Massoth detectors

[ahartveld]

Hello everybody,

I am writing this thread for a friend.

He has a LGB garden layout with a Massoth DIMAX 800Z central and a DIMAX 1203B booster
We are using Massoth 817001 feedback modules and 8420602 detectors.
The central is connected to a laptop running TrainController 10 Gold.

We have updated the firmware of the feedback modules to the newest version and all CV's set to the correct values.
We continue to have problems with the detectors. Some trigger spontaneously and sometimes they hang.

Is someone famililiar with these problems?
Can the power supply be a problem? Seems to be OK.
We checked all wiring but cannot find anythins.
When a train with a magnet passes they operate normal.

The configuration is one master with 2 slaves and a second master without slaves.
The problem seems to occur mostly on the second slave but not just there.

Any help is appreciated.

Regards

Albert Hartveld (from the Netherlands).

 

[Loco]

I have a few questions:
1) Are the Massoth feedback master modules connected by bus cable to the central station or are DiMax feedback transmitters in use (wireless feedback to the central station)?
2) If bus cables are used, what are the length(s) and do you have cables with power supply to the rails running in parallel with the bus cables?
3) You say that your friend has issues with spontaneously triggering and hang, but you also state that "when a train with a magnet passes they operate normal"? Can you please elaborate about this (it's contradictive).
4) How do you check if a detector work when a locomotive with a magnet passes - do you use the Navigator 2nd function which can display detector information or do you use TrainController?
5) Are you sure that you have the right setup in TrainController and for the feedback modules? I'm not familiar with TrainController, but I know that Rocrail (which I use) and iTrain have different requirements to how the feedback module is set up (Flank control vs Level control). Also for Rocrail, the setup for the feedback module require the correct settings, this may also apply to TrainController.
6) Are the slave modules connected correctly to the other slave or master module?

- Loco -

 

[ahartveld]

I have a few questions:
1) Are the Massoth feedback master modules connected by bus cable to the central station or are DiMax feedback transmitters in use (wireless feedback to the central station)?
2) If bus cables are used, what are the length(s) and do you have cables with power supply to the rails running in parallel with the bus cables?
3) You say that your friend has issues with spontaneously triggering and hang, but you also state that "when a train with a magnet passes they operate normal"? Can you please elaborate about this (it's contradictive).
4) How do you check if a detector work when a locomotive with a magnet passes - do you use the Navigator 2nd function which can display detector information or do you use TrainController?
5) Are you sure that you have the right setup in TrainController and for the feedback modules? I'm not familiar with TrainController, but I know that Rocrail (which I use) and iTrain have different requirements to how the feedback module is set up (Flank control vs Level control). Also for Rocrail, the setup for the feedback module require the correct settings, this may also apply to TrainController.
6) Are the slave modules connected correctly to the other slave or master module?

- Loco -

Hi Loco,

Thanks for your answer.

Here are answers to you questions.
1 The feedback master modules are connected to the central station by cable.The bus cables do not run parralllel to the power supply. The detectors do use the rails as power supply.
2 Original Massoth bus cables are used, they are 6 meters long (about 19 feet).
3 Usually the detectors work normally when a train passes. Sometimes the contact triggers, but does not reset. It only resets after the system is stopped. Sometimes a contact triggers spontaneously are resets after a few seconds.
4 When a train passes a detector it is indicated in TrainController.
5 We do have the correct setup for the detectors in TrainController (as far as we can tell).
6 The slave modules are connected with Massoth bus cables.

Regards
Albert

 

[Loco]

Ok, let's go in details on a couple of the questions:

2) Bus cable length
The master with the 2 slaves:
Does this setup have a 6 meter cable from the central station to the master module + 6 meter cable from the master module to the first slave + 6 meter cable from the first slave to the second slave? If so, that is 18 meters total which I think may be an issue, as it is very close to the maximum length of 20 meter which Massoth recommends, see this link: Length of bus cable.

In my setup the maximum total bus cable length is 6 meter, this is for one single master module. The remaining master modules are wireless and with a very short bus cable to and between their slave modules (about 10 cm each). I use RJ-12 connectors and a crimping tool to make these short cables.


5) Traincontroller/feedback module setup
Can you post the TrainController setup and the CVs for the master modules/slave modules?

- Loco -

 

[Loco]

Following up on the previous post, I will suggest to activate special mode B3 on the Navigator (read page 38 in the manual), this allows for the Navigator to display feedback contact (detector) information as described on page 24/chapter 5.6 in the manual. If your friend does this he will be able to check how well the detection works without involving the TrainController software, which may identify if the issue is with the Massoth hardware or the TrainController software.

- Loco -

 

[ahartveld]

Following up on the previous post, I will suggest to activate special mode B3 on the Navigator (read page 38 in the manual), this allows for the Navigator to display feedback contact (detector) information as described on page 24/chapter 5.6 in the manual. If your friend does this he will be able to check how well the detection works without involving the TrainController software, which may identify if the issue is with the Massoth hardware or the TrainController software.

- Loco -

Hello Loco,
Thanks for your suggestions. My friend and I have both some holidays coming and the weather is bad now, so it will take some time to test these things.
Regards
Albert