# QSI TITAN Programing issue



## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Hi, I was adjusting some settings on the QSI Titan in my AML K4 using the Quantum Upgrade programer and right at 99% I got an error message, error 1, now I can no longer talk to the decoder and the Loco is dead.

I removed power from track and waited a couple of minutes and hooked everything up again and when I go to retrieve Locomotive information, using the Quantum Upgrader, it gets to 40% and then says unable to retrieve manufacturer id, error 1.

I tried using the reed switch and magnet to reset it ( ja1 pin 6/ja2 pin 7) no help, cv reset was no help either.

Is there anyway to save this decoder or did I brick it?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

40% is shown before anything works... It's misleading.

Sometimes shortening the wires to the decoder, ensuring there are no loads, or plain old removing the decoder from the loco and then connecting it will do the trick.

What are the volts and amps of your power supply (to the programmer).

Greg


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

This is the power supply, it's the one that came with the programer.

I tried putting another engine on the programming track and using the programmer and everything worked fine.

The card is in the tender, which is wired for pickup, if I remove all the leads from the card except the set of track pickups from the tender would that work, if so and I'm still unable to talk to the decoder, is it toast?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, they upgraded that early on, when it was found to be insufficient.

Get a better supply:





QSI Programmer H/W & S/W


Greg Elmassian web site on large scale trains and garden railroads, cigars, and computers




elmassian.com





Rather that re-type all the information I have on my site, please read it.

Just changing the power supply may do it, do that first.

Greg


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Could you direct me to a better power supply, I don't want to burn it up using the wrong one, thanks.

I swapped in another titan board and the loco works fine, except for the smoke which I'm going to have to look for the setting I used, been years since I did it. 

I think I'm going to get a Zimo one since per your page it will handle the aml k4s motor better, the qsi just doesn't perform well at slow speeds it seems.

Thanks


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

On the power supply, try for 15 volts and 800 ma or above. (DC of course)

More current is ok as long as you don't try running the loco from the programmer (yes it can be done from CVManager).

Regulated best, it's the variation in supply voltage that messes up programming (and unregulated supplies are just that).

Greg

p.s. you can have the QSI work just fine, you need to set BEMF parameters, default ones are not great.


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

How's this for a power supply, regulated 15v 1000ma. 
https://a.co/d/6uONkIZ 

I read your section on the AML K4 QSI install and was under the impression that you didn't like it, and had little luck with setting up the BEMF. If you got it working well after the fact could you share your settings for the BEMF PIDs ect. My other AML has a Zimo decoder that Axel/(Dan P) installed and it's smooth as silk.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I got it to work better, but my 2 K4's are are sitting until I can find a better geared pittman motor. The motor is a nightmare electrically and the ratio is all wrong, the pulling power is terrible.

Stock, I would not use the QSI though, the PID tuning still cannot overcome the motor issues, i.e it's probably not worth the amount of time to fine tune it with the current gearing.

Power supply looks good, but be sure to test it for voltage fluctuations. Sometimes they are not as advertised.

Greg


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Ok Greg the new power supply arrived and it makes a huge difference, everything is working much better, confidence test works every time now, I haven't tried hooking up the other board yet to see if I can talk to it now though.

I was able to set up everything the way I wanted except for the pulsing smoke. I can turn on the fan and heater individually ( I'm using quantum cv manager as I'm not as versed in index programing as you are) using the Firebox flicker and rear cab light outputs, but can't seem to find the correct output to turn both on at the same time, F12 doesn't do it because I mapped a different function to it and don't remember what it was before, what was the name of the feature that controls both?

Here's a pic of my current layout, f1 through f10, smoke works fine now individually, but having both controlled by 1 function key would free up another key for another sound.

Thanks, Ron


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Well Zimo decoder I'm looking for is OOS everywhere so I'm going to have to use the QSI for now. Could you share the PID settings that worked best for you, also do you think that increasing the starting voltage would help?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have quite a number of pages on my web site, over 750... and many on the QSI, so I am encouraging you to read all this stuff I put a fair amount of effort into to write up.






QSI Programming Tips


Greg Elmassian web site on large scale trains and garden railroads, cigars, and computers




elmassian.com





You really want to do the tuning steps on that page.

The more effort you put in, the better the loco will run.

Greg


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Ok was just looking for a starting point since you had a titan in same loco, also do you remember the output name for turning on both smoke and fan on together, see above post.
Thanks


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

It's not that simple, you really need to do the basic tuning first, i.e. tune up the car before changing the engine computer.

