FAQ - How do I configure and set up Hornby Accessory Decoders with RailMaster.

[Chrissaf]

The complete configuration of Hornby R8247 Accessory Decoders into RailMaster (RM) to operate points is a two stage process.

I am assuming the reader has R8247s Decoders. For readers with R8216 Decoders see also the addendum at the end of this post. The Stage 1 part of the tutorial is not applicable to any other brand of decoder ONLY the R8247 (and R8216).

1. Firstly you have to configure the R8247 (or R8216) itself with the point addresses you want to use before you fit and wire them.
2. Secondly, you have to create a track plan in RM and configure the point operating icons on the track plan to match the point port addresses you have given them in step 1 above.

Stage 1 - Configuring the R8247s with their addresses.

It is true to say that programming the Hornby R8247 is a much easier thing to do from within RailMaster than it is to do with a hardware based controller. Here are some basics.

1. Firstly, the R8247s need to be programmed one at a time before you wire them in to their final locations. I did mine on the dining room table with my RailMaster (RM) Laptop and attached controller by my side.
2. To ensure trouble free programming I connected them to my controller track output for 30 seconds to charge up internal components. With the R8247 this pre-charging isn't strictly necessary, but it is an insurance policy (it was/is an absolute requirement for the earlier R8216 Accessory Decoders by Hornby).
3. I then moved the temporary table top DCC wires connected to the R8247 from the track output to the PROG A&B output of the controller.
4. Programming the R8247 is described on Page 73 of the RM manual. But for those who have difficulty following the manual, I have provided some additional guidance below. It may be that difficulties with the manual are arising because you are trying to follow the instructions given on the R8247 installation guide sheet. The instructions on that sheet are for the Select and Elite controllers and not applicable to R8247 configuration using RailMaster. RailMaster does not use the 'Group' addressing method described on the R8247 installation guide sheet.

Before you start programming you will need to devise your point numbering plan. Some, but not all R8247s (it is a bit of a lottery) have a tendency to suddenly reset (usually after an accidental short circuit) themselves back to the default address of ports 1 to 4 therefore point addresses 1-4 should ideally [optionally] be avoided. The numbering scheme you devise MUST be in multiples of 4.

That is for example:

1-4 (optionally avoided)

5-8

9-12

13-16

etc

Note that out of the box for a brand new never been used before R8247, the four ports are factory configured to use addresses 1 to 4 with a pulse width of 100ms to suit a Solenoid point motors. This means that if the 1 to 4 addresses are to be retained then the R8247 can be used on the layout without any further configuration. This also means that the R8247 can be tested before attempting any configuration changes using the 1 to 4 addresses.

For this part of the tutorial I will assume R8247 Accessory Decoder port addresses 5-8 will be used. REMEMBER, the R8247 must be connected to your controller PROG A&B output at this stage and be the ONLY connected device.

In RailMaster open the ‘Accessory Decoder Programming Screen’.

Step 1 – Use the pull down box to select the correct Accessory Decoder

Step 2 – Enter the first port number. In this example, the first port number will be 5. The other three ports will be automatically numbered as 6 to 8.

Step 3 – Click the ‘PEN’ icon to write the configuration to the Accessory Decoder that is connected to the ‘PROG’ output of the controller.

Step 4 – Clicking the green tick will read back the configuration of the decoder. It is not a ‘Save and Exit’ button. To exit this screen you use the red cross.

After confirming that the new addresses have been configured correctly using the green tick in Step 4. Repeat the action above for each R8247 that you want to configure, incrementing the port number 1 address by 4 each time. Note that ports 2 to 4 will pick up their addresses automatically from port 1 and DO NOT need to be addressed individually.

OK, you should now be in a position where you have your R8247s programmed with new port addresses. The port addresses are ALL you need to configure at this time as the R8247 factory default configuration implements the 100ms pulse output settings needed to operate a solenoid i.e. R8014 / R8243 point motor. I would stick a small label on each R8247 with the newly programmed port addresses so that they don't get all mixed up later.

Note that if you need to perform a 'factory reset' of the Hornby R8247 Accessory Decoder [write 8 to CV8]. You cannot do this within the RailMaster Standard Edition 'Accessory Decoder Programming Screen'. You can perform this factory reset using the RailMaster locomotive CV writing screen. This other FAQ linked below provides additional details on this procedure.

FAQ - How do I use RailMaster to write CVs on a decoder that is not recognised?

Stage 2 - Adding the point addresses to your RM track plan.

Have you created your track plan in RailMaster using the track design screen and included your points in the track plan?

If you haven't, then you will have to do this first, BEFORE you can operate points in RailMaster. See Pages 77 to 98 in the RM User Guide on how to create your track plan.

