E J J Register C Address
370. nal driver software by opening Control Panel again and then double clicking on Programs and Features or Add or Remove Programs in Windows XP Wait patiently while the list of installed software is constructed then scroll down to locate the driver software that you originally installed for your Prolific adapter Click on the appropriate list entry and then click either Change Remove as shown for Windows XP below or Uninstall at the top of the window for the other varieties of Windows fe Add or Remove Programs Miel x os Currently installed programs and updates M Show updates Sort by n ame Change or e MSM F F Remove ti Programs g MSXML 6 0 Parser KB925673 1 46MB El Mz Tools 3 0 for VB 6 0 2 47MB Add Hew a Mara 10 03MB Programs CN NetScreen Remote 23 O1MB To er Norton SystemWorks Symantec Corporation 24 81MB Add Remove ie NVIDIA Drivers Windows 5 PL 2303 USB to Serial Tae Components sasia Fo To change this program or remove it From your computer click Change Remove Change Remove Seb Rast 3A Realtek High Definition Audio Driver Size 49 27MB Access and l Defaults Safari Size 43 24MB Shortkeys Lite flay Silicon Laboratories CP210 USB to UART Bridge Driver Removal Size Silicon Laboratories CP210 VCP Drivers For Windows XP 2003 Server istal Size if Sk Timestamp Size if Tweak UI D WampServer 2 2 Size 255 00MB iB Web Accessibility Toolbar 2012 Size 4 94MB Page
371. nd Station Software Version and which of your computer s COM ports is currently being used by A Track to connect to the Command Station together with the bit baud rate at which the serial link is operating as shown below ee eT INGE COM NCE _ a Connected Software version 6 2 1 Connected COM 19200 You will also notice the display of a banner in the lower part of the start up window inviting you to register free for full priority support of A Track Registration is purely voluntary and A Track is fully functional in all respects after installation Page 25 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If you do choose to register your copy of A Track by following the simple steps described in Chapter 9 then whenever you subsequently start A Track your name will be displayed in the start up window instead of the registration invitation You may install and operate A Track on as many computers as you like but note that each installed copy of the application will have a different serial number Although this means that each installation has to be registered separately if you wish to do so the online registration process via the A Train Systems website as described in Section 9 1 is fully automated and so does not require a great deal of time nor effort If an NCE Power Pro Command Station is not connected until after A Track has completed its initialisation loading of the Consist data block is
372. nd Verifying CY Values Programming CY Values Defining and Assigning Locomoti Transtering and Activating Cons Controlling Consists Co NCE Command Station and Handhel es Printing Lists and ltem Details Ce Reaistration and Support Ce 4 Track Menus Reference Installation of USB to Serial Interface g gt 4 Track Revision History le 1x 2x 3x 4x Sx Gx 7x Bx Sx 10x 11 126 4 Track Licence and Acknowledger gt r i r 4 d Page 33 of 303 Version 4 3 2 Progen CVs Pei Viet lye Com Al Cvs Pate tA am ys Porte exend Oye Pate Ince Cie Upas Hem My NotMocated po Sty Edited enn A Track Reference Manual which opens A Track s Help Topics and lets you access the instructions for Initialising a Blank Item under Item Operations These describe the steps to change the blank Item into a Loco Item with a Description which matches one of your locomotives The same information can be found in Section 5 2 of this Reference Manual In accordance with the instructions click on the Locomotive option in the Item Type section of the Edit CVs window as the first step in entering your first locomotive s details into A Track Item 3 Configuration ariables i ltem Description Blank Locomotive 3 Readverty CY _FieadVerity Cvs Item Type Primary Address dy 003 Copy All CW s f Accessory Extended Address Paste Main Cy Pearse Consist Address 000 aste Main
373. nd press the Enter Return key All of the other enabled Output textboxes will then be filled with the required addresses as shown in the example below If any of the address values would exceed 2044 then an error message similar to that above will be displayed and the complete set of sequential addresses will be adjusted to bring them all within the allowed range Note that if you have already entered one of the required sequential addresses without having ticked the Sequential Addresses checkbox simply click on the checkbox to tick it now then click on the entered address to highlight it followed by a press of the Enter Return key Page 156 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 27 Configuration ariables La Item Description Gregson Silver Digitras D544 Program Cis Addrs Read erty Cy s Wumberof Output ja gt Output Address Sel Output 1 Copy All CVs Program Accessory Output 2 32 C j Paste klai iis M Sequential Addresses Output 3 Paste Extend Ciis NCE Options Output 4 Paste lndex d Eiis i Enable YF Toggle eens Ho Legacy Ops Prog Output 6 Update Item Disable P Button VPs Output Enable O P Exercise Output Close LiL a oe Me Ooo O00 000 000 OOO d 00 000 000 000 a OOO 023 O00 000 000 000 OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO An An AAI A A A a a i Although most manufacturers of accessory decoders do not make any reference to CV values as far as
374. nd tem ae TS Sl Enter text nunmber to find in ltem Descr n A amp ddress clima WW Search ltem Descriptions Search Up W Search ltem Descriptions Search Up W Search ltem Addresses f Search Down I Search ltem Addresses f Search Down Find Cancel Find Close Select whether to search Item Descriptions or Addresses or both but selecting none will disable the Find operation choose to search either Upwards from the currently selected Item towards the beginning of the Item List or Downwards from the current Item towards the end of the Item List then click the Find button The first Item found whose Description or Address contains the entered search characters will then be highlighted in the Item List Note however that if the currently highlighted Item matches the search criterion then the Item highlight will not move and you may think incorrectly that the Find operation has failed Click the Next button as shown in the example below to continue the search for the next Item if any which contains your search characters or Close or Finish to terminate the Find operation leaving the last found Item highlighted If no further matching Items are found then only the Finish button will be enabled to quit the operation this will also be the case where no matching Items at all are located N Find tem ee LTS sl climax climax W Search ltem Descriptions Search Up W Search ltem Descriptions Search Up W Searc
375. ne OF ne O6 NIC D2 C AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane DH142 Ne o 093 39793 O Gandy Dancer DZ120 P eaprai AP se 078 NCO Ca DRG Ww 2 Truck Shay DN142 iets 01 2011 DeRGW 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 Delete Item ie 07 b297 ne O2 Ofa Accesso Decoder Wangrow SM 10 _F 0260 1037 D ATESF GE44 Switcher DN140 P 120 0464 C88 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN1350 a e 120 0463 OA DAG Ww GE44 Switcher DN135D ce P 120 gt 04 Cee Switcher Consist 2 eat aR 120 me Union Pacific Challenger GS Titan Stearn Loca P 059 3959 Clicking on the Deallocate option on either of the Item or Pop Up menus opens a Deallocate Item from NCE Cab window which is essentially the same as the Allocate Item to NCE Cab window shown previously The current Cab and Item status is requested by A Track from the NCE Power Pro Command Station transferred and then displayed Deallocate Item from MCE Cab f Cab Select Allocated Items Item Description Addr Alloc Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleT ank TCS MCB 4301 Item not found irn Loaded Item Lit 0000 Item not found ir Loaded Item Lit i000 DEAGW2 6 0Mogu DNI42 O ar westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 ems Item not found in Loaded Item Lit ooo Move Up Al Move Down 7 Confirm Cancel B TE Tepa De Page 66 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If the Item selected for deallocation is still under active control then the window is immediately closed and the wa
376. ned in both A Track and the NCE Command Station such as 66 highlighted in orange by clicking on its highlighted address in the grid in the lower half of the window you will be able to see that the assignments held by the Command Station are not the same as those held in the A Track Item List as shown by clicking the relevant option button NCE Command Station or Current Item List located above the list of Assigned Loco Descriptions Defined Consists Status Command Station Selected Consist Address 66 Locos Assigned to Consist NCE Command Station Current Item List Addr Loco Description if available from Itam 1 Lead 2014 Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DHT21 Mid 1 OOOO bE A Track NCE Hid 2 0000 Current ltem List f Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 2m 4 westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 Hid 1 2m DeAGw 2 Truck Shay ON142 Mid 2 0000 Mid 3 0000 Mid 4 0000 Rear 4004 Clear Lake Lumber Z T ruck Climas Lenz Silv Clear Transter Achyate Clear Transter Close Page 145 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Although the Lead and Mid Locos are the same the Rear Loco is different possibly as a result of a change made to the Consist directly through an NCE Handheld Cab If you want to accept the Command Station assignments as the definitive version of the Co
377. nformation to A Train Systems without your knowledge or permission c Basic security A Train Systems has not implemented any mechanism protocol method or algorithm trojan or backdoor which would allow A Train Systems to take full control of your computer without your knowledge or permission Version 4 3 2 d Resale of this Licence You have the right to sell your legal right to use A Track for Windows product to any third party at a price which does not exceed the amount you originally paid for the product After such sale the legal right to use the A Track for Windows product will be fully and ultimately transferred to the third party and you will no longer have any legal right to the full A Track for Windows product under the same Licence You can re sell one licence only one time 5 RESTRICTIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF USE You are NOT allowed to a Modify reverse engineer decompile disassemble or otherwise attempt to reconstruct or discover the source code or any parts of it or discover or reconstruct any mechanism algorithm or protocol from the binary files which comprise the software of the A Track for Windows product b Reverse engineer or otherwise attempt to reconstruct or discover the source code or any parts of it or discover or reconstruct any mechanism algorithm or protocol from the A Track for Windows product by running any kind of special monitoring software such as registry analysis software or hardwa
378. nk highlight to 6 show changed 7 CV not yet programmed From this point you can resume the Program operation from the next selected CV by clicking Continue but note that the state of the decoder CV at which you stopped in this case CV84 is indeterminate it may or may not have been programmed with the Item CV value so you may have check it later via Read Verify then use another Program operation to set its value correctly if required Alternatively you can terminate all programming by clicking on Finish Although the Program operation itself does not change any of the Item s CV data stored in the Item List it does clear the Not Programmed P flag in the copy of the Item s parameters held within the Edit CVs window as soon as you click on the Finish button to indicate that the Item CVs have been transferred to a decoder and if you click Close rather than Update Item you will be prompted to save the changed Item parameters to the Item List However if any CV values were changed immediately prior to programming and have not yet been transferred to the Item you should definitely click Update Item at the end of the Program process to transfer the updated values to the Item entry in the Item List Page 125 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 11 Defining and Assigning Locomotives to Consists A Consist is a defined group of locomotives which are controlled as a single entity using a single unique address given
379. nly need to change the last character to 2 and press the Enter Return key to complete the Macro as shown below Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Selected Selected Macro Number 003 Macro Entry Selected Macro Macro D64 127 C l Description Heath Sawmill 2 Load File Macro 128 191 Enter Yalue A F Macro 192 255 0 Save File erecta a TE ae ccept Edit Link to Macro o129 Route fe Retrieve Set Update Set Bo To Linked Cancel Select Macro Set Macro 000 063 ff Edited Edit Macro Mac L 2 3 4 5 6 f g 4 10 Description 000 0129N O196N 0000 ooog o000 ooog ooog ooog o000 0000 Mainline PineCreek 001 0129A OS0R 0136m OOD ooog ooog og n ooog ooog 0000 Runaround PineCrk 002 01293A O30N 0131A O00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Heath Sawmill 1 0129 R O30N 03N Os2eR Oooo ooog ooog ooog ooog OOOO Heath Sawmill 2 004 OO00 gogg ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog If you make a mistake in editing a Macro you can delete all entries from the selected Macro by clicking the Clear Sel Macros button at the foot of the window and then perhaps re pasting your copied Macro as a new starting point The copy paste and edit process can now be repeated as often as required to define all of the remaining required Macros finishing with the through route from the Mainline to Silver Pass Macro 007 Page 182 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual
380. not cause a problem A conflict will only arise if both NCE Cabs attempt to control the allocated locomotive at the same time Unfortunately because of the limited communication which can be supported between A Track and the NCE Power Pro Command Station and the time taken to capture and update the display of NCE Cab allocations A Track cannot determine unambiguously that a possible allocation conflict may exist Hence A Track simply reports the latest allocation of an Item to an NCE Cab of which it is aware If all Item allocations to NCE Handheld Cabs are made through A Track as described earlier in this section then no allocation conflicts can arise since A Track only allows an Item to be allocated to a single Controller at a time Page 65 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Once an Item has been allocated to an NCE Cab the Allocate entry on the Item menu when that Item is selected and on the Pop Up menu when the Item is right clicked changes to Deallocate The Operate option see Section 4 7 which follows is also disabled when that Item is selected or right clicked File Edit view NCE Item Help ace HWS ts BS BeM Cole wm Qe ee g Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay OH121 Loca C mes Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 Truck Shap 2145A Loco Eo I Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truck Climax Lenz Silv Loco p Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleT arik TC ggih 2014 1206 gt 4004 gt 4501 Controller
381. nsfer times are similar to those involved in copying the data to backup files requiring about 10 seconds per transfer When restoring the larger amount of data associated with Consist Macro or Handheld backups to the NCE Command Station there is unfortunately a higher probability that you will experience a transmission error than when making the original backup files Hence when you initiate a Consist Restore Macro Restore or Handheld Cab Restore from the NCE menu A Track warns you by displaying the message below that it wishes to reset the Command Station You now have the opportunity to bring everything on the layout to a controlled halt before allowing A Track to proceed by clicking Yes or you can click No to abandon the Restore operation Confirm Action x P This action will reset the NCE Command Station to wt the normal state when power is First applied All locomotives under control will be stopped prior to restoration of the selected Consist parameters No MCE Cabs should be operated during this period Do vou wish bo proceed 7 Page 210 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual After a pause of about 3 seconds to allow the NCE Command Station to reset and return to an operational state a Restore NCE Backup window will appear as shown in the example below Select the required Backup file to restore and double click on it or click Open to proceed Restore NCE Handheld Backup yx Look in A Trac
382. nsist then click the Transfer button to copy the assigned Loco addresses from the Command Station to the Item List and to replace the existing A Track definition of the Consist A message is then displayed to alert you to the fact that the Directions of Operation of Assigned Locos are not available for transfer from the NCE Command Station so you are requested to select a Direction for each Loco in the Consist Defined Consists Status Command Station t Selected Consist Address 66 Locos Assigned to Consist NCE Command Station tf Current ltem List t Addr Loco Description if available from ltem List Lead 2m 4 westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 Hid 1 2m DeAGw Truck Shay ON142 Hid 2 0000 Hid 3 0000 Hid 4 0000 Rear 4004 Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truck Climax Lenz Silv Directions of Operation for the Lead Rey C Assigned Locos are not stored in the NCE Command Station 0 are not Mid Fad Fey C available for transfer to A Track Hid 2 Fad Rex C Select required Direction of Operation for each Assigned Loco to complete Mid 3 Fwd Rev C transfer of the Consist ranster of the Consis Midd Fad Rev C Cancel Confirm Rear Find tf Pex lear Transfer Activate lose The Command Station relies on the assigned Direction being programmed into each assigned locomotive decoder when the
383. nufacturers the lists shown in the CV Description Tabs cover all parameters defined by that manufacturer over their full range of DCC decoders Not all parameters will apply to the specific model of decoder fitted to the locomotive associated with this Item and you should refer to the relevant manufacturer s documentation to determine which CV values should be set and the range of values which are valid for each of these CVs A Track provides specific support for decoders made by NCE Soundtraxx QSI Quantum Digitrax Model Rectifier MRC ESU LokSound Lenz Train Control Systems TCS Broadway Limited Paragon 2 and MTH Electric Trains Proto Sound 3 Selecting a Decoder Manufacturer which you would normally do as part of the initialisation of a new Item sets the extent of the range of CVs which the Item can use to define all of its operational parameters All decoders which provide sound effects with the exception of those made by MRC use CVs beyond the NMRA basic range of CVO1 to CV128 As defined in the NMRA Standards the wider range of CVs is divided into pages each containing 256 CV values and A Track further divides each page of CVs into two blocks of 128 CVs each Selection of the block to be shown in the CV Value grid is made by clicking the appropriate option button in the View CV Block section of the Pages Tab with the Page 104 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Lo button showing the lower half of t
384. o a single large Item List perhaps for archiving or back up purposes Do this by clicking on Open Merge on the File menu or use the G amp icon on the Toolbar or press Ctrl M on the keyboard after you have opened the first Item List in A Track This will display the standard File Open window just as for Open see Section 4 1 and above to allow you to select a second Item List Opening this Item List will add its Items to the end of the first Item List You can continue to append Item Lists in this fashion up to the limit of 32704 Items and since each Item occupies less than 2 kilobytes Lists of even thousands of Items are unlikely to fill more than a fraction of the available memory in a modern PC If you attempt to add a further Item List to the current Item List such that the total number of Items would exceed the maximum allowed then only part of the further Item List will be loaded to bring the combined number of Items up to 32704 The recommendation of course is that you do not create such very large Item Lists since they will be very awkward to use and edit Bear in mind also that the NMRA DCC Standards limit the maximum possible number of Item Extended Addresses that you can use to 16383 together with 127 Primary or Consist Addresses so that Item Lists with more than 16510 Items must contain Items with the same conflicting address Most commercial DCC systems reduce the maximum number of Extended 4 Digit or Long Addresses whic
385. o from a Consist follows exactly the same sequence of steps as assigning a Locomotive to the Consist in the first place Open the Consist s Edit CVs window select the Config Parameter Tab click on the button in the Locomotive Assignment section corresponding to the Locomotive you wish to remove or click the Locomotive s entry in the dropped down Assigned Loco List then click Remove Loco For Locomotives assigned in a Mid or Rear Loco position this action simply removes the selected Loco s Address from the Consist s list and when you click on Update Item not only will the Consist be saved with its new configuration but the de assigned Locomotive will be returned to the Item List with its Type changed back to Locomotive instead of Multiple and without the address of the Consist in CV19 However if you remove the assigned Lead Loco A Track will automatically promote whichever Loco is in the next Consist position to be the new Lead Loco Hence in our example Consist removing the Lead Loco results in the single assigned Mid Loco being moved up to the Lead Loco position Page 134 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 276 Configuration Yariables lt i Item Description Switcher Consist 2 Program Cis eee Locomotive Assignment f Lead Midi Mid2 Clear Consist Copy all G C Mid Mid Rear Paste Main Cuis Assigned Loco Add osea ne Paste Extenid Evis we 0463 Edit
386. o it via a standard Serial Port if you have an older PC which is fitted with one or via a USB Port and any readily available USB to Serial RS232 converter unit as shown below PC Windows XP Vista 7 or 8 RE M and A Track Software a SEDD DOR on nii E a ONA j exTRDCk ne sn Aah j USB Serial RS232 Converter Unit g USB RS232 Cable Cable NCE Power Pro if required Command Station Programming Booster Recommended s E D 3 Mainline Track IRIRIGICICICICICIGICICIGICICIGIGIGIG IEIGLIGLGLIGIGIGIGNN ACT 12 18 VAC NCE Cab Bus 18 28 VDC Power Supply J NCE ProCab NCE UTP Panel Handheld Controllers When used with an NCE Power Pro system as well as looking after the contents of your DCC decoders A Track will also let you monitor set up save and restore the complete status and operational parameters of the NCE Command Station and all attached Handheld Controllers Cabs from your personal computer This gives you the ability to preserve and recall at any time the details of any particular operating session including the assignment of specific locomotives to consists and how these consists and other individual locomotives are allocated to each of your set of Cabs Such a facility frees you from the task of having to set everything up from scratch at the start of a session leaving you with more time to enjoy your model railroading Note how
