The O Gauge Railroading On-Line Forum  Hop To Forum Categories  MTH DCS and PS2    Lost Communication Between Remote & TIU
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
  Login/Join 
Posted
I have tried following the DCS troubleshooting tips from MTH website:

http://www.mth-railking.com/se...Troubleshooting.html

Does anyone know where the RF module for the remote is?

Thanks.
 
Location: Minnesota | Registered:: September 16, 2008Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Picture of Barry Broskowitz
Posted Hide Post
From The DCS O Gauge Companion, pages 140-142:

Communications Problems

If the DCS remote cannot seem to communicate with TIUs, first press Read on the DCS Remote. If the DCS Remote fails to find TIUs or PS2 engines, proceed as follows:
• First, ensure that the TIU's ID# is present in the DCS Remote. Learn the TIU's DCS ID# by turning off power to the TIU and then turning it back on again while observing the red LED. The LED will blink from 1 to 5 times before it comes on steady. The number of blinks is the TIU's ID#
• On the DCS Remote, press Menu then scroll to SYSTEM and press the thumbwheel to select it
• Scroll to TIU SETUP and press the thumbwheel to select it
• Scroll to ADD TIU and press the thumbwheel to select it;
• A list of all TIUs not currently in the DCS Remote is displayed. If the TIU ID# of the TIU is not present, the TIU is already in the DCS Remote
• If the TIU ID# of the TIU is present, scroll to it and press the thumbwheel to add it to this DCS Remote
• Turn off power to the TIU and the DCS Remote and then turn power on again
• When the DCS Remote completes its start up sequence, press the Read key and observe if the TIU is found.

If the DCS Remote still cannot find the TIU, the problem may be due to a floating transceiver board in the TIU or the DCS Remote. The process of determining if the transceiver board in the TIU or the DCS Remote has floated out of its socket is as follows:
• First, connect (tether) the DCS Remote's Programming (TIU Connection) port to the TIU's Remote Input port using a telephone handset cable
• Press the Read key on the DCS Remote
• If the message TIU ERROR appears in the DCS Remote's screen, it may be because one of the pins inside either the DCS Remote's Programming (TIU Connection) port or the TIU's Remote Input port is bent or shorted to another pin. Inspect these ports and straighten any bent pins before continuing. If the message TIU ERROR persists, the TIU or the DCS Remote may be damaged
• If the TIU is found, the problem most likely is that the transceiver board in the TIU or the DCS Remote has floated out of its socket.

Since reseating a floating transceiver board in the TIU is considerably easier than reseating the transceiver board in the DCS Remote, it's suggested to check the TIU first by proceeding as follows:
• Remove all connections to the TIU
• Turn the TIU over and remove the 6 Philips head screws that hold it together
• Turn the TIU right side up and remove the top half of the case
• Facing the channel input ports, the transceiver board is on the lower right side of the case. It will have a short black wire connected to it. This wire is the antenna
• Press down gently on the transceiver board to reseat it. Also ensure that the black wire antenna is lying flat. Do not under any circumstances lift up on the transceiver board or antenna!
• Place a piece of soft, nonconductive spongy material above the transceiver board so that it will hold the board in place when the top of the case is replaced
• Replace the cover, turn the TIU over and replace the screws
• Turn the TIU right side-up and reconnect all wires to the TIU.

Check if the problem is resolved. If not, proceed to reseat the transceiver board in the DCS Remote as follows: Opening the DCS Remote can be extremely difficult and can cause problems with the DCS Remote! You should consider having this done by an authorized MTH service center!
• Open the battery compartment door on the back of the DCS Remote and remove the batteries
• Remove the Philips head screw inside the battery compartment
• Before opening the DCS Remote's case, note that when the DCS Remote is opened, there will still be a black wire connecting the two halves of its case
• Begin to separate the two halves of the DCS Remote's case by pushing outwards from inside the battery compartment while squeezing the bottom portion of the top of the DCS Remote. This requires considerable patience, particularly when opening a DCS remote's case for the first time
• Once the bottom of the shell begins to separate, gently continue to separate the two halves of the case and open the DCS Remote like a book, taking care not to damage the wire connecting the two halves of the case
• The transceiver board is located at the top of the DCS Remote behind the LCD screen. Do not under any circumstances lift up on the transceiver board or black wire!
• Press down gently on the transceiver board to reseat it
• Place a piece of soft, nonconductive spongy material on top of the transceiver board so that it will hold the board in place when the DCS Remote is reassembled
• Carefully line up the two halves of the case and gently but firmly snap them back together
• Replace the Philips head screw, the batteries and the battery compartment door.

Check if the problem is resolved. If the problem persists, the TIU or the DCS Remote may be damaged. To determine which device is damaged, it is necessary to substitute a known, good device for the TIU and the DCS Remote, one at a time, and note if the new device can communicate with the original device. Once a device is known to be defective, it should be returned to MTH, an authorized MTH service center, or where it was purchased, so that it may be repaired.


This and a whole lot more is all in "The DCS O Gauge Companion", available for purchase as an eBook from MTH's web store site! Smile


Barry
DCS Ambassador & author of "The DCS O Gauge Companion"
Train-Ca-Teers - All For O and O For All!
 
Location: Lake Forest, Florida. USA | Registered:: April 27, 2002Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
Posted Hide Post
Yep, everything seems to work normal with the tether now attatched. Finally gave me reason to get your book printed out today. I will try and tackle the transceiver board issue this weekend.

Thanks,
Jeff.
 
Location: Minnesota | Registered:: September 16, 2008Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete MessageReport This Post
  Powered by Eve Community  
 

    The O Gauge Railroading On-Line Forum  Hop To Forum Categories  MTH DCS and PS2    Lost Communication Between Remote & TIU

OGR Publishing, Inc.
33 Sheridan Road
Poland, OH 44514
330-757-3020