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Using JMRI DecoderPro

While it is possible to use the DCC-EX API to program decoders, the recommended course of action , for anything beyond the simple examples, is to use JMRI DecoderPro for this as it provides a comprehensive yet relatively simple to use interface for all your programming needs.

In addition, DecoderPro includes code to use advanced DCC-EX functions to significantly improve speed compared with most Command Stations.

For a quick introduction, refer to JMRI DecoderPro

To make changes to your decoder settings, select the loco you wish to program, then click the Program button to launch the programming dialog.

To set basic items such as the decoder address and speed steps, use the options on the “Basic” tab

For options such as acceleration and deceleration, use the “Motor” tab, noting there is also a “Momentum” tab for more control over inertia settings

To adjust speed matching, you can update speed options on either the “Basic Speed Control” or “Speed Table” tabs, depending upon your appetite for pain and frustration

If you have a sound decoder, then adjust the appropriate settings on the “Sound” and “Sound Levels” tabs

When you’re finished editing, you need to write the changes to the decoder. To do so, there are four options:

  • Write changes on sheet - use this if you’ve only made a few changes on one tab

  • Write full sheet - use this if you’re not sure if all settings on the tab are already set or not, it will take a little longer to write

  • Write changes on all sheets - use this if you’ve made changes on multiple tabs

  • Write all sheets - use this if you want to ensure every setting on every tab is written, noting this will take some time to write

Note that this really is just scratching the surface of the capabilities of DecoderPro, and we highly recommend you read the full documentation on the JMRI website .

Even if you don’t intend to use JMRI to control your layout, it still has the best decoder programming functionality by far.