Are you connecting with a LocoBuffer-USB, or directly via the DCS240+?

A couple people have reported the direct connection in the DCS240+ locking up. The workaround is to _completely_ power it off by removing its main power connection _and_ unplug the USB connection, then reconned them power first, then USB and start JMRI.

Bob

On Mar 31, 2025, at 10:33?AM, Dale Gloer via groups.io <dale.gloer@...> wrote:

I recently replaced our club DCS200 (it died) with a DCS240+. There has long been a Pi3 running JMRI controlling the layout via Loconet. For that, in the connections panel I had selected DCS200 as the command station and Loconet-USB as the connection type.
My question is now that I have the DCS240+ in place what selection do I make for the Command station? I still use Loconet-USB for the connection type. Selecting DCS240+ as the command station results in no Loconet activity from JMRI.
--
Dale Gloer
Jack of all trades at home and Southern Alberta Model Railway

—
Bob Jacobsen
rgj1927@...

开云体育

On 3/31/2025 10:36 AM, Dale Gloer via groups.io wrote:

My question is now that I have the DCS240+ in place what selection do I make for the Command station?

Assuming that you are using a recent-enough JMRI version, select:

- the "System Connection" of "LocoBuffer-USB", and

- the "Command station type" of "DCS240+ (Advanced Command Station)".

That has worked for me for more than a year.

If that does not work for you, does it make a difference if you also plug a throttle in to LocoNet "as close as possible" to the LocoBuffer-USB?

(If not using a recent-enough JMRI, _why not_?)

On Mon, Mar 31, 2025 at 12:53 PM, billybob experimenter wrote:

(If not using a recent-enough JMRI, _why not_?)

His system is the first line in the original post
Environment is a Raspberry Pi 3B with bookworm, Java 17, JMRI 5.10

--
Peter Ulvestad
Linux Mint 22.1, JMRI 5.11.4plus, Java 21.0.6
JMRI Users Group Moderator ( /g/jmriusers )
JMRI Developers Group Moderator ( )
Tam Valley Group Moderator ( )
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Edmonton Model Railroad Association ( )

On 4/1/2025 11:42 AM, Dale Gloer via groups.io wrote:

I assume this is because specifying DCS240+ implies a USB connection regardless of what I input in the System connection box.

That is an incorrect assumption! JMRI can be configured to use the LocoBuffer-NG to talk to the LocoNet of a DCS240+. I have been doing exactly that for a couple of YEARS (with a Windows O/S machine)!

You should ignore your incorrect assumption, and configure JMRI "properly". I will give three pieces of info that you will need to configure.

JMRI's "connection settings" allow configuration of how JMRI can connect to the LocoNet, and if/how JMRI _assumes_ that it can talk to a command station _if_ there is a command station connected to that LocoNet.

For your case, you will NEED to configure these THREE different things on the "Connection" in JMRI:

1: Define how JMRI can talk to the LocoNet. This is the "System Connection" setting. Note that you _DO NOT want to select_ "DCS2401_ USB Interface" in this case! In your case, it should set for "LocoNet LocoBuffer-NG".

2: Define how your computer talks with the LocoNet interface device. This will be set up in the connection, and varies depending on what type of interface you are using. For a LocoBuffer-NG, the connection will require a "Serial Port", to be entered in the "Settings" portion of the "LocoNet" "tab" on the "Connection" selection in the "Preferences" window.

The "serial port" setting for _your_ installation will look differently depending on which operating system you are using. Since you are using a Raspberry Pi, I would suggest that you get someone who uses a Raspberry Pi with JMRI. I do not use a Raspberry Pi, and do not really understand the "tricks" to figuring out the "serial port" name that will work with the Raspberry-Pi. And I understand that the Linux O/S may have changed recently for Raspberry Pi devices.

3: The last item in the "Preferences"->connections"->(typically) "LocoNet" "Tab" is the "Command station type" entry. For you, select "DCS240+ (Advanced Command Station)".


These things are necessary for you to achieve what you are trying to do.

If you’ve selected “LocoNet LocoBuffer-USB” and “DCS240+ (Advanced Command Station)” and you’ve still having _no_ communications at all, then I suspect that your settings are not the problem.

Let’s move on to debugging that.

1) When you open the LocoNet monitor and do something else on the layout, e.g. use a real Digitrax throttle, do you see any LocoNet traffic?

2) Open the JMRI Power Control from the Tools menu, and try turn the layout power on and off. Does that work? Do you see any LocoNet traffic on the LocoNet monitor?

For this next step, leave the layout power on. Or turn it on from a Digitrax throttle

3) If you have a LocoNet-connected turnout, open the JMRI Turnout Control from the Tools menu, enter the number of a turnout on the layout (Just the number, like 23) and see if you can throw and close the turnout.

These details may help us track down the problem.


4) As an experiment, you can also try setting the command station selection to “DCS100 (Chief)”, save and restart, then see if the connection works.

Bob

On Apr 1, 2025, at 6:27?PM, Dale Gloer via groups.io <dale.gloer@...> wrote:

Here are the choices I have in the Connections panel. This is JMRI 5.4 but 5.10 shows the same panels. This was captured on a Windows 10 machine and I know how to determine the correct serial port for a Pi. So please advise which selection is correct in each box so that I can communicate with the DCS240+ from the computer. I can sort out the serial port stuff.

—
Bob Jacobsen
rgj1927@...