I feel your pain in trying to decipher that manual. I’ve programmed / customized countless Loksound decoders using the programmer. Looking through that manual, I probably would have given up after the first one !
What you want to do is just a matter of checking a couple boxes using the programmer - so simple. Wish I could be more helpful, but I’ve gotten “dumbed down” due to the ease of not having to do those calculations by hand. The programmer really is a useful tool and well worth investing in. You’ll find yourself doing all kinds of things you wouldn’t have even attempted manually before.
For ditch light type 1 try changing CV31 to 16, CV32 to 0. This indexing will allow you to program lighting effects. Then CV 279 to 130 if you have LEDs or 2 for bulbs. Then CV287 to 131 for LED or 3 for bulbs. If this works when you blow the horn then we can work on remapping on/off to F4.
Just a word of caution if you decide to do this. There apparently was an original version of the programmer which cannot be upgraded. This is discussed as one of the FAQ topics on the Loksound website. You don’t want to get one of the old flavor that someone is trying to get rid of.
If it’s the black one, you should be ok. I’d steer clear if it’s the blue one. Another thing as well - the earlier black ones came with a cable that seemed to be a weak link. I got a free upgrade / replacement for mine (not sure if they still do that) and haven’t had a problem with any communication breakdowns since.
One last suggestion that has been discussed a lot is the power supply that comes with the programmer. It is rated at 500ma and works fine on the Select decoders and the earlier 3.5 decoders, but there was some speculation that it was inadequate for the newer 4.0 decoders that cam draw up to 1amp or more during programming. Odd thing was, that while there were a lot of people having that problem, there were equally a lot that weren’t. (?) I have had a number of errors trying to write 4.0 decoders so I bought a 5 amp laptop power supply off ebay for $10 - it plugged right into the programmer and I haven’t had a problem since.
Not true at all. There was the original blue colored programmer and the new dark grey colored programmer. The older programmer uses a different cable to your computer. they are both the same basic programmer. The major differences is in the connections and cables.
The programmer I got was one of the older blue colored ones. I replaced the serial cable with a USB and downloaded the new device driver and away it goes. I sometimes get an error message when starting the programmer that I need a Prolific USB cable but can ignore the message and keep going without trouble. Some people using Windows 7 have had troubles using the programmer and the Prolific USB cable. The latest Prolific corp. driver fixes this bug.
Interesting - thanks for that Pete. Not sure if you follow the Yahoo Group or not, but last year there was a really extensive thread going about all the errors and crashes people were having trying to program the 4.0 decoders (myself included). So, obviously, the older blue ones weren’t the actual problem as they are apparently identical internally. Ultimately, the problem is / was communication related - whether it be the cable or the computer hardware itself. Some observed significant improvement by adjusting the baud rate of their computer. MY problems disappeared with the new power supply. Some claim the problems went away due to bugs in the software that were addressed starting around the 4.3.1 version. What the real problem is / was never seemed to have gotten pin-pointed, but I tend to believe it was the software itself and has since been corrected, as the topic seems to have died off and things seem to
I think most of the issues people were having with the programmer were all self inflicted. When you suggest they update the driver they give you the deer in the headlight look. I had to walk several people through this simple task. One individual when I asked him to click on my computer he said “How can I? I don’t know where you live.” and meant it! I then asked if his wife was home to do the update. It turned out that the 14 year old son had no problem updating the driver and programming the dads loco for him. He is now another club member. All because he can use computers to run and program trains. Darn good kid at that.
I guess we sometimes forget that not everybody is on the same wave length … or at least have some kind of remote knowledge of what we are trying to convey !
One of the questions is “Can I use the new software 2.x with the old LokProgrammer 50450?”
The answer was:
'Unfortunately, no. The software for the LokProgrammer 53451 version 2.00 can not be used for the hardware version 1 (small blue or black enclosure). If you want to program LokSound V3.x decoders you need LokProgrammer 53451. With the software of this new LokProgrammer you are able to program the older LokSound2 decoders as well."
They also tell how to determine the old from the new. They say: "How can I identify the old 50450 LokProgrammer, where is the difference to the new 53451?
The answer was:
"The old LokProgrammer 50450 can be identified by the enclosure, it will be the old LokProgrammer if:
• the enclosure of the LokProgrammers is a little black module case. • the enclosure of the LokProgrammers is a little, blue module (see picture below): (you’ll have to visit the site to see the picture)
The European CE-Sign is in the right upper corner, and the web address "
A lot of people are successfully using the 53451, but I’d suggest getting the 53452. Both require a maximum power supply of 20 volts. If it doesn’t come with a power supply, a laptop supply rated for 16 or 18 volts works great and can be had for dirt cheap … and works better than the US supplied power supply.
Mine came with the Prolific cable but supposedly they don;t any more. There are drivers for the Prolific cable for Windows 7 but the Lokprogrammer software wil not load with it. I just swapped out my old Radio Shack USB to serial cable that I had on my linux box for my Locobuffer and it worked fine. The Prolific cable works fine under Linux for the Locobuffer.
Interesting side note from the JMRI forum, someone was having problems connecting to an NCE syste, with a Prolific adapter, depsite the drivers being loaded and the virtual COM port appearing when the cable us plugged in. Makes me wonder if there’s something odd about them on Windows 7 despite there being a driver.
If other CVs like the address are reading back, then programming commands are being accepted by the decoder - the problem is that direct access to the CVs is not, and those higher number ones for function remapping are not directly available. Hence the index CVs, which are really quite easy if you read what it says. They simply apply an offset to the CV number you are trying to program, not at all as complex as the QSI indexed CVs. IE< if the system cannot directly set CV300, there is an index setting that simply adds an offset of 127 or 255 to the CV number - so instead of 300 you program CV45 with the index set, which adds 255 to the CV number ot get CV300.
Thanks for posting the picture. However, you identify that as a 53450. ESU calls it a 50450. According to the ESU website, the 53450 and 53451 are identical except that the 53451 comes with a USB adapter cable.
Things would have been much easier if they had just printed the part number on the device somewhere.
I hope we did not scare away the OP. It seems we highjacked his thread and probably should have started a new one. To the OP I apologize.
I had to look at my programmer. It does not have the European CE marking on it anywhere. From what I learned from my main DCC supplier was that the original 50450 programmer was only supplied to European dealers to program the earliest sound decoders. By the time ESU set up shop in the USA they were already into the second programmer and the 3.5 version decoders. I would think that getting one of the original programmers would be a lesser chance than the Powerball jackpot. I have the version 2 software and the version 4 software in separate folders on my computer so I can program older and newer decoders.
Pete- you’re fine. I appreciate the help. I’ll probably end up with a programmer sooner or later and i will want the right version. “For ditch light type 1 try changing CV31 to 16, CV32 to 0. This indexing will allow you to program lighting effects. Then CV 279 to 130 if you have LEDs or 2 for bulbs. Then CV287 to 131 for LED or 3 for bulbs. If this works when you blow the horn then we can work on remapping on/off to F4. Just make sure that you change CV31 and 32 first. Pete” Good news and bad news. Bad the ditch lights don’t flash with the horn. However, with my select the lights need to be on in order for them to flash with the horn. I still can’t control Aux 2, so i believe i will need that on before the ditch lights will work. Good news, the aux 1 is no longer acting as a mars light like it was from the factory so something happened!
PS: I’ve had the solution for a little while, just never got around to posting it. It did NOT take 3+ weeks to get information from ESU. They were very helpful. Just wanted to make sure that was clear.
