CAN'T DOWNLOAD FILES INTO A PS2 UPGRADE BOARD

Sometimes the loader program has a problem determining whether loco is 5-volt or 3-volt.  When it errs, only thing to do is power down the TIU and try again, and again, and......

What am I doing wrong?

 Probably nothing... Do you have a good track signal ?

I would reset the TIU   . Why?   I think part of the sound file gets written to the tiu first and then on  to the engine. If the download fails part of the file is still written in the tiu.

A tiu reset clears this out and everything else. (record playback etc)

 Whether it works this way or not it can't hurt much.

What version of the loader are you using?

Blank screen is normal, since you can't load serial data unless an ASC.  You add the temporary name.  Does it work other wise?  Was it trying to load 9 or 10 segments?  G

The new board whistle & bell sounds... I'm guessing this is the test signals and not part of the sound file?

Gregg posted:

The new board whistle & bell sounds... I'm guessing this is the test signals and not part of the sound file?

Yes, its the test signals.  

GGG posted:

Blank screen is normal, since you can't load serial data unless an ASC.  You add the temporary name.  Does it work other wise?  Was it trying to load 9 or 10 segments?  G

Not sure about segments.  It would get to about 7% and sector 8 and would hang up there.  Left it run once for an hour hoping it would resolve but it never did.  

Maybe try a different battery...

You do not need the battery for loading.  This must be a 2 meg board at segment 8 and only 7%.  That is the point the loading slows down as opposed to those first few.  I would make sure you have a good signal strength.  Let the board sit for a day, and go back and try again.  Maybe use a DC power pack if you have one.   G

Whether you need a battery or not I'd try another one anyway.  Very   early  versions of the  software   required  a good battery   else it might  hang up.

We don't know what version of the loader is in use.

Yes version 5 doesn't seem to care about a battery.

 Some even use alligator clips attached directly to the engine, but that's can be a little risky if clip lets go or touches something it shouldn't.

GGG posted:

You do not need the battery for loading.  This must be a 2 meg board at segment 8 and only 7%.  That is the point the loading slows down as opposed to those first few.  I would make sure you have a good signal strength.  Let the board sit for a day, and go back and try again.  Maybe use a DC power pack if you have one.   G

Changed battery, changed transformer changed TIU and even stuck a lighted caboose on the test track to try to boost the signal.  now it says its a 1mb file and a 1mb board.  getting stuck at 12% on sector 4.  I have an old DC transformer I can try, is + red and - black if I go that route (all the way through the TIU to the Track)?

PJ posted:

GGG posted:

You do not need the battery for loading.  This must be a 2 meg board at segment 8 and only 7%.  That is the point the loading slows down as opposed to those first few.  I would make sure you have a good signal strength.  Let the board sit for a day, and go back and try again.  Maybe use a DC power pack if you have one.   G

Changed battery, changed transformer changed TIU and even stuck a lighted caboose on the test track to try to boost the signal.  now it says its a 1mb file and a 1mb board.  getting stuck at 12% on sector 4.  I have an old DC transformer I can try, is + red and - black if I go that route (all the way through the TIU to the Track)?

forgot to tell you the total sector number is 10.

Gregg posted:

Whether you need a battery or not I'd try another one anyway.  Very   early  versions of the  software   required  a good battery   else it might  hang up.

We don't know what version of the loader is in use.

Yes version 5 doesn't seem to care about a battery.

 Some even use alligator clips attached directly to the engine, but that's can be a little risky if clip lets go or touches something it shouldn't.

 

 

using version 5 with Windows 10  that's one thing different from the last engine I updated

PJ, I have a loco was was reluctant to accept a sound file, even though the signal was 10.  I finally got it to load by removing loco from track and laid it on its side or upsidee down, turning off power to all TIU inputs save one, disconnecting wires from outputs on that one channel, attaching a jumper cable with alligator clips from that channel's black output to the loco frame, and another from the red to the pickup rollers (this can be tricky, as you have to keep the clip from touching the frame).  Then did the load successfully.  I'm not saying this will solve your problem, but it's worth the try.

