Product Documentation

PRODUCT DOCUMENTATION

Fiber Light Controller PDF: Fiber LIghting Controller (MTT) August 1 2020

8 Port Fiber Light Controller

with 8 detection ports and DCC

USER MANUAL

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUICK START

 

PLUG POWER INTO THE POWER SOCKET.

 

 

 

 

SLIDE THE POWER ON/OFF SWITCH TO THE RIGHT.

 

THE BLUE POWER LIGHT WILL BE LIT.

 

By default, all the ports are set to MODE=2, Alternate Flashing.

 

Check the back of the unit where the fiber manifold is located – you should see alternate flashing light emanating from the holes.

 

 

Fiber Lighting Connector Pins

There are three fiber pin sizes: .75mm, 1.0mm and 1.5mm to match the most common fiber cable sizes. The top of the .75mm pin is square.  The other two are round but the 1.5mm pin head and hole visibly is larger than the 1.0mm pin head.

 

The Fiber Lighting Pins hold the fiber to the lighting manifold with friction.   “Hold” is not meant to be so tight it cannot be removed by hand but strong enough to hold the fiber in place.

 

Slide the fiber optic cable into the pin so that it extends past the end.  Gently push the pin and cable into the manifold hole and let the fiber slide through the pin so that it rest against the LED lens inside and you feel the pin resting snug.  This “self-adjusts” the fiber inside the manifold. Then while applying gentle pressure, rotate the pin ¼ turn. This will set the fiber against the lens of the LED and prevent the pin from falling out of the manifold.

 

WARNING:

Don’t force the fiber cable into the hole since excess force will damage the LED.  Do not put/poke anything else into the Manifold hole as it may also damage the LED.

 

The LEDs of the Fiber Lighting Controller are set to a fixed brightness level.  You can adjust (reduce) the amount of light that is emitted at the light end of the fiber by pulling the fiber out of the pin slighting.

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The Fiber Light Controller is a powerful but simple-to-use animation controller for use with fiber optic lighting.  Three special effects behaviors have been preprogrammed so it’s simply a matter of selecting an output port and assigning a number representing that behavior.

 

  • Always Off
  • Always ON
  • Alternate Flashing with adjacent Ports
  • Individual Port Blink with adjustable timing

 

The Fiber Light Controller is either “running”, what is call Animate Mode, or it is in Configuration Mode.  When you turn the power on, the blue light on top will light and then the LED digits on the top will go through a startup sequence where you will see the either (1111 or 2222) indicating which DCC decoder mode the unit is set for,  the address of the device (default 3), and then 1234.  1234 is the indication that the unit is ready to go; all working.  The next thing that happens is the unit enters Animate Mode and the lights will blink, flash or stay as they were configured.

 

There are 8 ports (controllable circuits) with two light holes per port. Each port can operate separately, or multiple ports can be “coordinated” to create effects.  For example, the alternate flashing mode allows any two adjacent ports to, you guessed it, alternate flash.  If you set all 8 ports to this mode, you will have a marquee lighting effect.  This one controller can run the police lights, a crossing gate, and much more.

 

The Fiber Light Controller also has 8 Input detector circuits to which you can connect most train detection systems that are “open drain”.  This simply means they have a To-Ground logic (connect the input line to ground (black wire usually). Don’t panic, there are some easy ways for you to trigger the circuit without track detection.  For example, you can use a simple on-off switch or push button toggle. Since there are eight ports and 8 detection circuits you can assign one-to-one; detector line #1 to light port #1 (default setting), detector #2 to light Port #2, etc.  You can also assign the same detector to multiple ports so that one detector activates more than one port at the same time.

 

Additionally, if you have an NMRA® DCC Command System for running your trains, you can connect the Fiber Light Controller and control (turn on and off) these effects from your DCC hand controller.  That means you can use jmri (www.jmri.org) or similar control software. Our favorite is Railroad Automation (https://www.perecli.com/rrauto/ )  Please see the DCC section of the manual for more information about DCC.

 

You can power the entire unit from your DCC power alone.  With all the light ports lit, the system uses less than 100 ma (milliamps). If you are worried about draining power from the track for your engines, you can simply set up a “lighting zone” with a booster which will be separate from track power.

 

The most common method is to power the Fiber Light Controller with the included power supply and connect the DCC track power lines to the DCC input – and switch the Fiber Light Controller power switch setting to the right.  In this set up, only the SIGNAL part of the DCC line will be used – about 10ma (nothing really) while the CPU and lights are run off the external power supply.

 

We’ve enclosed the Fiber Light Controller inside a sleek 3D printed case.  This printing technology is state-of-the-art and allows smaller companies to manufacture high quality products in small quantities.  You may find very small imperfections in the case as a result.  The unit will probably reside under your layout and out of sight, so this is a good tradeoff between cost and function.

 

There is also available a specially designed magnet base so you can just snap the unit on and off your layout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

OVERVIEW

 

  1. POWERING the Fiber Light Controller (12-18V DC or AC, 1A)

 

 

To provide maximum convenience and adaptability, the Fiber Light Controller has a 1.35 mm barrel plug for the 18vdc power supply that is included with your system.  There is also available a Power Connection Adapter – a 1.3mm barrel plug with terminal screws to connect your own wires and power supply.  You can use any power supply that provides a FIXED voltage of 12 -18 AC or DC.  Do not use a variable speed transformer.

 

1.35 mm Barrel Plug Adapter

 

 

 

 

 

To turn on the Fiber Light Controller, slide the right-hand slide ON/OFF switch to the RIGHT.

 

The blue LED on the top of the case will turn on.

 

 

The arrow keys have a “fast” mode.  If you hold the key down for 2-5 seconds, the rate of change roughly doubles.

 

 

 

YOU TOGGLE BETWEEN ANIMATION MODE AND CONFIGURATION MODE BY PRESSING THE GREEN BUTTON.

 

  

QUICK SET Configuration

 

 

The Fiber Light Controller comes pre-configured with all the ports behaviors set to MODE = 2 (Alternate Flashing). You can plug the unit in, turn the power on and the fiber port lights will alternate Flash.

 

There are 7 single digit Quick Set configuration modes, 0 though 6.  Setting a port to a one of these numbers will set the special effect listed.  This Fiber Light Controller also has 8 detection ports so that you can have a detector on your layout trigger the port to go on.  When a port goes “ON” in this context it means “run the behavior” that the port is set to.  If the port is set to Blink, a detector trigger on that port will cause the fiber port light to blink.

 

The chart below shows the basic Quick Set configuration options.  Choosing one of these either with or without the trigger will allow you to be up and running in under 60 seconds!

