On 1/28/2025 10:16 AM, Peter Ulvestad via groups.io wrote:
DS74's are in JMRI
BDL716 appear to be brand new.
Unfortunately, like most manufacturers, Digitrax does not do their own definitions so JMRI users must wait for someone to to produce them. To my knowledge Digitrax does not provide developers with any info on new boards so it takes developers quite awhile to learn how these boards operate.
Well, it really takes one of JMRI's LocoNet developers some time _to figure out_ how a piece of new hardware _can be used in JMRI_, much less "make it do something" in JMRI. That takes some time, once that developer gets the hardware.
FWIW, I _would expect_ JMRI's support for the BDL716 to look more like what the DS74, DS78V, SE74, and PM74 have, not the DS54. And not like the DS64, SE8C, BDL16/162/168, and PM42. This is because the newer hardware uses different LocoNet messaging than the older stuff. But I have not touched any BDL716 hardware, so I cannot tell...
Currently, the latest JMRI "test release" has, I believe, the "ability" to show one _type_ of BDL716 message in LocoNet Monitor. That message is one which can show the BDL716 serial number and hardware revision and firmware version number. But that does not provide much "functionality".
Some day that will change, though.
