In the August 2014 issue, Mark and Vince Buccini wrap up a three-part series on building a simple DCC system. This part explains how to program and install a locomotive decoder. Cut-and-paste the code for the decoder here or download the attached .txt file. And don’t miss parts one and two (April and June 2014 issues)!
Attention readers: There was an small error in the diagram on the Buccini’s DCC decoder article. The jumper should be on JP2, pads 3 not pads 2 as on the original. Attached is an updated diagram. We apologize for the confusion.
Update: Marc Buccini answers a question about radio frequency
Reader submitted question: I have 2 working throttles and 1 working decoder. I have a pair set for Loco 4 Freq 6 and the second on Loco 5 Freq 2. Not in locos yet just on the bench. I stupidly reversed the input polarity on the second decoder so don’t know how much damage I did yet. When you get old you do stupid things! We have an outdoor G scale display here at our retirement community.
At any rate, we have a CVP 5000 throttle and 3 G3 receivers in three of our locos. I have not been able to get any response to or from your designs and CVP.
Can you tell me the exact frequencies that you have used for freqs 2, 3 and 6 ? Would I need to name a loco “4” or “5” plus the correct freq to talk to one of our G3’s ?
My PC will not link to the Launch Pad which would likely tell me the freqs.
Response: In terms of the radio frequencies, for the throttle and decoder you built, by design the are compatible with QSI and CVP. And they have been tested for compatibility with both QSI and CVP.
The throttle and loco need to have the same radio channel and loco number.
A table of the radio channel versus frequency is below. The default for the throttle and decoder are radio channel 2, you can select radio channel 3 or 6 using jumpers are described in the articles.
03 09 02 02 05 00 00 02
@C000
4B 45 33 27 1B 15 0F 03 2E 2E 0D 07 D3 91 FF 04
32 00 4B 06 00 21 6E 2C BA 84 00 23 2F 47 07 30
18 16 6C 03 40 91 87 6B FB 56 10 E9 2A 00 1F 40
00 89 7F 63 81 35 09 03 09 02 02 05 00 00 02
@C040
31 40 00 04 3C 40 00 02 3D 40 50 00 B0 12 72 C8
B0 12 90 C7 B0 12 84 C8 4C 4C 5E 4C 0A 02 12 C3
4E 10 4E 11 4E 11 4E 11 4E 11 8E 11 3E 92 78 2C
0E 5E 10 4E 76 C0 60 C1 86 C0 A4 C0 D2 C0 00 C1
10 C1 3A C1 60 C1 D2 C3 1A 02 4C 4C D2 4C 0B 02