 

Quick Set Chart:

 

 

 

0 1 2 3 4 5 6
“Singles” OFF ON Flashing Blink ON Flashing Blink
NO DETEECTOR TRIGGERS TRIGGER ON PORT

 

 

*note – “trigger on port” means that Port #1 will be triggered by trigger #1. You can change this later if you like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick Set: CHANGE THE FLASHING AND BLINKING RATES

 

The Quick Set chart shows a table of numbers organized into rows and columns. Down the left-hand side are the row numbers 2, 3   These represent two groups of predefined setting that allow you to adjust the behavior of the PORTS.

 

By entering the row/column value into the controller, the pre-defined behavior will be set for the selected port.

 

Take a look at the Animation Setting Table.   All the numbers in the rows of the chart are for reference as to the speed of the Alternate Flashing (rows 2) and the Rates of Blinking (rows 3)

 

The best way to get familiar with this chart is to experiment.

 

 

EXAMPLE #1:

 

The default Alternate Flashing rate is 50.  When you set the MODE of any port to 2, the alternate flash rate will be always be 50.

 

Let’s say you want it to flash faster than 50. Let’s try 30.  A lower number means a shorter time between flashes. We won’t worry about the triggers for now.  On row 2, column 2 you see the number 30.  To program the ports to Alternate Flash at rate 30, set the MODE = 22 (row 2, column 2).

 

  • Press the Green button for one second to enter Configuration Mode.

 

  • Press the right side blue up/down buttons to arrive at 22.

 

  • Press the Yellow save button.

 

  • Press the Green button for one second to leave configuration mode and enter Animate Mode.

 

Important note: When one port’s alternate flashing rate is changed, then ALL ports set to alternate flashing will adjust to the same rate of flashing.

 

To make the Alternate Flashing go slower, you might choose 150.  That would be row 2 and column 7.

 

  • Press the Green button to toggle back to Configuration mode.

 

  • Use the right 2 blue buttons to select the mode number:

 

  • Put 27 into the MODE (right side number) and press SAVE. The display will flash to confirm that it worked. Remember, all ports set to flashing will now be changed to “27”.

 

  • Press the Green button to toggle back to Animation mode.

 

 

EXAMPLE #2:

 

Blinking has two settings, so this is where entering in just one number into the controller makes this very easier.  There is an amount of time that the light is on, TIME ON.  And then a pause or TIME OFF where the light is OFF.  Looking across ROW 3 you can see a range of combinations of ON and OFF times.

 

A blink that looks like a “Blip” of a water tower red beacon will have a short ON time and a longer OFF time. ROW 3 COLUM 3 has an ON TIME of 10 and an OFF time of 100.

To set a PORT to “blip” Blink:

 

  • Press the Green button for one second to enter configuration mode.

 

  • Using the left-hand side up and down blue buttons to select the PORT you want to configure.

 

If this is the first time to change the behavior of this port, you will see the value of 2 on the right-hand display.  You may recall that “2” is the default behavior value for all ports.

 

  • Using the righthand blue buttons (up and down) change the value of 2 to 38 – that is ROW 3. COLUMN 8.

 

  • Press the yellow button to SAVE this setting. The display will flash to confirm that it worked.

 

  • Press the Green button to toggle back to Animation mode.

 

The port you selected will now be blinking 1 unit on and 25 units off.  The Units are approximately 100 milli seconds or 1/10 of a second.  The actual display speed is a little slower than that, but you can experiment with other values 30 through 39 to set the effect that you want.

 

NOTE:  if you hold any blue button down for 5 seconds the rate of change from one number to the next will double in speed.  Just let go and the speed will evert to standard speed.

 

 

 

 

MORE WAYS TO CONFIGURE YOUR CONTROLLER

 

HOW TO CHANGE MODES:

 

 

If you just received you Fiber Light Controller and plugged in the power supply and turn the power on without DCC connected, then the unit will automatically go into Animate Mode after the start up sequence.  You will see alternate flashing lights shine out of the back of the box through the Fiber Optic Connection Manifold. (that thing with 16 holes in the back).

 

To switch the unit into Configuration Mode, hold the Green On/Off button for 1 second.  The left most PORT 1 will now be lit ON.  #1 will be shown on the left-hand display.  The MODE selected for the port will be shown on the righthand side. Since the default MODE is 2, the number 2 will be shown on the right-hand display. It will look like this:

 

 

Use the LEFT side blue buttons (Up/Down) to scroll through the PORTS 1 through 8.  The actively selected PORT Fiber Optic Light will be ON as you scroll through the ports 1 to 8.  Since all the ports are set to Mode = 2, you won’t see any change on the right-hand side.

 

 

TO CHANGE THE SPECIAL EFFECT MODE OF A PORT

 

To change the MODE setting of any port, press the RIGHT-HAND blue buttons up and down to change the MODE of the Port selected.  The numbers will go through the sequence of all the valid ports MODE behaviors listed in the Animation Setting Table.  Some numbers will automatically be skipped since they are not valid settings.

 

To Save the new setting, press the yellow (SAVE) button once.  The display will flash to confirm that it worked.   If you press the LEFT side buttons to change the port number before you press SAVE, the Fiber Light Controller will ignore what is on the right side display and will revert to the previously save setting.

 

To observe the effect if you changed the MODE setting, switch the Fiber Light Controller back into Animation Mode by pressing the On/Off (GREEN) button for 1 second.

 

YOU TOGGLE BETWEEN ANIMATION MODE AND CONFIGURATION MODE BY PRESSING THE GREEN BUTTON.

 

Don’t forget to press the YELLOW button to SAVE any change you make.

 

 

 

 

TRIGGERS: 

 

There are two ways to configure a trigger; hardware wiring or via software.  We will discuss the wiring approach first.

 

All the input lines are expecting a LOW signal which is to say a connection to GROUND.  The Fiber Light Controller has two 5VDC+ power sockets for use to connect power to third party remote detection units (Iowa Scale Engineering, Azatrax or Model Train Technology LLC).

 

 

 

 

Almost all detector systems need some kind of external power.  We added these two power sockets for convenience so if you need 5VDC, its available.  We know that Azatrax and Iowa Scaled Engineering detection systems will both work with the Fiber Light Controller power source.

 

This means you only need to connect one signal wire from your detector to the INPUT of side of the Fiber Light Controller.

 

Your Fiber Light Controller came with 2 sets of prewired JST connectors that have Red & Black wires that you should use for the 5VDC power source.  Red is Positive voltage (+) and Black is Negative voltage (-).  You can use either of the JST plugs on the left side of the Fiber Light Controller.  They are identical.

