How to set up signals
Setting up signals is sometimes found to be a challenging task as there are many options to consider and some obstacles to overcome.
This guide will show how to address signals, explain how some of the control types work, give configuration examples and finish with a step-by-step instruction.
Addressing of signals should be done in the same way as for switches, that is either MADA, PADA or FADA is used.
Consult the Practical Guide on how to address signals.
It depends on the command station which addressing scheme(s) must be used. If possible, it is recommended to use the PADA type of addressing.
The following table is repeated for reference, cf. the Practical Guide for details.
MADA | PADA | Flat (e.g. BiDiB) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Signal Number | Address | Port | Address | Port | Address | Port | |||
1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||
2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |||
3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |||
4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | |||
5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | |||
6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | |||
2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | |||
8 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 | |||
9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 0 | |||
… |
The control type has influence on the type and sequence of commands being sent to the command station.
The standard control type is "Default" using addresses and gates for each aspect. Alternatively type "Patterns" can be used if a special sequence of commands is needed. In many cases type "Linear" is the easiest and most convenient way to control signals.
Note that
Default control uses the address and / or port fields and the gates (red or green) for each aspect. Multiple commands are issued for each aspect1). Choose patterns or the linear control type if this is not wanted or causes unwanted behaviour.
Addressing and gates as shown in the examples2). All aspects not in use should be left at address 0, port 0.
Addressing | Gates | Options | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Field | address | port | switch | invert | |
RED | 0 | 1 | not used | ✔ | ✔ / ✘ |
Use Invert option in case the aspects are interchanged.
Addressing | Gate | ||
---|---|---|---|
Field | address | port | |
RED | 0 | 1 | red |
GREEN | 0 | 1 | green |
Options Switch and Invert must not be used.
Change both gates in case the aspects are interchanged.
Addressing | Gate | ||
---|---|---|---|
Field | address | port | |
RED | 0 | 1 | red |
GREEN | 0 | 1 | green |
YELLOW | 0 | 2 | green |
Change gates for both RED and GREEN in case red and green aspects are interchanged. Change gate for YELLOW in case the yellow aspect does not work.
Addressing | Gate | ||
---|---|---|---|
Field | address | port | |
RED | 0 | 1 | red |
GREEN | 0 | 1 | green |
YELLOW | 0 | 2 | green |
WHITE | 0 | 2 | red |
Change gates for both RED and GREEN in case red and green aspects are interchanged. Change gates for both YELLOW and WHITE in case the yellow and white aspect are interchanged.
Note: Patterns can only be used with MADA or PADA addressing, FADA is not supported!
Patterns are often used with dedicated signal decoders generally affording only one command per aspect. Patters can also be used to generate custom command sequences, which are sometimes needed for mechanical signals and light signals connected to switching decoders (continuous current / relays), respectively.
On the interface tab only the addresses for RED and GREEN can be set. Other fields and the gates are not available. The gates are set on tab Details using the radio buttons of the patterns table. Generally each aspect is set by activating one gate. With the two addresses (equivalent to four gates) up to four aspects can be handled by patterns.
The abbreviations mean: R1 = 1st address, gate red. G1 = 1st address, gate green. R2 = 2nd address, gate red. G2 = 2nd address, gate green. R3 = 3rd address, gate red. G3 = 3rd address, gate green. N = not used
Note: The third address (YELLOW address) is currently only required if the Digikeijs DR4018 decoder is used to control signals with more than two aspects. In all other cases set the gates under YELLOW address to N.
It is good practice to disable all gates that are not needed for the signal by activating button N.
Addressing and gates pattern as shown in the examples3).
Addressing (Interface tab):
Addressing | ||
---|---|---|
Field | address | port |
RED | 0 | 1 |
GREEN | 0 | 0 |
Patterns (Details tab):
Aspects | RED address | GREEN address | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | G1 | N | R2 | G2 | N | ||||
RED | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
GREEN | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
YELLOW | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
WHITE | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
BLANK | ✔ | ✔ |
Change gates for both green and red in case the aspects are interchanged.
