WOWDiesel V5 Beta Testing - First Round

Welcome

Welcome to the TCS WOWDiesel Version 5 closed beta test first round. Thank you for volunteering to try out this new product and provide feedback to engineering team as we try continue to refine the greatest sound decoder on the market.

This page will detail the features that should be specifically tested as well as any specific procedures the product developers would like to perform.

The fun part of this process is obviously running trains and trying out new features, but equally important for us in this process is ensuring our documentation is complete, accurate, and informative. To that end there are a few tests we will ask you to do below without pointing you directly to the information you will need. Our goal there will be assessing the quality and simplicity of this new documentation Wiki which we are committing to for all our documentation going forward.

What Changed?

Between Version 4 and Version 5 of the WOWDiesel decoder we have drastically changed the hardware of our WOWSound decoder line. The transition from V4 to V5 means there are fewer chips on each decoder, but more functionality packed into that space. To achieve this we had to rewrite much of the decoder software to function on the new chips. Most of the effects of that change should be invisible to you (as they should "just work" like before), but that is why we need testers to try everything.

Lighting Effects Generators

In all TCS decoders prior to Version 5 WOWSound the lighting effects (like Constant Bright, Constant Dim, Mars Light, Ditch Lights) were built into the decoder with little or no customization. This is no longer the case. The new lighting effects cover all the same effects you are used to from V4 and before, but they are now being created with totally customizable lighting effect generators. This means you can modify the default effects anyway you like or create brand new effects from scratch!

4-CV Programming

I know, I know, everyone's favorite topic, but we have good news that should help things be a bit simpler. As of version 5 CV's 201, 202, 203, and 204 will no longer be used for indexed CV programming. TCS has officially adopted the NMRA standard for indexed CV's and the new Version 5 decoder are the first WOWSound to support it. This means that instead of using CV's 201 and 202 to access an indexed CV and then values in 203, 204 to program values we will be using CV 31 and 32 to select the indexed CV and then the actual CV number (which is greater than 256) to access the value for reading and writing.

Reprogramming and Sound Loading

As of Version 5 all of the WOWSound decoder will be able to have their software and sounds replaced by the user. Using a simple desktop application you will be able to remove the SD card from your decoder, plug it into a PC, and update the software with patches provided by us. This is an incredibly exciting change for two reasons: First, should a software bug be found we can fix that for our you without requiring the decoders be sent back. Secondarily, this is the ground work needed to make sound files customizable. With this change (and a little more development) you will be able to load different sound sets onto your decoder.

DC Mode Support

This one is pretty straight forward: WOWSound decoders now make prototypical sounds on DC. While you won't be able to trigger any of the sounds manually, you will still hear the prototypical notching or chuffing sounds with Proto-Notch™ . @TODO: confirm what all other customization there is with DC mode. Can we trigger whistle blows for start and stop? Can we set the bell to autoplay at start of motion and taper off while in motion?

Short Circuit Protection

We've all burned up our share of decoders, and while the Goof-Proof warranty does get us back on the rails that downtime can be frustrating. To alleviate some failures we have implemented a robust short circuit protection that should protect a WOWSound decoder from short circuits. Try it! Power up your decoder on DCC and short the one of the motor or lighting leads to the track. Pretty neat right? Hopefully we don't all get too much use out of this one, but it'll be great to have when it's needed.

New CV's and Programming Features

@TODOTODOTODOTODO

How to Test?

1. Start by installing the beta test decoder you received into a locomotive. It should be a simple plug-and-play replacement of a Version 4 decoder if you already have one of them installed.
2. Just PLAY. To get an initial feel for the decoder run it like you would a Version 4 decoder. Do some switching operations, a couple of loops around your main line, maybe check in with the yardmaster, etc. Just normal operation and running to make sure there aren't any surprises on your layout.
3. Calibrate your Decoder: You may want to do this before you start playing, but this is an important step to insure you are seeing the greatest dynamic range of sound and motion.
4. Consisting: Try consisting your Version 5 beta testing locomotive with a Version 4 decoder. Can you speed match easily? (Motor Trim, 3-Point Speed Curve, etc.) Do they both respond to all the commands sent to the consist? How did you setup your consist (manually with CV 19 or through consist builder in your command station?)
5. Lighting Effects: Try each type ( for instance you Don't need to try each "Constant Dim" generator, just one of that type will work), and see how the performance is. Do they flicker? Do they accurately represent the prototype feature they are mimicking? Do they resemble the effects from Version 4?
6. Modify a Lighting Effect: Using this Wiki as your guide, try to modify a lighting effect until you can easily tell that your change has occurred. Was it simple to find the information on how to do this?