 

Your kit also includes either an 8-port connection block or 4 black only prewired with JCT connectors.  Use the black only connectors for the Detection circuits.

 

The simplest way to test  a trigger is to connect a black wire from the Red/black 5VDC side from one of these two sources to any of the Detector Pins via the Black connection wire plugged into the detector port or via the 8 Port connector (sold separately).

 

 

 

 

 

The triggers are listed LEFT to RIGHT 1 to 8:

 

 

 

 

 

DETECTOR INPUTS

 

Each JST plug has two wires and each wire is its own detection circuit.  The Fiber Light Controller has four prewired JST plugs with ONLY black wires.  Use these for the Detector Inputs.  You may also want to use the plug-in terminal adapters available separately.

 

 

 

 

When a detector circuit is “tripped” whatever PORT#1 is set to do (FX MODE) it will do.  By default, if you trip Trigger #1, Port #1 will flash. Trigger #2 will activate Port #2 and so forth.

 

 

What you may want to do is cause BOTH ports #1 and #2 to Animate with a single trigger.  There are two ways to accomplish this. One is via hardware(wiring) and the other via software configuration.  Both works equally well.

 

If you connect Trigger # 1 and Trigger #2 with a single wire – when you trip that Trigger both port# 1 and Port # 2 will light.  You can test this by connecting it to the Black wire of the power supply.  You can connect all 8 ports together or in any combination of one to eight circuits with any of your detector circuits.  You can have Triggers 1 and 2 connected, Triggers 3 and 4 and then have 5,6,7 and 8 connected together.

 

The second method is to configure triggers is via CV’s (Configuration Variable) which is explained in the advanced section.

 

 

 

TRIGGER TIMEOUT

 

When trigger #1 is tripped by a passing train – or however you do it –the trigger will stay activated as long as the detector has the LOW signal or black wire connected to Ground. After the train leaves the detection zone or the switch to ground is shut off, the port lights will continue to Animate for 5 seconds and then turn off.  The trigger Timeout STARTS after the detector is OFF.

 

You can change the duration of the Trigger Timeout as described below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trigger Timeout Settings

 

Trigger Timeout is the amount of time that Animation continues AFTER a detector has stopped detecting – by whatever means you have set up.  To change the Timeout settings, switch the Fiber Light Controller into Configuration Mode.  To do that, Press and Hold the Green Button for about 1 second and then release.

 

The Fiber Light Controller has a lot of advanced options and you are now drifting into those areas – the deep end of the pool.  Pay special attention to the decimal points on the various digits since this is one important way how the keypad tells you what is going on.

 

When sensors on your layout activate a trigger, the trigger stays on for five seconds by default. Then the trigger shuts off unless the sensor is still active.  The trigger will stay on until the sensor stops, and then for five seconds more. You can shorten or lengthen the amount of time that the trigger stays active after the sensor has stopped.  The shortest time is immediately, the longest time is 255 seconds ( 4 ½  minutes).

 

To change the Trigger Timeout, while in Configuration Mode, press the white button momentarily.  The right-hand display will show the currently set timeout and the decimal point will be displayed on the right-hand digit.  The default is 5 (five seconds.  Use the blue up and down buttons on the RIGHT to change this value.  Press the Yellow button to SAVE this value.  Press the White button again to switch back to standard configuration mode.  You will still be in configuration mode until you press the Green button.  The Blue buttons on the LEFT will change (scroll through) the Port number.  Port numbers on the LEFT and Settings on the RIGHT.

 

 

ADVANCED TOPICS:

 

 

Setting and Changing Triggers and Trigger Timeout

 

You may have noticed a decimal point on the port number (left side display numbers). This indicates that the port is set to activate with a trigger.  If you are expecting something to happen with a port – and nothing is – check that dot. With the dot active, the port light will only light when it is triggered.

 

A quick way to override the trigger setting and to deactivate a port trigger is to use the trigger setting mode.  Press the White button as you did when setting the Timeout value.  Decimal points will be display on the right-hand display.

 

Without changing the value of the timeout, press the SAVE button.  If the Trigger was on, it will now be off.  You will know because the decimal point dot on the LEFT side PORT number will be off.  If you press the SAVE button again without changing the timeout value the dot will reappear and the port will be set back to Trigger ON.  As you see, this toggles the Trigger on and off for the selected port.

 

Using this method to change the trigger on and off will be OVERWRITTEN if you subsequently change the mode value setting for any port.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  When you enter a value from the table as a mode setting for Alternate Flashing, the controller makes that change to all ports set to Alternate Flashing.

 

Why you may ask?    With all the flexibly to configure the unit we needed to make sure that any two odd/even port combinations would indeed “alternate” flash and be synchronized. Thus, we impose this configuration requirement.  You can try this by trying to set any two ports to Blink with the exact same settings.  They won’t stay exactly in sync as either or both will “time slide”.  We don’t use a Real Time Clock (RTC) so these cycles are simply software wheels going around.

 

 

 

Changing Configuration Values Directly with the Keypad.

 

 

If you are new to DCC, and even if you NEVER plan to use or connect a DCC system to the Fiber Light Controller, you will want to get acquainted with the term “CV” or Configuration Variable.  Put simply, CV’s are memory slots inside the computer chip.  You have probably heard of RAM as the memory in your desktop, laptop, phone, etc. CV’s are similar but not identical.  A CV is a single slot that can store a number between 0 and 255.

 

Why 255? You can skip this if you want.

 

Computers work in 1’s and 0’s.  The computer chip we use is called and 8-bit MCU.  That means that it works is packs of 8 bits at a time. If you line up 8 bits of 1’s or 0’s the max you can get is “11111111”. Since there are two options for each bit, a 1 or a 0, this is called counting in base 2.  2 to the 8th power is 256.  Since computers start at 0, the last number will be 255, not 256.  Another way to represent this is by counting the max of each bit as you add a “1”.  That would go like this:  2,4,8,16,32,64,128 – and 256. So our purposes, the largest value you can store in a CV is 255.

 

 

The Fiber Light Controller uses CV’s to store and remember your configuration.  When you press the SAVE button you are saving a value to a specific CV location.  CV’s are numbered so we can find them.  Which CV’s we can use is also determined by our compliance with the NMRA (National Model Railroad Association) standards.

 

Take a look at the Configuration Variable Address Map.  It shows which CV locations are used to store which information.  Using the keypad earlier we showed you a simplified method to configure the Fiber Light Controller.  The choices of speeds for flashing and of the On OFF settings for Blink were simply preset values that we used to set the CV’s.  By setting your own values for CV’s you can fine tune ALL the operating aspects of the Fiber Light Controller.