1C 02 C2 93 1C 02 02 34 D2 D3 1A 02 D2 52 1C 02
1C 02 5E 3C D2 C3 1A 02 4C 4C 5E 4C 0A 02 4E 5E
C2 4E 1C 02 F2 B0 20 00 1C 02 02 28 D2 D3 1C 02
5F 42 1C 02 4F 4F 3F F0 1F 00 D2 4F 28 02 1C 02
47 3C D2 D3 1A 02 4C 4C 5E 4C 0A 02 4E 5E C2 4E
1C 02 F2 B0 20 00 1C 02 02 28 D2 D3 1C 02 5F 42
1C 02 4F 4F 3F F0 1F 00 D2 4F 28 02 1C 02 30 3C
4C 4C 5E 4C 0A 02 7E F0 1F 00 C2 4E 1E 02 28 3C
4C 4C FC B0 10 00 0A 02 08 28 4C 4C 5E 4C 0A 02
7E F0 0F 00 C2 4E 1F 02 1B 3C 4C 4C 5E 4C 0A 02
7E F0 0F 00 C2 4E 20 02 13 3C 4C 4C FC 90 DE 00
0A 02 05 20 4C 4C D2 4C 0B 02 21 02 09 3C 4C 4C
FC 90 DF 00 0A 02 04 20 4C 4C D2 4C 0B 02 22 02
C2 43 24 02 D2 D3 21 00 30 41 E2 C3 1B 02 D2 92
0A 02 12 02 6D 20 D2 92 0B 02 13 02 69 20 D2 92
0C 02 14 02 65 20 4F 43 04 3C 4F 4F CF 43 12 02
5F 53 6F 92 FA 2B 5E 42 0B 02 4E 83 14 24 5E 83
18 24 5E 83 1E 24 5E 83 27 24 6E 82 30 24 7E 80
03 00 34 24 7E 80 06 00 37 24 5E 83 3B 24 7E 80
0B 00 3E 24 30 41 D2 42 0C 02 48 02 E2 D3 1B 02
30 41 D2 42 0C 02 49 02 B0 12 90 C5 E2 D3 1B 02
30 41 D2 42 0C 02 4A 02 C2 93 4A 02 02 20 D2 43
4A 02 E2 D3 1B 02 30 41 D2 42 0C 02 4B 02 C2 93
4B 02 02 20 D2 43 4B 02 E2 D3 1B 02 30 41 3C 40
37 C0 B0 12 46 C8 E2 D3 1B 02 30 41 D2 42 0C 02
4C 02 E2 D3 1B 02 30 41 D2 42 0C 02 4D 02 E2 D3
1B 02 30 41 D2 42 0C 02 4E 02 E2 D3 1B 02 30 41
D2 42 0C 02 4F 02 E2 D3 4F 02 E2 D3 1B 02 30 41
4F 43 06 3C 4E 4F 4F 4F DF 4E 0A 02 12 02 5F 53
6F 92 F8 2B 30 41 3F 40 09 1A 3F 53 FE 2F 32 D0
20 00 F2 D0 20 00 53 00 B2 40 0D 5A 20 01 C2 43
56 00 D2 42 FD 10 57 00 D2 42 FC 10 56 00 E2 43
21 00 E2 43 27 00 F2 40 E2 00 26 00 F2 40 E0 00
41 00 F2 40 1D 00 22 00 F2 40 82 00 29 00 F2 40
05 00 2F 00 C2 43 2E 00 F2 40 FA 00 2A 00 F2 43
10 00 F2 D0 A9 00 68 00 F2 D0 80 00 69 00 D2 43
6A 00 C2 43 6B 00 D2 C3 69 00 B2 40 20 02 60 01
B2 40 FE 00 92 01 B2 40 10 00 82 01 B2 40 60 00
86 01 B2 40 50 02 80 01 E2 43 1A 02 C2 43 1B 02
C2 43 1C 02 C2 43 1D 02 C2 43 1E 02 C2 43 1F 02
C2 43 20 02 C2 43 21 02 C2 43 22 02 3C 40 40 10
B0 12 46 C8 D2 42 4A 02 26 02 D2 42 4B 02 27 02
5F 42 4C 02 4F 4F 3F F0 FF 00 8F 10 82 4F 08 02
C2 43 24 02 C2 43 25 02 B0 12 90 C5 7C 40 36 00
B0 12 D8 C7 B0 12 A0 C6 F2 43 23 02 30 40 3A C7
0F 12 0E 12 B2 B0 00 01 62 01 0A 28 E2 B3 20 00
5F 2C B2 40 10 00 62 01 B2 50 58 02 72 01 58 3C
B2 40 10 89 62 01 92 52 02 02 02 02 B2 B0 00 04
