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What next for DecoderPro?
The 0.9.3 update is out, so after I catch my breath, it's time to think about what to do next.
I'd like to get a "complete" DecoderPro version out by early July, but I'm not certain what should be considered the most important things to put in it. I've got a long list of little updates, fixes and cleanups to include, and I'll probably get to most of them. Big features are a little more problematic, as I don't often have the large chunks of time they require. I've already promised to add Lenz XpressNet support to JMRI and DecoderPro, and C/MRI support to JMRI itself. So those will be happening. I've got some other stuff I'm playing with on the layout-control side of the house, and I'll probably keep doing that too. But beyond those, I'd like to see what people think are most important. What would you most like to see? Some of the items that have been suggested include: a) Ops mode programming b) Better programming GUI, for example making it possible to have some variables control whether others display, etc. Break some parts (roster pane, function mapping) into smaller parts so you could create a programmer that walks you through one item at a time (e.g. a "step 1" pane that handles the address, then a "step 2" pane that saves the file, then a "step 3" pane that sets momentum, etc) c) Much smarter speed-table support, with various tools for smoothing curves, resetting the curve to a standard one, adjusting it to the contents of Vstart/VMid/VEnd, etc d) Improvements to the roster - being able to copy & delete locomotives, better editing, import/export to various common formats, etc. e) Fix the long-standing problem with many PCs not being able to connect at the MS100 baud rate. (This is a LocoNet-only problem, and I'll need help from somebody who speaks windows) f) Integrated installers, esp. for Windows. The current multi-step install process is getting in the way. It would be pretty simple to create a two-step install process of the form "Run this Java installer, then run this DecoderPro installer", perhaps with an updater that makes future updates quicker downloads. g) Lots more decoders h) Add a progress bar when programming. This is not trivial, unfortunately, because the program doesn't really have any idea how long the programming will take, or even how many CVs are left to do. It would take a little effort to get that right-enough to be useful (nobody likes a progress bar that gets shorter, then longer, then shorter) i) Get the "confirm" button working. This is really only faster on LocoNet command stations right now, as all others need to do a complete read to implement it. But it's still a useful thing to have when working with problematic decoders, e.g. you wonder whether the decoder's been changed, etc. j) Make the programmer GUI more bullet-proof. Now, if you type letters in a decimal field, enter a too-large or negative number, etc, Bad Stuff happens. It would be good if that were more robust. What do people think? Bob -- -------------- Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957) |
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Update 0.9.3 for DecoderPro, JMRI is available
The 0.9.3 update to the DecoderPro program and JMRI libraries is available.
The update file can be downloaded from: It is in .zip format, and should be usable on Macintosh, Windows, Linux and OS/2. The update contains only updated files; you need the entire 0.9 distribution to use the program. If you don't have that, please see the JMRI and DecoderPro README files for how to download and install it: DecoderPro: JMRI demo: To install this update, copy the "jmri.jar" file and the "xml" directory to your existing DecoderPro or JmriDemo directory. If you haven't written your own decoder files, that's all that's needed! If you have your own decoder files, you need to remake the index by starting the program and selecting "Create index file" from the tools menu. New features in this update: * EasyDCC support has been tested, and should now be working well. * Additional Soundtraxx, Lenz and NCE decoders. * You can now select register, paged or direct mode for programming if your command station supports them. This lets you program MRC and other register-mode-only decoders. * Improved automatic identification of decoders, especially cases where the version number isn't unique or isn't recognized. * Programmer window will no longer appear behind the Start Bar on Windows. * Can now build the libraries and application with the Ant command line tool. * Now properly handles older locomotive files with newer decoder files, which lets us update definitions in place. New features in the 0.9.2 update, also included here:</h3> * Updated Soundtraxx DSD/DSX Diesel definitions to fix a programming error * Cleaned up LocoIO programmer interface New features in the 0.9.1 update, also included here:</H3> * Additional decoder definitions: Many Lenz decoders, courtesy Debbie Ames and Lenz USA Updates to Soundtraxx decoders, additional types * New EasyDCC support in DecoderPro and the JMRI tools * LocoIO programmer for both early (1.3.2) and later (1.3.4) LocoIO PIC code. * Initial support in JMRI libraries for: Remote LocoNet server and client CTC panel edit, store, load C/MRI serial attachment Note that these are still in development, and should not be considered ready for general use. * Various minor bug fixes and updates, including reduced memory usage and improved error logging. -- -------------- Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957) |