 

 

If you are familiar with DCC systems, you probably know how to set CV’s from your DCC hand controller.  If you want, you CAN connect the programming track wires to the Fiber Light Controller to read and write to CV’s in the same manner.  The Fiber Light Controller also supports mainline OPS mode for writing CV’s while connected to the main track.  However, you can only READ CV’s back while using the programming track methods. The same as all DCC systems that are NMRA® compliant.

 

If your eyes are glazing over and you don’t have DCC and don’t care – DONT WORRY!

 

We have been using DCC since it was invented and oftentimes found it cumbersome to work with.  With that in mind we made it simple and easy to READ and WRITE all the CV’s you need directly from the keypad and without the programming track.

 

 

HOW TO READ AND WRITE CVs WITH THE KEYPAD

 

 

  1. Enter Configuration Mode (Green Button)
  2. Press and Hold the lower two BLUE buttons (one on the left and one on the right) on the keypad for 3 to 4 seconds.
  3. The Keypad will switch into CV mode and show C 2 0 8.

 

You are now in CV mode.  The “C” indication the CV location.  In this case it is 208.  Take a look at the CV Address map and find 208 in the Port #1 column.  You will see that it is the Trigger Port Assignment.

 

Pressing the RIGHTSIDE blue buttons will change the CV Address up and down.  If you press the UP blue button the CV address will change to 209, 210, 211, etc. When you get to 215 – there is no 216.  The next number will be 224 – the Trigger Duration for Port #1.

 

The keypad will only scroll through the valid CV addresses in sequence.

 

 

Next, get yourself back to C208.

 

Press either of the LEFTSIDE Blue buttons once. The keypad display will read  “- _____0”.  Zero is the default Trigger – which is to say No Trigger.  When you turn on power to the Fiber Light Controller and a port has a zero for a trigger, it will automatically enter Animate mode and perform the behavior you set with for the MODE (Off, On, Flash, Blink).

 

The value in CV #208 is “0”. Press the LEFTSIDE blue button again to TOGGLE back and forth between the CV Address and the CV Value.

 

With the “-____0” showing, press the RIGHTSIDE up or down blue button. If you press UP, the value of 0 will change to 1, 2, 3, etc.  When you get to 8 the next value will be back to 1.  Since this is the Trigger Port assignment and there are only 8 triggers, the Fiber Light Controller knows that and keeps you “in bounds”.

 

We are going to set CV 208 with the value of 1.  This means that when Trigger Port 1 is triggered, the PORT 1 Fiber Optic Light port will light.

 

With the display showing “-___1”, press the yellow SAVE button.  The display will flash indicating a successful save.

 

Now that you have some of the CV mode navigation under control, let’s explain how to use this option to have multiple light PORTs activate with a single Trigger Port.  You may recall that the other method is to simply wire the Trigger Ports together and set the triggers on from the Trigger configuration mode.

 

NOTE:  the trigger configuration mode always assigns Triggers to its matching port number.  Trigger 1 to Port 1, etc.  In CV Mode you can change that. But if you use Trigger Mode to configure the triggers it will overwrite what you do here with CV’s.

 

By using the CV address for the Trigger Port Assignment, you can set a PORT to Activate with ANY trigger.

 

The most fundamental set up for two Light ports is a crossing signal.  The Fiber Light Controller has two lights per port.  To set up an alternate flashing railroad crossing you need two adjacent ports that will alternate flash.  In this example we will use ports #1 and #2.  You could have used #2 and #3 or #5 & #6, etc.

 

Setting up port #1 to light with trigger #1 is easy.  You already set CV 208 to a value of 1.  That means that trigger #1 will activate port#1.  To set Port #2 to activate simultaneously with Port#1, set CV209 value = 1.  That means that Trigger 1 will also activate Port #2.

 

Remember to SAVE with the yellow button.

 

You could have set Port #1 to trigger with ANY of the triggers (1-8).  Likewise, will all the other ports. And there is no limit on how many ports are connected to any single trigger – all or none is fine.

 

You should now see that you can also set the other CV’s according to your individual needs.  If you scroll to CV224 and press the left blue button to see its value, you will see the default value of “5”.  That means that AFTER the trigger/detector is released, the light PORT will continue its animation for 5 seconds and then shut off.

 

 

WATCH OUT:

 

Trigger Port Assignment tells the Fiber Light Controller which Trigger to listen for.  Trigger duration is for the Trigger not the light port.  In the example above since both light port 1 and 2 are connected to trigger #1, they will both stay animating until the trigger expires, in this case Trigger #1.  If you want to lengthen the time, change the Trigger Timeout.  That is, change the value of CV224 from “5” to “10” – and SAVE.  The range of Trigger Timeout is 0 to 255 or about 4 minutes, 15 seconds.

 

As you will also see on the CV Address Map sheet, there is a single CV that adjusts the rate of flashing for all light ports set to flashing.  Earlier you used the preset mode to change this.  Using the CV124 you can change the flashing rate to anything from 1 to 255.  The sedate default pace is 50 but if you experiment with this you will see that a value of 10 or even 5 will give you a lighting effect (fast flashing) that you might use for a police car or something else.

 

Keep in mind and as we mentioned earlier, only ONE Alternate Flashing speed is allowed per Fiber Light Controller so all ports set to flashing will flash at the same speed.
Let’s discuss the other three CV settings for ports.  Animation mode is simple enough.  It is the same that you set with the keypad in the quick start section.  You can use the CV’s to set this but using the standard configuration mode with the keypad is easier.

 

 

 

HOW TO SET THE BLINK RATES

 

Using the quick start option and the preset table you were provided 10 different Blink settings.  Using CV’s, you now have over 65,000 variations of how you can set any single light port.  Unlike Alternate Flashing, the blink behavior you give any port is independent of all other ports.  The two CV’s are for the length of time the light is ON and the length of time the light is OFF.  The pattern will just repeat.

 

 

 

FAST BOOT:  CV50

 

When the Fiber Light Controller starts up it displays three sets of numbers.  First it shows which decoder type it is set to, then the DCC address and then 1234 to show all is working.

 

You can disable this and speed up the boot up process by setting CV50 = 1.

 

1 is Fast Boot on, no display, 0 (zero) is OFF (shows the display).

 

 

 

DECODER TYPE:  CV47 (1=MF, 0 = Accessory)

 

In the DCC universe there are two types of decoders:  Multi-Function Decoders and Accessory Decoders.  Unlike ANY OTHER device we are aware of, your Fiber Light Controller can be set to operate in EITHER mode.