62 01 02 28 92 53 02 02 1F 42 00 02 0F 83 05 24
1F 83 0D 24 1F 83 1E 24 43 3C 1F 42 02 02 3F F0
FF 07 3F 90 FE 07 3C 20 92 43 00 02 39 3C 1F 42
04 02 3F 53 82 4F 04 02 0F 93 32 20 1F 42 06 02
DF 42 02 02 0A 02 92 53 06 02 B2 42 04 02 A2 43
00 02 26 3C 92 B3 02 02 1A 28 5E 42 0F 02 5E E2
0E 02 5E E2 0D 02 5E E2 0C 02 5E E2 0B 02 5E E2
0A 02 4E 93 09 20 B2 90 03 00 06 02 05 28 82 43
62 01 F2 43 11 02 0C 3C B0 12 3A C7 09 3C B2 90
06 00 06 02 03 20 B0 12 3A C7 02 3C 92 43 00 02
3E 41 3F 41 00 13 F2 93 11 02 4D 20 5F 42 4C 02
4F 4F 3F F0 FF 00 8F 10 82 4F 08 02 C2 93 0A 02
04 20 5C 43 B0 12 58 C0 3C 3C F2 90 70 00 0A 02
0C 2C D2 92 48 02 0A 02 34 20 F2 B0 20 00 4F 02
30 2C 5C 43 B0 12 58 C0 2C 3C F2 90 80 00 0A 02
11 2C B0 12 6A C1 E2 B3 1B 02 23 28 32 C2 03 43
B0 12 24 C6 B0 12 B4 C7 B0 12 2E C8 B0 12 14 C8
32 D2 17 3C F2 90 C0 00 0A 02 13 28 F2 90 E8 00
0A 02 0F 2C D2 92 4E 02 0B 02 0B 20 D2 92 4D 02
0A 02 07 20 F2 B0 20 00 4F 02 03 28 6C 43 B0 12
58 C0 B0 12 3A C7 5E 42 24 02 7E 50 FC 00 C2 4E
24 02 4E 93 02 20 D2 E3 21 00 30 41 C2 93 1D 02
1A 20 F2 F0 0F 00 2E 00 F2 C0 10 00 29 00 D2 B3
1A 02 09 28 E2 D3 1A 02 F2 D0 20 00 29 00 F2 D0
10 00 2E 00 08 3C E2 C3 1A 02 F2 D0 10 00 29 00
F2 D0 20 00 2E 00 F2 90 03 00 1A 02 03 24 C2 93
1A 02 04 20 D2 92 1C 02 1D 02 29 24 F2 90 03 00
1A 02 03 24 C2 93 1A 02 11 20 D2 92 1C 02 1D 02
0D 2C 5E 42 26 02 7E 53 C2 4E 26 02 4E 93 12 20
D2 42 4A 02 26 02 D2 53 1D 02 0C 3C 5E 42 27 02
7E 53 C2 4E 27 02 4E 93 05 20 D2 42 4B 02 27 02
F2 53 1D 02 5F 42 1D 02 4F 4F 82 4F 96 01 30 41
3C 40 FF 00 5F 42 49 02 4F 4F 0C 8F 3E 40 1B 00
B0 12 DA C6 4F 43 04 3C 4F 4F CF 43 28 02 5F 53
6F 92 FA 2B D2 42 49 02 2C 02 7F 40 05 00 08 3C
4F 4F 4E 4C 5E 5F 27 02 4F 4F CF 4E 28 02 5F 53
7F 90 1F 00 F5 2B F2 43 47 02 30 41 5F 42 28 00
4F 4F 3F F0 07 00 5D 4F 00 C0 C2 9D 23 02 19 24
32 C2 03 43 B0 12 2E C8 C2 4D 23 02 7C 40 36 00
B0 12 D8 C7 5C 42 23 02 4C 4C 3C F0 FF 00 8C 10
3C 50 0A 00 B0 12 0A C7 7C 40 34 00 B0 12 D8 C7
32 D2 30 41 B2 40 50 A5 2A 01 B2 40 02 A5 28 01
B2 40 00 A5 2C 01 3F 40 48 02 3D 40 40 10 CD 43
00 00 B2 40 40 A5 28 01 4E 43 05 3C ED 4F 00 00
1F 53 1D 53 5E 53 7E 92 F9 2B B2 40 00 A5 28 01
B2 40 10 A5 2C 01 30 41 F2 B0 10 00 1E 02 03 28
E2 D2 21 00 02 3C E2 C2 21 00 D2 B3 1E 02 03 28
F2 D2 21 00 02 3C F2 C2 21 00 E2 B3 1E 02 04 28
F2 D0 40 00 29 00 30 41 F2 C0 40 00 29 00 30 41
