MTHTrains DCS User manual

4.00 Addendum4.00 Addendum
The latest upgrade of M.T.H.'s Digital Command System (DCS)
software, version 4.0, was released in February 2008 as a free
download from www.protosound2.com. Like previous versions of
DCS software, version 4.0 is compatible with all DCS systems and all
Proto-Sound® 2.0 and 3.0 and TMCC® engines ever made. The most
exciting new features in version 4.0 fall into three main categories.
1. New engine control options: New options for existing features like
brake, boost, and speed control to make Proto-Sound engines even
more fun to operate.
2. Improved TMCC® control: Virtually complete control of all
current TMCC features from the DCS handheld, including lashups,
full Acela and wrecking crane operation, and Engineer On Board
speed control.
3. Remote backup: Download the data from your DCS remote
handheld ProtoSound and TMCC engines, routes, scenes, etc. onto
your PC for backup purposes or to clone the data to another
handheld.

Table of Contents
New Engine Control Options...................................................................................
Auto Coupler...................................................................................................
Brake/Boost....................................................................................................
Proto-Whistle..................................................................................................
Smoking Whistle.............................................................................................
All Mode (Tracks)...........................................................................................
Quickest Speed ..............................................................................................
Double Tap Brake..........................................................................................
Existing Feature Improvements...................................................................
......................................................................................
Create TMCC Lash-Up..................................................................................
TMCC Engine Control..................................................................................
Remote Features..........................................................................................................
Remote Powerdown......................................................................................
Service & Warranty Information............................................................................
Improved TMCC® Control.
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4
5
6
7
8
9
9
10
10
14
16
17
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Auto Coupler
You can now elect to have the
coupler slack sounds play
automatically every time an engine
pulls away from a stop, or only when
you press the SCS soft key.
1. Press MENU
2.Select SOUND
3. Scroll to AUTO COUPLER and
press Select
4. Select either OFF or AUTO.
AUTO will enable the feature for
ALL engines in the remote
5. Press the ENG button and select a
DCS engine
6. Ensure the engine has been start-
up.
7. Scroll the thumbwheel up to get
the engine moving and as soon as it
pulls away it will play the Coupler
Slack sound
8. Once the engine goes back to
0sMPH then pulls away at any speed
the sound will play again. It will work
this way on every DCS engine in your
remote until you shut it off.
9. To turn the feature Off, repeat
steps 1-3 and press the OFF softkey
3
New Engine Control Options
NOTE - This setting is a
global setting, so when
you make this setting it
will affect all engines in
the DCS Remote

Brake/Boost
The Boost/Brake button can now
function in two different ways, which
you can select from a menu. Select
the “Stay” option and your engine
will remain at the faster (Boost) or
slower (Brake) speed when you
release the Boost/Brake button. But
select “Return” and your engine will
return to its previous speed when the
Boost/Brake button is released (as it
does with previous software
versions).
1. Press MENU
2. Select CONTROL
3. Select BOOST/BRAKE
4. Press either STAY or RET. STAY
holds the engine speed at the
indicated value after releasing either
the Boost or Brake button. For
example, if you have STAY selected
and you are currently going 15sMPH,
pressing and holding the BOOST
button until you reach 25sMPH then
releasing the BOOST button will
make the engine run at 25sMPH. If
you had selected RET, the engine
speed would have gone back to
15sMPH (the speed you started at
when you pressed Boost/Brake).
This works the same way with
BRAKE.
4
NOTE - This setting is a
global setting, so when
you make this setting it
will affect all engines in
the DCS Remote

Proto-Whistle
This feature allows you to use the thumbwheel to simulate the
engineer's feathering or “quilling” of the whistle/horn rope,
producing a much more realistic whistle/horn sound.
Proto-Whistle is not available on all DCS-equipped engines. This
feature will only work on those engines whose hardware is capable of
utilizing the software feature. Therefore, the softkey acronyms will
not be visible on the DCS screen for locomotives not equipped with
the proper hardware. Downloading the sound set from a locomotive
equipped with the Proto-Whistle feature and loading it into an engine
not factory equipped with the feature will not give the user the Proto-
Whistle feature even though the Proto-Whistle softkey acronyms will
appear on the DCS screen.
1. Select the Proto-Whistle-equipped
engine from your DCS remote
2. Press the SPW softkey. It will
highlight
3. Your display will change to indicate
that Proto-Whistle is active
4. Scrolling the thumbwheel up one
click at a time will produce the
different whistle tones.
5. Practice varying how fast you scroll
up and down on the thumbwheel and in no time you'll be making
whistle sounds just like a real engineer!
6. To disable the feature and return to controlling your engine press
the SPW softkey again
Note: When Proto-Whistle is active your regular Whistle/Horn
button is inactive as well as the thumbwheel for controlling the speed
of your engine
5

