Help talking to/using/programming an SC1

[simon]

Hi,

I am trying to setup an SC1. As a test, I have a 2 aspect distant signal attached, the yellow LED connected to the ‘A’ terminal, the green LED connected to the ‘B’ terminal and the common lead connected to the ‘k’ terminal.

I seem to be able to successfully program the board to get an address (using the jumper on J5) via DecoderPro and have a decoder address allocated of 4 and an Output mode address starting at 196.

What I cannot fathom how to do is address the signal or do anything with it – when I connect it to my layout and try and talk to it via my NCE PowerCab, I have no idea what address I’m supposed to enter on the accessory button?

I have tried the 4 consecutive addresses from 4 (i.e 5/6/7/8) and also those from 196 (197/198/199/200), none of these work, the signal stays stubbornly dark. The most activity I’ve had was during programming at some point when I had both LED’s lit (so I know the signal works).

Can anyone help and tell me what I’m doing wrong? I plan on buying a few more of these to control all my signals, but am going to have reconsider if they’re this much of a pain to setup!

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

Simon

[Paul Harman]

Hi Simon

You use whatever address you used when programming the address with the jumper method. This will set the address of the first signal (the one connected to terminals A and B in your case). Subsequent signals will use the following consecutive addresses.

When setting the address did you use '5' or did you use '196'? You cannot use decoderpro when the jumper is on, decoderpro and normal operation can only be used when the jumper is off.

You can only use either output address mode or decoder address mode - they are mutually exclusive. CV29 will tell you which method you are using. (192=output, 128=decoder).

[simon]

Thanks for getting back to me Paul, unfortunately i'm still struggling.

Following your advice I opted to use Decoder mode to being with, using JMRI with J5 'off', I assigned the address of 127. Following the instructions it would suggest that I need to multiply that number by 4 to get the first signal address, which by my calculation is 508 with the consecutive addresses 509 etc being used to address further signals connected on the board.

When attached to my track bus, no matter what I try I cannot get my Powercab to produce any kind of result with the SC1. I pressed the 'Select Accy' button and typed in 508 (and a number of consecutive addresses), selecting both ON and OFF as possible states - none of this worked.

If I try and control it from with JMRI, the same thing happens, I can put in whatever address I like to the throttle with track power on and receive no response from the SC1 (although i'm not sure if i'm supposed to be able to do this?).

What am I doing wrong here? - got to be something simple!

Simon

[Paul Harman]

Try setting the address with the jumper method as per the manual:-

1. Fit the PGM jumper to J5

2. Connect the SC1 to the track.

3. Operate accessory 508 (or whatever you want).

4. Disconnect the SC1 from the track.

5. Remove the jumper.

SC1 will now work on 508, 509, 510, and 511. Address will have been set automatically using output addressing mode. You can read back CV1, CV9, and CV29 on the programming track to see what value these CVs should have been!

[simon]

Hi Paul,

That method worked, thank you very much. I'll make a mental note for when I get the other boards

Simon

[markf]

Thanks @paul Harmon - this really helped me also. :-)