 

A multifunction decoder is what you use in your engines.  It responds to a single DCC address.  Additionally, there is a speed control and function keys.  Typically, the function keys turn on the headlights and sound the horn.  The Fiber Light Controller uses these same capabilities to respond to your commands via your DCC hand controller.  You can turn on all the lights, only one light, flash all lights and put the Fiber Light Controller into animation mode.

 

An Accessory decoder has a single “master” address and then can have any number of sub address.  Some Accessory decoders only have one address.  Some have 4.  The Fiber Light Controller has eight – one for each Trigger. Unlike the Multifunction decoder that can do many things for one DCC address, the accessory decoder can really do only one.  It’s either Thrown or Closed for any given address.  On or Off.  But that’s fine.  We’ll use eight sequential addresses to trigger each of the eight Trigger ports.

 

When the Fiber Light Controller boots up with power it has to pick one or the other mode to operate in.  If you change the Decoder Type CV47, you have to turn OFF the power and then back on.

 

Set CV47 = 1 for Multi- Function Operation

(1111 will display on boot up)

 

Set  CV47 = 0 for Accessory Decoder operation

(2222 will display on boot up)

 

 

 

DCC CONTROL OF THE Fiber Light Controller

 

As mentioned, you can control the Fiber Light Controller from you DCC control system (and JMRI for those using software) in either “Engine” (multifunction) mode or “Accessory” mode.

 

Here are the available commands in Multi-Function mode:

 

F0                       All lights on

F1                       Use the speed dial to light a port 1-8

F5                       Turn on/off Animation mode

F8                       Alternate Flash all pins regardless of setting

 

F11-F18            In Animation mode (F5 on) – Trigger 1 -8

 

In Static Mode (F5 off) – Turn on Port 1 -8

 

 

In Multi-Function Mode:

 

When DCC is connected to the Fiber Light Controller, the unit detects the DCC signal and puts the unit into DCC listen mode.  That means that DCC is in control and the auto start into animation may not activate.  There are several scenarios where for example, the unit was first powered by DCC, then the external power supply was turn on – or the other way around.  It may take up to 5 second for the unit to recognize the DCC signal and if the unit was in Animate mode with an externa power supply – things were happening – then until you press a function key on your DCC controller the Fiber Light Controller behavior won’t change.

 

Since the Fiber Light Controller doesn’t know ahead of time what the state of the Function keys is you may have to cycle (turn on and off) the function key for the unit to sync up.

 

The cool thing is that the Function Keys F11-18 are connected up with the Trigger system.  That means that you can “manually” and in parallel, trigger a crossing signal or any other combination of effects from your DCC hand controller.  For example, if F11 is on, then trigger #1 turns on Ports #1 and # 2 of the crossing signals will activate- or whatever you have configured.  Turn F11 off and the Trigger Timeout will countdown and then turn off the lights.  If a Train comes along and triggers the circuit, that too will activate the ports.

 

In Accessory Mode:

 

If you switch your Fiber Light Controller to Accessory mode right out of the box without changing anything, you will have default address 3-10 lined up as “switches.”  From your DCC hand controller, select switch #3 and press the THROWN option.  This will activate the first Trigger since 3 is the first address – and thus Port #1 will animate. Switch 10 will activate Trigger #8, the last trigger.   Press CLOSE (Off) and the trigger will deactivate, and the Trigger Timeout sequence will begin.

 

For convenience, in accessory mode the number of the switch is briefly shown on the keypad and then disappears after two seconds.  You will also note that the decimal is on with the digit if the Trigger is ON and there will not be a decimal if the trigger is off – this is as you press Thrown and Closed for the switch.

 

There isn’t much else to explain here since that is all that Accessory decoders do.

 

But how do I change the Address of the Fiber Light Controller?

 

 

 

 

SETTING THE DCC ADDRESS OF THE Fiber Light Controller

 

  1. Press the Green button to enter configuration mode.
  2. Press and hold the WHITE button for 8-10 seconds.

 

The display will flash “8888” and then show the currently assigned address with a blinking decimal point.  The ONLY time and place where there are blinkingdecimal points is in address setting mode.

 

To change the address, press the RIGHTSIDE blue buttons up and down.

 

** holding down the up or down button will speed up the changing of the numbers. Holding for more that 50 digits will put the scrolling into hyper speed scrolling.  Release to stop.

 

Press the yellow SAVE button to save the new address.

 

If you are using Multi-Function decoder mode, remember to change the loco address on your DCC Hand controller to the new address you assigned.  For Accessory mode it doesn’t matter.

 

In Accessory mode the address of the Fiber Light Controller is always the first Trigger.

 

 

 

 

RESET

 

There are a few reasons that you may want to reset the Fiber Light Controller back the factory defaults.  One is that you forgot the DCC Address.  Or, you just want to get back to the default settings.

 

TO RESET THE Fiber Light Controller, turn on configuration mode.  It doesn’t matter what the display is showing, just that the display is on.

 

Then, PRESS AND HOLD the two Blue UP buttons.  After about 5 seconds, the display will read all ZERO.  Release the buttons.  Once the reset is complete the display will blink as few times and then return the display showing PORT #1 set to “2”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiber Lighting Cable Selection and Use

 

Selection of the fiber size is completely up to you based on your desired application. Below are a few helpful tips on the use of fibers.

Fiber Length:

The length of the fiber has relatively little impact on the light intensity exiting from the end. Once the light enters the fiber, the majority remains in the fiber until it exits at the other end.

 

Fiber Cutting:

Fibers should always be cut with a sharp shearing action or with a sharp utility knife. You do not need to polish the end of the fiber, but it is important to have a clean face to it in order to maximize the light transmission. The fiber does not require any special treatment to be used.

 

Light intensity:

As a general rule, going from 0.75mm to 1.0mm to 1.5mm diameter fibers doubles the amount of light you will get from any pin inserted into a port.

 

Flexibility:

The smaller the diameter of a fiber the easier it is to bend. Hence, lighting small objects that may require inserting the fiber through and around small areas, will require the use of the smaller diameter fibers.

 

Permanent Bends in Fibers:

Fibers, like wires, are relatively easy to bend. However, to hold the bend, it is best to insert the fiber into near boiling water and it will immediately take the desired shape. This is further explained and demonstrated in videos on our website.

 

Coloring fibers:

Unlike LED’s, fibers are extremely easy to color. Use a translucent paint and put a very small amount on the end of the fiber that enters into your scenery. Let it dry for a minute and then wipe off any excess paint. Recommended paints are The Tamiya paints are highly recommended for this application.

 

Fiber size and types of Animation:

Flashing lights on the top of emergency vehicles: 0.75 to 1mm fibers. Railroad crossings: 1mm fiber for HO, 1.5mm for O and 0.75 for N scale. Train Signals: 1mm fiber for HO, 1.5mm for O and 0.75 for N scale.

