OK, I recently started having this weird issue with my yard switches. When I first turn on the NCE PHP my yard switches are getting triggered, the PECO selenoid switch machines. They seem to be just 4 of them that are all on the same DS64 that are the only ones that are triggering. This only happens when I first power on the system. Most times it happens is when the system has been turned off overnight. If I power off, then power back on right away, it doesn’t do this.
This is really driving me nuts! What could be causing this? Is it the DS64 thats wacked out? Or is something weird with the NCE system? I don’t think it’s a wiring issue, because they work just fine being controlled by the throttle.
I have another DS64 that I have not installed yet, (I’m still laying track on my new layout), that I guess I could replace it with.
On page 12 of the instructions option switch 06 will throw all switches to the default setting of thrown at power up. Try setting 06 to closed so the switches will not move until they get a command to do so. That happened to my DS64 on my module, so I changed that option switch to stop it from happening.
I was ready to remove it and take it back to the LHS.
The really weird thing is, that option is supposed to be on by default, and I have 4 other DS64s that don’t do this. Also wondering why digitrax would even have that on by default, I mean who wants all their switches thrown at startup? WTF?
If you were running an automated display layout you’d probably want everything reset to a known default state when first powering up. Or if you were driving crossing gates instead of turnouts - raise the gates on power up so if there really isn’t a train there anymoreit doesn’t look silly, but then when you start everything, if a train IS occupying the detection block it can lower the gates. Lots of scenarios where a reset to known position instead of just staying where it last was might come in handy. This has always been the philosophy of the DS64 and the DS54 before it - if someone can think of it, it’s in there. Use or don’t use whatever features and options there are as to fit whatever your needs happen to be.
All good points, now I understand more. As you were saying about the crossing gates, and when I was reading the manual today, I didn’t even know you could control crossing gates, that is awesome!