Programming
is the act of storing numeric values in various memory locations (CVs)
in the decoder for the purpose of configuring the loco to run the
way you want it to run. When storing those values into memory, it's
called "Writing" to the memory. If you want to find out
what's stored in a memory location, it's called "Reading".
While all systems can Program decoders by Writing values to CVs, not
all systems can Read values back.
Over the long haul, you will have
several decoders with many CVs programmed. It will be impossible for
you to remember what you have programmed into each one. Under normal
conditions, there is no need to know what has been programmed into
a CV, so long as the loco is operating the way you want it to operate.
But if one isn't quite right, or has changed since the decoder was
installed and initially programmed, you may want to re-program it.
The question becomes, what value
do you re-program it with? If you want the sound volume a little louder,
you will need to increase the value that is currently in that CV.
If you have a system that can read the value that's currently in there,
all you have to do is increase it a notch or two from there and you're
done.
Reading a CV value back can take
a little time - not much, but some. Decoders can't respond back with
a full 8-bit value. They can only respond back yes. Therefore, to
find a value in a CV, the command station asks the decoder if the
value is 0. If it doesn't respond back "yes" within a certain
period of time, the command station asks if it is 1, and so on. While
this sounds like it would take a lot of time, it usually doesn't.
It will take anywhere from almost instantly for low values to 10 or
11 seconds for high values.
Note that Reading a CV value must
be done in the Service-Mode
Programming mode. OPS-Mode
Programming does not normally provide for reading CV values back.
However, with the advent of Transponding by Digitrax, and the new
decoders now coming out (those with the last digit of "3",
such as the DH163IP and DN163K0A), OPS-Mode Reading can be done within
any block that has a Transponding receiver wired to it.
If you don't have a system that can read values back, you have to
figure it out another way. We will provide CV record cards with each
decoder you purchase if you ask for them. With these cards, you can
write down the values you program into each CV of each decoder. This
way if you need to change it, all you have to do is look it up on
the card for that decoder. This works well, but can be cumbersome
to keep the cards up - especially if you have lots of locos. The only
other alternative is to start from scratch, program a new value in
to see how it works, then adjust from there.
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