开云体育

A friend would like to use DecoderPro on his Macintosh laptop running MacOS
9.1 to program decoders on his Digitrax system. I use Linux and EasyDCC so am
not able to be very helpful. Anything he should be concerned about?

Secondly, the web page for DecoderPro lists something called 'LocoBuffer' as a
bit of hardware that a Macintosh user with a Digitrax system needs. I looked
on the Digitrax site and didn't see such a device. Would someone point me in
the right direction?

Thanks,
Mike

Mike,
DecoderPro will now work with the Digitrax MS100 (at least for PC's) but
the LocoBuffer is a better device. Information will be found on the
Loconet_Hackers Yahoo group in the files section. It's sold by John Jabour
for cost but you have to assemble it.
Bob or another Mac user will have to comment on that part of the
question as I use a PC.

Jon Miller
AT&SF
For me time has stopped in 1941
Digitrax DCC owner, Chief system
NMRA Life member #2623
Member SFRH&MS

Jon,

The DecoderPro instalation notes suggest that the MS100 will not work with a
Mac, at least without tinkering. I didn't see any sort of kit or instructions
in the loconet hackers files section. It may all be there in the form of
board artwork, schematics and microcode, but I'm not sure my friend would
want to go down that path.

Thanks,
Mike

Mike,
LocoBuffer is a kit or at least it used to be. In the files section
click on LocoBuffer (details of a hardware solution). The chip comes
already programmed. Just solder everything to the board. You need to buy a
separate "wall wart" for power!
Someone will have to comment maybe John ran out of kits. I know it's a
popular item. I will comment on the LocoNet Hackers group and see what the
response is!

Jon Miller
AT&SF
For me time has stopped in 1941
Digitrax DCC owner, Chief system
NMRA Life member #2623
Member SFRH&MS

At 11:53 AM -0700 7/18/02, Mike Davison wrote:

A friend would like to use DecoderPro on his Macintosh laptop running MacOS
9.1 to program decoders on his Digitrax system. I use Linux and EasyDCC so am
not able to be very helpful. Anything he should be concerned about?

Which laptop?

if it's got USB, a Keyspan PDA adapter and MS100 will work. That's an off-the-shelf solution, though a little more expensive than a LocoBuffer.

If it doesn't have USB, but rather has the DIN Apple serial connectors, a LocoBuffer is the reliable solution. The MS100 can't be used directly because the port doesn't provide the needed power (this is also a problem with certain PC laptop serial ports). It is possible to wire the MS100 to + and - power supplies to correct this, but it's probably easier to build a LocoBuffer; the MS100 needs pretty clean power to be reliable.

Also, if he's thinking of moving to MacOS X at some point, the LocoBuffer is a better choice. The MS100 doesn't work with MacOS X due to hardware support issues in the kernel. That's not something I can fix, and people at Apple have told me it's not a high priority update for them.

Secondly, the web page for DecoderPro lists something called 'LocoBuffer' as a
bit of hardware that a Macintosh user with a Digitrax system needs. I looked
on the Digitrax site and didn't see such a device. Would someone point me in
the right direction?

John Jabour <jjabour@...> is the LocoBuffer's creator. He made up some boards, and has been selling them either by themselves or with kits of parts. (He'd shipped over a hundred kits a couple months ago; the number is probably much larger now)

Assembly instructions are at



Bob
--
--------------
Bob Jacobsen (Bob_Jacobsen@..., 510-486-7355, fax 510-495-2957)

The following information is from John Jabour. Email at address give by
Bob.

"LocoBuffer and LocoIO kits are still available. All prices are in US
dollars.
Shipping quoted is to the US. Shipping and PayPal charges outside the US
are slightly more.
Kits include all the parts except a case or a wallwart power supply.
LocoBuffer is $27.25 and shipping for 1 - 3 units is $3.85 using
priority mail.
LocoIO is $21.00 for an "A" kit and $19.60 for a "B" kit and shipping for
1 - 3
units is $3.85 using priority mail.
Assembled is $10.00 extra.
You can pay with cash, check or money orders. You can also pay with PayPal
(which is the prefered method). If you pay with PayPal please add 2.9%
plus $.30 cents."

The issue is the same issue that was the problem on the PC-- the serial javacomm package for Mac OS X doesn't support the LocoNet baudrate quite right.

If you run Mac OS 9, MS-100 should work OK, but I'd recommend a snagging locobuffer on what I've heard over lunches with Bob...

-Dave Falkenburg

I'm still working the issue (at my "day job"), but it won't be fixed for "Jaguar"...

-Dave