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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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Improved TMCC® Control