Be sure to power down the TIU completely after each unsuccessful try, no matter what method you are using to download sound file.  Make sure it is not being powered either though AUX or FIXED 1---if you try to unpower it by pulling plug from AUX while power is being applied to FIXED 1, it won't power down.  Probably likewise if a USB cable is connected to the TIU.

I'm using  Version  5 with Windows XP and a var channel set to fixed with  a radio shack aux power supply to turn the tiu on..  I don't know much about computers but sometimes my computer goes to sleep  so I keep moving the mouse every now & then... 

It might not hurt to try another channel. The download doesn't have to be fixed 1. Only the engine receiving the file should be on the track.    Yours should be  working  especially if you can get to sector  8.   good luck.

At one time the loader would do a factory reset on one of the last steps . I suppose to lock in the new sound file.

 Version 5 ..   I recently installed   a new sound  file   in a engine with a transplanted board.  T he loader  said " complete"  however  some of the softkeys I knew were in the file were missing.    SXS  was one of them. A factory reset restored the missing soft-keys.

RJR posted:

PJ, I have a loco was was reluctant to accept a sound file, even though the signal was 10.  I finally got it to load by removing loco from track and laid it on its side or upsidee down, turning off power to all TIU inputs save one, disconnecting wires from outputs on that one channel, attaching a jumper cable with alligator clips from that channel's black output to the loco frame, and another from the red to the pickup rollers (this can be tricky, as you have to keep the clip from touching the frame).  Then did the load successfully.  I'm not saying this will solve your problem, but it's worth the try.

 

Be sure to power down the TIU completely after each unsuccessful try, no matter what method you are using to download sound file.  Make sure it is not being powered either though AUX or FIXED 1---if you try to unpower it by pulling plug from AUX while power is being applied to FIXED 1, it won't power down.  Probably likewise if a USB cable is connected to the TIU.

OK Tried the jumpers direct to the engine pick up roller and the frame, got as far as 12% and Sector 4 and it stalled out.  Will try the DC version next.  It seems like it gets hung erasing a sector.  Is there any way to force erase sectors before loading files so it would only have to load files?

Sorry that didn't work.  If you're near someone with DCS, maybe worth trying it on their equipment????

Did you try a tiu reset?

Gregg posted:

Did you try a tiu reset?

Yes, I reset TIU (forgot to mention that) and even tried a different TIU. The interesting thing is some of the files have loaded. When I add the engine to the remote it comes up and smoke works some of the sounds (not horn or bell) work, and it will go forward backward and lights seems to work.  

Weird for sure.... I'm guessing you tried a factory engine reset?

Tried DC and got the same as before sector 4 stall at 12%, (out of 10 sectors).  Factory reset on both engine and TIU direct connect to engine roller and frame with alligator clips   Strange thing is when I started this it was a 2 meg board and a 2 meg file now it's a 1 meg board with a 1 meg file.  Is it worth loading a file that I've previously used to rule out file corruption?  I never had this much trouble before v5 of the loader program!

I would select a 3V 1Meg file and see if it loads.  Are you sure this is a 2Meg board?  Trying to load only 10 sectors is what happens with 1Meg boards.  2Megs load more sectors depending on the sound file.  G

It's weird with the other TIU it said it was a 2 meg board ad the sad file I'm using said it was a 2 meg file now it is saying 1 meg for both.  Do u think the is a chance it's a bad board?  Is there any way to check it?

GGG posted:

I would select a 3V 1Meg file and see if it loads.  Are you sure this is a 2Meg board?  Trying to load only 10 sectors is what happens with 1Meg boards.  2Megs load more sectors depending on the sound file.  G

I believe the very  early kits were 1 MG.  Maybe that's what you have. I'm not sure how you tell the difference just looking at the board.

Sharpe on memory chip is 2Meg.  Yes can be a bad board.  You can provide to some one else to load, the other thing, have you tried a different power supply board?  I had a bad power supply board (drooping 5V voltage) that would not allow processors to load.  G