Smoking Whistle
This feature allows you to enable a
smoking whistle feature that adds more
realism to your model by blowing steam
(smoke) out of the whistle whenever
the whistle sound is activated. It works
in conjunction with the Proto-Whistle
feature. Like the Proto-Whistle feature,
the Smoking Whistle is not available on
all DCS-equipped engines. This feature
will only work on those engines that
have the proper hardware and an actual
whistle smoke unit.
1. Select the Proto-Whistle/Smoking
Whistle-equipped engine from your
DCS remote
2. Press the SPW softkey. It will
highlight
3. Your display will change to indicate
that Proto-Whistle is active
4. Press the FSW softkey to enable the
Smoking Whistle Feature. This softkey
will also highlight
5. Now watch your whistle detail on
your engine as you scroll the
thumbwheel up and down. You will see
that the intensity of the smoke varies
with the intensity of the whistle sound.
6. To disable the Smoking Whistle
feature press the FSW softkey again
and it will no longer be highlighted
6
Note: When Proto-Whistle is active your regular Whistle/Horn
button is inactive. Pressing on the thumbwheel (Select) will allow you
to control the speed of your engine. Pressing Select again will return
you to Proto-Whistle control.

ALL Mode (Tracks)
ALL Mode for Tracks has been added.
You now have the ability to select
either All TIU or All Z4K tracks and
have them power on/off
simultaneously.
Lashups and Record/Playback can
now be included in “All” mode
operation.
1. Press the TR button
2. Select the ALL softkey
3. Select either Z4K or TIU tracks
4. Press the TSV softkey (Track
Starting Voltage). The remote will tell
all the tracks (Z4K or TIU, depending
upon which one you selected in Step 3)
to go to 18V. Similarly, you can roll the
thumbwheel up one click and you will
get to 18V as well
5. You can now control the voltage
applied to the tracks (Z4K or TIU-
controlled) by varying the thumbwheel
up or down from 5.0-22.0 Volts
6. When you are finished and want to
shut the tracks off you can press the
TZV (Track Zero Volts) softkey and
all the tracks you were controlling will
go to zero volts
7

Quickset Speed
Press the thumbwheel, enter a
desired speed on the keypad, then
press the thumbwheel again. Your
engine will smoothly accelerate or
decelerate to that speed setting.
Observe speed restrictions on your
railroad like a real engineer!
1. Press MENU
2. Select SYSTEM
3. Select REMOTE SETUP
4. Select QUICKSET SPEEED
5. Select ON or OFF
6. When ON is selected you are able
to send any speed you want to an
engine quickly
7. Press the ENG button and then
select a DCS-equipped engine from
the list
8.Press down on the thumbwheel
(Select) and you will see the display
change to indicate “QUICKSET
SPEED”
9.Using the numeric keypad enter the
speed you want that engine to go
10. Press the thumbwheel down
again (Select) and you will see your
engine moving at the speed you
selected
8

Double-Tap Brake
Double-press the Brake button and your engine will smoothly brake
to a stop, complete with squealing brakes. This also works in “All”
mode.
1. While controlling either an individual DCS-equipped engine or
ALL engines press the BRAKE button twice (like double-clicking a
mouse on your PC). The display on the LCD will show 0SMPH and
your engine(s) will stop
Existing Feature Improvements
§Super TIU mode has been improved to reduce latency
§E-Stop functionality in Track Mode has been improved such that
when pressed, ALL tracks, both Z4K and TIU go to zero volts
§Master Volume has been greatly sped up. Pressing the VOL+/-
button now does not require the user to wait between button presses
§Added more items to the list of Remote Messages we do not
display when Remote Messages is turned OFF
§Improved Reset Remote to add automatic power down of remote
after Resetting
9

Create TMCC Lash-up
Select an individual engine in a lash-
up, change its settings (lighting,
sounds, or smoke, for example), and
those changes will be retained when
you go back to controlling the lash-
up.
1. Ensure the engines you wish to
add to the Lash-up are in the
ACTIVE LIST on the Remote
2. Ensure the TMCC Command Base
is powered on, connected to the TIU
you use to talk to TMCC engines,
and connected to the outer rail of
your track from the “U” post on the
Command Base
3. Apply track power
4. Press MENU
5. Select ADVANCED
6. Select CREATE LASH-UP
7. Select TMCC LASH-UP
8. Select ADD ENGINE
9.Scroll through your engine list to
grab the engine you want to place
into the lash-up
10. Select HEAD, MIDDLE, or
TAIL depending upon which engine
you want to add first. It's easiest to
start with the Head engine and then
work your way to the Tail engine
10
Improved TMCC® Control

