Is my new Digitrax DCS52 dead on arrival?

Model Railroader Electronics and DCC
1

I’ve had a DCS51 for years, never had any issues with it, and after upgrading my main layout to an EVO, I use the older Zephyr as a portable command station for train shows. When I set up a secondary layout, I didn’t want to tie up the older DCS51, so I picked up a new DCS52.

Only thing is, it seems to be malfunctioning. I put a known working loco on the tracks, go to select the loco in the Zephyr, and all I get is a busy notice. No other throttles are connected to the DCS52, so there’s nothing on Loconet which should indicate the engine is being used by anything else.

I can take an engine and put it onto the programming track, and seem to be able to read and write CVs just fine, change the address, etc. As a test, I changed the address on the loco, exited programming and put it on the mainline, entered the address in the DCS52 and it seems to work… except the engine wouldn’t move or any of its functions happen. In fact, pressing 0 for lights seemed to send the whole thing into a chaos, and the address goes light gray and starts flashing. If I’m lucky, I can press the engine button and reselect 03 (no engine on the tracks by the generic number), and disconnect track power, but sometimes the Zephyr seems to lock up and stops responding to all button presses. Occassionally, if I try to switch back to engine address 03, I’ll enter 03 but the display will briefly flash a different number like 1100, then go back to 03. Hit the loco key again and it seems to properly select that address.

I’ve triple checked my track wiring, which hasn’t changed at all except to unplug the Rail A and B leads from the DCS51’s plug strip and plug them into the new DCS52 power strip. I’ve tried a factory reset by closing option switch 40 to no affect.

I do have one loco left which had never been set up and still functions on address 03. I’m going to see if that runs, but I’m not holding my breath.

Any thoughts on what might be going on? Or should I

2

Are you familiar enough with computer setups to attempt to install updated firmware for your DCS 52? I’ve done it with several of my Digitrax throttles, command stations and Loconet devices.

https://www.digitrax.com/media/apps/software/download/22/Digitrax_Firmware_Update_Instructions_2.pdf

The download page has all the utilities you need.

https://www.digitrax.com/downloads/

If at first the firmware update doesn’t seem to load properly, try it again. This might correct what you’re seeing on your DCS 52. When you first power the unit I believe it should show the current firmware date on the screen. I’ve heard there were some issues that the latest firmware [Jan 23, 2023] will correct.

Good Luck, Ed

3

Thanks Ed, that’s a good suggestion. I’ve never updated any of Digitrax firmware so it never crossed my mind, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to try that first. And if it’s only half as problematic as, say, updating DJI’s drone firmware, it should go smooth as silk in comparison.

-Jason

UPDATE: I plugged in my Zephyr and can confirm it had the slightly older firmware from December 2022. By some amazing coincidence of timing, DCCTRAIN happened to upload a YT video yesterday showing how to update the firmware on the Zephyr for the exact same reason of bizarre behavior when 4-digit addresses are entered (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL14bI0qT-s, for anyone else having this same issue). Seems pretty straight forward. I have a PR4 on order now, should have it by the end of the week to attempt the update.

4

If I’m not mistaken the DCS 52 already has a USB port on it and you should be able to connect directly to a computer that has the Digitrax Sound Loader utility program, plus your updated firmware files downloaded to it.

Look in the manual in section 13, pg. 28.

https://www.digitrax.com/media/apps/products/starter-sets/dcs52/documents/DCS52_rev.1.pdf

Good Luck, Ed

5

Indeed it does; but my older DCS51 and my DCS 210 from the EVO Advanced package from a few years ago don’t and I’ve been meaning to pick up a PR4 for a while anyway. Plus, I don’t have any USB type A to USB type B cables kicking around, so I’d have needed to buy something anyway. I have one of those coming too, though (EDIT: as in, one comes with the PR4); who knows, I may resurrect an older laptop I have sitting around taking up space to run as a dedicated JMRI link on the layout with the DCS52. That layout doesn’t really need anything so sophisticated, but if nothing else it should make speed matching locos a bit easier.

6

Yes, good call.

My DCS 240 has USB ‘support’ but there are certain times it doesn’t seem to cooperate fully. I have gone through the install firmware process and using the DCS 240 it wouldn’t work.

I would then connect the PR3 I have on hand and everything would go very well.

Always good to have a fallback plan. I’ve been using Decoder Pro and JMRI for years. There are some good utilities for monitoring Loconet included and these are excellent troubleshooting tools.

https://www.jmri.org/help/en/html/hardware/loconet/LocoNetTools.shtml

Regards, Ed

7

2nd UPDATE:

On a whim, I unboxed my work’s printer, which ended up having a USB A/USB B cable. I did the update, easy enough. A quick test at the workbench seems to confirm that either 2-digit or 4-digit addresses now work as expected. I still have to re-hook up the DCS52 to my main panel with the LnWi to test if Engine Driver now works as expected too, but I suspect my issue is now resolved.

Thanks for the help!