387. o the A Track for Windows application software when interfaced to the appropriate NCE hardware please note that the software is supplied on an as is basis and without any warranty that it will perform faultlessly in your application You use the A Track for Windows application software and all associated hardware items at your own risk and in accordance with the full terms of the end user licence agreement which can be found in Chapter 13 of this document The author and designer will not in any event be held liable for any improper operation of the A Track for Windows program or interference with any other equipment or software program nor be held liable for any incidental or consequential damages of any sort arising out of its use Terry Chamberlain February 2014 Acknowledgements While all of the program code involved in the various parts of A Track was written from scratch using Visual Basic 6 and some C the author would like to acknowledge the inspiration provided by the work of the Java Model Railroad Interface JMRI group who showed what could be done when a PC is interfaced to commercial DCC equipment Solving similar problems for yourself is made a lot easier by knowing that someone else has already found a solution even if you do not understand exactly how they did it Thanks are especially due to Mark Gurries of JMRI and formerly of the Silicon Valley Lines Model Railroad Club who collected all of the publicly availabl
388. ogram is registered to yourself or whichever name was used in the registration activation process be A Train Systems Version 43 167 sT RCE Digital Command Control with NCE Power Cab and Power Pro NCE USB Interface PowerCab Connected Registered to Terry Chamberlain Peek E 4 4 DCC eee Copyright 2008 2013 JT Chamberlain THEA If during activation the Names or Activation Key are entered incorrectly then instead of a successful response you will see a message declaring that the Key is invalid I Ensure the Hames are entered exactly as used to register this copy of 4 Track then paste the activation key code provided Into the Activation Rey textbox below or type it into the textbox without dashes or spaces and click Activate First Name Tery Last Hame Chamberlain Version 4 4 16 Senal Number 130807 SE 9F53 System Microsott windows F Build Z600 spp_sp _qfe 130704 042 NCE Power Cab Software Version 6 3 0 Activation Key DSFIR BVAZY W307 WXT a BGRGA DePsd Invalid Activation Rey please check your data Register Online Close Carefully check and re enter your data ensuring that both First and Last Names are entered exactly as they were submitted for registration including any spaces or other punctuation and that all characters of the Key are correct then click the Activate button again If activation fails again the simplest remedy is to repeat the complete registration process taking
389. olders or their contents following installation not to be recommended at any time or you have saved some of your own files to an installation folder again not really recommended and the A Track uninstaller is unable to remove one or more installation folders After clicking OK in such cases you can either leave the remaining files or folders in place since they will not have any adverse effects on your computer s operation Or you can open the A Track entry in C Program Files and manually delete or move the offending files or folders Note that in all cases uninstalling A Track will still leave a small set of A Track custom settings within the Registry These settings are stored automatically during your normal use of A Track and reflect your preferences regarding window formats and views together with lists of the most recently used files and any selected options If you then reinstall A Track at a later time your preferred settings will be re applied to configure A Track The custom settings occupy a very small proportion of the Registry and will not have any discernable effect on the performance of your computer or other applications Warning unless you know exactly what you are doing do not attempt to edit or delete any item within the Registry since any change made incorrectly can have disastrous consequences and may crash your computer completely or render it unable to run properly in future Page 23 of 303 Version 4 3
390. ommand Station are disabled by default However you can update the displayed Cab allocation and status at any time by clicking the Refresh 7 button on the A Track toolbar or by clicking on View on the A Track menu bar followed by Refresh Item Allocation amp Status See Sections 3 5 7 4 and 10 3 When you use the View menu option you will be asked whether you wish the periodic scan of attached NCE Cabs to resume Cab Status Automatic Update __ x Automatic update of WCE Cabs Status we fevery 6 minutes is currently disabled After this manual status update do WOU Wish bo resume automatic updates Click Yes to enable future automatic scans of NCE Cab status or No to leave the scans disabled Leaving scans disabled is preferred if you want to adjust the setup of the NCE Power Pro Command Station or Cabs or change Consist or Macro settings without being interrupted periodically Further details of the way in which the NCE System Status data is handled can be found in Chapter 7 A tick mark next to the Refresh Item Allocation amp Status option on the View menu will be displayed to indicate that periodic scans of attached NCE Cabs are enabled In this state every 6 minutes A Track will automatically re scan the status of the NCE Cabs attached to the Command Station The current Cab allocation and status will be cleared from the Item List with the middle indicator on the status bar returning to show red then changing
391. on Although clicking on the toolbar icon shown below simply initiates a rescan clicking on the View menu option itself will display a prompt allowing you to disable or continue the periodic scan of attached NCE Cabs Disabling automatic scans of NCE Cab status is useful when you want to adjust parameters relating to the NCE Power Pro Command Station or Cabs or change Consist or Macro settings without being interrupted periodically The tick mark next to the option on the View menu will be removed whenever periodic scans of attached NCE Cabs are disabled Click again on the option when you wish to resume automatic scans of NCE Cab status Shortcut Key None Toolbar Icon Note Your choices of view type and format and of whether to enable or disable periodic scans of attached NCE Cabs are saved by A Track and will be applied each time the program is started Page 267 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 10 4 NCE Power Pro Only System Backup Saves the NCE Power Pro Command Station setup parameters to a disk file A standard Windows Save File Dialog is displayed allowing you to navigate to the drive and folder where the System Backup file is to be saved You can edit the displayed default filename by adding specific details to it enter a completely new filename or select an existing file to be replaced with the current System Backup details Click Save to save the System Backup file If you have chosen to overwrite
392. on stop Forward B MoT gn Select Function FOO F Logic 1 Assign Select Function FOO F Logic He Assign Select Function FOO F Physical Assign Select Function FOO F Sound 1 Assign Select Function FOO F Sound 2 Assign Select Function FODA Logic 1 Assign Select Function FOQRA Logic 2 Assign Select Function FODA Physical Assign Select Function FODA Sound 1 For the LokSound range there are also minor differences between the Select decoders and the standard Version 4 decoders regarding the Function Assignment CVs There are separate Description Tab entries for each type of decoder as you can see in the fragment of the Assign List shown above so take care to select the appropriate entries for your own equipment Page 107 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The latest range of sound decoders produced by QSI Quantum have a similar complexity to the ESU LokSound products with over 500 CVs to define the locomotive s operating parameters The Quantum range have their own unique and complex indexing scheme to access each CV but to keep things as simple as possible A Track handles all of the complexity behind the scenes and presents the various groups of Quantum CVs in a set of three psuedo Indexed Pages similar to those used for all other complex decoders Each of the Quantum Indexed Blocks are identified with one of the captions Q1L Q1H Q3L Q3H appearing in the
393. on you may notice that there is a short pause of two or three seconds duration before the program reacts to your closedown action in order to allow this data traffic to be stopped in an orderly way With any of the terminate options if the Item List has been changed in any way you are asked whether you wish to save the current Item List before it is closed Item List Changed X AN Them List has changed Save Item List i Mo Cancel Selecting Yes allows you to save the changed Item List under your choice of filename clicking No will immediately close the Item List and cause any changes to be discarded permanently lost while Cancel will abandon the Close or Exit process and return you to A Track with the current Item List still displayed intact Page 52 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 4 4 Editing Undo Redo Find and Selection The Edit menu shown below allows you to alter the composition of the Item List by removing or adding Items or by copying or moving Items to or from another Item List During these manipulations the parameters of the Items themselves are not changed in any way with some exceptions relating to Consists and Multiples Locomotives assigned to Consists as detailed in Section 5 11 File Edit View MCE Them Help Undo ae Flags Prdddr ExAddr C Find Ctrl F Loco O04 2014 145A Loco Oo s006 1206 Cut Ctr 2Silv Loco O P 052 gt 4004
394. on the Macro number in the Mac column hold down either Shift key on your keyboard and then click anywhere on the last Macro to be included in the group All of the Macros between first and last will be highlighted in yellow as shown below for Macros 002 through 007 Click the Copy Sel Macros button to copy the selected group to an internal storage buffer Description O136N 3009 O000 0000 Mainline PineCreek 020A 0136A 009 ngoj Runaround FineCrk D30 N 0131A oO000 o000 Heath Sawrill 1 O130N MAN 0132A 0000 Heath Sawmill 2 O130N MAN OFAN OSSA Pine Creek Stores O130N MAN OFAN O1SSN O Grady Leather O130N OSIN O132N 0133H Maintenance Shed O130N MAN OFAN O1S3N Main Silver Pass poni O000 0000 0000 Ol34N O1S3N O132N 0131H SilverPass PineCrk 0000 0000 popi popi 0000 popi popi O000 poni O000 popi popi 0000 0000 popi O000 0000 poni O000 popi 0000 0000 0000 Paste Sel Macros Clear Sel Macros Aun Sel Macros Close Page 193 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual To paste a copy of the selected group anywhere within the Macro Sets click on a target Set such as Macro 064 127 in the Select Macro Set area or if you are pasting elsewhere in the current Set just scroll down to the required location using the scrollbar at the righthand side or the PageUp PageDown keys Next click on the first Macro of the destination group such as Macro 070 then click the Paste Sel Macros button to transfer the copied Mac
395. onsist with the same address currently defined in the A Track Item List From an A Track point of view a Consist is essentially just another Item but one which has a very restricted set of parameters made up of a Description a Type an Address and a list of Locomotives which have been designated as belonging to this Consist Although a Consist does use some Configuration Variables for its own internal storage you cannot edit any of these CVs directly When a Locomotive Item is assigned to a Consist that Loco s Address is added to the Consist s assignment list the Type of the assigned Item is changed from Locomotive to Multiple and the Consist Address is stored in CV19 of the Locomotive now Multiple Item You can continue to edit read verify and program the remaining CVs of a Multiple Item in exactly the same way as you can those of an independent Locomotive Item Creating a Consist is done simply by inserting a Blank Item see Sections 4 5 and 5 2 into the Item List then under the Identity Parameter Tab selecting its Type as Consist typing in a suitable Description and allocating it an Address Valid values for the Consist Address range from 1 to 127 the same as Locomotive Primary Addresses and A Track will offer you the highest Address value which is not already in use by another Consist Note No check is made that the address allocated to the Consist may already be assigned as the Primary Address of a Locomotive For thi
396. ontent of overlapping Macros will depend on which backup set is restored last Page 208 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If any error occurs during the transfer of any type of backup data to A Track then the whole transfer will be aborted and the following prompt will appear Data Access Error x Error Data Transfer Cancelled Please Start Transfer Again Click OK then retry the failed backup operation again Once you have a set of backup files holding Consist or Macro data you can use facilities within A Track to review their contents Macro Review and Edit functions are dealt with fully in Chapter 6 and the more limited functions available for Consist Review are covered in Section 7 3 Restoration of the contents of a saved backup file to the NCE Command Station is reasonably straightforward being essentially the reverse of the original backup operation Again you should not operate any of the NCE Handheld Cabs while restoring any data to the Command Station To restore System parameters click System Restore on the NCE menu to display a Restore NCE System Backup window Look in A Track NCE Backup e Ag FE NCE Macro 192 255 Backup z 2 5ep 13 mbk m NCE Macro 128 191 Backup z 2 5ep 13 mbk NCE Macro 064 127 Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk m MCE HHeld 02 09 Backup 22 5ep 13 mbk m NCE Macro 000 063 Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk E NCE Consist Bac k My Recent Documents
397. ontrollers Cabs so that the standard details of their operation are not covered in this Reference Manual Please refer to the NCE Power Cab or Power Pro System Reference Manuals and other available NCE documentation for full specifications and operating instructions Page 11 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 3 GETTING STARTED To help you locate the information you need from this large Reference Manual if you use the electronic version the pdf file in Adobe Reader for example you will find that all chapter and section headings are hyperlinked so that you can jump to any part of the document from the Contents listing shown by clicking on the bookmark Us icon or via the View menu by going to Navigation Panels Bookmarks In addition you can also click on any reference in the text to another section of the Reference Manual which will take you straight to that section Click on the Back button to return to where you started As an example click on the reference to Chapter 11 here the number or in the next paragraph to find out about installing USB to Serial devices Note that if you are planning to use a USB to Serial Converter or the NCE USB Interface unit to connect your PC to the NCE equipment the associated driver software can be installed either before or after installation of the A Track program although both have to be correctly installed before the full functionality of A Track will be available Some
398. ooog ooog 0000 Runaround PineCrk 002 01293A O30N 0131A g ooog ooog ooog ooog agog 0000 Heath Sawmill 1 003 01253A O30N OFIN 0132A p d ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Heath Sawmill 2 004 01295A O30N OFIN OS2N 0133A O00 ooog ooog ooog 0000 Fine Creek Stores 005 01295A O30N OFIN M32N O33N 0134A O00 ooog ooog 0000 O Grady Leather 006 0125A O30N MAN O32N O1S3N O134N 0135A O000 ooog 0000 Maintenance Shed 0129A O130N 03N O132N O133N O134N O135N 3735 0000 0000 Main Silver Pass 008 oo00 oo00 Oooo cooo oomo oooo omoa oomoo oooo onoo 009 0135N O134N O133N O132N O131N 0000 oo00 0o00 ooo 0000 SilverPass PineCtk O10 ooo aoga aga aaga OO00 aoa aga OO00 aga OO00 Having done this and assuming that Macro 135 has been set up previously click on Go To Linked or use the keyboard shortcut CtrI L by holding down either Ctrl Control key on your keyboard and then pressing the L key This action will open the appropriate Macro Set in the Macro Grid and highlight Macro 135 Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 191 Select Macro Set Macro 000 063 Edited Macro 064 127 C Selected Selected Macro Number 135 Macro Entry 1 Selected Macro Description Silver Fass Through Edit Macro Enter Yalue 7 T Accesso Address Normal t ccept Edit Load File Macro 128 191 Loaded Macro 192 255 0 Save File Retrieve Set Update Set Go To Linked Mac L 2 3 4 5
399. oooo Css Macro 128 191 Macro 192 255 Save File i 00i Oooo ooog aga OO00 aga agg aoa aga OO00 aga 002 OOOO aoga OO00 aaga aga aga OO00 OO00 agg agg The final step in defining the Macro is to give it a Description although this is entirely optional and has no effect on the operation of the Macro in controlling your turnouts Right click in the Description field at the righthand end of Macro 000 to highlight the contents of the Selected Macro Description textbox near the top of the File Macros window Type a brief name for the Macro up to a maximum of 18 characters such as Mainline PineCreek on the keyboard then press the Enter Return key to load the name to the Macro Description as shown below Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Select Macro Set Selected Selected Macro Entry Meena MNS oh Edid Macro Number Selected Macro Mainline PineCreek Macro 064 127 C Description Load File Macro 128 191 potest Edit Macro Enter Yalue 7 7 Macro 192 205 f Accessory fe Address Wormal t _ Accept Edit l l l Link to Macro 0129 Route i Cancel Retrieve Set Update Set Bo To Linked 1 2 3 4 5 6 f g 4 10 Description 0129 N OiS6N Oooo agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 0000 Mainline PineCreek O01 oodd OOOO agog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog 002 0 gogg ooog agog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog Save File If you attempt to type in more than 18
400. opriate menu eg Alt F to show the File menu then release both keys Any desired item on the displayed menu can then be invoked by pressing the letter key corresponding to the underlined character in the name of that menu item eg with the File menu shown pressing the M key will activate an Open Merge operation While the menu access keys will always be displayed when the eft Alt key is pressed they may or may not appear underlined while A Track is running normally depending on your computer s system settings If you wish to see the access keys at all times then you need to change one of the Windows display parameters as follows In Windows XP right click on an empty area of the Desktop then on the pop up menu click Properties In the Display Properties window click on the Appearance tab and then on the Effects button Untick the checkbox labelled Hide underlined letters for keyboard navigation until I press the Alt key Access keys will be shown thereafter on the menus and menu bars of all applications In Windows Vista Windows 7 and Windows 8 right click on an empty area of the Desktop then on the pop up menu click Personalize In the window which opens click on the Ease of Access link bottom left and then on the Make the keyboard easier to use link you may have to scroll down to find this link In the next window which appears scroll down again to locate the entry Make it easier to use keyboard shortcuts
401. opy the required demonstration Item Lists to this location an example of creating a new folder is shown in Section 4 2 Although the Tutorial will guide you step by step through the basics of accessing Item Lists you can if you wish investigate the process directly by moving the Tutorial window out of the way or closing it entirely then clicking on File on the Menu Bar of the main A Track window to reveal the File menu where you should click on Open as shown below See Chapter 10 for itemised detailed descriptions of the relevant File Edit View and Item menu entries which cover most aspects of handling the Item List As with other standard Windows applications you can also access the File menu by pressing AIt F on the keyboard hold down the eft Alt key and then press the F key followed by a press of the O key File Edit View WCE Item Help New iN egge oco e ea ma 1t Type Flags _Pr ddr _EsAddr Controler _ SpSte Speed FL pen Merge trl close FY Start Up Tutorial Save fs Gkrl 5 Getting Started A Shert Tutorial Save Checked Welcome to 4 Track Your DCC Buddy Properties This short tutorial will get you started with the program and will stay o while you try out the 4 Track controls just drag it aside click on the the words Start Up Tutorial at the top of this window hold down the l button and move the mouse so that you can see the contents of the n window as well a
402. or on the Speed Disc in terns of Speed Dial Interne of Speed Dial WwW iF Function F2 Function F3 divisions 0 to 10 divisions 0 to 10 wo 7 Latch 7 Latch Se de Gq lale Minor Step de WF 0 Minor Step w WF j v F Function F4 Function F5 l W Use fy Latch W Use Latch Major Step Jas a 1 Major Step Ena Dic Click Step jo Dic Click Step Function F7 Function FE Use a Latch Ose P Latch 1 Fens kK Cancel Centre Zero Control 7 Centre Zero Control E Use m I Latch Each function switch can be enabled or disabled by ticking the Use checkbox by default F1 to F5 are enabled and can be made to act as a toggle switch by ticking the Latch checkbox ie it changes from off to on or vice versa each time it is clicked by default F2 and F4 are set as latched With the Latch checkbox unticked the switch behaves as a pushbutton ie when clicked it only stays on as long as the left mouse button is held down otherwise it returns to the off state You can also change the caption for each switch from the default Function names as shown to any description which you will find more meaningful Just click in the relevant textbox to highlight the current name as shown for Function F1 above and then type in your own title Note that FL the Headlight function is always operated by a toggle switch and cannot be reprogrammed as a pushbutton nor renamed T
403. or the button on the Toolbar we O x File Edit wiew WCE Item Help ae amp hd Sk ao See Be ee Ae a Rea EE ae aoe n Elk River 3 Truck ae F 4SR ee ari EET nE ie Either action adds a Blank Item to the end of the Item List although the position at which it is displayed on the screen will depend on how the Item List is currently sorted see Section 4 1 Each Blank Item which is added has a unique identifying number added to its Description field 27 in the example below to help you when accessing and editing a specific Item s parameters after adding several Blank Items to the List Of NCE Snap Accessy P 0067 7 Ofa NCE Switch Kat Access y _P O04 _ D Blank Item 27 None PR gt O00 pogi 3H ltem List C Documents and SettingsT Track ltem Lists 47 Tutorial Derna 43 it ltem 27 Curent 27 NCE P C COM Note that adding further Blank Items by copying the first Blank Item and then pasting it into the Item List results in all new Blank Items displaying the same identification number although A Track will still handle them all as unique Items using an assigned internal key After inserting a Blank Item you need to set up its parameters to change it into an Item which corresponds to one of the real locomotives consists or accessories to be operated on your track layout How to do this for all types of Items and their range of possible functions is explained fully in Chapter 5 Page 59 of 3