 

 

 

 

Reading the Product, Assembly and software Edition numbers:

 

Press and hold the lower left BLUE button and the upper right up BLUE button 5 seconds.  The display will blank and then the Product type number, Assembly number and Software version (Edition) number will appear.  They repeat twice and then after 10 seconds the keypad will revert to normal mode.

 

 

Software Updates and new functionality.

 

We are constantly receiving feedback from customers about new features and we add them as we can and seem appropriate.  That means that we will be constantly improving the performance and functionality of the Fiber Light Controller.  Therefore, here is our upgrade policy:

 

We will upgrade your software on the Fiber Light Controller for two years FREE of charge, less shipping. Simply send us the device and we will return it with the latest and greatest. Order the upgrade shipping kit on our website and then send the device to the address listed.

 

Except where noted, all software, product designs and circuits are copyright of Model Train Technology LLC.

 

Model Trian Technology LLC has Patents Pending for their products.  Their products are manufacture in the USA and only source limited items from overseas.

 

 

 

 

ONE YEAR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY: The product is warranted to be free from defects in workmanship and materials, under normal residential use and conditions, for a period of one (1) year for the original invoice date. Shipping and handling fees are to be paid for by the customer.

 

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT , INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENCIAL, SPECIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARRISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE, OR INABILITY TO USE THE PRODUCT, WHETHER OR NOT THE DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE AND WHETHER OR NOT COMPANY WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, COMPANY’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF THE PRODUCT.  THE FOREGOING LIMITATION WILL APPLY EVEN IF THE ABOVE STATED REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

 

 

Model Train Technology LLC

10524 Moss Park Rd. Ste. 204-256

Orlando, Florida  32832

407-242-5436

www.ModelTrainTechnology.com

support@modeltraintechnology.com

 

 

Version 1.5 Fiber Light Controller

 

 

Copyright© 2020 Model Train Technology LLC

 

LED Lighting Boards for All models of Light Boards. Lighting Board Decoder Manual V2.01

PDF: LED Scene Controller II (Keypad Manual 1.1)

KEYPAD QUICK START

  

PLUG POWER INTO ONE OF THE POWER SOCKETS.

There are two options, use either but not both.

  1. PLUG YOUR LEDS INTO ANY OF THE LED 16 LED PORTS IDENTIFIED IN GREEN IN THESE PICTURES.
  2. SLIDE THE POWER SELECTOR TO THE RIGHT FOR THE JST (WOODLAND SCENIC) POWER INPUT AND TO THE LEFT FOR THE ROUND BARREL INPUT (18V Adapter if you bought our kit).
  3. SLIDE THE POWER ON/OFF SWITCH TO THE RIGHT.

 

THE DISPLAY WILL SHOW 1234 AND THEN GO BLANK.

THE BLUE POWER LIGHT WILL BE LIT.

AND SO, WILL YOUR LEDS!

 

 

TO CHANGE THE ANIMATION ON PORT#1:

  1. MAKE SURE AN LED IS PLUGGED INTO PORT #1
  2. PRESS AND HOLD THE KEYPAD ON/OFF FOR 1 SECOND.
  3. THE DISPLAY WILL LIGHT AND SHOW:       1      1
  4. PRESS THE RIGHT HAND BLACK UP BUTTON TWICE SO THAT THE RIGHTHAND DISPLAY SHOWS “3”.
  5. PRESS THE SAVE KEY ONCE.  THE DISPLAY WILL FLASH.
  6. PRESS THE KEYPAD ON/OFF FOR 1 SECOND – TO TURN IT OFF.
  7.  PORT #1 LED WILL BE BLINKING

 

 

INTRODUCTION

The LED Scene Controller II (LSC II) is a powerful but simple-to-use LED animation controller.  100 behaviors have been preprogrammed so it’s simply a matter of selecting an output port and then assigning a number representing that behavior.  There are 16 ports and depending on what type of LED you are using and at what brightness setting you can connect as many as 64 LEDs.  Use our 1-to-4 connector to connect up to four LEDs per port.

The LSC II has a 1Amp capacity.

Each pin can operate separately, or multiple pins can be “coordinated” to create other effects.  For example, the alternate flashing mode allows any two adjacent pins to, you guessed it, alternate flash.  If you set all 16 pins to this mode, you have a marquee lighting effect.  This one controller can run the police lights, a crossing gate, multiple random on off ports, a rotating beacon, fade street lights on and off and show a TV simulation in a building – all at the same time!

Additionally, if you have a DCC Command System for running your trains, you can connect the LSC II and control (turn on and off and configure) any combination of those effects from your hand controller.

A common challenge with using LEDs is deciding what voltage and resistor value to use so as not to burn them out.  To solve this the LSC II allows you to control the effective output voltage by setting the maximum brightness.  This allows you to mix and match 3.3v and 12v LED on the same LSC II.

We’ve enclosed the LSC II inside a sleek case and designed the base of the unit with a slot that allows you to slide the LSC II onto a matching mounting bracket.

Here are the special effect categories for reference.

  • Adjust each LED for individual “brightness”
  • Flickering
  • Blinking with individual pin on/off speeds
  • Rotating Beacon (simulation)
  • MARS simulation
  • Fade all, one or groups of pins with up to 18 hour timer.
  • Random on/off with adjustable pace (all pins or one pin)
  • Step, Chase, Race – each LED on/off in sequence
  • Alternate 2-pin Flashing
  • TV Simulation (use 2,3 or 4 LEDs)
  • Arc Welding
  • Lighting

** Some speed settings apply to all LEDs whereas blinking and brightness settings apply individually to each LED (they can be different).  If you have multiple boards with the same DCC address but you program them separately, they will perform based on the board specific configuration.

You can also configure and control the LSC II from your NMRA® DCC system.  That also means you can use jmri (www.jmri.org) or similar control software. Our favorite is Railroad Automation (RRAuto.com)  Please see the LSC II DCC Manual.

 

OVERVIEW

  1. POWERING the LSC II (12-25V DC or AC, 1A)

To provide maximum convenience and adaptability, the LSC II has two types of sockets into which you can connect power.

YOU ONLY NEED ONE POWER SUPPLY.

There is a slide switch on the front of the LSC II that allows you to select which input plug you want to use.  Even if you plug in two power supplies ONLY one will be active at a time.