You need the basics first, and CV2 is one of the basics. Also, setting CV5 is important, setting it to a prototype top speed makes sense.

Have you looked into the various operating modes of the QSI? There are several and you will want the one that gives you the most BEMF "influence", and you need to read about these first.

There's no silver bullet that is better than doing it in the proper order, and these basics of CV2, 5, 6, etc. are for all locos.

Greg


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

BodsRailRoad said:


> Ok was just looking for a starting point since you had a titan in same loco, also do you remember the output name for turning on both smoke and fan on together, see above post.
> Thanks


Nm found it by going to new titan file. The output name to turn fan and heater on at same time is "Multiple lights 3"


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Another question is there anyway that the quantum CV manager program can be upgraded to include the titan boards so it can show all the titan features like you see when using quantum upgrade, the special sounds don't show up in drop down menus like the do when using the upgrade program, it would be nice to play with individual sound feature without having to upgrade entire project like when using quantum upgrade.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I guess you still are not reading my site... part of what you are asking is on the page linked before.

You are probably using the wrong versions to best program your titan.

But I don't know what "special sounds" means

CVManager also does not play sounds like Quantum Upgrade, you do it differently.

Greg


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

I did read that section and am running the last versions of both quantum upgrade and cv manager that were available in 2016, qu 3.1 and cv 31.07, on an old land lock windows 7 laptop that I use just for programming the qsi boards. 

I seen the part about finding older versions and all that but I don't want to take the chance that I'll screw it up and be dead in the water, everything works fine save a few cv's so I'm just going to stick with that.

I figured out the whole smoke thing again, been 4 years since I modded my Pacific's and Mallet's so forgot how I did it and they work great now.

Here is a pic of all the Qsi software and titan sound files I have and the date I downloaded them, to your knowledge were there any newer ones made?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

You know, you ask a lot of detailed questions, and ask about features, and then say:

"I seen the part about finding older versions and all that but I don't want to take the chance that I'll screw it up and be dead in the water, everything works fine save a few cv's so I'm just going to stick with that. "  -- that sort of threw me for a loop. You want the features, but kick back at changing versions.

If I knew a guy who clearly "gets" QSI better than I, I would simply ask "hey can I screw things up by loading a different version?".... (answer is no), and my web site text gives you an explanation. I just don't quite get it, I'm happy to help, and I think I write pretty clearly.
(hint: you should keep versions of ALL your install files and the update files if you need to reinstall in any case, and I have them for the asking)

Anyway, back to the sound files: You should also indicate in their names whether they are ET or Q2FX or Q2... The Q2 normally don't work on the Titan, the Q2FX files are q2 files "ported" to the titan, and the q3 files are the "emulator technology" that take even more advantage of the Titan ASIC.

you have 4 1101 files, I have 6
you I have 3 3101 files, I have 6
you have 1 4101 file, I have one.

But you don't have any 1132, 1134, 1136, 1138, 1141, 1143, 116, 1149, and so on... (I got tired of typing)

So I would recommend you break them down to the 3 file types, and then if you want something I might have it.

The ET steam files are where you can really shine, but again, it will take some playing with CVs, and you should get better software versions as I recommend. "out of the box" the ET steam files need changing, this is just about when Josh went out of business.

remember, I am happy to help, just ask.

Greg


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

The file names are as they downloaded I didn't change anything.
I only downloaded the files for the engines I have.

I downloaded them from the QSI titan sound file section from Josh's site in December of 2018 I think, so I'm pretty sure they are titan.
I think that's the version number at the end, do you have any newer versions?

I guess I can give it a shot do you have those files I need for the CV manager or Quantum Upgrade, I looked around online with no luck, could you email me them? I'll msg you my email.


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## BodsRailRoad (Jul 26, 2008)

Greg Elmassian said:


> But I don't know what "special sounds" means
> 
> 
> Greg


I'm referring to the maintenance, fuel loading, water loading ECT sound choices, the quantum upgrade program has them selectable in the drop down menu next to the function button choice in the output section.

They are not present in my version on cv manager, are they in the ones that have the engineering menu, 3.0.0.1 - 3.0.0.18?

Here's a pic of CV manager output tab and selectable function/sounds available.








And here the same menu but in Quantum upgrade cut and paste sounds section output tab, it lists all the selectable special sound features in the titan sound file.


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