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Reply to "Legacy/TMCC question"

Originally Posted by chuck:

Legacy controller supports three modes, CAB-1, TMCC, and Legacy.  You can run any Legacy loco in any of these modes.  You can run a TMCC equipped loco in CAB-1 or TMCC.  

 

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TMCC and Legacy use "absolute speed steps".  CAB-1 uses relative.  This is why TMCC loco's run better with the CAB-2/Legacy base than the do with the CAB-1/TMCC base.  This is also why Odyssey 1 loco's behave better under CAB-2/Legacy than they do under the CAB-1/TMCC command base.  Please note that this is an issue with the CAB-1 and not TMCC per se.  An original TMCC command base can generate absolute speed commands but the CAB-1 can't.  You need a computer program that sends commands down the serial data line to get a TMCC loco to use absolute speed steps with the original Command Base. * * * *

 

Chuck,

 

Thanks for pointing that out. I had noticed the different terms "TMCC" and "Cab 1" while scanning through the Legacy material someone posted and wondered about the difference.

 

For those of us interested in maximizing performance of TMCC engines, do I understand correctly that DCS similarly controls TMCC locomotives with absolute speed steps, at least in the 32-step mode? I run my EOB-equipped Atlas models this way, and find they perform better in TMCC lash ups in DCS, provided I use the 32-step mode. With the 128-step mode, I am more likely to have one get out of sync. I like the idea of 128-step mode, but don't use it for that reason. I thought I had read that 128-step mode is also a relative speed step mode, which might explain why some engines seemingly "miss" steps. Perhaps related, using DCS, one can use the "Quick set" speed command to send a speed command in 32-step mode (a good way to run EOB engines in sync), but not 128 step mode. I've assumed (but don't know for sure) that this reflects the fact 32-step mode involves absolute speed steps, but not 128 mode.

 

I've wondered if it would be worth my while to buy Legacy to control my Atlas engines, but if the advantage is absolute speed step control in 32-step mode, perhaps DCS already gives me that.

 

RM

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