404. original settings in the new locomotive of course just in case Programming of the new locomotive is then reduced to giving it an appropriate description and a unique DCC address together with any minor extra enhancements that you might want to make As well as handling locomotive decoders A Track also allows you to program and operate accessory or stationary decoders which are used primarily for the control of turnouts on your layout 1 3 Securing Power Pro Command Station amp Handheld Cab Setups With NCE Power Pro systems A Track gives you full access to the Command Station and hence the ability to display all of the key parameters stored in its internal memory on the PC screen This allows you to perform Command Station Page 7 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual and Handheld Cab setup directly from the computer changing parameters to suit your immediate requirements and to define and manipulate the composition of consists All parameters stored in the Command Station memory System Macros Consists and Cab Status can be selectively saved backed up to files on the PC s hard disk or on CD R or a USB flash drive memory stick and then recalled at any future time to restore the Command Station and its attached Cabs to a state corresponding to a previously recorded operating session The current size of hard disks and the amount of RAM fitted within a modern personal computer ensures that there is no pra
405. orner of the graphical area Item 7 Configuration Yariables RA item Description DERGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Program Cvs _ Identity Config Speed Funct n Pages SUSI Read Verify CVs Step Precision Adjustment Parameters 14Steps Acceleration Rate 000 Copy All CVs _ Copy alive 28 Steps Deceleration Rate 000 _ Paste Main CVs C 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 Paste Exten d CVs Define Tables Deceleration Adjust 000 Select Table Mid Step 000 Simple 3 Step Kick Start 001 Forward Trim 000 Full 28 Step Reverse Trim 000 Close Speed Table Simple 3 Step 255 B Copy Paste Values Zero Linear Set Default Values for p VStart VMid and VHigh 127 Log Exp Save Table Transfer Set Values to CVs a Cancel Quit No Change to CV s Speed Step value selected by click or marker dragged to required value VStart VMid YVHigh You may find that it is quite difficult to set accurate values using the mouse but once you have clicked in the graph area to set any Speed Step marker or dragged the marker to set an approximate value so the marker is green the Speed Table value can then be incremented or decremented by 1 unit at a time by using the Up and Down Arrow keys The Page Up and Page Down keys will respectively increment or decrement a selected Speed Table value by 16 units at a time If you set the value of any Speed Step incorrectly then a press o
406. ort the reset operation xAcU XeUz Cancel Successful completion of the Command Station System Factory Reset by A Track will take between 5 and 10 seconds and will be indicated by the display of a light green background to the System Factory Reset button System Factory Power Un Reset One consequence of performing a System Factory Reset is that the baud rate of the NCE Command Station serial port will be reset to 9600 bits per second This does not cause a problem as far as A Track is concerned since the speed of the Serial or USB Adapter port will be automatically adjusted to match Although the serial port baud rate setting does not directly affect the time taken by A Track to execute any operations involving the Command Station such as data backup and restore using a higher baud rate will improve the efficiency of both the NCE Command Station and A Track in handling their communications although it may also render the serial link more liable to encounter errors The recommendation is to try operation in the first instance at 38400 bps then if errors occur too frequently reduce the baud rate to 19200 bps Note that in more recent versions of the NCE Power Pro Command Station the 38400 bps baud rate may not be fully Supported You can select a serial port baud rate from the Command Station Setup window simply by clicking on the appropriate option button The example below shows 19200 bps being selected Page 217 of 303
407. ou can of course use the A Track Undo facility to restore the Item List and its version of the Consist to its pre Transfer state Note that you can if you wish avoid all of these complications by choosing to define and edit all Consists only in A Track activating them in the NCE Command Station when required and not making any changes to Consists through the NCE Handheld Cabs Returning to our previously defined Consists if instead of transferring the NCE Command Station version of Consist 66 to A Track you wish to perform the opposite action and replace the Command Station Consist with the version defined in the Item List first click the Clear button to remove the Consist completely from the Command Station ensuring as usual that the assigned Locomotives are in position and ready on the Mainline Track to be reprogrammed The background to the Consist Address 66 changes from orange to blue Defined Consists Status Command Station Selected Consist Address 66 ATrack F ie er d iE Locos Assigned to Consist HEE Command Station 7 Current Item List i Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 2014 westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 Mid 1 0000 Mid 2 0000 Mid 3 2011 D amp AGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Mid 4 0000 jan DRAG W 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 Tiranster Page 147 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Next click Activate to transfer the Consist f
408. ou should see a message indicating that Windows Update is being accessed Installing device driver software Keyspan USA 19H E Searching Windows Update Obtaining device driver software from Windows Update might take a while Skip obtaining driver software from Windows Update If you have downloaded the latest version of the Keyspan driver software then this step is unnecessary so click the link to Skip obtaining driver then confirm this in the window which appears by clicking Yes Driver Software Installation A Do you want to skip getting driver software from Windows Update Windows Update provides the latest available driver software which may work better for your device You can check Windows Update later for the latest driver software If you skip your device may not function at all Wait patiently while Windows returns to searching the preconfigured driver folders and completes the installation of both parts of the driver software Page 282 of 303 Version 4 3 2 11 3 A Track Reference Manual 1l Driver Software Installation Installing device driver software Keyspan USB Serial Adapter vi Ready to use Unidentified Device Searching preconfigured driwer folders Your device is ready to use Keyspan USB Serial Adapter wf Ready to use Keyspan USB Serial Port COMS wf Ready to use Close Click Close to finish the installation and remove all windows from the screen You can n
409. ou want to operate that Locomotive using its own Primary or Extended Address Remember also as explained in Section 4 5 that you cannot Cut Copy or Paste Consists or Multiples using the Copy Buffer if you wish to keep their assignments intact If you do wish to transfer a complete Consist with its assigned Multiples to another Item List then you should check each of the group of Items Consist plus Multiples by clicking in the checkbox at the beginning of each Item row leaving a tick in each checkbox Then from the File menu select Save Checked to save the Consist and its group of Multiples as a small standalone Item List with an appropriate filename Next close the current Item List saving it if necessary and Open the Item List into which you wish to place the saved Consist Once the Item List has loaded click Open Merge from the File menu then locate and select the small Item List containing the Consist A final click on Open in the Merge Item List window will add the Consist to the second Item List as desired Page 137 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 12 Transferring and Activating Consists As mentioned in the preceding Section 5 11 Consists can be defined completely independently both by the NCE System using the commands available through the NCE Handheld Cabs and by the A Track program While A Track will prevent you creating a new Consist using the same address as an existing Consist in either A Tr
410. ove to the point clicked adjusting the Item s speed accordingly Alternatively if you prefer you can click on any of the four speed buttons to increase or decrease Item s speed in defined steps It is also possible to click on the small yellow disc itself hold down the left mouse button and then drag the disc to the desired speed value This generally works fine Page 68 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual in Windows XP but depending on your graphics controller in Windows Vista 7 and 8 you may see a trail of disc images as you drag the cursor round the dial While this is a little distracting it does not affect the speed control of the Item The Item s speed is shown in the textboxes below the control knob as both a percentage of maximum and in speed steps Note that once the control knob is active yellow disc highlighted speed can also be controlled from the keyboard by using the Up and Down Arrow keys to increment or decrement in small steps or the Page Up and Page Down keys to adjust by larger steps providing the same functions as the four on screen speed buttons There is also an Emergency Stop button D which when clicked will bring the Item to an immediate halt see also Section 4 8 Direction switches are provided to change the Item s direction of travel from Forward to Reverse or vice versa As well as altering the state of an Item function by clicking on a toggle sw
411. overed fully in Chapter 6 and Section 7 1 The remaining options provide some shortcuts when selecting Items for further operations such as saving copying or deletion Check All places a tick in the checkboxes located to the left of the Descriptions of all Items in the List while Check Selected ticks the checkboxes of all Items which are currently selected ie highlighted as described in Section 4 5 below Invert Checked selects all checkboxes which were not already ticked and deselects all those which were ticked Hence if you wish to clear all checkboxes apply Check All followed by Invert Checked In another case where you wish to check all Items except a few it is quicker to tick all those that you do not want then click Invert Checked to reverse the selection Select All simply highlights all of the Items in the displayed List while Invert Selection highlights those Items which were not highlighted before and removes the highlight from all Items which were previously highlighted Hence to completely remove highlighting from all Items apply Select All followed by Invert Selection Note however that you can also remove multiple Item selections simply by clicking on any Item although that single Item will remain highlighted Where you want to select all Items except for a small number it is quicker to select all those that you do not want by holding down either of the Ctrl Control keys while clicking on those Items then cli
412. ow use the Keyspan USB to Serial Adapter to connect A Track to the RS232 Serial Computer Interface Serial Port of an NCE Power Pro Command Station A Track does not require any detailed knowledge of how the driver software has set up communications for the Keyspan USB to Serial Adapter but will simply search all available communications ports for a connection to an NCE System Note that if on some future occasion you choose to connect the Keyspan USB to Serial Adapter to a different USB port on your computer you may see the Installing device driver software notice appear again as the driver software is linked to the new USB port After the process completes A Track will automatically handle any consequent changes to communications port allocations USB to Serial Adapters using Prolific Chipsets Many of the cheaper USB to Serial adapters on the market are based around chipsets manufactured by Prolific and users often encounter problems when attempting to install and use such adapters When this happens to users who are taking their first steps into the software world in order to get their PC connected to their railroad control equipment they tend to pin the blame on the adapter although this is not always justified In most cases the problem is software related either the driver package is poorly put together a particular problem with many of the very cheap adapters or the embedded drivers are incomplete or out of date or fa
413. pdated again to show the new Address and regains its pink highlight If you intend to operate the new Locomotive using its 4 digit Extended Address then you should enter a suitable value for the Item by typing the required value into the Extended Address textbox any value from 0000 up to 9999 is acceptable To comply with NMRA DCC standards the Extended Address value is converted to a hexadecimal number the lower byte of which is stored in CV18 and the upper byte with the value 192 hexadecimal CO added to it stored in CV17 A Track takes care of all of the calculations for you behind the scenes and displays the result as two decimal numbers with a pink highlight as shown below Item 27 Configuration Yariables SES Seats Item Description Colorado Southern 2 6 0 Mogul Z145R Program Cis HEEL Primary Address Copy All CVs Accessory Extended Address Consist Sddress Locomotive User Identifier 1 Address User Identifier 2 Manufac Versiont Set Extended Address to 00 y op on m eo ro o 2 So oOo S O Cw Note that the two Item Flags Edited and Not Programmed are both now shown as set by the red white cross 3 icons The Edited Flag shown as E in the Item List Flags field in Details view is set whenever any change is made to an Item The Not Programmed Flag shown as P in the Item List Flags field is set whenever a CV value is
414. port backup or restore nor setting of Command Station or Cab parameters from A Track Splash screen at program start amended to show type of NCE System connected A track Install and Uninstall improved to reduce possibility of program files not being removed fully during Uninstall note that if the user saves any files in any of the installation folders in Program Files then none of the user files nor the installation folders affected will be removed All CV values now displayed in decimal in all windows use of hexadecimal notation removed from all windows except CV Value edit frame In Edit CVs windows moving the mouse cursor over the CV values displayed in the grid will now show full description of each CV as a pop up label Complete revision of handling of CV ranges into Pages of 256 values with each page split into two Blocks of 128 CVs to accommodate complex sound decoders with Indexed CV pages Indexing scheme used by Quantum also incorporated in a consistent manner any Item with a Quantum decoder incorporated under Release 4 1 1 will be converted automatically to the new system of CV Blocks and Pages when edited under Release 4 2 1 Copying of CVs between Items in Edit CVs window revised to reflect new Paged structure particularly with regard to Indexed pages Pages Tab replaces Sound Tab in Edit CVs window to allow selection of CV range to be displayed as well as selection of decoder manufacturer Basic NCE SoundTraxx Qu
415. py Append sist P 5120 C1 Union Pacific Challenger OSI Titan Steam Loco P gt 089 3989 Clicking the Edit CVs entry on the Item or Pop Up menus will open a new window which allows all of the Item s Configuration Variables and other parameters to be viewed edited and programmed into the real Item s DCC decoder This is dealt with in detail in Chapter 5 The next entry Allocate NCE Cab opens a new window which allows the currently selected Item the one which has just been right clicked to be allocated to an NCE Handheld Controller Cab when using an NCE Power Pro Command Station This menu entry will be greyed out and hence unavailable when A Track is connected to a Power Cab or Smart Booster The first time the Allocate NCE Cab function is invoked after loading an Item List A Track will read details from the NCE Power Pro Command Station of the current allocations to the Cab with Address 02 You may notice a short delay before transfer of the Cab 02 data starts if a normal periodic scan of connected Cab status is currently in progress but once the transfer begins it is indicated by the normal progress window shown below When the transfer is complete the addresses of the locomotives and or consists allocated to Cab 02 will then be displayed in the Allocate Item to NCE Cab window also as shown below Page 60 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Allocate Item to NCE Cab j Cab Select NCE
416. quence of operations to perform these actions has already been introduced in Section 3 7 and is covered later in more detail in Section 5 2 Page 47 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual When you have finished adding to the Item List or editing individual Items see Chapter 5 you can save the finished Item List to disk by clicking Save As on the File menu or the ke icon on the Toolbar or by pressing CtrI S on the keyboard to open the standard File Save window as shown for Windows XP below 4 Track Save Item List i _ x Save ire AcTrack Item Lists d EF EN 47 Tutorial Dermno 43 itl a Cochiseewestern All 121115 itl My Recent Documents Desktop My Documents My Computer TEEN File name NeweltemList 15 May 13 Places nave as type item Lists itl Cancel A A Track opens the folder from which the last Item List was opened or your main Documents or My Documents folder if no Item Lists have yet been opened and generates a default filename which includes today s date as shown If you wish to save the Item List under a different filename click in the File name textbox to highlight its contents then simply type the new filename to replace the displayed filename Click Save to save the Item List under the given filename which will have a file extension of itl added to identify to Windows that the file is an A Track Item List Note however that if you have chosen
417. r To continue click Next IF vou would like to select a different folder click Browse Browse Copyright 2008 2013 4 Train Systems o Installation by Inno Setup 5 5 2 lt Back Cancel Accepting the default option gives A Track its own entry on the Start Menu but you can choose to place the A Track entry within an existing Start Menu folder like Page 17 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Accessories by using the Browse button When you are happy click Next to continue 2 Setup A Track for Windows Ready to Install Setup is now ready to begin installing 4 Track For Windows on your computer Click Install to continue with the installation or click Back iF you wank to review or change any settings Destination location C Program Files 4 Track Start Menu Folder 4 Track rig Copyright te 2008 2013 4 Train Systems o Installation by Inno Setup 5 5 2 Cancel On the confirmation screen if you are satisfied with the installation settings click Install Setup will then proceed to install all of the files required to support A Track together with the A Track executable program itself If any of the support files are already installed in the PC then SetUp will only install a replacement version if it is more up to date than the existing file 2 Setup A Track for Windows Installing Please wait while Setup installs
418. r A Track records the folder location of the most recently opened Item List so that the next time you click Open on the File menu A Track will take you directly to this folder By default A Track displays a Details view of the Item List where each row shows a description and key parameters for each Item in the List There are alternative views available which show less detail and may be useful when trying to find a particular Item in a long Item List Click on the View menu to access the available options File Edit View WCE Item Help fal Ca CE w Toolbar He ane k Show Checked Only C 004 gt 201 4 Large Icons Loco OFP 052 gt 4004 a Loeb OP 001 4301 e Loco 033 9793 w Details lacs CP sm8 0718 Arrange Items by Description 1 2011 Line Up Icons by Type red by Flags 1037 Consist Status Command Station o Aqa Consist Status view Backup File me DRE Refresh Item Alloc amp Status D4 Switcher Consist 2 g Union Paciic Challenger OSI Titan Steam Loco CF 059 3959 g Southern 4 6 0 Baldwin Sound Trax Tsunami Loco iF 075 0750 by Primary Address by Extended Address w by File Order gt 0463 r 0 0 gt D464 0 0 gt 0436 When using the alternative views Large Icons Small Icons and List as shown below the Arrange Icons sub menu is employed to select the sort order of the displayed Items Click on one of the sub menu options such as by Primary Address to sort the Item Li
419. r if the current Item List has been changed you will be prompted to save it before proceeding to load the replacement Item List The file extension ita can now be used to indicate an Item Archive this is intended to be used to store a number of merged Item Lists as a single file for backup purposes an Item Archive is loaded handled and saved by A Track in exactly the Same way as any other Item List For all file load and save operations Item Lists and Backup Files a note is kept of the last used folder and this folder is thereafter opened as the prospective source or destination if changed by the user the new folder then becomes the default Editing of Items and all file save or load operations are now disabled when any operations involving data transfers with an NCE Power Pro Command Station are in progress to prevent data corruption All warning messages and prompts are now centred on the specific window to which they relate rather than being displayed in the centre of the screen where they could be overlooked or misunderstood Corrected error which resulted in a program crash if any of the Item List headers were clicked when no Item List was loaded Page 295 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Format for saving backup files changed to be fully compatible with that defined by NCE and as used by JMRI for Consist and Macro backup files all backup files saved in the earlier A Track format or created using JMRI
