Engine Commander® Software - Professional Products for Model Railroaders

Engine Commander

Engine Commander software runs on your loco systems or across the network to access Train Server. Train Sserver controls your command station and your model railroad layout. The figure below shows a basic configuration of a typical model railroad setup. KAM software is designed to control and operate your layout.

Engine commander is an application that runs on your desktop or laptop PC. The desktop or laptop PC is connected to a layout using a command station interface. The interface is usually a serial interface or USB device. Kam software supports Microsoft current operating systems, Win CE (PC2002-03, Mobile 5.x), Win 200x, Windows XP, Vista 32/64 and .NET servers.

Using Engine Commander

Engine Commander® software is a simple to use application that allows you to run locomotives, control accessories, view sensors and program decoders. Engine Commander® runs on your local system or on a network node (in your own network or across the internet). Engine Commander uses our published network protocols to connect to your model railroad and control the layout.

All you need to do is run Train Server Manager to define your command station that you are using and what logical port that you are using. Once this is completed, then start Engine Commander and select “Connect”. It is that simple.

Train Server Manager is an interface program that talks directly to the command station usually by a serial or USB cable. The cable runs from the PC to the command station. The command station is used to control the loco and switches on the layout.

Figure 1. Main screen

Visual Throttle

After you have connected to Train Server, the Engine Commander screen will change as shown in figure 6. Power is on (power button is not red). To control an engine, enter a valid engine number, and select the engine button. Engine speed is displayed visually, with the color representing feedback from the command station.

KAM Industires - Engine Commander full feedback Train Throttle

KAM Industires - Engine Commander DCC loco address up to 9999

Figure 2. Loco speed indication

Figure 3. Selecting Engine to run

When the mouse is click-dragged up and down on the throttle, the black line will move underneath the cursor, indicating the “control speed”. This is the speed being requested by Engine Commander to Train Server.

The colors that are filled in show the actual current speed of the train reported by Train Server. Normally the colors will appear to fill up directly beneath the mouse cursor and the thick black line. Notice that in this screen shot, the feedback speed is well below the control speed.

It’s important to remember that Train Server is a multi-user application. In this case, another instance of Engine Commander changed the speed for this locomotive after it was set in this instance of Engine Commander. Our control speed set point is unchanged, but Train Server’s real-time feedback is indicating that someone else slowed the engine down.

You can change the direction of the engine by clicking on the “Forward” button. The current engine direction with also be indicated with the carat at the top of the throttle

Figure 4. Main screen

Switch Panel and Signal Display

Selecting an existing decoder (and then clicking on the button next to it) will display a window for controlling or viewing that decoder using the previously defined configuration settings. You can also add new decoders by typing in the NMRA base address for a new decoder.

When opening an accessory decoder, you can click the “Accessory” button to display it with LED lamps for each function, or in the case of an accessory controlling a branching track section, you can click the “Turnout” button to display the accessory as turnout plates .

KAM Industires - Engine Commander Visual Switch plates

Figure 5 Turnout Plates

Figure 6 Switch

Selecting an existing decoder (and then clicking on the button next to it) will display a window for controlling or viewing that decoder using the previously defined configuration settings.

When opening a sensor decoder, you can click the “Sensor” button to display it with LED lamps for each function, or in the case of a track occupancy sensor, you can click the “Signal” button to display the sensor as a 2-aspect signal post

KAM Industires - Engine Commander Visual feedback sensors for Model railroads

Figure 7 Sensors Display

Figure 8 Signal Display

The Fast Clock button in the main window will display a child window containing an analog clock. This can be used instead of wall clock (normal) time to simulate an accelerated time scale.

For example, you may want to measure the time it takes to move an engine from one station to the next in hours instead of minutes to more accurately simulate the time required in the actual railroad line the layout represents.

Engine Commander supports three different fast clock modes. These are selected using the “Options” menu in the fast clock window

KAM Industires - Engine Commander fast clock support for all DCC model railroad layouts

Figure 9 Fast Clock

Decoder Programming and Configuration

Engine Commander allows you to configure the characteristics for the decoder. Users can configure decoder to support momentary functions, rename the functions displayed on the decoder, program speed curves and CV's.

As an example, we have set the decoder type to look like a QSI decoder. This renames the “f0” functions to the correct names of the sound devices on the unit.

KAM Industires - Engine Commander Decoder configuration capabilities

Figure 10 Turnout Plates

Figure 11 Switch

Engine commander is easy to use. Try running Train Tools software on your layout today. Download the Train Tools 14 days free trial and see what everyone is talking about.

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Portions copyright © 1991 - 2008 KAM Industries. Engine Commander, Classic Panel, CDPRO, Computer Dispatcher, Computer Dispatcher Pro, Computer Dispatcher Web, Consist Commander, DCC Commander, Decoder Commander, Enginterface, IFeedback, IEngComIfc, KAM Industries, Kamind, Layout Commander, Layout Manager, LocoCe, LocoWinCe, RailDriver Commander, Route Commander, Signal Commander, "Software for the Digital Railroad", Smart Decoder, "The Conductor", Train Controls, Train Move, Train Priority, Train Server, Train Tools, "Why play with toys when you can use the Prototype", Video Speed are registered trademarks of KAM Industries. Products covered under Patent 6065406, 6270040, 6267061, 6494408, 6460467, 6676089, 6702235, 6827023, 6877699, 6909945, 7177733, 7216836, 7209812, 7216836, Ger 29923834.2, GB 2353228, CDN 2330931 and other US and international patents copyrights pending. All rights reserved All other marks are the property of their respective companies and owners.

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