Accessory decoder programming (Dynamis)

[Eric23]

Hi, back in 2008 I had my DCC layout running well, but sadly I had to move house and the track had to be junked. I kept all the trains and electronic parts in storage.
Anyway a few days ago I got some used track and set up a simple loop layout to have a play. The trains seem to be working but I am unable to get the Hornby point decoders to respond.
I have the Bachmann Dynamis controller and back on the original layout the Hornby point decoders worked, but now they don't seem to respond to anything.
I would assume they would keep their memory of the address they were programmed with at the time, as my trains did. I can't remember the addresses of the two accessory decoders, but I would assume I would have had them as 1 and 2.
I proceeded to cycle through all 100 addresses and no response. I have tried reprogramming the addresses on the service track from the controller, but I have no idea if I'm doing it right.
In order to change the address do I have to know the current address to be able to change it? I thought programming on the service track forces all decoders present to be programmed regardless of their address?
I found the manual for the point decoder and saw that setting cv8 to 8 would reset the decoder. I tried and sadly the default address of 1 still does nothing. Sadly my controller can't read cv's as I don't have the pro box.

I find it hard to imagine two accessory decoders would die in storage and that the issue is me not knowing what I'm doing. Would anybody know how to troubleshoot this?

Many Thanks

[RAF96]

Try connecting them direct to the Dynamis, missing out the track connection.
It is presumed these are R8247 acc decoders and not the older R8216 which had to have their internal CDUs 'primed' by connecting to the main track to charge them up, else the inrush would swamp the programming pulse.
Setting the address means setting the module with the group address, not the port address, thus module 1 is group 1 ports 1-4, module 2 is group 2 ports 5-8, etc.
It is also presumed that the Dynamis doesn't have any special acc addressing requirements, e.g. Hornby Select has to have acc addresses range ports 61-99, thus starting group 16, et seq.

[Eric23]

Try connecting them direct to the Dynamis, missing out the track connection.
It is presumed these are R8247 acc decoders and not the older R8216 which had to have their internal CDUs 'primed' by connecting to the main track to charge them up, else the inrush would swamp the programming pulse.
Setting the address means setting the module with the group address, not the port address, thus module 1 is group 1 ports 1-4, module 2 is group 2 ports 5-8, etc.
It is also presumed that the Dynamis doesn't have any special acc addressing requirements, e.g. Hornby Select has to have acc addresses range ports 61-99, thus starting group 16, et seq.

Thanks for the reply, it is the older R8216. The circuit board inside says "Accessory Module V1.0"
I could only find the manual for the R8247. I saw a post somewhere that the R8216 was incorrectly numbered and should have been R8247. I guess this was bad info. Searching the Hornby site for R8216 returns no manual, but seems to point to the R8247 manual, so maybe it has some truth?

I have measured the voltage on the 4 large caps in the module and they are all sitting at 13.7 volts.

The only thing connected to the track output is the R8216.

I have tried programming the address on the main track but no matter what address I pick the program button is unresponsive. I assume that is because on the main track you have to have the correct address selected before it will let you change it to another one?

If i program on the service track then it allows me to program an address, and confirms that programming is in progress. Sadly the point motor doesn't respond when toggling the switch afterwards.

I programmed it to address 1 and 1-4 operate nothing, I tried programming it as address 2 and 5-8 also do nothing.

It seems both of them are dead, which I hope is not the case as they were working fine when I packed them away. The circuit boards look in great condition with no corrosion, leaky caps or evidence of blown components.

I had tried setting CV8 to value 8 as per the R8247 manual but I don't think this did anything, but as this is not the R8216 manual I guess the CV values may be different.

I don't fancy spending £100 on two new ones, for whats on the circuit boards I think £15 is about what they are worth in reality.

[RAF96]

The wrongly labelled ones were date code 50/07 from memory.
Looking thru' my files I found this - note the comment about Reg mode programming only.

Point Decoder R8216 PD…

• The R8216 has 4 output ports.. Each port or channel has a fixed duration pulsed output suitable for driving solenoid point motor.

• The R8216 can only be programmed in REG mode

• The R8216 does not support interrogation (read back.)

The 3 connections per channel are labelled + , - and C.. Please note that the actual pulsed or continuous voltage appearing at either of the + or – outputs is actually negative (12V) going relative the C (common) connection.