F2 C0 80 00 29 00 F2 B0 40 00 20 00 FC 2F F2 40
40 00 6F 00 4F 43 08 3C 4F 4F D2 4F 08 C0 6F 00
D2 B3 6D 00 FD 2F 5F 53 7F 90 2F 00 F5 2B F2 D0
80 00 29 00 30 41 8C 11 8E 11 09 12 09 43 0E 93
03 34 3E E3 1E 53 19 D3 0C 93 03 34 3C E3 1C 53
39 E3 B0 12 FC C7 19 B3 02 24 3C E3 1C 53 29 B3
02 24 3E E3 1E 53 39 41 30 41 F2 C0 80 00 29 00
F2 B0 40 00 20 00 FC 2F C2 4C 6F 00 D2 B3 6D 00
FD 2F 8C 10 3C F0 FF 00 C2 4C 6F 00 D2 B3 6D 00
FD 2F F2 D0 80 00 29 00 30 41 82 43 62 01 82 43
06 02 82 43 02 02 B2 42 04 02 82 43 00 02 4F 43
04 3C 4F 4F CF 43 0A 02 5F 53 7F 92 FA 2B B2 40
10 89 62 01 30 41 D2 93 4C 02 11 28 1F 42 08 02
3F 53 82 4F 08 02 0F 93 0A 20 5F 42 4C 02 4F 4F
3F F0 FF 00 8F 10 82 4F 08 02 C2 43 1C 02 30 41
B0 12 66 C2 32 D0 18 00 B2 40 0D 5A 20 01 B0 12
36 C4 B0 12 68 C6 B0 12 EC C4 B0 12 DC C5 B0 12
66 C7 F0 3F F2 F0 0F 00 29 00 F2 F0 0F 00 2E 00
F2 D0 10 00 2E 00 F2 D0 20 00 29 00 E2 D3 1A 02
B2 40 80 00 96 01 30 41 F2 C0 80 00 29 00 F2 B0
40 00 20 00 FC 2F C2 4C 6F 00 D2 B3 6D 00 FD 2F
F2 D0 80 00 29 00 30 41 7C F3 7E F3 0F 4E 0D 4C
0E 43 1C 43 0D 5D 0E 6E 0E 9F 01 28 0E 8F 0C 6C
F9 2B 30 41 F2 F0 0F 00 29 00 F2 F0 0F 00 2E 00
C2 43 1C 02 C2 43 1D 02 82 43 96 01 30 41 F2 D0
40 00 29 00 03 43 3F 40 FE 7C 3F 53 FE 2F F2 C0
40 00 29 00 30 41 3F 40 48 02 4E 43 05 3C EF 4C
00 00 1C 53 1F 53 5E 53 7E 92 F9 2B 30 41 F2 50
FC 00 25 02 C2 93 25 02 03 20 B1 C0 10 00 00 00
00 13 0F 4C 0F 5D 03 3C CC 43 00 00 1C 53 0C 9F
FB 23 30 41 30 40 88 C8 30 40 8C C8 FF 3F
@FFF2
60 C3
@FFFA
5E C8
@FFFE
40 C0
q
I have built several of these Wireless DCC Systems and very satisfied on how well they work. I have built 7 decoders and have installed them in both diesel and steam locomotives, and have 3 throttles on different frequencies. They work well with the neighborhood children as well as myself. Many thanks to Mark and Vince Buccini for providing the instruction. However I find that I need a decoder with a higher amperage; are there plans available for a higher amp system?
Great Article, I have successfully built the system and is works flawlessly. Is there a way to get the original source code used to generate the object files created for the throttle and decoder? I am a hardware/software engineer and wish to enhance the program to interface with a sound system onboard my locomotive. Thanks