 

Here are the options:

  1. The Woodland Scenic power adapter can plug directly into the LSC II via the WHITE JST socket.
  2. An adapter (12-18vDC 1A recommended) with a 1.3mm Barrel plug. (available at this link or via our store)
  3. 3mm barrel plug with terminal screws to connect your own wires to the LSC II. (Included)
  4. JST “pigtail” and connect wires that way. Black/Red orientation for the power supply does not matter.

 

Note:  While our LSCI MICRO board allows you to power the board via your DCC system,  The LSC II with Keypad requires an external power supply to operate properly.  If you connect DCC to the LSC II it will only read the digital signal, which is only a few milliamps, and will not draw current to power the LEDs.

 

OPERATIONS

Use the POWER SELECTOR switch to select your power source. To turn on the LSC II, slide the right-hand slide POWER ON/OFF switch to the RIGHT.

The blue LED on the top of the case will turn on.

The 4-number LEDs may flash or have on odd segment lit but after 2 seconds you will see “1234” on the display and then the numbers will disappear.   This indicates that all is working. At that point the LEDs that you plugged in will all turn on depending on what FX setting you set.  The default mode for each port is ON and the brightness setting is 20%

The LSC II has two modes.  It is either in Animation Mode or Configuration Mode.  If you see any red numbers on the top of the LSC II, the LSC II is in Configuration Mode.  If they are off and the blue light is on, the LSC II is in Animation Mode.

 

If the blue light is off, the LSC II power is Off.

 

To switch between Animation mode and Configuration mode, push and hold button the LEFT TOP Keypad On/Off button for about 1 second and release.  Pushing this button toggles back and forth between these two modes. The LSC II will not react to a very quick push.  If your push is too long the LSC II will switch back and forth.  After a few tries you will get the hang of it.

There are two pairs of “number” LEDs on the top of the LSC II.  On the left is the number of the selected Port.  When you switch to configuration mode this will always start at “1”.

To change the port number, push the Up or Down black buttons on the left side top of the LSC II.

On the right side are the two digits that represent the configured special effects behavior.  There are 99 built-in special effect options, plus “0” (zero) which is OFF for that port. See the chart.

To configure a Port to behave with a specific special effect, select the port number on the left and then select the behavior number on the right side.

 

Press the SAVE button once to save this to the LSC II.   The digits will blink indicating a successful save. The setting is saved even when power is turned off or disconnected.

 

You can change the setting as many times as you want.

Remember to press Save.

To see the behavior, switch back to Animation mode.

 

ADJUSTING THE LED BRIGHTNESS:

To adjust the brightness of any Port, switch the LSC II into Configuration mode. Press the Right-side button on the top once.  You will see decimal points on each displayed digit of the LSC II.  The number on the right now indicates the brightness level 0-99% of the port that is selected on the left.  Push the black Up and Down buttons on the right side of the LSC II to adjust the brightness up or down.

3.3V and 12V settings

The LSC II is configured so that a 100% brightness setting is ~14VDC.  This is a few volts higher than 12V which is maximum for the Woodland Scenic Roomette® products as well as other 12V LEDs.  The default brightness of all the ports is set at 10%.  This is the MAXIMUM value for 3.3V LEDs with a 25V power source.   In this way if you plug in only 3.3V LEDs when you start up you won’t have any problems. And then you can adjust them as you need.

 

It is possible to burn out 3.3V LEDs very quickly by applying excess voltage above the 10% setting.  We opted to give you this flexibility so that you can mix and match 3V and 12V LEDs on the same LSC II. Please use this wisely.

 

Here are the approximate voltages for different power sources:

Power Adapter Output                      Maximum Port voltage output

25vdc (Woodland Scenic)                                             14.0v

18v                                                                                    13.9v

12v (for 3.3V LED only)                                                   8.6v

 

Press the SAVE button to save the new setting.  If you don’t press Save and you change ports or switch modes, the LSC II will revert to the previously saved setting.

To switch out of adjusting the brightness, press the Right-side button once more.  The decimal points will disappear, and the number will change to the value representing the special effect setting. Pressing the button again will toggle back and forth between setting the Brightness and setting the special effects Behavior for the port number that is shown on the left.

If you forget what the button does and you have lost this piece of literature, flip the LSC II upside down to see the reference key.

The arrow keys have a “fast” mode.  If you hold the key down for 2 seconds, the rate of change roughly doubles.

 

MOUNTING BRACKET (Be careful NOT to overtighten the screws)

 

CONNECTING LEDs

The LSC II has 16 Ports, labeled counterclockwise as viewed from the top of the LSC II.  You can use the ports in any order.

CONFIGUREING THE LSC II for Special Effects

We suggest you start with some basic setting so you can quickly become familiar with how the LSC II works.  Let’s start with what we call “singles”.  Most of the special effects are grouped into TENs with the first digit representing the basic FX.  In the chart below, 2 is the number for Flicker.  If you set a port to 2 it will Flicker at the default setting.  As you will see in the 100 Chart, all the “2” are grouped.  So any effect whether 2 or 21 or 25 will Flicker.  Likewise, with 3.  All effects that begin with 3 will blink.

Try some of the settings below to get the effect (pun intended).

FEATURE:   When you have more than one Port set to a common first value, say all set to 22, when you change ANY Port that has a leading 2,  all the ports will change to that same new number.  If you change Port 5 from 22 to 24, all pins that were 22 before will now change to 24.  This is necessary to keep the integrity of the timing of the flicker behavior. There are some exceptions:

 

FX that begin with 1 will not change.

FX that begin with 3 (Blink) will not change.

FX that begin with 5 (Fade) will not change

FX that begin with 9 will not change.

 

OTHER NOTES:

  • Some FX work with several ports in unison. Step, Chase, Race and TV sim work this way by design. But you can also mix effects on different ports.  For example, you might use an Arc Welding FX with a flicker effect on a red LED to simulate the hot metal.

On one of our displays we have a HO police car that we kit bashed from Woodland Scenic.  We connect the headlights, rear lights and the top Red beacon to three different LSC II ports and three different effects.

 

Step, Chase and Race require a group of adjacent pins to make sense.  The effect will turn each light on in sequence with a small timing gap between them.