11. Select FORWARD or REVERSE
for the direction the engine is facing in
the Lash-up (the engine must already
be facing this way on the track)
12. Repeat steps 7-9 for the remaining
engines you want to add to the lash-up
13. If you make a mistake on adding
an engine you can use the DELETE
ENGINE function to select the engine
to delete from the lash-up
14. Once you have completed adding
engine in the position and which
direction they are facing you can now
give your new lash-up a name. Select
LASH-UP NAME
15. Enter the name of the lash-up in
16 characters or less and then select
the “D” character at the end of the list
to tell the remote you're done. If you
make a mistake while entering the lash-
up name you can use the “<” character
to backspace and correct the text
16. Now that you have completed the lash-up building process your
engines will power on and then each one will sound it's horn/whistle
three times to signify that it's received the lash-up data and is ready to
operate. Once all the engines in the lash-up have sounded their
horn/whistle the new lash-up will appear in your DCS remote in the
INACTIVE ENGINE list.
NOTE: When TMCC lash-ups are built in the DCS Remote they
Are placed at locations 91-99 in the DCS Remote
17. Press the ENG button and scroll down to the new lash-up you
built and press the thumbwheel (Select)
11
Create TMCC Lash-up Cont.

18. The new lash-up will be displayed
in the LCD
Your new TMCC lash-up is now ready
to operate.
19. To delete a TMCC lash-up press
the MENU button (ensure track power
is applied)
20. Select SYSTEM
21. Select ENGINE SETUP
22. Select DELETE ENGINE
23. Scroll to the TMCC lash-up you
want to delete and press the
thumbwheel (Select)
24. The engines in the lash-up will
sound their whistle/horn 1 time to
indicate they are now individual
engines
Create a TMCC lash-up using the
same procedure you use to create DCS
lash-ups. It's a much easier process
than using a CAB-1.
12
Create TMCC Lash-up Cont.

If you want to control any of the
individual engines that make up a
TMCC lash-up you can go into the
Inactive Engine list and select the
engine, this will make it Active. Scroll
up to the Active engine list and select
the engine, press Start-Up and now
you have full control of that TMCC
engine
When adding/deleting a TMCC lash-up ensure you have track power
applied and the TIU-TMCC cable connected as well as the track
connection from the TMCC Command Base connected to the outer
rail of the track.
When TMCC lash-ups are created they are placed at DCS locations 91-
99. Should an engine exist at one or more of those locations the
remote will place the TMCC lash-up in the next available position. If
all positions are taken up (91-99) then you will need to move one or
more of the engines at 91-99 to allow room for your lash-up. Just like
TMCC engines, your TMCC lash-ups will not operate under ALL
mode
You cannot add or edit TMCC engine addresses to 91-99 as these are
reserved for DCS Proto-Sound 2.0 engines and TMCC lash-ups. You
are free to add or edit TMCC engines to addresses 1-90.
13
Notes

TMCC Engine Control
• DCS Version 4.0 has made a big
improvement to how you operate
your TMCC-equipped engines.
You will notice right away the
screen looks different.
1. AX1/AX2
§Pressing AX1 or AX2 will
highlight that softkey
§Once one of the AX softkeys is
highlighted the numeric keypad is
available for input. For example, if
you wanted to play the Steam
Release sound (Aux1, button 6 on the CAB-1) you would press the
AX1 softkey so it's highlighted, then press keypad button 6 on your
DCS Remote. The Steam Release sound will now play on your TMCC
engine
§If you press the AX1 or Ax2 softkey again it will disable the keypad
(the AX softkey highlighting goes away)
§Below is the button sequence for changing a Train America Studios
Engineer On-Boardequipped engine from 32 to 128 speed steps
(select the EOB engine first from your engine list):
•DIR AX1-AX1-AX1-AX1-AX1-keypad button #2-AX1
th
(You should hear the engine's horn after the 5 AX1 button press and
then again after the keypad #2 press). It's important to note that it
takes two presses of the AX1 softkey on the DCS Remote to equal
one press of the AUX 1 button on the CAB-1 remote
§If you press AX1/2 so that it's highlighted but do not enter anything
on the keypad within 3 seconds the DCS remote will automatically
disable keypad input. Press the AX1/2 softkey twice to re-highlight it.
Your numeric keypad will again be active
14

SPD
Pressing the SPD softkey enables the
display to show up to 128 speed steps
(0-127).
MOM
Pressing the MOM softkey allows you
to set the Momentum of an individual
engine or a lash-up
REL
Pressing the REL softkey enables
Relative speed stepping. This is
particularly useful when operating items
such as Crane Cars that have 360
degree movement. Rolling up on the
thumbwheel is the same as spinning the
knob clockwise on the CAB-1/CAB-2
remote, while rolling down on the DCS
thumbwheel is the same as spinning the
knob on the CAB-1/CAB-2 remote
counterclockwise
15
TMCC Engine Control cont.