420. r you will disable all output to the mainline track from the NCE Command Station effectively applying a permanent Emergency Stop to all Items In this case the Emergency Stop cannot be Page 73 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual cancelled through any action by an NCE Cab but only by A Track An indication of this state is displayed on the PC screen as shown below Emergency Stop Emergency Stop Activated Click Resume to restart operations AFTER cause of problem is resolved AN Track Power Off Again click Resume to continue mainline operation but note that all Items on the track will still remain stationary until they receive another speed command from the controller to which they are currently allocated NCE Cab or Operate It is important to appreciate that A Track can only activate an Emergency Stop of Items on the track if it is connected to the NCE Command Station via a Serial or USB port and the Command Station is powered on and communicating with A Track Since the Operate function is only enabled on the Item or PopUp menus when the Serial or USB Interface and the NCE Command Station are connected and operational it is unlikely that the following situation will arise but is included for completeness If when an Operate window is open and either the Serial or USB connection has been removed or is not communicating with the Command Station then if you click on the Emergency Stop button t
421. r Exhaust Idle Volume OOO 0000 0000 O99 Se 59 0 Motor Exhaust Max RPM Volume OOO 0000 0000 100 Se 60 0 Motor Labored Exhaust Min RPM Volume OOO 0000 0000 101i Se 61 0 Motor Lakbored Exhaust Max RPM Volume OOO 0000 0000 102 52 62 0 Motor Rod Knock Yo lume Ooo o0o00 0000 103 Not Used Ooo 0000 0000 104 Se 64 0 Generator Max RPM Volume OOO 0000 0000 105 Not Used Ooo 0000 0000 106 Not Used Ooo 0000 0000 107 Not Used 000 o0o00 0000 106 Not Used Oooo 0000 0000 Page 9 Printed 30 Sep 2013 Loco 089 Item Details Quantum Sound Decoder CVs CV52 15 0 to CV52 64 0 Page 239 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual C Block Indexed 1 Low CVs 1 257 1 384 CY Ho Description Dec Binary 1 257 Not Used a00 0000 0000 1 255 Mot Used a00 ooo0 0000 1 259 Slot 1 Volume Sound On otf Steam Chuff Right Side Diese 099 0110 0011 1 260 Not Used 00i 0000 0001 1 261 Not Used 128 1000 0000 1 262 Not Used 180 1011 0100 1 263 Mot Used 000 0000 0000 1 264 Mot Used a00 oo00 0000 1 265 Not Used 000 0000 0000 1 266 Not Used 000 0000 0000 1 267 Slot 2 Volume Sound OnOff Steam Chuff Left Side O99 0110 0011 1 265 Not Used 00i 0000 0001 1 269 Mot Used 128 1000 0000 1 270 Mot Used 180 1011 0100 1 271 Mot Used a00 0000 0000 1 272 Mot Used ogo 0000 0000 1 273 Mot Used 000 0000 0000 1 274 Mot Used oco 0000 0000 1 275 Slot 3 Volume Whistle Signal Horn 1 128 1000 0000 1 276 Not Used 00i 0000 0001 1 277 Mot Used 128 1000 0000 1 275 Mot Use
422. r Y appropriate to that address Following the transfer of each address the next step in the decoder s programming sequence is to set the On duration of each Output The method of doing this is to send a control command to an Accessory address the value of which represents the required duration Acceptable values are in the range of 1 to 100 with each unit equating to 0 1 second So if we require the Output to be On for 4 seconds when activated we send a turnout command to Accessory address 0040 by typing this address into the Output Address textbox in the Page 173 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Operate Setup area as shown below and then clicking either the Normal or the Route control button below the textbox Item 22 McGilligan Lumber Lenz LS150 y N Incoming 1 a Outgoing 1 Operate Setup CS0I W Adds 0234 W Add 0296 Address Value OutputAddress fz Output Duration to be ctivated a incoming 2 al Outgoing 2 Addr 0298 Addr 0300 Noel a Check Click Normal or My Warehouse Dd Maintenance Route WH Route to send W Add 0303 W Add 0305 Parameter Value Options Close L gt Jutput 7 ZN Output 8 The process is repeated as necessary to set the decoder parameters to the required values Note that if we actually have a turnout with address 0040 on the layout then it will also respond to the set parameter command by moving in the appropriate direction alt
423. r options as shown in the example below The basic Parameters as defined in the NMRA DCC Standards are simpler with the only other configuration options allowing you to select which of the four pairs of Auxiliary inputs will operate the corresponding pair of Accessory outputs and the time for which each pair of outputs will stay in the On state following receipt of an activating command to the relevant Output Address shown highlighted with a light yellow background Item 9 Configuration ariables La Item Description Accesso Decoder Wangrow Shl 104 Program Cis Read Yerity Cvs Parameters Programming Extended Decoder Type Manuf Specific Copy All CY __ Copy Alcs T Output Addressing Program on Paste Main Diis B Directional Comms Main Track gt gt Decoder Unsolicited T NEE Decoder Auxihary Input Activation Paste Index d iys if 2w 3M 47 se 6F Fil ole Update ltem Outputs 1 4 Address Time On eee j Eee Deso esoo alo ose Paste Extend y s z 0 1 2 3 4 5 G f B 4 Although the NMRA Standards generally assume that Accessory decoders like those for Locomotives will have their address at least programmed on a separate Program Track most manufacturers now produce Accessory decoders which are designed to have their addresses and any other parameters programmed directly Page 79 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual from the Mainline Track in conjunction wi
424. r the new security code which will be displayed and click Register again Once all entries are accepted an Activation Key code will be generated and sent to the e mail address which you provided followed by an acknowledgement message as shown below Note that A Train Systems will never disclose your e mail address to any other person or organisation and will only use the address to send you the activation code and occasionally to let you know if A Track software updates are available TAn oe Model Railroad Electronics and Control Home Contact Site Map A TRACK Get A TRACK Projects amp DCC Download Links About Thank You Your activation key has been e mailed to you and should arrive shortly in your Inbox If you have any queries or any comments to make about A Track good or bad please use the Contact form to send a message Donations are Welcome A Track software and support are provided to you completely free of charge However if you have found A Track of benefit to your model railroading activities then you might like to contribute to the future development and upkeep of the program by making a donation You can do this safely and securely via PayPal using any credit or debit card even if you do not have a PayPal account Click on the button below to proceed oe Copyright JT Chamberlain 2004 2012 All rights reserved All trademarks and logos used in these pages are the property of their respective holders
425. r the transfer the background to the changed values is set to light green as confirmation Note that because the Assign Bell and Assign Horn to Function values are held in the same location in the Command Station memory both values will be updated when either is altered Although the Number of Recalls value has been changed this will not be reflected in the Cab Status amp Setup window and list of Allocated Items until you click the Refresh Selected Cab button Page 228 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual NCE Handheld Cab Status amp Setup Selected Cab Address Type F rA TPE Cab Parameters Number of Recalls og Analog Hom Channel Jong Transfer Changes Deallocate All Items Assign Bell to Function o2 Analog Aus Channel i 23 ltem Description Spd Functions Assign Horm to Function o Analog Bias og Allocated Items Union Pacifico Challenger OSI Titan Stearn ltem not found in Loaded ltem List Gandy Dancer 01720 ltem not found in Loaded ltem List ltem not found in Loaded ltem List ltem not found in Loaded ltem List Cab Connected Status dy Cab Detected E3 Cab Active dy Cab Allocated Cab Data Loaded Close The additional three slots now available in the Recall list are shown as empty with the Item addresses set to 0000 You can allocate Locomotives or Consists to these slots using the normal Allocate NCE Cab function as described in Section 4 6 after you ha
426. ransfer progress bar NCE Data Transfer Please wait for data transter to complete Do not operate WCE Handheld Cabs at this time _ rll The result should be a couple of backup files such as those shown in the example below Save jni E 4 Track NCE Backup de t ci Ese MCE Consist Backup 22 5ep 13 mbk NCE System Backup 22 Sep 13 mbk My Recent Documents Note that all backup files using the suggested filenames incorporate the date of creation and are given the file extension mbk to identify them as Command Station memory backup files They are in fact simple text files and you can easily view their contents using any text editor such as Notepad Each row in the file starts with the hexadecimal address from which the row s 16 data bytes or 20 bytes for Macro backup files also in hexadecimal were copied However you are strongly advised not to edit the files directly since any inadvertent change in the file structure as well as in its contents could disrupt Command Station operation when the data from such an edited file was restored to the Command Station memory Making a backup of the current status and allocations of Macros and of the Handheld Cabs is started as for other backup operations by clicking either Macro Backup or Handheld Cab Backup respectively on the NCE menu but these operations require an additional step to select a set of either Macros or Cabs Page 206 of 303 Version
427. ransfer the new allocation of Items to the selected NCE Cab or click Cancel to close the Allocate Item window without making any changes to the NCE Cab or to the Item List Note that you can click Cancel at any time during the allocation process to abandon any changes and return to the state before you clicked on the Allocate NCE Cab menu option Clicking on Confirm will display the following warning Confirm Action x This action will reset the NCE Command Station to Sr the normal state when power is First applied All locomotives under control will be stopped prior to update of the selected Cab Loco Allocation Mo MCE Cabs should be operated during this period Do vou wish bo proceed 7 This gives you a further chance to abandon the complete allocation update and your proposed changes by clicking No Alternatively click Yes to proceed The update of Cab allocations held in the Command Station memory requires the Command Station to be reset which will stop any locomotives or consists currently on the track and as stated in the warning text above you should not attempt to operate any of the connected NCE Cabs until the allocation update is complete Following display of the normal NCE Data Transfer progress bar a confirmation window will appear when the Cab allocation has been updated and the background to the list of Allocated Items will change to light green ce Lm IY ce Lm ll ale wl ars Lt Allocated Items
428. ration OO COIN OO A a aN mS O O O eo oS So CaP oS oO Lo So oOo O _ oO oS oS Lo Page 88 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual A Track automatically translates these selected settings to a value of 54 which is entered in CV29 Configuration Data together with a value of 1 in CV12 Power Source Conversion as shown above Click Update Item to copy the new Item s edited parameters to the Item List New Item Primary and Extended Addresses New Item Current Speed New Item and Function States Description Extended Active gt Lobe NLC OWLS MLLESS y r 11 Colorado Southem 2 6 0 Mogul Z14SR Loco SER 047 gt 0547 28 F00 _ i Item List C Documents and Settings T gt em Lists AT Tutorial Demo 43 New itl Items 27 New Item Item List Changed New Item Type amp Flags Indicator Speed Steps The format of the Details View shown above is fairly self explanatory Note that either the Primary or Extended Address is displayed with a gt symbol in front of whichever Address has been selected as active ie the one which will be used to control the Item When this Locomotive Item is under control from the PC screen as previously illustrated in Section 4 7 its current speed direction and function settings will be displayed in the righthand columns of the Details View
429. rd NCE Switch 8 Access y P 33 gt 0130 28 Silver Pass NCE Switch It Access y _ Pp 40 gt 0157 Forest Flat Depot 1 NCE Snap It Access y P 67 0265 30 Forest Flat Depot 2 NCE Switch Kat ACCeSss y __ Pp 46 gt 0182 Note that the width of column A above has been increased to reveal the full Item Descriptions and the width and formatting of some other columns has been adjusted to improve readability If you are intending to make this type of data transfer regularly then you can set up and save a blank Excel spreadsheet with all column and text formatting and alignment adjusted to your own liking then use it as a template into which you can import data from an A Track CSV Print file using the Import External Data function from the Excel Data menu When printing Item Details to a CSV Print File the first page of formatted Item Details is neither generated nor transferred to the file and the only information which is saved for each selected Item is that relating to the Item s Configuration Variables Hence if printing Item Details to a CSV file without ticking the Print CV Values checkbox and at least one Select CV Blocks checkbox ie no CVs selected then all that will be saved to the file is a pair of header rows for each selected Item Page 243 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The group of CV Blocks for each selected Item is preceded by a row containing the full filename of the Item List plus the date of
430. rdic O Downloads 3 eBooks 9 Edited Docs C Letters 3 My Item Lists eB My Music A My Pictures 3 My PSPS Files 3 My Received Files e My videos se at TI red Fa acan For viruses Open With Send To uk Copy Create Shortcut Delete Rename Properties Browse with Paint Shop Pro 6 In the window which opens simply follow the prompts to unzip the executable installation files CP210xVCPInstaller_x86 exe for 32 bit Windows systems and CP210xVCPInstaller_x64 exe for 64 bit Windows systems into a folder CP210x_VCP_Windows by default This driver is reasonably straightforward to install and no specific installation instructions are provided Installation follows the same steps regardless of the version of Windows running on your computer so the following example will show the process under Windows XP The first step is to locate the folder into which you unzipped the downloaded file open the folder and then double click on the file appropriate to your version of Windows If you are unsure click on Control Panel from the Start Menu and open the System topic which will tell you whether your system is 32 bit or 64 bit Otherwise if you double click on the wrong file the installer will tell you to use the other one Page 274 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual As soon as the process begins you should ensure that all ot
431. re monitoring devices or other such tools c Create derivative works based on A Track for Windows such as incorporating A Track for Windows in a commercial product or service without a proper licence d Rent lease sublicence convey distribute or otherwise transfer rights to A Track for Windows without written permission from A Train Systems e Remove any product identification copyright proprietary notices or labels from A Track for Windows product f Distribute A Track for Windows in any other form than in the official distribution packages without written permission from A Train Systems g Use run copy distribute or store A Track for Windows in your computer if this licence agreement is violated in any way 6 TERMINATION OF LICENCE A Train Systems has the right to terminate this licence if you do not abide by the terms and conditions of this licence in which case you must destroy all copies of A Track for Windows and all of its component parts 7 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT AND UPDATES A Train Systems is under no obligation to maintain support or update A Track for Windows in any way or to provide updates or error corrections However if you have purchased technical support from A Train Systems for this product then A Train Systems will provide technical assistance according to the terms of the contract 8 CONFIDENTIALITY Licenced versions of A Track for Windows and their contents are confidential You agre
432. re not sufficient to accommodate the most recent generation of sound decoders from ESU LokSound for example which employ over 600 distinct CVs In this case the CVs are accessed using an Indexed Addressing scheme defined by the NMRA Rather than continue the upward numering of CVs each additional page of 256 CVs retains the addresses of the Extended page CV257 CV512 but is identified uniquely by an additional Index value of 1 2 3 etc An Index value of 0 identifies the real Extended Page The Page Index is set by loading appropriate values to CV31 and CV32 but this is taken care of automatically by A Track so that you do not need to be concerned about such details when setting up and programming your locomotive sound decoders Selection of ESU LokSound as the Decoder Manufacturer will enable access to three Indexed Pages in addition to the Base and Extended CV Pages Half of each Page one Block can be viewed at any one time in the CV Value grid by selection of the required Page in the Access CV Page section together with either the low or high Block in the View CV Block area Each of the Indexed Blocks are identified with one of the captions X1L X1H X3L X3H appearing in the top left corner of the CV Value grid as shown in the example below Page 105 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 18 Configuration Yariables fs Item Description DAG 2 8 0 Consolidation LokSnd Select i Program CM s Conhi Spe
433. rect JE Register C Address Read Verify Completed Successfully Q z uig 000 018 000 pe na Pink highlight to 000 zaa show CV read 000 000 so differs from that 000 192 oe soo E held in Item OIO INID Ol a aN ma O oO C 000 000 022 000 000 000 024 051 061 000 000 000 Click Finish to complete the Read Verify operation All highlighting of CVs will be removed except for those CVs where the value read from the decoder differs from that currently held in the Item Such CVs will retain their pink highlight Any CVs which were highlighted yellow before starting Read Verify but not accessed during the operation will also retain their highlight If the Read Verify operation fails for any reason then the value of the CV which could not be determined is set at zero and indicated as a failure by striking through the digits 000 Failure to complete the requested Read Verify operation can be due to several causes The Program Track is not properly connected to the NCE Command Station The locomotive is not in good contact with the Program Track or the decoder wiring connection is defective The decoder does not support the selected access Mode particularly Direct A sound decoder is fitted and is overloading the Program Track drive capability of a standard NCE Power Pro Command Station a programming booster unit such as the SoundTraxx PTB 100 or DCC Specialities PowerPax requires to be inserted betwee
434. required file PL2303 Prolific DriverInstaller v1 8 19 zip contains both the driver and documentation but needs to be unzipped as explained in Section 11 3 If you encounter any difficulties with this version of the driver with older PC systems you can visit the Prolific download webpage itself at http www prolific com tw US CustomerLogin aspx where you need to log in using GUEST as both user name and password then click the link labelled PL2303 USB to Serial Drivers to access a list of available driver software FTDI Driver and documentation available from http www ftdichip com Drivers VCP htm Ignore the links in the table of available drivers which just list version numbers Locate the link labelled setup executable shown under Comments at the end of the Windows row in the table then click on the link to download the driver installer file CDM20830_Setup exe Click the link to Installation Guides near the top of the webpage which will take you to http www ftdichip com Support Documents InstallGuides Atm from where you can download the document appropriate to your version of Windows Note that it is not strictly necessary to follow the rather complicated installation procedure detailed in the FTDI Installation Guides You can simply run the downloaded CDM20824_ Setup exe file before plugging the adapter into a USB port This should open a couple of Command Prompt windows and
435. resses 0129 through 0136 controlling access from the Mainline to the Pine Creek Yard where we have a runaround track four commercial sidings a Maintenance shed and a branch line heading off northwards to Silver Pass From the West entrance we can identify routes through the turnouts to each of various destinations and a Macro will be defined to specify the turnout setting required to traverse each of these routes The first obvious Macro required is to set the Mainline as a through route where we have both turnouts 0129 and 0136 set to the Normal direction Assuming you have opened the Macro Edit window from the Edit menu as described previously right click in the Macro Grid Entry 1 of Macro 000 currently showing OOOO in bold text This value will be highlighted in the Address textbox in the Enter Value area Check that the Accessory option in the Edit Macro area is selected then type the address of the first turnout 129 on the keyboard so that the value shows in the Address textbox Ensure that the Normal option next to the textbox is selected then click the Accept Edit button The first entry in Macro 000 will then show 0129N with a light green background representing a command which will set the turnout with address 0129 to the Normal position Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Selected Selected Macro Number Macro Entry 1 hae nina Macro 064 127 0 Load File Description Waco 1
436. return an acknowledgement but not necessarily a solution to you within 48 hours 9 4 Suggestions or Proposals for Improvement As well as reporting errors and problems that you have found with any part of the software you are also very welcome to propose any improvements that you would like to see in the way A Track operates or any additional features or facilities that you feel would increase the usefulness of the program To make any suggestions please use the Support Request Problem Report form which you can access by clicking on Help on the menu bar and then selecting Support Report Problems from the drop down menu as explained in the preceding Section 9 3 Page 260 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 10 A TRACK MENUS REFERENCE 10 1 A description is provided in the following sections of the specific action performed by clicking each entry in each of the A Track menus together with a note of any defined keyboard shortcut ie the key or combination of keys which can be pressed to perform that menu action immediately together with any corresponding icon on the A Track toolbar Rather than using the mouse all menus and menu items can also be activated from the keyboard by using the specified access keys The appropriate access key for each menu on the menu bar is underlined when the eft Alt key is pressed Pressing the underlined initial letter while keep the left Alt key held down will display the appr