  • The MARS effect uses the Beacon Timing. Therefore, to set the speed of the MARS effect, set the PORT to the Beacon setting that corresponds to the desired speed.  Save it.  Then change the Port FX to Mars.
  • Mimic F11 and Mimic F12 are specific to use with a DCC System. Hitting F11 or F12 on the DCC hand controller will cause any Port set to Mimic to turn on and off with Port 1 if F11 and Port 12 with F12.
  • Fade – Fade timing is by default in 10 second increments. This can be increased or decrease via CV #127.  The range is 1-255. The duration of the ON time and OFF time are set via the keypad or CV’s. (see the chart). The range is 1 to 255.  Thus with 255 set to a port ON and the seconds increment set to 255 you can have a timer that is 65,025 second or 18 hours long!  That is extreme but this wide range allows you to set your layout animation to turn the lights on and off to a 24-hour cycle. For example, ON for 12 hours and then OFF for 12 hours, or On for 18 hours and OFF for 6.  The LSC II does not have a real-time-clock (RTC) so it’s only counting seconds from when the device is powered and animation is activated. It doesn’t know what time of day it is.
  • Fade = 50. If you set a port to Fade using the preprogrammed value of 50, it will disable the Fade timer for that pin but set the pin to fade on command.  This allows you to have a Fade effect on ports that you control only via DCC.  To return the port to an active timer, select either “5” or any other 50’s value (like 51) other than “50”.  Think of the zero of the 50 as “off”.
  • Welding 1,2 and 3 use different time gaps between activity. 1 is the shortest and 3 is the longest. Combine these on different Ports so that one activity FX is the white-hot arcing and the longer period could be a RED led meant to show the red-Hot arcing.
  • Lighting – setting them Mode to 16 follows the value in CV 125 which is a 1-minute delay by default. Lighting 17 divides this by ½ and Lighting18 doubles the value.
  • The Step FX turns on and off LEDs in sequence starting at Port 1 (if it is set to a 7 series) through to 16. It will skip Ports that are not set to a 7 series 71-79)
  • The Race sequence repeats by starting at 1
  • The Chase sequence repeats by going backward from 16, then forward at 1, so back and forth.
  • Each LSC II can either Race or Chase but not both simultaneously.
  • DCC Signal Scan is the amount of time that the LSC II waits after power on to switch into animation mode if it does not detect a DCC Signal. You can select ANY Port since it affects the entire device, select the value for the delay option and press SAVE.  The previous FX behavior for that Port will NOT change.

To see the effect, you must switch OFF the LSC II.  After it’s start up cycle you will be able to detect a change in time that it takes to start the animations – assuming you are not connected to DCC. If you are connected to DCC, you must press F5 (Animation ON/OFF) to activate the device animation.

  • TV Simulation works with a White and Blue LED on separate Ports or in Color with a 3 separate Ports connected to an RGB (Red-Green-Blue) LED. The LED type is common Anode. (You can buy the proper RGB LED chip from our store.) The different settings are meant to simulate different types of TV activity.  It’s not perfect but it is effective, nonetheless.  You can mix the FX on each color line if you want.  This effect is a Random-on-Random effect so it may be very difficult to track the differences.
  • Relay – The LSC II will drive the digital inputs of both 5VDC and 12VDC Relays which use a 5V digital signal. When you select 99 for relay, the LSC II will automatically set the power setting to 27% assume a 25vdc input.  Adjust accordingly for different input voltages to get 5vdc output.

 

RESET

 

There are a few reasons that you may want to reset the LSC II back the factory defaults.  One is that you forgot the DCC Address.  Or, you just want to get back to the default settings.

 

TO RESET THE LSC II, turn on keypad mode.  It doesn’t matter what the display is showing, just that the display is on.

 

Then, PRESS AND HOLD the two black UP ARROW buttons.  After about 5 seconds, the display will read all ZERO.  Release the buttons.  Once the reset is complete the display will blink as few times and then return the display showing PORT #1 set to “1”.

WRITING CVs WITH THE KEYPAD

If you don’t have a DCC system, it is still possible to change CV values in the range of 112 to 191 with the keypad.  Check the MASTER CV LIST for the specific value you may want to change.

After using the Keypad to change CV values you must turn OFF the LSC II to allow it to reload the new values and keep all the internals straight.

To enter CV write mode, Press and Hold the two black DOWN ARROW keys (one on the left and one on the right).  The display will show a “C” and then the number 112, which is the first CV value that can be configured.  Use the up and down keys on the RIGHT side to select the CV you want to change.  Then, using the LEFT side Up/Down keys you switch the display to show a dash “-“followed by the current CV value.

Using the right side Up/Down keys select the new value for the CV.

Use the left side arrow keys to switch between CV Address and CV value. Press SAVE to write the new CV value.

To exit the CV mode, press the Keypad On/Off button.

Remember to turn power OFF and back on to restart the LSC II with the new values.

Note: you cannot change the DCC address of the board using this method. Use your DCC System to change the board address – which make sense.  If you are using the LSC II without DCC, there is no need to change the board address.

Why the strange values of 112-191?  The LSC II was designed to be used with NMRA (National Model Railroad Association) compatible DCC systems. To assure compatibility among different manufactures a range of memory location was reserved for their use.  There are a couple of blocks of these numbers that start at 1 and go to over 1000.  112 is the start of one of those blocks and for the LSC II the user addressable CVs stopped at 191.

 

Reading the Product, Assembly and software Edition numbers:

Press and hold the lower left arrow key and the upper right arrow key for 5 seconds.  The display will blank and then the Product type number, Assembly number and Software version (Edition) number will appear.  After 10 seconds the keypad will revert to normal mode.

 

Software Updates and new functionality.

We are constantly receiving feedback from customers about new features and we add them as we can and seem appropriate.  That means that your LSC II will have “old” software a week after we ship.  Therefore, here is our upgrade policy:

We will upgrade your software on the LSC II for two year FREE of charge, less shipping. Simply send us the device and we will return it with the latest and greatest. Order the upgrade shipping kit on our website and then send the device to the address listed. In the future you will be able to update the software from your computer.

Except where noted, all software, product designs and circuits are copyright of Model Train Technology LLC.

 

We use open source software and adhere to the GNU licenses.

We have Patents Pending for our products.

ONE YEAR MANUFACTURER WARRANTY: We warrants this product to be free from defects in workmanship and materials, under normal residential use and conditions, for a period of one (1) year for the original invoice date. Shipping and handling fees are to be paid for by the customer.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES, PARTNERS, SUPPLIERS OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT , INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENCIAL, SPECIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARRISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE, OR INABILITY TO USE THE PRODUCT, WHETHER OR NOT THE DAMAGES WERE FORESEEABLE AND WHETHER OR NOT COMPANY WAS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBLITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING, COMPANY’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF THE PRODUCT.  THE FOREGOING LIMITATION WILL APPLY EVEN IF THE ABOVE STATED REMEDY FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE.

 

Copyright© 2019-20 Model Train Technology LLC

N/HO Scale Caboose Board Series II Manual(Use for NANO Board).   DownLoad PDF 

 

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If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send us a message. We reply within 24 hours !
If you need immediate assistance please call (407) 242-5436

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