Remote Features
All the data you have entered into a
DCS handheld, including engine
setups, routes, scenes, etc., can now
be downloaded to a personal
computer and uploaded back into
any DCS handheld any time you
want. In addition to backup
purposes, this provides an easy way
to clone identical handhelds for
multiple operators on your layout.
1. See the Remote Cloning
Instructions available with the Data
Loader.exe software at
Operating Mode
This allows you to select whether
you want the DCS Remote to operate
in Speed Mode or Normal Mode.
The difference is that Speed Mode
allows for much faster response
times and does not require a
response from the TIU before
moving on to the next command
1. Press MENU
2. Select SYSTEM
3. Select REMOTE SETUP
4. Select OPERATING MODE
5. Select SPEED or NORMAL
www.protosound2.com
16

Remote Powerdown
Allows you to adjust the power down
(sleep) timer on your DCS Remote
from 1-60 minutes
1. Press MENU
2. Select SYSTEM
3. Select REMOTE SETUP
4. Select REMOTE POWERDOWN
5. Use the thumbwheel to display the
value you wish to set as your DCS
Remote's sleep timer (from 1-60
minutes)
6. Press the thumbwheel to select the
value. When pressed the remote will
say “NEW VALUE SAVED”
17

Service & Warranty Information
How to Get Service Under the Terms of the Limited One-Year Warranty
When you suspect an item is defective, please check the operator's manual for standard operation and
trouble-shooting techniques that may correct the problem. Additional information may be found on the
M.T.H. Website. Should you still require service, follow the instructions below to obtain warranty service.
First, e-mail, write, call or fax a M.T.H. Authorized Service Center (ASC) in your area to obtain Repair
Authorization. You can find the list of ASCs on the M.T.H. Website, www.mth-railking.com. Authorized
Service Centers are required to make warranty repairs on items sold only from that store; all other repairs
may-- or may not be done at the store's own discretion. If you did not purchase the item directly from the
ASC, you will need to select a National Authorized Service Center (NASC). These centers are compensated
by M.T.H. to perform warranty service for any customer whose repair qualifies for warranty service. A list of
NASC retailers can be located on the M.T.H. Website or by calling 410-381-2580. Should the warranty no
longer apply, you may choose either an ASC or NASC retailer to service your M.T.H. Product. A reasonable
service fee will be charged.
CAUTION: Make sure the product is packed in its original factory packaging including its foam and plastic
wrapping material to prevent damage to the merchandise. There is no need to return the entire set if only
one of the components is in need of repair unless otherwise instructed by the Service Center. The shipment must
be prepaid and we recommend that it be insured. A cover letter including your name, address,
daytime phone number, e-mail address (if available), Return Authorization number (if required by
the service center, a copy of your sales receipt and a full description of the problem must be
included to facilitate the repairs. Please include the description regardless of whether you discussed
the problem with a service technician when contacting the Service Center for your Return
Authorization.
Please make sure you have followed the instructions carefully before returning any merchandise for service.
Authorized M.T.H. Service Centers are independently owned and operated and are not agents or
representatives of M.T.H. Electric Trains. M.T.H. assumes no responsibility, financial or otherwise, for
material left in their possession, or work done, by privately owned M.T.H. Authorized Service Centers.
If you need assistance at any time email MTH Service at [email protected], or call 410 381-2580.
Limited One-Year Warranty
All M.T.H. products purchased from an Authorized M.T.H. Train Merchant are covered by this
warranty.
See our website at www.mth-railking.com or call 410-381-2580 to identify an Authorized M.T.H. Train
Merchant near you.
M.T.H. products are warrantied for one year from the date of purchase against defects in material or
workmanship, excluding wear items such as light bulbs, pick-up rollers, batteries, smoke unit wicks, and
traction tires. We will repair or replace (at our option) the defective part without charge for the parts or labor,
if the item is returned to an M.T.H. Authorized Service Center (ASC) or M.T.H. National Authorized
Service Center (NASC) within one year of the original date of purchase. This warranty does not cover
damages caused by improper care, handling, or use. Transportation costs incurred by the customer are not
covered under this warranty.
Items sent for repair must be accompanied by a return authorization number, a description of the problem,
and a copy of the original sales receipt from an Authorized M.T.H. Train Merchant, which gives the
date of purchase. If you are sending this product to an Authorized Service Center, contact that Center for
their return authorization.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have other rights that vary from state to state.
Specific questions regarding the warranty may be forwarded to M.T.H. Directly.
Service Department:
M.T.H. Electric Trains
7020 Columbia Gateway Drive