437. rface used to connect to a Power Cab or Smart Booster system is now reflected in the icon displayed on the A Track status bar those for USB Interface V6 remain as before whereas those for USB Interface V7 show a number to reflect the jumper settings 0 to 7 Release 4 3 2 Following reports from several users of the Startup Tutorial failing to run corrected error in specifying the path names for the various Tutorial files Corrected serious error which resulted in a program crash fatal error 13 if the user attempted to access either of the Register or Support options from the Help menu if A Track had never been connected to an NCE system The automatic scan of the status of attached Handheld Cabs every 6 minutes will no longer be enabled by default in order to avoid interference with data transfer operations to and from the Command Station such as when Restoring from a Backup File or in the course of using the Edit Run Macros facility The user still has the option of enabling the automatic re scan via the View menu Page 299 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Timing of data transfers between Power Pro and A Track revised with particular regard to Restore operations and Command Station Setup in order to improve reliability and reduce the number of failed transfers Fixed handling of locomotive headlight commands when using an on screen controller Operate in response to a fault report from Dave Cooper where the reverse
438. rning shown below is displayed in its place Item Under Control Speed Function Commands Active AN Stop ltem and Disable Functions before Attempting Deallocation of ltem Click OK then follow the normal sequence of NCE Cab actions to bring the Item to a halt and to deactivate any function switches before attempting to Deallocate the Item again Otherwise the Deallocate window will be displayed as shown above with the selected Item highlighted with a pink background but with all controls other than the Confirm and Cancel buttons disabled Click Cancel to abort the deallocation operation leaving the Item still allocated or Confirm to deallocate the Item from the Cab After the new Cab allocation data is transferred to the NCE Command Station in exactly the same way as previously described for allocating an Item to a Cab the operation ends with the revised Allocated Items list highlighted in light green as shown below al Jr al val ale wil ars Lt Allocated Items Item Description Addr Alloc Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleT ank TCS MCB 4301 E Item not found in Loaded Item List ooa Item not found in Loaded Item List Joon DERGW 260Mog DNI a7 Item deallocated from Cab mm Item not found in Loaded Item List oosa Move Up l Move Down 7 SS ie ee ae Click Close to complete the deallocation process Although the NCE Power Pro Command Station retains the current allocations of locomotives
439. rom the A Track Item List to the NCE Command Station The background to the Consist Address will change back to orange to confirm the copy operation Defined Consists Status Command Station Selected Consist Address Locos Assigned to Consist NCE Command Station 0 Current ltem List f Addr Loco Description if available from Item List Lead 2014 Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 Hid 1 0000 Mid 2 0000 Hid 3 2m DeAGw 2 Truck Shay ON142 Mid 4 0000 Rear j2o17 DeAGw 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 Clear Transter This time following the transfer there are no changes shown in the Item List to either the composition of the Consist or to Locomotive 4004 which has been released as Rear Loco from the Command Station version of the Consist and which can now operate on the track as an independent locomotive as shown highlighted in the Item List below C Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truck Climax Lenz Silv Loco P 052 gt 4004 28 FOZ _ mie Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay OH121 MultLead 066 2014 eo FOO _ 0 D RGW 2 Truck Shay DNT 42 Mult Mid 06 6 2011 26 F _ Cit DRAG 2 6 0 Mogul ON142 MultAear 0166 2917 25 FOO _ Ctt Logging Consist Consist 066 FOO _ The final case to consider in dealing with Consists is where the Consist is only defined in the NCE Command Station as in the case of Consist Addre
440. ros including the associated Descriptions to the selected location Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 191 Select Macro Set Selected Selected 070 E Macro 000 063 i Loaded Macro Humber Macro Entry 7 Selected Macro eah E TE Macro 064 127 i Edited Description Load File Macro 128 191 Enter Yalue 7 T Macro 192 255 0 Save File AEN a Addese Normal ccept Edit Link ta Macro C o129 Route fe Retrieve Set Update Set Bo To Linked Cancel Edit Macro Hac L 2 3 4 5 G f g 9 10 Description a 064 Oooo gogg ogg o000 ogg ogg ogg ogg oo000 ogg 065 000 o000 ogg o000 ogg o000 ogg ogg ogg ogg 066 00 ooga ogg o000 ogg ogg ogg ogg ogg ogg O67 00 gogg ogg o000 ogg ogg ogg ogg oo00 ogg 068 00 gogg ogg o000 oggi ogg ogg ogg ogg ogg 069 00 o000 ogg ooga oggi ogg ogo ogg ogg ogg 0129 R O130N OSA o00 o000 ogg o000 o000 ogg 0000 Heath Sawmill 1 O71 01295A O30N OSIN 0132A O00 ogg ogg ogg ogg 0000 Heath Sawmill 2 0z2 01295A O30N O1IN OF52N 0133A O00 ogg ogg ogg 0000 Pine Creek Stores 073 01295A O30N OSIN O32 O1393N 0134A 00 ogg ogg 0000 O Grady Leather 074 0125A O30N OSIN O32N O1SS3N O1S4N 0135A O00 ogg 0000 Mantenance Shed 075 0129A O30N OSIN O32 OT33N O1S4N O1S5N 3135 oo00 OOO0 Main Silver Pass O76 00 gogg ogg o000 ogg ogg ogg ogg ogg ogg You can select individual Macros or add additional Macros to a selected block of Macros by holding
441. s ita tt Page 50 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The format of the Save Item List dialog window in Windows Vista Windows 7 and Windows 8 is a little different but the operations to create and rename a new folder are very similar as are those to choose a filename and file extension as shown in the Windows 8 example below t Tery My Documents w B Terry gt Name AppData di Application Da iB Contacts m Desktop i Downloads m Favourites JB Links My Document i My Music Mhy Pictures E My Videos J A Track Item Lists di Item _Lists J My PSPS Files H My Shapes Track Item Archives di Outlook Files File name Merged ltemList 16 May 13 ita Save as type Item Archives 1ta Fa Hide Folders 4 3 Other File and Program Functions Search My Documents Date modified 16 05 2013 20 11 17 04 2013 11 21 16 05 2013 20 06 22 11 2012 20 25 16 05 2013 20 12 10 03 2013 12 37 Type File folde File folde File folde File folde File folde File folde If for any reason you wish to check on details of the file in which the displayed Item List is held click on Properties on the File menu Item List Properties AT Tutortal Deno 43 ttl Location C Documents an 4 Track ltem Lists Ong Size 36389 bytes Orig ltems 26 Cur thems 26 History Created 15 06 2073 14 45 34 Modified 15 06 2013 12 49 07 Attributes P Read Only P
442. s are context sensitive so that when you press the F1 shortcut key at any point when using A Track the Help page most appropriate to that part of the program which is currently active will be displayed Shortcut Key F1 Toolbar Icon aig Start Up Tutorial displays the first page of the Welcome to A Track Your DCC Buddy demonstration and tutorial ready to take you through the basic features of the program s operation Note A tick next to this menu entry indicates that the Welcome to A Track tutorial will be displayed whenever A Track is started If you do not wish this to occur first click this entry to display the Welcome to A Track help page then tick the Do not display at start up checkbox located below the tutorial text before closing the window Page 270 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Register Activate Opens a window which displays information relating to the version of A Track which is running the Serial Number generated when you installed A Track details of the version and build of Windows installed on this computer the type and software version of the NCE System to which you last connected and the current registration activation status If this copy of A Track has not been registered the window allows the user to enter his or her name and then to access an online facility which will generate an Activation Key code The Key should then be copied by the user into the Re
443. s are summarised below but see the entries in the preceding Item and Edit menu descriptions for more complete information Edit CVs Opens an Edit Configuration Variables window for the selected Item Allocate NCE Cab Opens an Allocate Item to NCE Cab window for the selected Item to allow you to allocate control of the selected Item to an NCE Handheld Controller only displayed if connected to an NCE Power Pro System and the Item is not currently allocated Deallocate Removes the selected Item from control by the allocated NCE Handheld Controller only displayed if connected to an NCE Power Pro System and the Item is currently allocated Operate Opens an Operate Item window for the selected Item to give you control of the Item s speed direction and functions for Locomotive Items or output states for Accessory Items from the PC screen only enabled if the Item is not currently allocated Delete Item Deletes the Item from the Item List Item is not copied to the Copy Buffer Cut Deletes the Item from the Item List and places a copy of the Item in the Copy Buffer replacing any previous contents of the Buffer Cut Append Deletes the Item from the Item List and adds a copy of the Item to the current contents of the Copy Buffer Copy Copies the Item from the Item List and places a copy of the Item in the Copy Buffer replacing any previous contents of the Buffer Copy Append Copies the Item from the Item Lis
444. s of any kind or nature whatsoever whether based on contract warranty tort including negligence strict liability or otherwise arising out of or in any way related to A Track for Windows or this agreement even if A Train Systems or its licensors have been advised of the possibility of such damage or if such damage could have been reasonably foreseen and notwithstanding any failure of essential purpose of any exclusive remedy provided in this agreement Such limitation on damages includes but is not limited to damages for loss of goodwill lost profits loss of data or software work stoppage computer failure or malfunction or impairment of other goods In no event will A Train Systems or its licensors be liable for the costs of procurement of substitute software or services In addition in no event will the total liability of A Train Systems in connection with this agreement or A Track for Windows exceed the actual amount paid to A Train Systems if any for A Track for Windows giving rise to the claim You acknowledge that A Track for Windows is not designed or licensed for use in on line equipment in hazardous environments such as operation of nuclear facilities aircraft navigation or control or life critical applications A Train Systems expressly disclaims any liability resulting from use of A Track for Windows in any such on line equipment in hazardous environments and accepts no liability in respect of any actions or claims based on
445. s reason if you intend to define and operate a number of Consists it is good policy to use Extended Addresses preferably with values greater than 127 for all of your Locomotives and reserve addresses in the range 1 to 127 for use exclusively by Consists Page 126 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual You can choose either to accept the offered Address for your new Consist or to change it to any other value which is available by typing the address into the Consist Address textbox under the Identity Parameter Tab If you select an Address which is in use by another Consist either in the A Track Item List or in the NCE Power Pro Command Station provided that it has been connected and switched on so that A Track has been able to extract a list of currently defined Consists from the Command Station a warning message will be displayed as shown below on the right You will also be warned if you enter an invalid value add or if all available addresses have already been allocated However assuming that your choice of Costas Aaea PaE already in use please choose a different value address is acceptable you can then continue with the definition of the newly created Consist proceeding to assign a set of Locomotives to it by clicking on the Config Parameter Tab lt gt Item Description Switcher Consist 2 item Type Primary Address Acces sory Extended Address gt Consist Consist Address 120
446. s removed those programs may not Function properly IF you are unsure choose No Leaving the File on your system will not cause any harm File name JaTrack4CmndSvr exe Location C Program Files 4 Track Yes to All Ne Mo to all Copyright te 2008 2013 4 Train Systems oo lt nstallation by Inno Setup 5 5 2 Gancel Leaving these files in place will not cause any harm nor slow down the performance of your computer and is the ultra safe approach but you can choose to uninstall them if you wish by clicking on the appropriate button shown above The A Track program itself is then uninstalled 4 Track for Windows Uninstall l i x Uninstall Status Please wait while 4 Track For Windows is removed From your computer Uninstalling 4 Track For Windows A Copyright te 2008 2013 4 Train Systems o Installation by Inno Setup 5 5 Gancel Page 22 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual followed by a final confirmation window 4 Track for Windows Uninstall X Ll 4 Track For Windows was successfully removed From your computer Click OK to complete the uninstall process In some circumstances you may see a different confirmation window 4 Track for Windows Uninstall X i 4 Track For Windows uninstall complete Some elements could not be removed These can be removed manually Generally this will occur when changes have been made to the installation f
447. s the tutorial and can click on the 4 Track menubar Print trl F Exit In the standard File Open window which then appears locate the folder containing the copied Item List s If the folder is in your Documents area then it should be immediately visible and can be opened by a double click on the folder name to reveal the copied Item List s Alternatively if you have put them somewhere else then drop down the folder list from the Look in listbox in Windows XP or shown in Page 40 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual the lefthand pane in Windows Vista 7 or 8 and then progressively select folders and subfolders until you reach the required Item List folder A Track Item Lists here which is then opened with a double click 4 Track Open Item List Look in E AcTrack Item Lists ad E Fe My Recent Documents Ep E My Recent Documents E J 3 Floppy amp See MDTIB0 WiresP C Desktop ae MDTI60 Wind D2 i DYDVCD AMW4 Drive F SG G Shared Documents 3 Sue s Documents My Documents 5 My Documents Ed My Network Places E My Metwork Files of Ippe item Lists itl o Cancel nee Open as read only Places Zi Select an Item List from the A Track Item Lists folder by clicking on the filename and click on Open to load it or just double click on the filename 4 Track Open Item List Look in AcTrack Item Lists a E o E
448. s to the current contents of the Copy Buffer Shortcut Key Ctrl D Toolbar Icon 52 Item Pop Up menu Paste Retrieves all Items currently in the Copy Buffer and adds a copy of each of these Items to the displayed Item List The contents of the Copy Buffer remain unchanged and no Item in the displayed Item List is either changed or overwritten even if it is identical to one of the added Items such Items are thus duplicated Shortcut Key Ctrl V Toolbar Icon fe Empty Buffer Clears completely all Items currently in the Copy Buffer This action can be neither reversed nor undone so any Items which were Cut to the Buffer will be lost permanently Shortcut Key Ctrl E Toolbar Icon Eei Page 263 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Insert Blank Item Adds a new Blank Item to the displayed Item List ready for its description and parameters to be set Note that you do not have control over where in the Item List the inserted Item will appear this depends on the current Sort settings t Shortcut Key Shift Insert Toolbar Icon Fal Delete Item Deletes from the Item List all Items which are currently selected The deleted Items are not moved to the Copy Buffer but the action can be reversed by using the Undo facility a Shortcut Key Delete Toolbar Icon A Item Pop Up menu Check All Places tick marks in the checkboxes to the left of the Descriptions of all Items in the displayed Item List Such I
449. s will be accepted so as an aid when you pause with the mouse cursor over any textbox a small prompt will be displayed to show the range of acceptable values Refer to the NCE Power Pro System Reference Manual for more information An example of the entry of various amendments and of the display of textbox prompts is shown below Highest Cab Enabled Use Program Track o2 Program on Main foo TempordFactory Default amp ksign Laco to Cab foo Program Acces les foo CCESSON Joos Set Clock o2 Program Macros foo Humber of Packets Horn Off Janz Set C mand Station E m et Signals foo Frogram Jone Set Cab Itself p PTogram Consists foo Homentum Enable Consist Momentum W ic Momentum Multipler Jog Seral Port Baud Rate 3600 bps 19200 bps 30400 bps Miscellaneous Options Test for Loca in Use E Send Function Commands to Consist w Enable Ema cy Stop Layout Shutdown w Enable Radia Fix Enable AIU Broadcast System Factory Power On Reset Reset Cancel Ca Transter Changes Page 214 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Click Transfer Changes to update the Command Station with the amended parameters As before confirmation of which parameters have been updated will then be shown by highlighting them with a light green background Highest Cab Enabled Use Program Track o2 Program on Main foo Assign Loco to Cab foo Program Acces ies foo Se
450. s window A4 or Letter only With the decision to offer A Track as a free of charge application the Trial Version option and limitations on time and usage has been removed completely Registration is retained with the offer of priority support for registered users again free Added Register Online option to Register Activate window this allows automatic generation and immediate delivery of an Activation Key to the user by e mail from the A Train Systems website as before after entry of Key code the registered user s name is displayed on the start up splash screen Entry of the user s names in the Register Activate window is retained in the Registry whether or not the user chooses to register or activate the program this removes the need for the user to re enter the names next time the window is opened the names can be edited or deleted at any time before activation but not after Added Support Report Problems option to Help menu which gives access to a facility on the A Train Systems website to request support or report problems by completing details on an online form Context Help improved to display wider range of relevant Help pages when F1 key pressed at any point during A Track operations Malfunction of Read Verify and Program functions when Help pages are displayed fixed by closing any open Help page before starting Read Verify or Programs data transfers Page 294 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference
451. s222 2 2 256 9 4 Suggestions or Proposals for Improvement ssss222222 2 260 10 A TRACK MENUS REFERENCE ccccccnscccnsccnnssennescnnesennesenes 261 10 1 E E E E 261 10 2 Editio aA N 263 10 3 VIEW soriana nann R a 265 10 4 NCE Power Pro ONY iiisiiicinistancteesniicisenusnctnssdsnGeudstinduenestninccustnawens 268 10 5 Iten cea a a a 269 10 6 Helana aa aAa ira a ANOIA AENEA 270 10 7 POD UD ccr a a a a Aa 272 11 INSTALLATION OF USB TO SERIAL INTERFACES sssssnsnsnnnnan 273 11 1 NCE USB Interface Unit iiiiisiiidriininiinninsninnnnnininninnnasnnnn ninrin 273 11 2 Keyspan USA 19HS USB to Serial Adapter s 2 2 2 277 11 3 USB to Serial Adapters using Prolific Chipsets sssussunnnnnnnnunnnnnnn 283 11 4 Links to USB to Serial Interface Vendors sssss2 289 12 A TRACK REVISION HISTORY sssssnnnsunnnnnnnnnnnnunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 292 13 A TRACK END USER LICENCE AGREEMENT ccccccnsccnnssenness 301 NCE Power Cab Smart Booster Power Pro PH Pro ProCab Cab04 Cab05 Cab06 and the NCE logo are trademarks of NCE Corporation Copyright 1994 2014 Page 3 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual DISCLAIMER I hope you will like the A Track for Windows program and enjoy using it as much as I have enjoyed creating the system BUT While every effort has been made to thoroughly test and verify all functions incorporated int
452. screen The advantage in running Macros stored within an NCE Power Pro system is that the operation takes less time since only a single command has to be sent to the Command Station to execute each Macro When running Macros from a loaded file a separate command has to be sent for each Accessory entry in each Macro The difference in time is only a second or two per Macro so is not usually significant in model railroad operations If you wish to run one or more Macros which have been loaded previously to an NCE Power Pro Command Station you can load the relevant Set of Macros into the Macro Edit window but without any Descriptions by clicking on the appropriate option in the Select Macro Set area and then on the Retrieve Set button Alternatively if the Macros you wish to use are in a saved backup file load the file into the Macro Edit window from the Edit menu complete with Descriptions if you have added them and then transfer them to the NCE Power Pro Command Station by clicking on the appropriate option in the Select Macro Set area if necessary and then on the Update Set button as described in Section 6 1 Click anywhere on the first Macro you wish to run so that it is highlighted in the Macro Grid then use the mouse and either Ctrl key to add further Macros to the selection if required as explained in Section 6 3 With the set of Macros which were used in the Run from File example above now loaded to the Command Station and
453. sequently be reversed Shortcut Key None Toolbar Icon amp 3 Redo Re performs the Edit action which was reversed by an immediately preceding Undo operation This includes returning an Item and its constituent data values to their edited state Redo is not active until an Undo action has been performed Shortcut Key None Toolbar Icon fai Find Searches the Item List for Items whose Description Primary Address or Extended Address match an entered string of characters The direction of search can be selected and the search parameters changed at any time to refine the Find operation Shortcut Key Ctrl F Toolbar Icon oy Cut Deletes from the Item List all Items which are currently selected and places a copy of each of these Items in the Copy Buffer replacing any previous contents of the Buffer Shortcut Key Ctrl X Toolbar Icon H Item Pop Up menu Cut Append Deletes from the Item List all Items which are currently selected and adds a copy of each of these Items to the current contents of the Copy Buffer Shortcut Key Ctrl Z Toolbar Icon b a Item Pop Up menu Copy Copies from the Item List all Items which are currently selected and places a copy of each of these Items in the Copy Buffer replacing any previous contents of the Buffer Shortcut Key Ctrl C Toolbar Icon Item Pop Up menu Copy Append Copies from the Item List all Items which are currently selected and adds a copy of each of these Item
