/
LocoBufferII.shtml
156 lines (117 loc) · 5.21 KB
/
LocoBufferII.shtml
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta name="generator" content=
"HTML Tidy for Mac OS X (vers 31 October 2006 - Apple Inc. build 15.17), see www.w3.org">
<title>JMRI Hardware Support - LocoBuffer-II to
LocoNet®</title>
<meta name="author" content="Bob Jacobsen">
<meta name="keywords" content=
"Digitrax Chief DCS Command Station MS-100 LocoBuffer java model railroad JMRI install windows">
<!-- Style -->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content=
"text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/default.css"
media="screen">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/print.css"
media="print">
<link rel="icon" href="/images/jmri.ico" type="image/png">
<link rel="home" title="Home" href="/"><!-- /Style -->
</head>
<body>
<!--#include virtual="/Header" -->
<div class="nomenu" id="mBody">
<div id="mainContent">
<h1>Hardware Support: Connecting a LocoBuffer-II to
LocoNet®</h1>
<p>The LocoBuffer-II provides a very reliable way to connect
a computer serial port to a LocoNet®. It was produced by
Dick Bronson's <a href=
"http://www.rr-cirkits.com">RR-CirKits</a> company, based in
part on the original LocoBuffer design, but is currently out
of production. You might be able to find one in a local hobby
shop. It's been replaced by the <a href=
"LocoBufferUSB.shtml">LocoBuffer-USB</a>, which uses a USB
connection.</p>
<h2>Recommended setup</h2>
<p>The recommended LocoBuffer-II option switch settings
are:</p>
<ul>
<li>19,200 baud or 57,600 baud</li>
<li>RS-232 echo off</li>
<li>LocoBuffer mode</li>
<li>ICSP Program Mode off</li>
<li>Boot Program Mode off</li>
<li>Isolated power (<a href="#locoBufferIIPower">see
below</a>)</li>
</ul>
<p>The recommended JMRI setup for the LocoBuffer-II is:</p>
<ul>
<li>Set all switches off (toward the front label
side).</li>
<li>Connect the LocoBuffer-II to a suitable power supply,
for example a wall-wart of the correct voltage.</li>
<li>Start DecoderPro or other program and configure it for:
<ul>
<li>LocoNet LocoBuffer-II</li>
<li>Select your port</li>
<li>19,200 baud or 57,600 baud, to match the
LocoBuffer-II internal option switch settings</li>
<li>Hardware flow control</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Loop-back testing</h2>
<p>The LocoBuffer-II input circuit and code actually reads
from the LocoNet output jack, so if you install the LocoNet
terminator (the small circuit that was shipped with the
LocoBuffer-II) and set SW7-8 to ON (down) so that the input
circuitry gets it's power from the wall-wart, then you have
created a loop back test. The only thing that is not tested
is the LocoNet jack itself.</p>
<p>Steps:</p>
<ol>
<li>Unplug The LocoNet cable</li>
<li>Open case (use a small screw driver to work open the
latches at the small slots on the sides)</li>
<li>Install terminator</li>
<li>Set Sw 7-8 ON, all other switches OFF</li>
<li>Set the JMRI LocoBuffer options to 19,200 baud and
hardware handshaking enabled</li>
<li>Open the JMRI LocoNet Monitor window.</li>
<li>Using JMRI send some commands (e.g. switch
commands)</li>
<li>The commands should appear in the LocoNet monitor
window and the LocoBuffer-II activity LED should blink</li>
<li>Remove the terminator (unless your application requires
it)</li>
<li>Restore the LocoBuffer-II option switches to their
normal settings for your application</li>
</ol>
<h2><a name="locoBufferIIPower" id=
"locoBufferIIPower">LocoBuffer-II Power</a></h2>When powered
by an external supply, the LocoBuffer-II completely isolates
your computer from the LocoNet, removing the possibility of
ground currents flowing through the LocoNet cable.
<p>If you are using an isolated computer, for example a
laptop that's not connected to any peripherals, you can
configure the LocoBuffer-II for "Local Power" so that it
doesn't need an external power supply. It will then get it's
power from the RailSync leads in the LocoNet.</p>
<p>It is strongly advised that you get your computer
connection working properly with an external power source in
"Isolated Power" mode before you do this. That way, if any
problems arise when you try to use Internal Power, you'll
know what caused them and they'll be much easier to
diagnose.</p>
<p>To configure the LocoBuffer-II for "Local Power", remove
the power connection and set switches 7 and 8 to ON (down,
toward the switch illustration).</p>
<p>LocoNet® is a registered trademark of <a href=
"http://www.digitrax.com">Digitrax, Inc.</a></p>
<!--#include virtual="/Footer" -->
</div><!-- closes #mainContent-->
</div><!-- closes #mBody-->
</body>
</html>