1. Am I to understand that you found BOTH the NCE Light-it & the RRCirKits HD2 to suffer the same/similar issue of "not being able to keep up?"
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Correct. The SD2 was better, but still has flaws. I imagine this is why RR circuits dropped it and moved forward with the signalman.
2. Thus you went to the RRCirKits "Signalman" decoder because it does the job properly, even though it be percieved by the NCE system to be a "loco" and addressed as such? [Thus abandoning the use of the separate "signal addressing" system.]
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Correct
3. Can you confirm if it is the NCE AIU channels that "trip" the signals and inform JMRI of the status of things [including turnout feedback, which I am using]?
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No, the AIU is used for sensor feedback and switch feedback, if wired to do so. Each block sensor is fed to the AIU to trigger one of the AIU¡¯s 16 channels (actually 14 because 2 channels are too sensitive unless it¡¯s turnout feedback).
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Turnout feedback can be handled internally on the NCE command station. When you program each switch on JMRI, select ¡°monitoring¡± as feedback and the NCE command station tells JMRI the switch status.?
However, if you need local push button control of a turnout, then that turnout needs feedback to the AIU. If you use a push button off say, a Switch-it, the push button is ¡°local¡± to the switchit and does not send a command to the command station. So the switch is thrown, but your command station doesn¡¯t know it. Hence why you need feedback to the AIU.?
Personally, I ditched feedback and push buttons when I went to CTC and eliminated the extra bit of wiring. It¡¯s much easier to have say, a Tablet mounted as a panel and control switches on it.
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Dave helped me with the packet stuff last time. Nothing we did helped the lightit. Learn from my mistakes.
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Modeling Conrail¡¯s Boston Line in HO