454. sire The User Identifiers are not used for any control purposes The second adjustment to the set up of a new Item is to define the Configuration selections for CV29 by clicking on the Config Tab and then clicking in the appropriate checkboxes to tick the required operational parameters In the example below the Basic Operation Configuration has been changed to use the Locomotive s Extended Address with the existing control precision of 28 Speed Steps the latter is selected automatically to enable conversion to Non DCC Power automatic operation on DC selected by default and to enable use of the 28 Step Speed Table which will be described in the following Section 5 3 Item 27 Configuration Yariables SEN Item Description Colorado Southern 2 6 0 Mogul Z14SR Progam Cys Identity Config Speed Funct n Pages SUSI Read Verify CVs Parameters gt gt gt r Basic Operation Copy All CVs f Basic Operation u ieee eke sublets go Dacko bd am 1s fit Rane Stee eee ee ee een eenee nee eeenereeeeeeeeee mal Gon ua Bi Directional Tee Rae Pose Source Non DCC Pwr Convert V 28 Speed Steps EMF F Bk Cutout ooo Reverse Direction Update Item Packet Time Out 000 i 1 us Close CV Ox 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x Basic Settings mime 000 000 000 O16 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 LUL for CV29 Item 000 00i 255 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 00A a Configu
455. ss Type F rA TPE Cab Parameters Number of Recalls og Analog Hom Channel Jooo Transfer Changes Deallocate All lbems Assign Bell to Function foo Analog Aus Channel ooo Assign Horm to Function foo Analog Bias foo ltem Description Spd Functions DRAG 2 6 0 Mogul DN142 Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay OH121 Central Pacific 4 4 0 American Jupiter 07121 ltem not found in Loaded tern List Allocated Items ltem not found in Loaded Item List DAG 2 Truck Shay DN142 Cab Connected Status Refresh Selected Cab dy Cab Detected E3 Cab Active y Cab Allocated Cab Data Loaded Whenever A Track is started the Handheld Cab selected for display of its parameters is Cab 02 and as can be seen at the top of the Cab Status amp Setup window this is an NCE ProCab ie a Cab with an LCD display The other type of Cab which can be recognised is one without an LCD display such as Cab 06 for example the type of which is identified as an NCE Cab04 06 as Shown below NCE Handheld Cab Status amp Setup E Selected Cab Address Type Cab 04 06 P mh APEE Cab Parameters Humber of Recalls o2 Analog Horm Channel Jooo Transfer Changes However if the selected Cab is one which has not currently been detected during the status scan its type will be shown as Undefined as in the example below NCE Handheld Cab Status amp Setup Selected Cab Address Type Undetined F rA TPE Cab
456. ss 85 which is shown with a green background Clicking on this Consist Address shows that in this example only the Assigned Lead Loco can be allocated an Item List Description and that the other assigned addresses cannot be matched with any Locos in the current Item List The options available are either to Clear the Consist in which case it will be completely erased from the Command Station or to Transfer it to A Track Page 148 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Defined Consists Status Command Station Selected Consist Address 85 NCE F 4 Locos Assigned to Consist NCE Command Station tf Current Item List t Addr Loco Description if available from ltem List Lead 2024 Union Facitic 2 6 2 Praine SON144P5 Hid 1 3028 Item not found in Loaded ltem List Mid 2 0000 Hid 3 0000 Hid 4 0000 Rear 5278 Item not found in Loaded ltem List 20 30 40 ad A noH a1 2203920 42 52 23633 43 63 2434 44 ad 25 3545 85 26 35 46 86 7O FO FO S a 25 38 48 56 70 B8 og 29 3 7 Tec 9 49 4 amp 9 9 59 Clear Transter Activate Close Choosing to Transfer the Consist will result firstly as described previously in the display of a request to set the Directions of Operation of each of the constituent Locos In this case we will choose to set the Mid 1 Loco to operate in Reverse on the bas
457. st as your reference before making any of your own changes to the locomotive decoder s CV settings Repeat this acquisition of CV Values for all of your locomotives then again click File and Save As to save your Item List which is now a record of the original setups of your locomotive roster and which if you keep it safe will give you the ability to restore these settings should any later changes you make to CV values prove to be less than optimum There is no need to complete the recording of your locomotive roster s decoder setups in a single session You can close A Track at any point by using the standard Windows Close button J or Xx in the top righthand corner of the window or by clicking Exit from the File menu If necessary A Track will prompt you to save any changes you have made to the Items or Item List before closing the program When you are ready to continue with A Track you can start the program again as explained previously in Section 3 5 Alternatively if you are intending to resume work with a saved Item List you can simply locate the Item List file in the folder where you saved it and then double click on the file This will open A Track and load the Item List with a single action Page 38 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 4 ITEMS AND ITEM LIST OPERATIONS A Track operations are based completely around a list of Items Each Item represents a real DCC decoder which can be programmed or
458. st entry in one Macro as a pointer to the next Macro to be executed When used with an NCE Power Pro system A Track allows you to download view and edit the composition of all defined Macros to delete Macros or create new ones as required and then to restore the edited set of Macros to the Command Station You can also save a backup copy of the stored Macros to your computer s hard disk or removable storage and restore any saved set of Macros to the Command Station see also Section 7 1 A Track provides the facilities to review and edit any saved set of Macros independently of the Command Station and also to add a description or label to identify each of the defined Macros helping you to remember the turnout switching operation associated with each Macro After your edits are complete you can then either save the updated Macros back to disk or load the revised set to an NCE Power Pro Command Station The NCE Power Cab system via the NCE USB Interface unit does not give you access to its stored Macros so you cannot save these internally stored Macros to nor restore them from your computer s hard disk and are unable to review and edit them from A Track However you can use the A Track Macro facilities as a fully operational alternative to provide your NCE Power Cab system with the ability to define edit back up and run aS many as 256 Macros each consisting of up to 10 turnout commands just like an NCE Power Pro system
459. st to the Command Station rhe Consist will then be activated Click No bo sawe the Consist in the 4 Track Item List only the Consist will not be activated Page 144 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Important Note In order to activate a Consist correctly it is essential that the locomotives which have been assigned to the Consist are physically present on the mainline track at the time that the Consist is activated so that the NCE Command Station can reprogram the locomotive DCC decoders with the appropriate Consist Address this also applies if a Consist is created or modified directly in the NCE Command Station from an NCE Handheld Cab If any of the locomotives are not on the track or otherwise fail to receive the Assign to Consist DCC command then their assignment to the Consist will not be made All NMRA compliant decoders Support the Assign to Consist DCC command and unlike the situation when using NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster Systems there is no need for the decoder to Support Operations Mode programming of the Consist Address The same condition applies when locomotives are removed or de assigned from the Consist and the edited Consist is then activated Such locomotives must be physically present on the mainline track when the edited Consist is activated so that the NCE Command Station can erase the Consist Address from their decoders If we now look at a Consist which is currently defi
460. st using this Item parameter Clicking the same sub menu option again will re sort the Items in the opposite sense ie the List will change from ascending order to descending order or vice versa In the Details view you can sort the Items simply by clicking on the heading text at the top of each column for the categories shown Having clicked on a column header clicking again on the same header will reverse the Item sort order A Track will arrange all subsequently loaded Item Lists using the View settings you select until you pick a different view You can change the width of each column in the Details view to suit your own preferences use the standard Windows technique Page 43 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual of clicking on and then dragging the boundary between each column header to the left or right as required Both the List and Small Icons views show only the Icon plus Description for each Item set out in one or more columns the number of columns being dependent on the number of Items in the Item List and the window height and width PN a Track File Edt View NCE Item Help Aceh S aterm cm l ewndse Toe Westside Lumber 3 Truck Shay DH121 CIE Greenbrier amp Elk River 3 Truck Shay Z14SR CI Clear Lake Lumber 2 Truck Climax Lenz Silv 1 Colorado Mining 0 6 0 SaddleT ank TCS MC6 CI AT amp SF 250 Ton Crane DH142 CIG Gandy Dancer DZ120 CO D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 COE D amp RGW
461. t 3024 128 FOU 0 New Locomotive 30 Mult Mid _EF 185 3028 2a FOU Dig New Locomotive 3 MultRear _EF 085 para Bis Fi The Assigned Loco which was identified in the loaded Item List 3024 is now displayed as the Multiple Lead below the New Consist and two new Items New Locomotive 30 and New Locomotive 31 have been created as Multiple Mid and Multiple Rear respectively As noted previously in Section 5 11 you can now proceed if you wish to update the parameters and descriptions of New Consist 28 and both New Locomotives 30 and 31 and then save the revised Item List to permanent storage Following the previous recommendations the safe way to deal with this situation is to remove both New Locomotives 30 and 31 from the Consist and then either copy the corresponding Items from another Item List if you have them already recorded or to update the parameters and CVs of Locos 30 and 31 in this Item List to correspond to the real Locomotives that you wish to place in the Consist Before attempting to assign the Locos to the Consist you may wish to check that the parameters of each of the potential assigned Locomotives are consistent with each other In particular note that the Lead Loco here is set to operate with 128 Step Precision whereas the New Locomotives are set by default to operate with 28 Step Precision This may not be the case if suitable Items are copied into the Item List but if changes are require
462. t Click Cancel to exit without Further action In this case assuming that no Macros have yet been defined click No to open a blank set of Macros ready to be edited A Macros Review Edit and Run Macro Edit window will then be opened as shown below For convenience A Track handles Macros in Sets each of which contains sixty four 64 macros Four Sets therefore make up the total of 256 Macros that can be stored in an NCE Power Pro Command Station or used directly from A Track with an NCE Power Cab system The first Set of Macros Macro 000 to Macro 063 is marked as Loaded in the Select Macro Set area of the window and the contents of the Macros currently blank are displayed in the Macro Grid in the lower part of the Macro Edit window Page 176 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Macros Review Edit and Run Loaded from Macro 000 to Macro 063 Select Macro Set Selected Selected 1 Macro UUU 063 Loaded Macro Number Macro Entry Selected Macro T Macro D64 127 Description Load File Edit Macro Enter Yalue T F Accessory fe Address Normal eee Link to Macro amp poog Route Retrieve Set Update Set Go To Linked Cancel Description Macro 128 191 Macro 192 255 0 Save File i Copy Sel Macros Paste Sel Macros Clear Sel Macros Aun Sel Macros Although as can be seen only the first 16 Macros are immediately visible any Macro in the Set can be access
463. t and adds a copy of the Item to the current contents of the Copy Buffer Page 272 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 11 INSTALLATION OF USB TO SERIAL INTERFACES 11 1 A Track can be connected to an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster system by using the NCE USB Interface unit or can be connected to an NCE Power Pro system either directly from a standard Serial RS232 port if your PC is equipped with one or by using any standard USB to Serial interface adapter A Track has been tested with a variety of USB to Serial adapters from a number of manufacturers and will work with devices based on chipsets from Prolific FTDI Silicon Labs Keyspan and Microchip Connection of A Track to an NCE Power Pro Command Station directly from a standard PC Serial Port does not require any additional software to be installed Important If you are planning to use a USB adapter of some kind then in almost all cases you will need to Install driver software before you plug the device into your computer and connect to the NCE equipment Your USB adapter will either have been supplied with suitable driver software on a CD ROM disk or it will come with details of how to download the required driver software from an Internet website usually that of the manufacturer of the particular chip or chipset incorporated within the USB adapter The driver software may or may not come with instructions or they may either be posted on or be downloadabl
464. t then any assigned Multiples are also deleted but immediately converted to Locomotives as explained previously and then pasted back into the Item List Copied Items remain in the Copy Buffer until replaced by another Cut or Copy operation or removed by the remaining operation involved in handling the Copy Buffer namely Empty Buffer 34 This Edit operation as is fairly obvious completely clears all copied Items from the Buffer Page 58 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Note carefully that the Empty Buffer action can neither be reversed nor undone so that any Items which were Cut or Copied to the Buffer will be completely lost the original Copied Items will still be in the Item List of course provided you have not Deleted them in the meantime A warning to this effect is displayed asking you to confirm the deletion Confirm Action x Do you wish to remove all Copied Items i permanently From the Copy Buffer After clearing the Copy Buffer you may still be able to perform a set of Undo operations to regain any Cut Items provided the Cut operation s occurred within the last 32 Edit actions and of course you should have a back up copy of the original Item List stored safely on your hard disk or removable media However in any case to restore the Copy Buffer contents you will have to copy the relevant Items again To add a new Item to the displayed Item List use Insert Blank Item on the Edit menu
465. t Clack o2 Program Macros foo Humber of Packets Stop Jong Temporary 005 ACCESS0r Joos Horn Off TIE Set C mand Station o2 Program Signals foo Program O06 Set Cab Itself foo Frogram Consists foo Homentum Enable Consist Momentum m Momentum Dec In Rate Ful tf Mormenturn Multiplier Jog Half f Senal Port Baud Hate 3600 bps 135200 bps 30400 bps Miscellaneous Options Test for Loca in Use E Send Function Commands ta Consist W Enable Emg cy Stop Layout Shutdown W Enable Radio Fix m Enable AIU Broadcast Enable Function Refresh m System Factory Power On Reset Reset Transter Changes Note that as indicated by the highlighting in the case of Number of Packets Highest Cab Enabled and Miscellaneous Options all values in the group are updated regardless of how many individual values were changed Click Close to remove the Command Station Setup window from the screen Of the remaining Command Station Setup options the Power On Reset button allows you to return the Command Station to the state it would be in if you switched it off removed its power supply then switched it back on again after a short delay When you click on the button a warning is displayed Confirm Action x p This action will reset the NCE Command Station ta Sr the normal state when power is First applied All locomotives under control will be stopped but no other set up parameters will b
466. t the status data from either source relates only to the issued turnout commands and does not necessarily align with the actual turnout position which for example may have been altered manually at some time Automatic real time monitoring of actual turnout positions is beyond the capabilities of all standard Command Stations and would require substantial extra equipment to be installed on the layout Page 168 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual The Output command buttons of the Operate soft controller make no reference therefore to the status data when generating turnout commands Clicking the green button amp or amp amp always sends a Normal Straight command and a click on the red button Y or will always send a Route Thrown command to the turnout via the Command Station Power Cab or Power Pro For example clicking the green 4 button of Output 2 sends a Normal command to the turnout with address 0130 changes the button picture to amp and results in a change of the Accessory status indicator in the Item List from 2 to 0 as shown below Item 23 Pine Creek Yard NCE Switch 8 Output 1 Addr 0129 lt D o Output 3 Addr 0131 Output 5 Addr 0133 Output 7 Addr 0135 Access y Access y Access y Access y Access y ae Operate Setup CSO1 gt Y Add 0130 Output 2 set Output Address aooi to Normal 7N Output 4 to be Activated S
467. t you when software updates have been posted The entire registration process takes less than 60 seconds If you choose to click Cancel then you will be given a further set of options and again you can follow your own preferences Are you sure you want to cancel the registration process Registration usually takes less than 60 seconds and will ensure that you are kept informed about product updates and special offers Once registration is accepted or disposed of there is a final window displayed where you simply click Finish to complete the driver software installation Keyspan USB Serial Adapter USA19H InstallShreld Wizard Complete Setup has finished installing the Keyspan USB Serial Adapter U5 4179H on your computer You can now connect the Keyspan USB to Serial Adapter to any available USB port on your computer using a standard USB A B cable when you should see a small notice appear in the bottom right corner of the screen Page 281 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual i Installing device driver software Click here for status With Windows 7 you have the choice of simply doing nothing and waiting for final driver installation to complete in its own time or you can speed the process up a little by clicking on the notice to show the current installation status Installing device driver software Keyspan USA 19H Searching preconfigured driver folders After a short time y
468. tatus 0 WV Addr 0132 Neer A Check a gt reek EA Roue DS outputs wy Addr 0136 Options Close _P 0075 gt 0300 19450__ AP 0033 gt 0130 CS 01 00045070 B 0040 gt 0157 02 N 0067 gt 0265 0 a 0046 gt 0182 1 _ltem Lists 4T T utorial D emo 43 itl ltems 26 Curent 23 NCE COM 2 If the Accessory Item has less than eight Outputs then the Operate soft controller unused controls will be disabled as shown below for the case of an NCE Switch It decoder Item Item 24 Silver Pass NCE Switch It Output 1 Addr 0156 F fs Output 3 fs Output 5 FS Output 7 Output 2 Operate Setup C502 Addr 0157 C _ hd Output Address IEE to be Activated ooo fos utpu 2 EF Normal Al Check fs Output 6 Bite y 2 Output 8 a f To help you identify which turnout is which on the layout without having to commit the table of assigned addresses to memory you can attach your own label to each Accessory Output Returning to the original example for the NCE Switch 8 accessory decoder click on the Options button to display the available facilities for customisation Page 169 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 23 Pine Creek Yard NCE Switch e mm Output 1 AP J Operate Setup CS0 W Use Ht 0 Add fion utput fess to be Activated ooo ae Output 3 alr 4 W Use W Use Normal Al heck Output p als Output B a
469. te Register Online If you do not wish to proceed with registration at this time then you can click Close to remove the window The two entered names will be saved and re displayed next time you open the Register Activate window Otherwise click Register Online to connect to the Internet and to the Registration page of the A Train Systems website A Track will copy your entered First and Last Names together with the full set of information displayed in the Register Activate window above to the webpage as shown below Page 250 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Model Railroad Electronics and Control Home Contact Site Map Get A TRACK Projects amp DCC PDownloac Links About Register Your Copy of A Track Please ensure that both Names the Serial Number and your e mail address below are completed accurately If details of your A Track version Windows operating system type and build number and NCE system type and software version have not been entered automatically then please type into the System and NCE System Type fields the version of Windows and type of NCE Command Station respectively that you are using with A Track Build details and Software Version can be left blank enter the 6 character security code then click Register to register your copy of A Track First Name Terry Last Name A Track Version 43 167 Serial Number 130807W8E9F53 Your E Mail Address terry a train syst
470. ted set of NCE Handheld Cabs as stored in the NCE Power Pro Command Station to a disk file A window is displayed to allow selection of the set of Cabs to be backed up followed by a standard Windows Save File Dialog to let you navigate to the drive and folder where the Handheld Cab Backup file is to be saved You can edit the displayed default filename by adding specific details to it enter a completely new filename or select an existing file to be replaced with the current Handheld Cab Backup details Click Save to save the Handheld Cab Backup file If you have chosen to overwrite a previous version of Handheld Cab Backup then you are asked to confirm your choice System Restore Opens an existing System Backup file and transfers the contents to the NCE Power Pro Command Station A standard Windows Open File Dialog is displayed allowing you to navigate to the folder where the target System Backup is held Note that selecting the appropriate file and clicking Open will initiate the update of the NCE Power Pro Command Station setup parameters immediately without any request for confirmation Consist Restore Opens an existing Consist Backup file and transfers the contents to the NCE Power Pro Command Station A standard Windows Open File Dialog is displayed allowing you to navigate to the folder where the target Consist Backup is held Note that selecting the appropriate file and clicking Open will initiate the update of the Consist table h