Additional guidance on this activity is given below:

I am assuming that you have performed re-addressing of the Hornby R8247 as per above and you are using point addresses 5 - 8 for your first four points. These will therefore have been configured as below:

Note: Of course you may be using a completely custom numbering scheme of your own choosing or you chose to start your numbering scheme at 1. If so, just use the information below as a guide to apply to your own numbering scheme.

Port 1 = Port Address 005 - 100ms Pulse Output.

Port 2 = Port Address 006 - 100ms Pulse Output.

Port 3 = Port Address 007 - 100ms Pulse Output.

Port 4 = Port Address 008 - 100ms Pulse Output.

Again, assuming that there are four points on your track plan I will call them Point A to Point D for the purpose of this explanation.

The assumption is that:

• Point A on your track plan is physically wired on the layout to Port 1 on the R8247 and will be controlled by DCC Address 5.
• Point B on your track plan is physically wired on the layout to Port 2 on the R8247 and will be controlled by DCC Address 6.
• Point C on your track plan is physically wired on the layout to Port 3 on the R8247 and will be controlled by DCC Address 7.
• Point D on your track plan is physically wired on the layout to Port 4 on the R8247 and will be controlled by DCC Address 8

Now 'Open' the 'Track Design' screen so that you can create or edit your track plan.

If you haven't done so already, use the track pieces on the left hand side to draw a representation of your layout. It is only a representation, it is NOT necessary to try to replicate a photo accurate replication of your layout.

In fact, you could just have a number of point icons on your track design screen without any interconnection between them being shown. All the track pieces barring the points are just inactive icons, there for the benefit of us humans. They play no part within RailMaster for programming purposes.

Once the basic track layout is drawn, then read on.

1. On the left hand side you should see some point operating button icons
2. Click & Hold one of the button icons, it doesn't matter what colour, red or green.
3. Drag the button icon so that you place the mouse cursor (not the button icon) in the MIDDLE of the point icon on screen on your track plan and release the mouse button. Both the red & green point operating icons should now 'SNAP' to the toe end (common end) of the point on the screen.  If this 'Snapping' action doesn't happen then you have done it wrong and you should try again.
4. Do the same for the other points on your track plan.
5. Now go to the point on the track plan that represents Point A that is physically wired to R8247 Port 1 and will be DCC Address 5.
6. Right click one of the point operating icons it doesn't matter which one red or green. A dialogue box should open similar to the one below:

Now fill in the details in the dialogue box (highlighted in yellow).

• Controller = A (I am assuming here that you are not using a dual controller configuration).
• Decoder Port = 5 (this is the point address I have assumed in this tutorial for point A). If not 5, enter the address that is appropriate for your own point numbering scheme design.
• Choose the Hornby R8247 4 port Decoder in the pull down box.
• Decide the ‘start up’ position for the point, switching left or switching right.

If you have RailMaster 'ProPack' edition, also put a start-up order number (starting from 1 and increasing incrementally by 1) for each new configured point in the empty white box to the left of the 'right / left' start-up position selection box. If you don't have 'ProPack' you can leave this white box blank, but useful to fill it in, in any case, for future proofing [see Note A) further below]. Another thing you can do with the ProPack RM edition, is test the point operation from this screen. This test feature is not available in the RM Standard edition.

Do the same for the other three points, except use Decoder Ports 6, 7 & 8 as appropriate for the 'Decoder Port' entry and 2, 3 & 4 for the [ProPack option] 'start-up' firing order in the white box.

Now save and close your Track Plan in the Track Designer screen.

TIP - When saving your track plan ensure that you give it a unique to you 'file name' and not just overwrite an existing Hornby provided one already in RM. If you do, RM will overwrite your modified track plan the next time an auto RM update is scheduled and you will lose all your modified input. You will also have to tell RM to load your 'uniquely named' track plan at start up in the RM 'System Settings' screen – see ‘System Setting’ screen extract below:

Close and re-open RailMaster so that your amended track plan is loaded and displayed.

Now clicking the appropriate red and green point operating buttons on your track plan should operate your physical points on the layout (or decoder that is connected in a testing environment). The grey bars on the RM track plan should mimic the direction your points are physically switched to. If they are reversed, you can either swap the + & - wires on your R8427 decoder for the associated port, or go back into the track plan designer, right click the relevant point icon and click the 'Reverse Polarity' check box.

Personally, I would rather reverse the physical + & - wires on the decoder.

Basically everything I have covered above is in Pages 77 to 98 of your RM User Guide Manual. If in doubt, read the manual.

