LocoNet™ Tools

LocoNet is a trademark of Digitrax, Inc.

The JMRI project contains a number of LocoNet tools. This page introduces them, describes how to use them, and points you to installation and other information.

LocoNet monitor: Display and log the traffic on the LocoNet, in either hex or human readable form.
Slot monitor: Watch the contents of the command station's slots as they're changed.
Packet source: A tool to let you type and send packets to the LocoNet
BDL16, BDL162 and PM4 programmers: A tool to let help you configure BDL16, BDL162 and PM4 boards.
LocoIO programmer: A tool to let help you configure a LocoIO board.

These tools also present in the JMRI demo program, and to some extent in DecoderPro. And, of course, you can build them into a program of your own! The LocoNet Tools program is simply a convenient platform for finding and accessing these features.

The libraries also contain utilities for controlling your layout (operating turnouts and signals, responding to inputs and block occupancy, etc), for programming decoders, and others. These are not LocoNet specific, so are described elsewhere on this web site.

LocoNet Monitor

The LocoNet Monitor tool displays LocoNet traffic in a human-readable form. The last 20 messages are available in a scrolling window. Optionally, you can include the time the message was received, and/or the raw packet bytes. The log information can also be stored in a text file.

Command Station Slot Monitor

The Slot Monitor tool displays a table of the "command station slots'" contents. Slots are used to control individual locomotives and consists. The display includes the decoder's speed step format, current speed and function settings, consist information and status. You can choose to show either all slots or just the ones being actively used.

Packet source

The Send Packet tool lets you type in a LocoNet packet and send it to the layout. You type the packet in hexadecimal as pairs of characters, in the same way its displayed in the LocoNet monitor.

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BDL16, BDL162 and PM4 programmers

The PM4 programmer and BLDL16 programmer tools provide a simple graphic interface for configuring Digitrax power and block-occupancy boards. Each "option switch" is shown as a checkbox on the screen. You can read the current contents from the board, and write your changes back easily. There is no need to remove the board from the layout, or climb underneath the layout to push buttons, as all programming is done via the board's LocoNet connection.

LocoIO programmer

The LocoIO programmer provides a simple interface for configuring John Jabour's LocoIO board, a powerful component for building CTC boards and control panels. (More information on the board is available at http://www.locobuffer.com/LocoIO.htm)

A LocoIO board has 16 signal pins, each of which can be programmed as an input or output, and to do a number of different things. The board is also sometimes described as having 16 channels.

The channels are configured via LocoNet messages, so you don't need physical access to the board to program it (you can do it without pushing any buttons on the board or rewiring it).

More information on the JMRI LocoIO programmer is available on a separate page.