471. tems are then said to be checked rather than selected The action can be reversed by using the Undo facility Check Selected Places tick marks in the checkboxes to the left of the Descriptions of those Items in the displayed Item List which have been highlighted Such Items are then said to be checked as well as selected The action can be reversed by using the Undo facility Invert Checked Reverses the state of the checkboxes to the left of the Descriptions of all Items in the displayed Item List ie places a tick mark in each checkbox which is currently empty and removes the tick mark from any Item which is currently checked The action can be reversed by using the Undo facility Note To remove tick marks from all Items in the Item List use Check All followed by Invert Checked Select All Selects ie highlights all Items in the displayed Item List Shortcut Key Ctrl A Toolbar Icon None Invert Selection Reverses the state of selection of all Items in the displayed Item List ie highlights each Item which is not currently selected and removes the highlight from any Item which is currently selected The action can be reversed by using the Undo facility Note To remove selection from all Items in the Item List use Select All followed by Invert Selection Alternatively simply click on any Item this will remove highlighting from all Items except the Item which has just been clicked Edit Run Macros
472. th switch or special wiring settings on the decoder itself When you set up an Item to represent one of these modern Accessories you should click to tick the checkbox in the Programming area labelled Manuf Specific Program on Main Track If this is an Accessory decoder manufactured by NCE then tick the NCE Decoder checkbox as well A third Parameter Tab labelled Addrs will then be displayed and will allow you to allocate up to eight Output Addresses to the Accessory together with several other options as shown below for an NCE Switch It Item 24 Configuration Yariables La Item Description Silver Pass NCE Switch lt Program Cis Addrs Aead erty Cys Numberok Output 2 Output Address Sel Output 1 Copy All CVs Program Accessory Output 2 Feaste Meni Lys Sequential Addresses Output 3 Paste Extend Eys NCE Options Output 4 Output 5 Paste lndex d Eiis Enable O P Toggle racic No Legacy Ope Prog LIPU Update Item Disable P Button Ps Output 7 Enable 0 P Exercise Output 8 Close St ea te z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 T 8 4 Further details of how to set up addresses and parameters for Accessory Items and then program the relevant values into the actual decoder can be found in Sections 5 14 5 15 and 5 17 The Edit CVs window for a Consist Item does not use any Tabs other than Identity and Config since the detailed parameters for the Consist s constituent Locomotives re
473. th the option to click OK to proceed or Cancel to do otherwise Clicking OK will generate the appropriate Operations Mode commands to remove the Consist Address from Page 142 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual the assigned Locomotives and A Track will then assume that the deactivation has been successful The Consist will remain unaltered in the Item List ready to be re activated at any time in the future Given the very limited facilities available to A Track to handle Consists with an NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster System you may choose to ignore the Activate and Clear functions and instead enter all of the Consist details and Loco addresses directly into the NCE System as an Advanced Consist using your NCE Cab This has the advantage that the Consist is recognised and can be controlled as such by the NCE System while a permanent record of the Locomotive assignments can still be maintained independently in the A Track Item List In contrast to this connecting to an NCE Power Pro Command Station allows a much more integrated approach to Consist handling between A Track and the NCE System As shown earlier in this Section the Consist Status window allows you to see at a glance all defined Consists including those which exist only in A Track or only in the NCE Command Station or which are held in both locations If we repeat the previous example by clicking on Consist Address 120 in the Consist Status window grid w
474. that for consistency with the NMRA DCC Recommended Practices the set of Output Addresses directly associated with that Address 0001 to 0004 are Shown by A Track on the Config Parameter Tab as above Note however that these Addresses will not necessarily correspond to the actual Output Addresses finally allocated to the decoder using the programming mechanisms defined by the decoder manufacturer Clicking on the Addrs Parameter Tab allows you to enter addresses for up to eight individual decoder output pairs When setting up a new Item as in this case your first action should be to select the number of output pairs provided by the particular decoder associated with this Item by clicking on the down arrow vw at the end of the Number of Outputs listbox and then clicking on the appropriate number in the drop down list 4 for a Digitrax DS44 Accessory decoder Item 27 Configuration ariables 9a Item Description Gregson Silver Digitras D544 Program Cis Addrs Read Yerty Cys Humber ci Output z Output Address Sel Copy All CV s 1 Output 1 Program Accesa 4 Output 2 azte fel ay E Pasts iair Oy F Sequential Add Output 3 Paste Extend Eys NCE Options 4 1 Output 4 Paste lnder d Eiis Enable OVE Tig E ees No Legacy Op Output 6 Update ltem Disable P Butt Output 7 Enable O P Exercise Output 6 Close Me OOo O00 000 000 OOO OOO a00 000 000 000 a OOO OO1 O00 000 000 OOO OOO OOO OOO 000 000 6 OOO d
475. the NCE Power Pro Command Station will seriously disrupt operation of the NCE system when any of the linked Macros is executed This is dealt with futher in Section 6 4 If you do have a set of linked Macros you can check that no disruptive loop has been created before running the Macros by stepping through the sequence using the Go To Linked button or the Ctrl L keyboard shortcut To change a link right click on the Entry containing the link type the number of the new Macro to be linked the selected Macro on the keyboard then press the Enter Return key To completely remove a link from a Macro right click on the Entry containing the link left click on the Accessory option in the Edit Macro area then click the Accept Edit button When you are satisfied with your Macro contents and structure do not forget to save the defined Macros to your PC hard disk or removable storage as one or more Macro Backup files as explained in the preceding Section 6 1 6 3 Macro Group Operations As well as the single Macro copy and paste option introduced in Section 6 1 A Track allows you select multiple Macros as a group which can then be copied and pasted to any other location within the same or another Macro Set The facility can also be used to execute the selected group of macros with a single action as described in Section 6 4 To select a group of Macros click anywhere on the first Macro in the desired group ie on any Entry or
476. the Print Items window options are applied However since Consist parameters are limited to a Description and an Address and a Consist does not possess any Configuration Variables of its own the Item Details Page 245 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual printout is limited to a few lines on the first page together with a list of the Assigned Locomotives and their active Addresses as shown in the example below Item Descr Switcher Consist 2 Type Consist Flags Inactive Saved NotProg md Prim y Addr Consist Addr gt 120 Extend Addr Configur n Consist see Assigned Locomotives for Configuration Parameters Auto Stop a Sm e BiDir Comms Controller None Allocated Speed Steps Assigned Locomotives Addr Dir Description 0464 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN140 0000 No Locomotive Assigned 0463 AT amp SF GE44 Switcher DN135D 0000 No Locomotive Assigned 0000 No Locomotive Assigned 0436 DRGW GE44 Switcher DN135D Similarly if a Consist is included in a CSV Print File a single information row is inserted in place of any CV values with a note to refer to the Assigned Locomotives for the necessary CV data as shown below E Item Details SwitcherConsist 30 Sep 13 cs Item List D A TrackA Track 4 ItemLists AT Tutorial Demo 43 itl Printed 30 Sep 2013 Cnst gt 120 Switcher Consist 2 a gt gt gt Consist See Assigned Locos for CY Yalues lt lt lt
477. the use of A Track for Windows in any such on line equipment in hazardous environments by you For the purposes of this paragraph the term life critical application means an application in which the functioning or malfunctioning of A Track for Windows may result directly or indirectly in physical injury or loss of human life 11 DISTRIBUTION You are not allowed to include A Track for Windows in any commercial CD ROM or DVD software collection without written permission from A Train Systems A Train Systems reserves the right to prevent you from distributing A Track for Windows even if you have not violated this licence agreement Version 4 3 2 12 RESERVATION OF RIGHTS A Train Systems reserves all rights not expressly granted to you in this licence agreement YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS LICENCE AGREEMENT AND THE LIMITATIONS OF YOUR LICENCE BY INSTALLING COPYING DISTRIBUTING OR OTHERWISE USING A Track for Windows IF YOU DO NOT AGREE DO NOT INSTALL DISTRIBUTE OR USE A Track for Windows IN ANY WAY A Track for Windows Copyright 2008 2014 JT Chamberlain A Train Systems All rights reserved www a train systems co uk Licence Agreement version 1 10 End of this document Page 303 of 303 A Track Reference Manual Version 4 3 2
478. tick the checkbox labelled Underline keyboard shortcuts and access keys click Save in Windows Vista or OK in Windows 7 and Windows 8 and end by closing all open windows Access keys will be shown underlined thereafter on the menus and menu bars of all applications File New Opens a new Item List containing a single Blank Item If an Item List is already loaded and has been changed in any way then you are asked whether you wish to save the current Item List before it is replaced with the new List Shortcut Key Ctrl N Toolbar Icon A Open Opens an existing Item list A standard Windows Open File Dialog is displayed allowing you to navigate to the folder where the target Item List is held If an Item List is already loaded and has been changed in any way then you are asked whether you wish to save the current Item List before it is replaced with the selected Item List a Shortcut Key Ctrl O Toolbar Icon a Page 261 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Open Merge Opens an existing Item list and adds its constituent Items to the end of the currently displayed Item List A standard Windows Open File Dialog is displayed allowing you to navigate to the folder where the Item List to be merged is held a Shortcut Key Ctrl M Toolbar Icon a Close Closes the currently open Item List and removes it from display If the Item List has been changed in any way then you are asked whether you wish to save th
479. tion allowing for example a locomotive either on its own or with a short train coming from Silver Pass access to the Pine Creek Yard sidings Additionally when the Mainline is clear you could then execute Macro 007 to let the train from Silver Pass continue on to the Mainline in a westerly direction As you can see in the above example when a Macro containing a link is selected an additional button Go To Linked is enabled Clicking on this button will change the Page 191 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual current Macro selection to the Macro pointed to by the link which in this case is Macro 009 While not particularly useful here where all the Macros concerned are in view it is of more use when the linked Macro is off screen or in a different Macro Set As an illustration of this suppose that when the route from the Mainline to Silver Pass is selected by executing Macro 007 we would like to ensure that the route through Silver Pass is set for through traffic and that the relevant Macro for this route is Macro 135 A link to Macro 135 is added therefore by right clicking in Entry 8 of Macro 007 and typing in the appropriate link address as shown below Zo Link to Macra f f 35 Route Retrieve Set Update Set Go To Linked Lancel 1 Mac 2 3 4 5 6 f g 4 10 Description O00 29N O1S6N 008 8 O00 ooog ooog ooog ooog ooog OO00 Mainline PineCreek 001 0125A OS0R 0136A 009 OOD ooog ooog
480. tiple User Identifier 2 The lies aa Manufac Version No cae Demet f None Manufacturer ID Paste Exten d C s Update ltem Vv Not Allocated foo X Edited E3 Not Frog d 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 i B 4 In the original definition for the format of Accessory Decoder parameters in the NMRA DCC Standards and Recommended Practices valid Accessory Decoder Addresses range from 1 to 511 Each Accessory Decoder is assumed to have four pairs of Outputs which can be switched On or Off ie when one output of an output pair is On the other is Off and vice versa Each Output pair is assigned an address based on the allocated Decoder Address which you can use to send a command from a Handheld Controller for example to change the state of that Output pair As can be seen in the Outputs 1 4 Address Time On area in the view of the Config Parameter Tab shown in the example below the address of Output 4 1040 is calculated by multiplying the Decoder Page 152 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Address 0260 by 4 and then subtracting 1 2 or 3 from this value to obtain the addresses of Outputs 3 2 and 1 respectively Item 9 Configuration ariables La Item Description Accesso Decoder Wangrow Sh 104 Program Cis Read Yernty CW s Parameters Programming Extended Decoder Type Manu Specific Copy All CY __ Copy Alcs T Output Addressing Program on Paste Main i s B
481. tivated Click Wo bo sawe the Consist in the 4 Track Item List only the Consist will not be activated Alternatively if A Track is connected to an xj NCE Power Cab lt Smart Booster System a Do you wish to Activate the updated Consist slightly different Activate Consist message AN Click Yes bo Activate the Consist will appear to reflect the situation that Click Na ta just Sava the Consist Consist data cannot be exchanged between in the amp Track Item List A Track and such equipment Page 130 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual For the present exercise just click No in response to either Activate Updated Consist message then save the updated Item List to safeguard the new Consist Item Activation of a Consist either transfers the Consist assignments to the NCE Power Pro Command Station which then programs the decoders in the assigned Locomotives with the Consist Address or uses the NCE Power Cab or Smart Booster System to program the Consist Address directly into the assigned Locomotive decoders until this occurs the Consist exists solely in the A Track Item List Details of activation are explained in the following Section 5 12 The Consist and assigned Locomotives now appear in the Item List as follows 0 AT amp SF GE 44 Switcher ON140 MultLead EP 120 gt O464 20 FOO _ Cit AT amp SF GE44 Switcher ON1 35D Mult Mid _EP 120 0463 2A FOO _ Dies DAGY GE44 Switcher O
482. to Handheld Cabs when it is switched off together with their speed and function settings none of these parameters are stored by A Track itself However as will be described later in Section 7 1 A Track does allow you to save all of the data stored in the Command Station to backup files on your computer s hard disk so that you are not totally reliant on the NCE Power Pro Command Station s internal battery to keep your operational settings safe Page 67 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual When you save a copy of the Item List using Save As or Save Checked from the File menu A Track will save all details of the Items in the current List with the exception of their allocated Controller and their current speed and function values This is also true if you simply close A Track without having changed any of the permanent Item parameters Subsequently when you open A Track again and load an Item List all Item allocations plus speed and function settings will be blank If connected to an NCE Power Pro Command Station A Track will then proceed to load the locomotive allocations relating to the NCE Handheld Cabs from the Command Station and to display them against corresponding Items in the Item List if such Items are present 4 7 Control Direct Operation of Locomotive Items The last option available on the Item or PopUp menu Operate allows control of individual Locomotive Items including Consists and Multiples
483. top left corner of the CV Value grid as shown in the example below Item 14 Configuration Yariables hs ts ltem Description Union Pacific Challenger OSI Titan Steam Lights Acceleration Adjustment Progam Cvs _ Identity Config Speed Funct n Pages SUSI cceleration Fate Alternate Mode Function Status F1 Fe ReadVerify Cvs Decoder Manufacturer Alternate Mode Function Status FL F9 F12 Doppa Cys Basie Other NMBA e d omie Pee et al Se ne ey Specific Manufacturer Select from list below Consist Address Paste Main Es Consist Address Active for F1 F8 fasi Solutions Quantum Consist Address Active for FL F9 F12 Paste Entend Euis Deceleration Adjustment View C Block r Access C Page Deceleration Rate Paste Indev d Eys F Decoder Access Unlock Lo 001 128 amp amp Ci Entended Decoder Automatic Stopping Configuration Update lten l r Indexed 1 Indexed2 Decoder Lock ID Code Hi 129 256 Indexed 3 f hdevedd 7 EMF Feedback Cutout Extended Address LS 6 Bits Extended Address MS 6 Bits Forward Trim Indexed Page Address High Byte Indexed Page Address Low Byte Kick Start Output Control for Function FOT 256 001 O32 000 O00 Output Control for Function FO 001 000 Output Control for Function FOS Output Control for Function F04 a au uu Output Control for Function FOS OO 100 OOO OOO OOO Output Control for Function FOG 127 127 O00 Output Control for Function FO
484. ture h d Addr 0131 Addr 0132 Ricinial Check Pine Creek Stores Output 6 Route b Addr 0133 Addr 0134 AN Output 7 Aa Output 8 S Addr 0135 Sy addr 0136 Options Close Page 170 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual If at some future time you decide to make use of the disabled Outputs simply click the Options button again tick the Use textboxes to re enable the required Outputs label the Outputs to identify their new usages and click OK to confirm the changes When you have finished using the Accessory controller to issue turnout commands and click the Close button to remove it from the screen if you have used the Options facility at any time to customise the controller you will be prompted to save your customisation changes Item 23 Settings Changed x T Controler Options hawe been changed Update Item with Changes Click Yes to update the Accessory Item or No to discard the changes and leave the Item as it was Note however that all changes to turnout status as a result of using this Accessory Item s controller are recorded automatically within the Item each time a turnout command is issued A prompt to save these status changes is not raised when you close the Accessory Item controller but will later result in a prompt to save the complete Item List either when you close A Track or when you load another Item List Item List Changed X A Item List has changed Save Item
485. u have a locomotive decoder from a manufacturer other than the nine who are currently supported directly selecting the Basic Other option in the Decoder Manufacturer area of the Pages Parameter Tab provides the Item with access to both Base and Extended CV Pages with the further option to use up to four Indexed CV Pages as shown in the example below Page 109 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Item 25 Configuration Yariables g ltem Description Colorado Southern 2 6 0 Mogul Acceleration Adjustment Program C s Pages Acceleration Rate Alternate Mode Function Status F1 F8 ReadVerify Cvs Decoder Manufacturer Altermate Mode Function Status FL F3 F12 Bi Directonal Communication Configuration Copy All Cvs Basic Other NMRA f a With Indexed Pages Configuration Data Specific Manufacturer Select from list below Consist Address Paste Main Eve Consist Address Active for F1 F8 Basic Other NMRA CY Definitions Consist Address Active for FL F9 F12 Paste Extend Eye Deceleration Adjustment n View C Block Access C Page Deceleration Fate Paste Inder d y s B w a Decoder Access Unlock Lo 001 128 t oe i Decoder Automatic Stopping Configuration Update Iten Indexed Indeved2 Decoder Lock ID Code Hi 123 256 2 Indexed 3 f Indexed 4d oT EMF Feedback Cutout Extended Address LS 6 Bits Extended Address MS 6 Bits Forward Trim Indexed Page Address High Byte Indexed Pag
486. ues that you read from the locomotive decoder and saved when creating the Item that is your safety net if your tuning and adjustments go badly awry allowing you to start over Page 89 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 5 3 Speed and Speed Tables For Locomotive Items click on the Speed Parameter Tab to access the set of Item parameters associated with the locomotive s Speed characteristics This Tab is not enabled for Consists or Accessories Item 7 Configuration ariables St Item Description D amp RGW 2 Truck Shay DN142 Read verity Cys Step Precision Adjustment Parameters Copy All C s 14 Steps Acceleration Rate O00 f 25 Steps Deceleration Rate O00 Paste Main Cys f 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 ea Cvs Deine I Ee Deceleration Adjust O00 Select Table Mid Step Jooo Paste nder d Eys Simple 3 5tep Kick Start O01 Forward Trim O00 Update ltem Full 28 Step O00 Reverse Trim 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 f B 4 Set the Step Precision you wish to use to control the locomotive 14 28 or 128 speed steps but check the manufacturer s documentation to ensure that your selection is supported by the fitted decoder The 14 Step option is really provided only for compatibility with very old decoders and all modern decoders will normally operate under 28 or 128 Step control Note that the choice of 14 or 28 speed steps is reflected in the Configuration Bas
487. uie v W Use W Use Output T d Output g Sf M Use W I Use o Cancel You can change the caption for each Output from the default simple numbering as shown to any description which you will find more meaningful Just click in the relevant textbox to highlight the current name as shown for Output 1 above and then type in your own text for each caption required In addition if not all of the Outputs are currently used to operate turnouts on the layout you can disable the unused Outputs by clicking to remove the tick in the associated Use checkbox as shown below where five of the Outputs are in use and have been labelled appropriately and the remaining three have been disabled Item 23 Pine Creek Yard NCE Switch 3 S Storage Siding 1 ar Storage Siding 2 M Sp a Iw Use Normal Al heck Pine Creek Stores Z Output E Route v W Use ml Use A Output 7 A Output 0 OF Cancel ST Use SLT Use W Use W Use A a utput fess ooo e to be Activated 0o01 Heath S awmi Jo Grady Furniture W Use Click OK to accept the changes giving the customised controller shown below or click Cancel to discard all changes and return you to the previous state of the controller Item 23 Pine Creek Yard NCE Switch l S Operate 7 Setup CSOT Output Address mE to be Activated 0001 Storage Siding 2 Addr 0130 Storage Siding 1 Addr 0129 S Heath Savill O Grady Furni
