# My Zimo MX690 settings for smoke chuf



## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

I am trying to understand my MX690 decoder and settings a little better.

My loco wiring looks like this:
Pin 1.6 to Front lights
Pin 1.7 (FO2) to smoke heater 
Pin 1.10 (Low voltage 6v) to smoke fan 
Pin 1.11 to Rear light
Pin 1.14 (FO1) to Cab light
Pin 1.16 (positive track voltage for functions) returns for all lights above
Pin 2.1 Speaker +
Pin 2.2 Speaker -
Pin 2.5 (Full positive track voltage) to smoke heater
Pin 2.8 (FO10) to smoke fan 

I haven't tried these on the loco, but here are my expected settings...

(full reset).... then... 

CV60: 200 for 80% reduced voltage setting to functions
CV114: 240 apply CV60 on dimming to lights and F02 (smoke heater)
CV152: 255 do not apply CV60 dimming to FO7..FO12 (which includes smoke fan)

CV125: 52 for soft start on F0 (front lights)
CV126: 52 for soft start on F0' (rear lights)

CV127: 52 for soft start on F1 (cab light)
CV128: 72 for load dependent smoke heater output on FO2


CV265: 1 select sounds class to steam locomotive 

CV267: 70 set chuff cam frequency to default
CV133: 1 to send cam signal to FO10 (smoke fan)
CV137: 51 for a voltage of 3.0v on smoke heater at stand still (19v * 0.8 * 0.2 = 3v)*
CV138: 84 for a voltage of 5.0v on smoke heater while cruising (19v * 0.8 * 0.33 = 5v)
CV139: 118 for a voltage of 7.0v on smoke heater while accelerating (19v * 0.8 * 0.46 = 7v)

* The manual for the smoke/fan says "5v is deal for the operation of the smoke unit.. but... CV settings can be used for an output of 6V to 7V". My track voltage is 19V.

Anyone have a full dump of their settings for comparison?
Any suggestions for speed curves, acceleration, deceleration, sound configurations or key mappings?


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

If anyone has an idea on how to add a circuit to the smoke fan to do a motor brake to the fan when the output is off... I'd also be interested in that. The idea is that it'd produce better chuff effects


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Whose smoke unit are you using? 

Voltage also depends on being able to dissipate the heat from the unit, metal or plastic boiler? How is the smoke unit mounted. 

Fan normally goes at 5 volts, full track voltage will kill it. 

Zimo guys claimed they had motor braking, but I don't believe it until I see it. There's a patent on this I believe. 

Greg


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

The TrainLi from your page. 
http://www.elmassian.com/trains/dcc-battery-rc-electronics/smoke-units 
Pretty much looks like the Aristrocraft - but with no circuits on the PCB.


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

Ok tried it out. Not too bad. Chuff smoke is working. 
CV60 definitely adjusts the amount of smoke in all modes (since it's adjusting the smoke heater). 
CV152 doesn't dim the smoke fan at all. I'd like to reduce the max fan speed. I suppose this is because the smoke fan is connected to the low voltage supply? I'm considering bumping the low voltage supply down to 5.0v from the 6.5v default. 
CV355 doesn't do anything to get the smoke fan running at idle. 
F2 (3 key) button needs to be pressed to enable the smoke heater (fan is alway on). But pushing it also triggers the short horn sound.


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

I replaced the low voltage setting resistor with a 5.6k which brought the fan voltage way down to about 3.6V. It's not spinning like a top and making so much fan noise but still has plenty of go for the smoke chuff effects. If I had some way of doing fan breaking this effect would be even better. 

The sound effect volumes are low so I'm trying to adjust. I tried to adjust some CVs like 275 and 310..315 but setting these to anything other than zero triggers some kind of glitch where the loco's motor doesn't run anymore - how weird. I must have older firmware than this manual. Maybe related to my older MX1/ MX2 cab?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, do run the fan at 5 volts. I'm guessing that maybe you can get more exaggerated chuffs with more voltage, but the Aristo fan is rated at 5 volts as I understand. 

I've had weird interactions on those higher CV's and had to reset the decoder... interesting since the sound should not interfere with motor control. 

Are you programming on the main or the program track? Out of curiosity what DCC system are you programming with? 

You should hear the fan motor on the USAT smoke units... you HAVE to have the sound on to mask the fan speed... but they seem to spin up faster. 

Greg


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

Just triple checked. Yes, I'm on the programming track. When I set any of the CV275, 276, 277 to anything other than zero, the loco motor no longer works - but there is no other repercussion.

I also cannot seem to start any of the incremental programming values for sounds through CV300. Must be either firmware version or old cab related.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Can you read back the values of these CV's to verify that they were programmed correctly? 

Again, curious as to what DCC system you are using, some do not handle high numbered CV's properly. 

Greg


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

For fan control look at cv351 to 355 page 45 in the manual.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

PS, the latest firmware is 32.3. 

CV 7 and CV 65 give the firmware revision.


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

What tool do I need to update the firmware on the MX690?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

A $200 programmer... 

(don't ask me how I know) 

Greg


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

This is the old serial port programmer? That also programs sound files? 

How much to rent it?  

Anyone have one of the new ones (that takes a memory stick) not a PC computer yet?


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The newest one is good for updating the decoder firmware and the only sound files that can be loaded are .zpp to date. Latest firmware for the new programmer is .32 (just came out this week). 

On the Zimo forum they tell us how to convert sound files to .zpp.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have their serial port programmer... always did sound files and the decoder firmware. 

Is there a newer one Dan? Is it USB? 

No charge to rent my programmer, you have to come to my house though ha ha! 

