Train Controls suite combines Raildriver Commander and Engine Commander software to provide complete control of your model railroad layout using the RailDriver CAB Console from PI Engineering.

RailDriver* hardware connects to your desktop PC using a USB device interface.  KAM’s RailDriver Commander software allows the RailDriver* unit to be installed anywhere on a local area network (or wireless network).  RailDriver Commander communicates to Train Server to control the locomotive through the DCC or non DCC (such as lionel TMCC) command station. . 

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To modify a template, select the template and configure, or select new to define a new template. You have the option to define a Engine Configuration or an Accessory Configuration. Each of these operations are described in the next section.

Creating an Engine

The Engine configuration tool is a visual tool that allows you to select the element on the RailDriver unit and define the mapping of the locomotive to that function (see figure 9).The configuration process is dependent on the locomotive decoder you are using. To check on available decoders, select the available decoders button.

Figure 10.RailDriver Locomotive Configuration Tool  

Available decoders will display the locomotive decoders that have been created in train server.These decoders are “in use”, and have a set of CV and characteristics already defined. If you configure a decoder for RailDriver that is not in the available decoder list,RailDriver commander will create that decoder based on a QSI template (functions f0 – f12), with a default speed step of 28 steps. To configure a new decoder, select the “new button.This will show the configuration template (see figure 11).To edit an existing decoder template, highlight the template, then select configure.Delete removes the template from the valid template list.

Figure 11.RailDriver Locomotive Configuration Tool

The first steps in creating a new engine template is to define the template and the locomotive address that you are using for the template. The template information is stored on the local system.To the function buttons for the RailDriver unit, select the button you wish to configure using your mouse (see figure 12), and this will display the configuration screen shown in figure 12..

Figure 12 .RailDriver Commander function buttons

The button configuration template display the locomotive address, function number, action type and sound value.You may fully configure the device to map this device to you locomotive address.If you have sound file on your PC, you may attach a sound file to the function.  The option “Send DCC Command” allows you to send this function command to the locomotive and play a sound file if the sound file field is present.  All functions in RailDriver Commander are fully configurable.

Throttle and Brake

The RailDriver Cab has four devices to control speed and direction. These are the Reverser, Throttle/Dynamic Brake, Automatic Brake and Individual brake or bleed off.These devices are located on your RailDriver (see figure 13), and are described in figure 14.The LED speedometer is set up to display percent speed.The Speed percent is based on the speed feedback from the DCC locomotive.

Figure 13 .Mapping Throttle sound files for RailDriver Commander

Note:
The Throttle/Dynamic brake only functions as a throttle for DCC devices.Since DCC locomotives do not have any braking capacity after a throttle speed is remove, this function is not implemented.The Throttle valid speed values are 0 – 100%.

Device	Throttle Operation
Reverser	Changes direction from forward to reverse.Device must be either in Neutral (off), Forward or reverse for operation
Throttle/Dynamic Brake	Throttle operations only work.There is no support for dynamic brake. The throttle works from range 0 – 100% of the speed step of the decoder
Auto Brake	The auto brake operate in thee stages, 100% on (no speed),a dn a variable brake from 100% on to 0% (release)
Independent Brake or bleed off	The individual brake operates in a brakerange of 100% (on) to 0%(off or release).The operation of the bleed off is to move the brake to the right. The bleed off will effect the speed only while the control is depressed to the right.

Figure 14. Mapping Throttle sound files for RailDriver Commander

The speed control of the RailDriver unit is a function of three devices.  The Throttle, Auto Brake and Independent Brake.The throttle sets the operations speed of the locomotive.The auto brake configures the braking speed that is applied while the loco is under operation (throttle speed is not zero).The Independent Brake provides a real time modification to slow the speed.

The best way to experience the speed control is to run your locomotive with the RailDriver CAB.To run your loco, move the auto brake to release, and set the individual brake to mid point of the range(50%).  Now run the loco with the throttle.If you want to slow the loco down, you can decrease the auto brake to a new top speed. For immediate effects, move the Independent Brake to the right and slow the train down for a desired period then release.The Raildriver CAB works best if the Locomotive is using either 28 or 128 speed steps. The default configuration is 28 speed steps.

The RailDriver CAB allows the PC sounds files to act as an input into the RailDriver unit (please see your RailDriver CAB instructions manual for hookup information).The RailDriver CAB contains a vibrator that will give you a realistic railroad operation.You can change this characteristic by changing the throttle mapping functions. Figure 15, shows the throttle sound functions that you can map. You may edit the configuration files directly using any text editor. These configuration files are located at
(<drive>/Program files/Kam Industries/ Train Tools/Program files/Engine)

Figure 15 .Mapping Throttle sound files for RailDriver Commander

Accessory Switch Configuration

The toggle switches on the RailDriver CAB controller may be mapped to your DCC layout.You may map any combination of accessory switch address to the toggle switches.KAM’s RailDriver Commander will process the switch configuration for the model railroad layout. The toggle switches are fully configurable to any decoder address.

Figure 16.RailDriver Accessory Configuration Tool

The RailDriver Commander accessory configuration tool displays the RailDriver unit, and allows you to configure the unit for operation on your model railroad.When you move your mouse over the switch controls (figure 16), the Rail driver commander software will display the last known configuration for the device.Making changes to the configuration is simple, just select the device and enter your information to configure the units (see figure 17).

The switch buttons (lower area of the RaildDiver CAB are numbered 1 – 14 for the upper switches, and 15 – 28 for the lower row.The normal operation is to use the upper row for “open” and the lower row for “closed” in sending commands to the switches.This is the default configuration that is used for the accessory switch devices.

Figure 17.  RailDriver Accessory Configuration

The switches may be configured in any manner.We recommend that you choose a model that is consistent in the operation of your layout. To make you own modification, select the device you wish to configure, and select the decoder base address (see NMRA base address mapping in this manual) of the device and mapped that device to the button you selected.Once you have selected a button, then current state of the button is displayed (figure 17).You have the ability to change the characteristics of the CAB controller by changing the information shown above.

• The buttons operate in pairs.The upper will close the switch, the lower will open the switch
  
  
• Each button has the ability to map to an individual decoder base address, and device function,

• Select “Send DCC Command” if you wan this command to be sent to the layout

• Enter the sound file that you want to play when the device is selected

After you have completed the switch definition, then select OK, and continue the above steps until all switches are defined.After the switches are defined, select closed on the main switch configuration page.  The switch configuration you selected will be maintained on the computer where you are running the RailDriver command.You may edit the configuration files directly using any text editor. The XML files are located at (<drive>/Program files/Kam Industries/ Train Tools/Program files/Accessory)  

Running Multiple Locos

If you have defined multiple engine definitions in RailDriver Commander, you may use the rocker switch next to the accessory switches to switch between loco.This will select different locomotives that you have in use and change the selection on the RailDriver unit.

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