Note A) For forum readers who have RM 'ProPack' edition. If the white box firing order is not filled in and you have the default 'fire points on start-up' option selected in the railmaster.ini file. Then the start-up point firing will not happen. This feature (in ProPack) uses the contents of the white box to decide the firing order. If you have multiple Accessory Decoders, then the white box number range is 1 to n (where n is total number of Accessory Decoder ports used in the layout). In RM 'Standard Edition' the firing points on start-up feature will still work if the white box is left blank (just seems to be a quirk of RM).

Testing & Installation.

I would recommend testing the R8247 on the table before fitting them to the layout. Move the temporary R8247 DCC wires from the programming track output back to the main DCC track output on your controller. Connect one of your point motors to the first port of the R8247. Black wire to C, Red wire to + and Green wire to - then use the track plan point operating icons as described in the previous tutorial section to test i.e. click the Point A operating button icon to operate a test point motor connected to port 1 DCC Address 5 (in this tutorial example numbering scheme)

Once all ports on all R8247s have been tested OK, then you are ready to fit them to your layout and wire them into your point motors using the same Black Red Green colour scheme as documented above & below.

Note: The point motors shown in the drawing could just as easily be any Solenoid point motor such as for example Hornby R8014, R8243, PECO PL10, SEEP PL1 & PL3, Gaugemaster PM10 etc.

Personally, I favour the direct connection between R8247 and Controller as there is less to go wrong. Just 'T' (T means join in parallel) the R8247 connections into the wiring between the controller output and track.

Note: If point motors are PECO brand, then reverse the Black and Green wires shown above between the motor and decoder. PECO use 'Green' for the Common C wire connection, not Black.

TIP - If using Hornby R8243 point motors. Do not over tighten the mounting screws on the R8243 motors. Leave them slightly slack. If the screws are too tight, the point motor (solenoid) is likely to stick and not function correctly. Perfect point motor alignment for all types of point motor is critical too.

TIP - If extending factory provided wires on point motors. My preferred method is to twist wires together and solder, insulated with 'heat shrink tubing'. If you are averse to soldering. Use 3 way Nylon screw terminal strip (any general purpose electrical store) or use car type crimped 'bullet' connectors or Lucar 'male' & 'female' fully insulated crimp terminals. Whatever method you prefer. Try and match the wires for size and colour to the Hornby originals, or at least size if matching colour is an issue (matching colours means you're less likely to make a wiring mistake).

Note: Hornby Accessory Decoders are only compatible with three wire solenoid point motors. They are not compatible with two wire voltage reversing point motors or Servo technology point motors. None of these alternative point motor types are made by Hornby, but I mention it for information just in case the reader is contemplating a different point motor branded product.

Note: As stated previously further above. If the points operate in reverse compared to the point positions shown by the grey lines in the RM track display, then just reverse the red and green wire connections shown in the drawing above.

TIP - If two points need to operate together such as in a cross-over from one oval loop to another. Then the two point motors can be wired in parallel to a single Accessory Decoder port. Meanwhile both points that form the cross-over on the RM track plan design are both given the same address that the physical Accessory Decoder port has been configured with. The result of which, is that clicking either of the two sets of point operating icons on the track plan will switch both points together. If one of the two point motors operate the wrong way, then just reverse the red & green wires on that particular point motor. Having two points on the RM track plan with the SAME DCC port address is not an issue and does not throw up any error messages. In fact there are very few instances where the validity of what you configure in RM is checked and highlighted as an error in RM.

ADDENDUM FOR USERS WITH R8216 ACCESSORY DECODERS.

So you have a Hornby R8216 instead of a R8247 Accessory Decoder.

In which case it is essential to follow the pre-charging process I documented in Stage 1 Item 2 in the list. Without pre-charging, the R8216 is unlikely to accept programming. Note that the R8216 has been obsolete for some considerable time and was replaced by the R8247. It was made obsolete because it wasn't very good.

Note that the rest of my tutorial instructions are valid for the R8216 as well as the R8247 with the following exceptions:

1. In the pull down selection box (Step 1 in the very first graphic image) where I said select the R8247, choose the R8216 Accessory Decoder instead.
2. You will also need to choose the R8216 option in the pull down selection box in the 'Point Settings' dialogue panel in the 'Track Design' screen.
3. The other thing that the R8216 cannot do with regard to my tutorial instructions is you cannot read the CVs of a R8216 it is a 'write to' only device. Thus my Step 4 in the first graphic image using the green tick to read CVs and confirm configuration will not work.
4. Just for completeness of information. The other limitation of the Hornby R8216 design is that the output pulse width is fixed at 100ms and is not adjustable (unlike the R8247). It also cannot provide the 'always on' output that the R8247 can be configured for. Thus its flexibility is severely hampered.