While placing one of my DCC steam locomotives on the layout, it got a static shock when I accidentedly set it in one of my crossover frogs, and now it is dead. I like to see what I can do to fix it, but I’m not sure what needs replacing. Do I need to replace the motor of my engine, or the motherboard along with the DCC decoder itself? I recently replaced the old board with a new one (Decoder Buddy V5) as well as a new decoder (Soundtraxx ECO-21PNEM), and I’m unsure if it’s those components that needs replacing or the motor. Or, if they ALL need replacing.
My locomotive is an old BACHMANN HO SCALE PERE MARQUETTE #1225 BERKSHIRE - DCC ON BOARD, modified with the new motherboard and DCC decoder mentioned above.
You might have better luck getting informed responses if this was posted in the Electronics and DCC section of this Forum.
I would say that I think it is extremely unlikely that the motor was destroyed or even damaged by this “static shock” incident. It MIGHT be that the decoder was. However, I also know that it is often possible to revive what seems to be a dead-duck decoder (DDD) by reverting to factory default settings of the configuration variables (CVs). If that works, and if you programmed anything special you’d then have to start over and do it again, which is why keeping notes on each engine when programming other than the factory settings is a good idea. In any event I would not be too quick to conclude that things were destroyed and need to be replaced.
The NMRA webpages have this discussion which might be helpful
I’m with Dave, I think only thing it might have hurt or affected would be the decoder itself. It could be OK and as suggested just need a re-set. If you haven’t, maybe try reading a CV? If that reads, it might be OK.
BTW I doubt it was “static shock” since you said you placed the engine on a track frog, more likely it was a short circuit. Unlike DC layouts, DCC has a constant 14 volts or so (AC) on the track. If it’s only shorted out for a second that usually won’t fry the decoder, but if you let it sit there longer it might have wrecked it.
You’ve either scrambled the decoder’s memory, or the discharge damaged something in the decoder. ESD is devious, it can do immense damage the first time, or small, incremental amounts over an number of times.
I had a problem like this once. An 0-6-0 steam engine went over a 30-degree crossing from Atlas I had recently installed and something shorted out. This was not a derailment but rather a defect in the crossing, which I replaced with a Walthers model. I took the engine to my LHS, where the owner had a QSI decoder programmer and was able to slowly bring the engine back to life.
I actually did try to reset the decoder on my programming track, but when I tried to input the CV, it wasn’t able to read it. Heck, it wasn’t able to read any of the decoders CV numbers and inputs at all. So I don’t think factory reseting it couldn’t work.
I was able to use an altimeter to see if any voltage was going into my engine. And all the soldering pads on the decoder buddy motherboard was functioning, except for the motor pads. I think the short circuit killed those pads.
When you do a decoder reset, wait a minute and then cycle the track power. The decoder needs that to complete the process. Also, read the instructions for what you need to do for a reset, as some decoders do things differently.
The clue is in the op’s statement " I set it down on a crossover". The decoder is proubly fried do to direct short. This is why you must insolate things like the motor when installing a decoder.
It’s not unusual for some systems to not be able to read Soundtraxx decoders (at least this used to be the case, I don’t know if Soundtraxx has fixed this issue in more recent decoders or not). If your system can’t read the decoder it can still reset it (if the decoder is ok). Make sure you check the reset for your particular decoder, many use programming CV8 to 8, but not all.
The decoder buddy appears to just pass the motor connnections through, so unless the traces were actually burned up I don’t think it could kill those pads. It’s easy enough to check the traces, just check for continuity between the correct decoder socket pins and the pads.
Normally, you CAN just read the CV values in a decoder. Most DCC systems and most decoders now support that ability. Some decoders, usually sound decdoers, do have issues, and Soundtraxx is one brand known to, but with most DCC system/decoder combinations you can read the CV values.
What kind of software programs are there to read my decoders? And won’t I need some kind of connector to actually connect my decoder to said computer software?
The system I’m using is an NCE Power Cab and the connection panel that comes with it. For the programming track, I’m using an NCE 226 AUTO SW Power Cab Programming track switch panel for my separate, on a side track with insulated rail joiners. The DCC decoder thats involved in this electrical short circuit is a Soundtraxx ECO-21PNEM, installed in my Bachman HO scale Berkshire Pere Marquette 1225 model. I’m running my trains on Atlas code 100 track.
Here’s a picture of my controller and what’s happening when I’m trying to read the CVs. At least CV 8 and 30.