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Re: Laptop for DecoderPro Use
At 9:25 AM -0700 5/8/02, Dave Falkenburg wrote:
Also it is important to note that you really need to be running OS X forI do keep DecoderPro running on MacOS 8.1 through 9, but I agree that it's really a dog. Startup performance is particularly slow; on my 90MHz test machine, it can take 20+ seconds for the program to load and start. That seems like forever. During programming operations, it doesn't seem so bad, as you're just clicking controls and waiting for the command station to do its thing. But it does work, and I intend to keep it working so that people with older Macintosh hardware have something they can use to program decoders. The layout-control half of the code is much more problematic on earlier Macs. They have trouble keeping up with mid-size layouts. Bob -- -------------- Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957) |
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Re: Laptop for DecoderPro Use
At 8:08 PM -0700 5/7/02, Jim Hanna wrote:
I would like some information on what to look for in a laptop if I were... I need info on the very most basic laptop that I can expect to useAlthough I'm a Macintosh bigot, you can probably get a better deal on a PC laptop. I'd look for something with 48MB of memory, Windows95, at least one serial port, and a 180MHz CPU or better. That's not much, so it should be possible to find something like that used for less than $500, perhaps much less. More memory, more speed might be good if you want to use a more recent Windows version. But, it might make more financial sense to pick up a used command station for your existing PC instead. I've seen used SystemOne units for much less than a laptop would cost. And running a long cable can be really cost-effective! That does leave you with the hassle of walking to the train room when you want to change the loco on the programming track, unfortunately. Bob -- -------------- Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957) |
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Re: Just wondering if anyone was here
i got a couple questions and was wondering if anyone was actuallyI'm happy to help with questions, and there are other members who can help too. This Yahoo group is still pretty young, so hasn't gotten a lot of traffic yet. Note that there's a short delay in posting (perhaps as much as 12 hours, but usually shorter) because I've got this group set on "moderate new members". That's because other Yahoo groups have been being spammed recently. Once I'm convinced somebody is a real email address, I remove them from moderated status. Bob -- -------------- Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957) |
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JMRI, DecoderPro update 0.9.2 is available
The 0.9.2 update to the DecoderPro program and JMRI libraries is available for download.
The update file is in .zip format, and should be usable on Macintosh, Windows, Linux and OS/2. You can download it from SourceForge by following this link: <> This update contains only updated files; you need the entire 0.9 distribution to use the program. If you don't have that, please see the JMRI and DecoderPro README files for how to download and install it: To install this update, copy the "jmri.jar" file and the "xml" directory to your existing DecoderPro or JmriDemo directory. That's all that's needed! New features in this update: Updated Soundtraxx DSD/DSX Diesel definitions to fix a programming error Cleaned up LocoIO programmer interface New features in the 0.9.1 update, also included here: Additional decoder definitions: Many Lenz decoders, courtesy Debbie Ames and Lenz USA Updates to Soundtraxx decoders, additional types New EasyDCC support in DecoderPro and the JMRI tools LocoIO programmer for both early (1.3.2) and later (1.3.4) LocoIO PIC code. Initial support in JMRI libraries for: Remote LocoNet server and client CTC panel edit, store, load C/MRI serial attachment Note that these are still in development, and should not be considered ready for general use. Various minor bug fixes and updates, including reduced memory usage and improved error logging. -- -------------- Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957) |
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Welcome to the JMRI Users group
Welcome to the JMRI user's discussion group. This the place to ask questions, make suggestions, complain and complement.
There's more information available on the main JMRI web page: and the main page for DecoderPro: Decoder Pro is a program to make it easier to program DCC decoders. -- -------------- Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957) |
Bob Jacobsen
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