Point/Accessory Group and Address plan when used with SELECT version 1.1 onwards and ELITE.
Group Number Allocated # Range Group Number Allocated # Range Group Number Allocated # Range
1 1-4 22 85-88 43 169-172
2 5-8 23 89-92 44 173-176
3 9-12 24 93-96 45 177-180
4 13-16 25 97-100 46 181-184
5 17-20 26 101-104 47 185-188
6 21-24 27 105-108 48 189-192
7 25-28 28 109-112 49 193-196
8 29-32 29 113-116 50 197-200
9 33-36 30 117-120 51 201-204
10 37-40 31 121-124 52 205-208
11 41-44 32 125-128 53 209-212
12 45-48 33 129-132 54 213-216
13 49-52 34 133-136 55 217-220
14 53-56 35 137-140 56 221-224
15 57-60 36 141-144 57 225-228
16 61-64 37 145-148 58 229-232
17 65-68 38 149-152 59 233-236
18 69-72 39 153-156 60 237-240
19 73-76 40 157-160 61 241-244
20 77-80 41 161-164 62 245-248
21 81-84 42 165-168 63 249-252

Apologies the table does not show in post formatted like it does in the editor. The group addresses 1 to 63 with their associated channel addresses alongside in 3 columns.

[Eric23]

The wrongly labelled ones were date code 50/07 from memory.
Looking thru' my files I found this - note the comment about Reg mode programming only.

Thanks again for the reply

The date code on mine is 05/07 did you mean that and not 50/07?

I'm not sure what REG mode is as the Bachmann Dynamis has no such method as far as I'm aware. I guess its Honby's equivalent of either service track programming or main track programming?

The Dynamis can program on the main track or the service track. There are no extra wires to go to the service track, so when programming on the service track you have to remove all decoders you don't want to modify. If programming on the main track the decoder address in question has to be selected and only decoders with that address will respond to changes.

The accessory decoder menu also has programming on the main or service track. When trying to program the address on the service track it states that its programming, but the points do not respond to the group numbers associated with the address. Programming on the main track gives no indication of any programming happening and again no response from the point motors.

Strangely I managed to get a click out of the point motor if i select a nonresistant loco, then change its address on the service track. Sadly the accessory decoder still doesn't respond on that address either.

I can only assume it had to be programmed on the main track and as such I would need to know what addresses they were was set to in order to be able to change them.
I would assume I would have set them to address 1 and 2.

As they have not been powered since around 2011 I can only guess they have forgotten the address and have reverted to something random that is unknowable.

The Dynamis can only select addresses 1-100 and I ran through each and every one on both units. As such they are basically unrecoverable as I can't select the address they are on.

I bit the bullet and ordered two new R8247 Version 2.0 and they worked without any issues. They seem to need programming on the main track as trying to change the address on the service track did nothing. Thus leading me to think the old ones would also be programmed on the main track too and that they have lost their memory of their addresses and so can no longer be programmed.

Maybe the old ones can be reset somehow without knowing their address, but the new ones have more features that I will have fun playing around with. I'm keen to try the channel grouping feature to change several points from one address, and I have two empty channels that can be repurposed to operate lights or other things.

Thanks again.

[RAF96]

Reg mode is an older method of programming where data is written to 1 of 8 registers, rather than CVs. Google DC~c Register mode programming for details.
If your Dynamis has a single output then it could be switched to main to pre-charge the acc decoder capacitors, then switched to service track mode for addressing.
My answer to a reluctant but serviceable R8216 was to leave it on group 1 address and set my R8247s to subsequent addresses. Since then I tried to update it to R8247 firmware standard which bricked it, so it was bottom drawered for spares.

Edit: - it would appear your Dynamis does support Reg mode programming, ref the famous manual, then go to page 19 not 18.

[Eric23]

I have never had to use Register Mode before when using anything in the past. I didn't even know it was a thing. I just poked about in the system menu and I think I can see where I can change it from CV to REG mode.

I think the two R8216's of mine are relegated as scrap. I simply can't program them as I don't have access to the address they think they are on. They might be able to be saved if I knew enough, and had some other programming tools. Maybe if I had the Hornby dcc controller they could be revived.

The two new R8247's I picked up are working and will hopefully continue working. I will be cautious about leaving them in storage for 14 years though.

[RAF96]

The 8216s will program in Reg mode. Register 1 is the address slot, same as CV1. Make one value 1 and the other value 2. They should then respond to acc addresses 1 to 4 and 5 to 8 from the Dynamis in normal track command use.