Greg


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

I'm in Colorado. I often make trips to the Bay Area though. You in So Cal? 

the new programmer is not usb - strangely - just memory stick. 
http://youtu.be/gBJR_CZbskI


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg, there is a newer one the MXULF. 
It has some features now and more in the future. 

3 buttons for loads, one is the MXULF firmware currently at .32 
Next is decoder firmware currently at 32.3 
And then the sound/cv loads but presently only .zpp files. 
These are on USB sticks. 

Future capabilities will be computer USB connection 
SUSI bus connection for faster sound loading, under 1 minute VS the present 10 minute loads. 
Capability of running one engine 

The zimo site does have an english description of this zimo.at


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yep, in Sandy Eggo on coast. 

Faster loads sounds great. Restrictions in what can be loaded and fewer file types supported does not. 

I look it up and see what I can understand. 

Greg


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

any suggestions on volume cv - that actually work? 
how about idle fan speed cv?


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Volume CV is 266 and I find that going too high gives distortion. Some sound files sound OK at 128, others at 96. 

Fan CV is dependent on motor performance, I like to set a low speed for idle and i set the heater (cv137) to a low value also so all i see is a wisp. 
When accelerating, the fan speed needs to be a high value and the heater hot, cv139, but not so hot as to burn it out.


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

cv266 was 0 and setting it to other values does nothing. 

cv7 is 27 
cv65 is 15


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

What is your central station, I looked quickly and did not see it. I ask as some manufacturers can not directly address cv's above address 255. 

My MTS computer module will not, but my Zimo will.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I asked what the system was on post 7. 

My NCE can also handle CV's in the 300's and 200's


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## Cougar Rock Rail (Jan 2, 2008)

I am able to program all my Zimo 695kv cv's with my MTS3 and Massoth Navigator with no problem. 
Keith


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I think all the more modern systems can do the higher cv's... 

the first time I got a Zimo, I thought I had to use their complicated "shift" function, which is very poorly documented. I was told that my "inferior' system could not address these CV's.... by a competitor... but the NCE did fine, just punch in the cv value as normal. 

So, Massoth, NCE, and Zimo work. 

Greg


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Keith is correct in that the LGB MTSIII with the navigator does program, as it is the Navigator that is capable of higher CV programming, not the MTS by itself.


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

The DCC setup is an old MX1, MX2. I upgraded the EEPROMs to 6.12 so I could get the higher function keys and avoid shifting. Setting CV7=120 for example reports Err4, which I suppose is 1980s german code for "you don't need to shift"  I can write, power cycle and read back all the higher CVs. 200s, 300s+ 

You guys may be onto something though. Maybe my PWM fan and inability to set master volume have something to do with this ancient DCC? Or.... I have an old load in the MX690, certainly that cv7 is 27, cv65 is 15 is not the latest. Was there ever a version so old you couldn't adjust the master volume though?


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

27.15 is not that old and I believe it should work. 

Since CV7 is the firmware revision number, you can not change it but a new firmware update will change it as well as CV65. 

In order to change all CV's and read them back I have found that all functions should be off, esp smoke. And a motor must be tied in and not turning plus command station in 128 step mode. This is especially true for loading firmware.


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

Good to hear that 27.15 isn't too old. 

I mentioned writing to CV7 only to test if the old shifting registers were working - which they are not. Seemly proving that I'm ok programming high registers.

That said... are there some >255 CVs that I can read to prove that it's indeed working?


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking at the CV's above 255, they are all read/write. 

There is a new CV manual listing all zimo CV's in numerical order and many are not in the MX690 or 695 manual. 

File name is cvlistEN.pdf english version. Some features will be in the V33 firmware release.


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## Chata86 (Dec 5, 2010)

Thanks for sending the info on the new CV manual. I found it at http://www.mrsonline.net/pdf/cvlistEN.pdf 
They also have an interesting online function key mapping calculator http://www.mrsonline.net/html/nmra_function_mapping.html 

The theory of my issues being related to high CV values was interesting. 
CV266 (master volume) doesn't do anything. 
CV355 (fan speed) doesn't do anything. (new manual says version 26.8 and above, which I meet). 
However CV265 (sound type selection) has been working from the beginning. 

It must be something with the MX1, MX2. Time to visit someone that has a newer system to see if I can get a different result.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yeah, I've been skeptical that you are addressing the high order CV's from the beginning. That's why I asked early on what system you were using. 

Weird about 265... maybe your MTS system "sometimes" works, i.e. for some strange reason certain higher number cv's "get through"... I know that few systems are advertised as getting to those numbers. 

You are programming on the programming track right? Oh, the MTS system won't read back even on the programming track? Maybe that's why you cannot just see if what you wrote to a register can be read. 

Greg


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## mbendebba (Jan 22, 2011)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 28 Dec 2012 10:26 AM 
Yeah, I've been skeptical that you are addressing the high order CV's from the beginning. That's why I asked early on what system you were using. 

Weird about 265... maybe your MTS system "sometimes" works, i.e. for some strange reason certain higher number cv's "get through"... I know that few systems are advertised as getting to those numbers. 

You are programming on the programming track right? Oh, the MTS system won't read back even on the programming track? Maybe that's why you cannot just see if what you wrote to a register can be read. 

Greg 


Greg:

He is not using an MTS system. I am under the impression, and someone can correct me if I am wrong, that he is using a Zimo system and not an old one at that. 

I expected things to go more smoothly for him since he is trying to program a Zimo decoder using a Zimo system.

Mohammed
http://www.massothusa.com/


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

The MX2 is very old and could be the problem, (Only does 12 functions I believe) newer hand held is the MX21 and this unit does 20 functions (I use this one all the time and have no issues with addressing any register), and latest is the MX32. 

Latest MX2 firmware update was April 2004


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