488. ur locomotive has a sound decoder and you are using an NCE Power Pro system then you will generally need to connect a programming booster unit such as the SoundTraxx PTB 100 or DCC Specialities PowerPax between the Power Pro and the programming track a booster is not usually required with an NCE Power Cab system Click the Read Verify CVs button in the Edit CVs window to display the Read Verify Configuration Variables panel where for a first attempt at reading your locomotive decoder s CV values you should set the CV Range and Scope options to Current View and All CVs and the Mode to Paged See Section 5 9 for further details of Read Verify operations While Direct Mode will read CV values more quickly it is not always supported Paged Mode is generally guaranteed to work but the higher the CV s programmed value the longer it takes to determine the actual value of the CV from the decoder Click Read Verify CVs to open Options Panel Item 27 Configuration Yariables gt A u mAn Read Verify CV ead Verify Configuration Variables CY Range _ CV Scope Mode ee Current View ACs Paged C AICY Blocks C Selected C Direct J Register C Address F Confirm Cancel Fe CV Ox 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x 11x 12x n NNN NANN NANN NANN NANNA NANN NANANA NANANA NANANA NANANA NANANA NNN When you have set the options click Confirm to start the Read Ver
489. urrently loaded Sets Just select all of the Macros to be deleted then click the Clear Sel Macros button Important Note In the current release of A Track there is no Undo facility for Macro edits Any change you make is not reversible so make sure that you save your created Macro files frequently as insurance against inadvertent editing errors If you want to select all Macros within the displayed Macro Set press Ctrl A on the keyboard hold down either Ctrl key and then press the A key Clicking on any single Macro after doing this will remove selection from all Macros except the one just clicked You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl I to invert any selection ie after selecting any group of Macros pressing Ctrl I will remove selection from all Macros in the group and then select all Macros which were not previously selected Note that if you press Ctrl A and then press Ctrl I rather than removing selection from all Macros the first Macro in the displayed Set such as Macro 000 will be left selected highlighted Whilst the single Macro copy and paste function is useful when creating similar Macros within a group the main intention behind providing multiple Macro copy and paste facilities is to allow you to move small groups of Macros for use in a specific switching operation for example into a single Macro Set so that the related groups can be saved in a single file Page 195 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Referenc
490. ut Polarity for an NCE Switch 8 whereas others apply to the whole decoder such as No Legacy Ops Prog for an NCE Switch It and hence remain in force whichever Output Address is selected as active You should refer to the relevant NCE technical Page 159 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual documentation for each decoder type for full details of how each applicable option affects operation of the decoder Unlike other manufacturers NCE Corporation makes use of Configuration Variables in the range of CV545 to CV556 shown in the CV Grid as CV33 to CV44 to hold the operating parameters of their range of accessory decoders CV515 CVO3 is also used to hold the Output On Time for the Switch Kat single output decoder Note however that it is not possible to read back any of the set values of these CVs by connecting the decoder to the Program Track and using Read Verify The NCE accessory decoder CVs can only be programmed using Operations Mode Program on Main Track when connected to the Mainline Track as covered in the following Sections 5 15 and 5 17 When the setup of your new Accessory is completed you should as usual click Update Item to save the Accessory back to the Item List If you click Close you will be prompted to either save or discard the edited Item before the Edit CVs window is closed The display of an Accessory s key parameters in the Item List is a little different to those of Locomotive Items as s
491. ut 5 F Ho Legacy Ops Prog Output 6 Update Item F Disable P Button I P Output Enable O P Exercise Output Close C Ox Ix 2x 3x 4x 5x Gx Zx 8x 9x 10x 11x 12s T 1 Paste Index d rs Lit oe e Me O00 O00 000 000 OOO d 00 000 000 000 OOO O23 000 000 000 OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO nn nnn nan nn nan nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn nnn Page 161 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual A prompt will appear reminding you to configure the relevant accessory decoder connected to the Mainline Track ready for programming Check Accessory in Program Mode X For programming in accordance with the relevant T Ensure that this Accessory has been configured Manufacturer s instructions before proceeding When the decoder is correctly set up click OK to proceed and to display the Program CVs page with all of the necessary options pre selected The Decoder Address CVs are highlighted in yellow to indicate programming of an address although the actual value programmed will be that of the selected Output Address Item 21 Configuration Yariables i Sa ltem Description Gregson Silver Digitras D544 Program EE Read verily Cv s Program Configuration ariables Access y Scope LY Scope Hode Copy l Es f Dutput Address 0 All Cis Paged Sean nei Eee HEE Options f Selected C Direct Changed f Register Paste Exten d Eis Program ori C Address
492. ve closed the Cab Status amp Setup window However if you want to clear all allocations form the Cab so that you can set them up from scratch then you can use the Deallocate All Items button to do this more quickly than by using the Deallocate function from the Item or Pop Up menus to remove each Item separately see Section 4 6 Since the Deallocate All Items action requires a major data transfer to the Command Station with all Cab activity Suspended a warning is displayed Confirm Action x P This action will reset the MCE Command Station to S the normal state when power is First applied All locomotives under control will be stopped prior to update of the selected Cab Loco Allocation No WCE Cabs should be operated during this period Do vou wish bo proceed Click No to cancel the deallocation operation or Yes to proceed in which case the background colour of all of the Allocated Items textboxes will change to pink and the normal Data Transfer progress bar will be displayed Page 229 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual A confirmation window will appear once the Cab update is complete Click OK to continue Allocated Items Item Description Addr Spd Functions NCE Cab Deallocate Laj i LI Cab Allocation Updated ltem deallocated from Cab ltem dealocated from Cab ltem deallocated from Cab ltem dealocated from Cab ltem dealocated from Cab Cab Connected Status Refresh Selecte
493. ve when the Item is under individual control on the layout When the Item Type is Multiple a member of a Consist then the Consist Address will be shown in the inactive Address column instead of either the Primary or the Extended Address and will be preceded by an character Arrange Icons e by Description Sorts the displayed Items into alphabetic order according to the text of the Item s Description Clicking on this menu entry again will change the Item sort order from ascending to descending or vice versa e by Type Sorts the displayed Items into alphabetic order according to the Item s Type Loco Consist Multiple or Accessory Clicking on this menu Page 265 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual entry again will change the Item sort order from ascending to descending or vice versa by Flags Sorts the displayed Items into alphabetic order according to the state of the Item s Status Flags Active Edited and Not Programmed Clicking on this menu entry again will change the Item sort order from ascending to descending or vice versa by Primary Address Sorts the displayed Items into numeric order according to the value of the Item s Primary or Consist or Accessory Decoder Address Clicking on this menu entry again will change the Item sort order from ascending to descending or vice versa Note The preceding gt character to indicate that the Primary Address is active for an Item or
494. wards until an Page 83 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual address unused by any other Consist in the current Item List or held within the NCE Power Pro Command Station if it has been connected is found If all possible addresses have already been allocated then a warning is displayed and the creation of a new Consist is terminated Further details on setting up a new Consist are covered in Sections 5 11 and 5 12 Continuing with the initialisation of our example Locomotive the next step is to click in the Item Description textbox to the right of Blank Locomotive 27 ready to enter a Suitable title for the Item With Blank Locomotive 27 highlighted simply type a new descriptive title for the Item of up to 64 characters then press the Enter Return key The new Item Description remains highlighted in pink to show that it has been changed Now click on the Pages Parameter Tab where in the Decoder Manufacturer section you should click the Specific Manufacturer option button followed by a click on the down arrow vw at the righthand end of the listbox below the option button Full details of the Pages Tab options are described later in Section 5 6 If the make of decoder fitted in the locomotive corresponding to this new Item appears in the drop down list then click on that maker s name Otherwise or if you do not know the make of decoder click the Basic Other NMRA option button Item 2
495. wnloaded the installation file The file is in a compressed or zipped form so the next step is to right click on the filename and then click on Extract All on the pop up menu unless you have a third party utility such as WinZip installed on your computer in which case follow the appropriate procedure In the window which opens simply click on Extract which will unzip the executable installation file into the same folder either Windows 2000 XP 2003 Server Vista _v3 7S exe or Windows 2008 Server R2 7 and 8_v4 exe Installation follows the same steps regardless of the version of Windows running on your computer so the following example will show the process under Windows 7 Double click on the unzipped file to start installing the driver As soon as the process begins you should ensure that all other open windows including Windows Explorer are closed The normal Windows 7 warning notices will appear depending on your security settings requesting permission to run the installation file click Yes to continue and allow the installer to begin Keyspan USB Serial Adapter InstallShield Wizard Preparing Setup Please wait while the InstallShield Wizard prepares the setup Keyspan USB Senal Adapter Setup it preparing the InstallShield Wizard which will guide you through the rest of the setup process Please wait Installshield Cancel Page 278 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual Once initi
496. y DN142 Cab Connected Status Retresh Selected Cab dy Cab Detected y Cab Active di Cab Allocated y Cab Data Loaded The four Cab status summary flags located to the right of the Cab Connected Status grid indicate the principal attributes of the selected Cab as follows e Cab Detected Cab is or has been connected to the Command Station e Cab Active Cab is currently issuing DCC commands to allocated Item s e Cab Allocated Cab has one or more allocated Items in its Recall List e Cab Data Loaded Cab parameters and allocations have been fully transferred to A Track Note that even after the full status scan of all connected Cabs has been completed before you attempt to amend any of a Cab s parameters it is always advisable to click Refresh Selected Cab to ensure that the current Cab data is as up to date as possible Once the Cab data has been loaded the accessible Cab Parameters can be changed by clicking in the appropriate textbox and then typing a new value for the parameter Only valid values will be accepted and a note of the allowed range for each parameter will be displayed when the mouse cursor is moved over any textbox Page 226 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual As an example of setting up a Handheld Cab click on Address 09 in the Cab Connected Status grid Since the background colour of this cell is light green this Cab has been detected by the Command Station and as shown below
497. y DN142 0 Read erty CW s Step Precision Adjustment Parameters cwac e aston Serene M Paste Main CVs f 128 Steps Acceleration Adjust 000 Paste Extentd C s Tete ale Deceleration Adjust O00 Select Table Mid Step Joon Paste nder d Eys simple 3 5tep Kick Start T Forward Trim O00 Update Item __ Update tem Full 2e step Reverse Trim 000 Close Speed Table Full 28 Step ial 3 5 F Se ee ee ee ee ES set Save Table botos A ogee 3 Cancel iE a4 06 ag 10 12 14 16 18 2 2 a4 26 28 For both logarithmic and exponential speed curves the steepness of the curve is set by making small adjustments to the value of Speed Step 1 This is difficult to do by using the mouse to drag the marker up or down but once you have clicked on the marker for Speed Step 1 to select it changing its colour to green the Up and Down Arrow keys provide the required precise adjustment Any of the preset speed curves can also be scaled to a maximum desired speed Click in the column for Speed Step 28 near to the desired maximum speed value or click on the marker itself hold down the left mouse button and drag the marker to the required Speed Step value as shown below Again note that dragging a marker generally works fine in Windows XP but depending on your graphics controller in Windows Vista 7 and 8 you may see a trail of marker images as you drag the selected marker up or dow
498. y attempt to perform a similar operation using an NCE Handheld Cab or you are likely to confuse the NCE Command Station Bear in mind also that while the Program Track is active the Mainline Track cannot be used With the NCE Power Cab which has only a single power output to connect to both Tracks a switch to isolate the Mainline Track during Read Verify and Program operations is recommended as suggested in the connection diagram in Section 1 1 If you use the Mainline Track for Read Verify or Program operations with an NCE Power Cab ensure that no other locomotive is present on the track at that time When using an NCE Power Pro Command Station power is removed from the Mainline Track when the Program Track is operational Now double click on the Item in the A Track Item List that is intended to correspond to the locomotive on the Program Track see Section 5 2 An Edit CVs window opens displaying the current values of the Item s first 128 CVs in the CV Value Grid occupying the lower half of the window Before proceeding further you need to refine the overall group of CVs to be accessed by the Read Verify operation The CV Range options allow you to select either only the Current View ie the block of 128 CVs presently shown in the CV Value grid or All CV Blocks ie the full complement of all CV Pages defined in the Item with the exception of the SUSI block Note that if you want to access a specific block of CVs other than that
499. y display the appropriate icon in place of the middle indicator Recommendation The best way to establish a fully reliable connection to an NCE Command Station is to connect the Command Station through the appropriate interface to your PC power up both PC and NCE equipment then start A Track If A Track is already running on the PC before connecting and powering up the NCE equipment ensure that only the main A Track window is open Note that once a connection has been established if the NCE Command Station is disconnected or switched off the leftmost indicator will change to yellow returning to green when the unit is again operational Note that A Track may take up to 10 seconds to react to any change in the state of the Command Station If on the other hand the interface cable is disconnected from the PC then both of the left and rightmost indicators will change to yellow within 2 seconds returning to green when the connection is re established and the Command Station is operational However it is advisable that the Command Station is not deliberately disconnected from the PC Serial or USB port while the A Track program is running to avoid any possible data corruption although such disconnection will not result in any physical damage to the unit If the switch off disconnection or other communication error does occur at a critical time when data is being transferred to or from the Command Station then the hardware or softw
500. y pressing the F1 key on the keyboard at any time Using the F1 key will open the Help Topic most appropriate to the current A Track activity in progress As noted in Section 3 4 you can also access the Help pages directly without running the A Track program from the Windows Start Menu by clicking on Program Files selecting A Track then clicking again on A Track Help From the Windows 8 Start Screen the link to the A Track Help file is revealed by right clicking on a blank area of the screen then on the All apps option and then locating the Help entry in the A Track group of tiles Page 31 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 3 7 Making a Quick Start If you do not wish to work your way through the complete Tutorial the final part which takes you through your first practical steps in using A Track where you can collect details from selected locomotives in your roster is detailed in this Section of the Reference Manual for your convenience It is assumed that you have gleaned enough from the Tutorial to understand that the details of each of your locomotives or other pieces of equipment in your roster will be held by A Track as an Item with a group of Items forming an Item List Full details of Item Lists and of Item List operation are covered later in Chapter 4 Ensure that your computer is connected to and communicating with an operational NCE Command Station either a Power Cab or Power Pro system w
501. yed only those CVs which have a purpose defined by the selected manufacturer will have their values shown All other cells in the CV Value grid will be greyed out as can be seen above and made inactive so that they do not respond to any mouse clicks Marking inactive CVs in this way speeds up Read Verify or Program operations See Sections 5 9 and 5 10 since time is not wasted in attempting to access decoder CVs wtithout any declared function As for all other CV Blocks when you pause the mouse cursor over any CV value in the grid the pop up label describing the function if any allocated to that CV is displayed with the CV Address prefixed with the Page Index as shown in the example above where the cursor is over CV 2 446 ie CV 446 in Index Page 2 which holds a particular set of Function Assignments for this make of decoder However with so many CV locations available for use searching through all of the available Blocks for the value you wish to check or edit becomes impractical even if you become very familiar of how the manufacturer arranges the various groups of CVs Hence in order to locate the particular CV you require click on the Description Tab appropriate to the CV category then click on the description of the CV all Lists are arranged in alphabetical order This will immediately display the relevant Block in the CV Value grid highlight the required CV and display its value for editing in the Parameter Tabs are
502. you individual or legal entity and JT Chamberlain trading as A Train Systems YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS LICENCE AGREEMENT AND THE LIMITATIONS OF YOUR LICENCE BY INSTALLING COPYING DISTRIBUTING OR OTHERWISE USING A Track for Windows IF YOU DO NOT AGREE DO NOT INSTALL DISTRIBUTE OR USE A Track for Windows IN ANY WAY VIEW THIS ENTIRE LICENCE AGREEMENT BY SCROLLING DOWN USING THE SCROLL BAR ON THE RIGHT OR BY PRESSING THE UP DOWN ARROW KEYS AND OR THE PageUp PageDown KEYS THIS PRODUCT COMPRISING SOFTWARE AND ALL ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION IS THE PROPERTY OF A TRAIN SYSTEMS THE A Track for Windows APPLICATION IS MADE AVAILABLE TO YOU THE END USER SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING LICENCE AGREEMENT PLEASE READ THIS LICENCE AGREEMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE INSTALLING OR USING THE PRODUCT A COPY OF THIS LICENCE AGREEMENT IS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR FUTURE REFERENCE IN THE A Track LicenceAgreement rtf FILE PROVIDED WITH THE INSTALLED PRODUCT TABLE OF CONTENTS Definitions Warning Ownership Grant of licence Restrictions and limitations of use Termination of licence Maintenance support and updates Confidentiality Disclaimer 10 Limited liability 11 Distribution 12 Reservation of rights OOonrnoonnF wh 1 DEFINITIONS A Track for Windows means the A Track for Windows software and everything included in its official distribution packages such as the documentation example files
503. you can download the required driver software from the Support page on the website of Tripp Lite the current owners of the Keyspan range of products at http www tripplite com en products model cfm txtModelID 3914 then click on the Support tab There are links to two versions of Windows driver software on the page one for Windows XP and Vista Driver for USA 19HS Windows 2000 XP 2003 Server amp Vista and the other for Windows 7 and Windows 8 Driver for USA 19HS Windows 2008 Server R2 7 and 8 Make sure that you click on the correct link for your computer s operating system to start the download of the driver software At the download prompt click Save to transfer the installation file either Keyspan Driver for USA 19HS_v3 7S Windows 2000 XP 2003 Server Vista zip or Driver for USA 19HS v4 Windows 2008 Server R2 7 and 8 zip to a suitable Page 277 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual location on your computer Do not Run either driver installation file directly from the Internet Both drivers are reasonably straightforward to install and no specific installation instructions are provided However you can download a User Manual for the Adapter which contains a paragraph on installation by clicking on the link labelled Owner s Manual for USA 19HS Windows v3 7S 933021 but this document is not required for normal use of the device When download is complete locate the folder into which you do
504. you can open it again by re inserting a copy of the Installation Package on CD R into a DVD CD drive by plugging a copy on a USB drive into a USB socket or by locating and double clicking on the A Track4_Install exe file Page 14 of 303 Version 4 3 2 A Track Reference Manual 3 3 Installation from the Setup File If you have chosen to download the simple Setup File A Track43 1 SetUp exe from the A Train Systems website see Section 1 5 then locate the file in the folder into which you downloaded it With Windows 8 you will need to do this from the Desktop accessed by clicking the appropriate tile on the Start Screen and then opening File Explorer If you have a previous version of A Track installed on the PC then it is recommended that you uninstall it before proceeding to install the latest version The easiest way to do this is to use the Uninstall A Track option from the Start Menu as shown at the end of Section 3 4 Alternatively you can open Control Panel and select Add or Remove Programs in Windows XP or Uninstall a Program in Windows Vista Windows 7 or Windows 8 access Programs and Features if you have the Classic View of Control Panel enabled in Windows Vista or an Icons View in Windows 7 or Windows 8 Wait for the list of installed programs to be displayed then click on the entry for A Track and finally click on the Remove button in Windows XP or the Uninstall button in Windows Vista Windows 7 or Windows 8 Once th

A-Track DCC - Reference Manual - A

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