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Getting Started with DecoderPro

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What is DCC?

In short, DCC is Digital Command Control, a system for operating model railroads in a more prototypical manner. Each locomotive contains a tiny, specialized computer. These computers (decoders) take digital commands over a network (the rails) addressed to them and interpret them to control the locomotive's speed, direction, lighting effects, sound, and other functions. Each decoder responds only to those commands addressed to it. Not every decoder will have functions beyond basic throttle commands available to it. Although there are standards for the format of communication (allowing the decoders from different manufacturers to work on the same railroad), beyond that there is considerable variety in the functions supported and the implementation of those functions.

Just like any other computer, decoders must be programmed by the user to reach their full potential. While they come with basic "default" programs, most users will want to customize the decoder address, motor control, lights, sound, and other functions to meet their specific needs. You do so by editing CVs, or Configuration Variables, in the decoder. Some CVs use values ranging from 0 to 255, others use their space in the decoder's memory as a bank of 8 on/off switches. While this lets you do a lot with very little memory, it can get very complex for those of us that aren't on speaking terms with binary code.

DecoderPro attempts to help overcome the inevitable complexity of this system by providing a clear, usable, user friendly open source software solution for programming these on-board decoders. Programming panel designs are written in XML, (a close relative of HTML) and can be modified or even created from scratch by users with even a passing familiarity with the format. Within 2 weeks of downloading a early version of DecoderPro, with no previous XML experience, I had created a programming set for a decoder myself.

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What DCC systems will DecoderPro work with?

DecoderPro will work with the following DCC systems:

For more information on compatibility, please see the JMRI hardware pages.

Depending on the specifics of your system and computer, some kind of hardware interface may be required.

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What hardware do I need?

You will need, at minimum, a command station/booster for your DCC system, and a programming track set up according to the manufacturer's instructions. For some systems, you will also need an additional hardware interface to send the commands from your computer to the command station, and from there on to the decoder in the locomotive. For a Digitrax system, for example, you will need either the MS100 interface, LocoBuffer or PR2. The PR1 device from Digitrax is a stand-alone programmer and is not usable with this software.

You will also need, of course, some correctly installed decoders to program.

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How do I start the program?

Once you have downloaded the DecoderPro software and installed it, simply open the program in the usual manner for your operating system. You should see this or a similar opening screen displayed:

DecoderPro Splash Screen

It may take a while for this screen to come up, especially on older and slower computers. Remember that you are essentially running the program on a Java emulator over your native operating system software. New computers can do this fairly quickly, but older ones will feel like they're taking forever. Be patient - it will come up eventually!

If this is the first time you have run the program, the preferences screen will also come up automatically to allow you to set up the system for your particular configuration.

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How do I set up my preferences?

You can access your configuration preferences through the "Edit" option in the screen above. They will also open automatically the first time you run the program. Here's an example of what you will see:

Preferences window

In this example, the system is set up to:

To change any of these options just click on the arrows to open the pull-down menu. To change the GUI options, click on the appropriate radio button. When you are finished, click on the "Save" button to save your preferences. Changes in preferences will not take effect until the program is re-started, and a dialog box giving you the option of continuing with the old preferences or starting over will appear after you save the current preferences.

There are additional preferences available if you check the "Show Advanced Preferences" check box. This is shown below:

Preferences window

The various additional preferences are:

On to the Basic Programmer

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