Speed Steps: 14, 28, 128 Mode

In this video, George talks about speed steps. You may have heard about 14, 28, and 128 speed steps, but what does that mean and why does it matter to you? George will explain it all. Watch now to learn more!
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[@schmidtw900]

Thank you for all your wisdom videos ! I always learn stuff !

[@SoundtraxxDCC]

we are glad you find them helpful!

[@titusrider7948]

Glad you picked this topic. What's the difference between 128 and 128A Advanced ?

[@SoundtraxxDCC]

Not sure i have ever heard that terminology before. My suspicion is nothing, since they are both 128 steps, and the mode is the important thing. If you can send me an email to describe this, I'll evaluate and offer my suggestions.. [e-mail]
Thank you!!
~G

[@stuartaaron613]

Hi George, great video, as always. I recall seeing that the problem with running with CV29 set to 14 step mode in a throttle set up for 28/128 mode is that at every other speed step that the throttle is set to the headlight goes out. The headlight appears to blink as the throttle speed is increased.

[@SoundtraxxDCC]

Yessir. The F0 command is in a different part of the DCC information packet. So the 1s and 0s are misinterpreted and the light will flash on and off based on the commanded speed. So the commands must match to get the right message.
I hope this helps illustrate this better.
Thank you! ~G

[@frankhellman6879]

"roughly" 3.57%. 😆 That's like saying your shoe size is "roughly" 12.17!

[@SoundtraxxDCC]

:D

[@stevemoore3990]

How do you do this with a Digitrax DT402 throttle?

[@SoundtraxxDCC]

You will need to refer to your Digitrax manual on how to change these CVs with it.

[@FirstnameLastname-tp4zw]

I have a digitracks DT602
Quick program option is,
28 not 14 Yes or No.
Does a yes mean 128 speed step mode?

[@SoundtraxxDCC]

Please contact our Support Team for more details on this: [phone] ext.22 or [e-mail]. Thank you.

[@LeonKolenda]

So, when your running at 128 speed-steps, is that with the throttle turned up all the way or all the way down? This shit is very confusing!

[@SoundtraxxDCC]

In 128 step mode, this simply takes the range of the throttle, 0-100% and divides it up by 128 increments, making the change between speed steps smaller for more precise speed control. If we took 0-100% of the throttle and divided it up by only 28 increments, the difference between the speeds would be more dramatic, resulting in less precise speed control. The DCC system sends out these commands, based on how you set it up, to the decoder, and the decoder simply does what it is told, based on how you tell it to respond. The decoder settings are stored in the CVs, and the DCC system settings are stored in the memory through the menus. I’d recommend looking at Webinar 4 for a solid foundation of how DCC (actually) works (and not the many users on TH-cam that have never seen the engineering behind the systems) and then hopefully it will help clear some of this up. If all else fails, contact George at [e-mail] or call and we’ll take the time to help you get the understanding you need to help you better enjoy the hobby. It is not fun if it is confusing or frustrating.. We’re here to help you.

[@jamesbraxton6132]

can't wait till you guys go to 512, that will get some people minds to get confused. One digit away

[@SoundtraxxDCC]

Well, one bit away.. But this is up to the NMRA, not us per se. If the NMRA decided to offer now 512 Speed Steps, then we will adjust our decoder to comply. But honestly, internally, the decoder has 2048 speed steps between the BEMF compensation, momentum and braking rates that it follows for very precise speeds.. Even if the command is only at 128.
I hope this helps.
Thank you for watching!
~G

[@FirstnameLastname-tp4zw]

How does that feel being clever? It's genius and very rewarding ppl. You are a good friend to humanity.🎉

[@paulchamplin8953]

a real diesel is 8 steps or 12.5% increments...

[@SoundtraxxDCC]

Yes, but there are also a lot of other factors in the limited 8-notching of the Real diesel engines. On the models, we do not have a onboard electric generator diesel engine, instead we have a direct drive electric motor, so the 128 allows us to simulate the real-world physics that will affect how fast the loco actually runs.. And besides, we are not in the seat of our engine, so we cannot 'feel' how the engine is behaving, so we have to use these minute adjustments to again, simulate the physics on the real-world locos in our models. This is a factor of running our model trains.
If you want to run in 8-steps, you can do that with the Tsunami2, just the last 6 steps of 14-step mode will not do anything to the engine sounds.. Adjust these as you desire.
I hope this helps..
Thank you for watching!
~G

[@CobraChamp]

@@SoundtraxxDCC thanks George. Excellent answer!!!