Addressing (Interface tab):
Addressing | ||
---|---|---|
Field | address | port |
RED | 0 | 1 |
GREEN | 0 | 2 |
Patterns (Details tab):
Aspects | RED address | GREEN address | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | G1 | N | R2 | G2 | N | ||||
RED | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
GREEN | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
YELLOW | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
WHITE | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
BLANK | ✔ | ✔ |
Change gates for both green and red under RED address in case the aspects are interchanged. Change gate for yellow under GREEN address in case the yellow aspect does not work.
Addressing (Interface tab): Same as in above example.
Patterns (Details tab):
Aspects | RED address | GREEN address | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | G1 | N | R2 | G2 | N | ||||
RED | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
GREEN | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
YELLOW | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
WHITE | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
BLANK | ✔ | ✔ |
In some cases a signal cannot be switched from green to yellow for example but has to follow a sequence like, e.g., green - red - yellow which the above example takes care for. Note the extra G1 for the yellow aspect.
Addressing (Interface tab): Same as in above example.
Patterns (Details tab):
Aspects | RED address | GREEN address | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | G1 | N | R2 | G2 | N | ||||
RED | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
GREEN | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
YELLOW | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
WHITE | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
BLANK | ✔ | ✔ |
If light signals are connected to switching decoders the yellow light has to be switched off (by switching over to the not connected output of the second relays) for both red and green aspects. For the yellow aspect (green + yellow lights) green and yellow have to be switched on. This example applies to German railroad signals (red or green or green + yellow) and may be adapted for other requirements by exchanging / deselecting gates.
Addressing (Interface tab):
Addressing | ||
---|---|---|
Field | address | port |
RED | 0 | 1 |
GREEN | 0 | 2 |
Patterns (Details tab):
Aspects | RED address | GREEN address | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | G1 | N | R2 | G2 | N | ||||
RED | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
GREEN | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
YELLOW | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
WHITE | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
BLANK | ✔ | ✔ |
Change gates for both green and red under RED address in case the red and green aspects are interchanged. Change gates for both yellow and white under GREEN address in case the yellow and white aspects are interchanged.
In some signal decoders, the states of two accessory addresses are used to define one signal aspect. The decoder manual then usually uses a matrix to show which combination yields which aspect. For example first address red and second address red results in signal red (Stop, Hp0, …); first address green and second address red result in signal green (Go, Hp1, …) etc. The first address corresponds to the "RED address", the second address corresponds to the "GREEN address" in the pattern configuration.
Such decoders are also easy to control with patterns. The matrix specified in the decoder instructions must be transferred to the pattern configuration.
Addressing (Interface tab):
Addressing | Remark | ||
---|---|---|---|
Field | Address | Port | |
RED | 0 | 1 | 1st Address |
GREEN | 0 | 2 | 2nd Address |
Patterns (Details tab):
(1st Address) | (2nd Address) | ||||||||
Aspects | RED address | GREEN address | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | G1 | N | R2 | G2 | N | ||||
RED | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
GREEN | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
YELLOW | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
WHITE | ✔ | ✔ | |||||||
EMPTY | ✔ | ✔ |
This example configuration has resulted from the instructions of a decoder. The information given there among other things was:
For the table above, this would mean in the simplest case: Activate R1 and R2 in line red. In line Yellow activate G1 and G2. In fact, the signal aspects were then reversed, so that in line red G1 and G2 had to be activated and in line yellow R1 and R2. In some cases, the exact configuration can therefore be determined only by trial and error.
The DR4018 switching decoder can control three- and four-aspects colour light signals if it has been programmed to do so. For details, please refer to the manufacturers manual. The matrix below corresponds to the one printed in the manual, but red and green are interchanged.
Attention: This decoder uses four(!) consecutive addresses when using the signal presets!4) |
Addressing (Interface Tab):
Addressing | Remark | ||
---|---|---|---|
Field | Address | Port | |
RED | 0 | 1 | 1st Address |
GREEN | 0 | 2 | 2nd Address |
YELLOW | 0 | 3 | 3rd Address |
Patterns (Details Tab):
(1st Address) | (2nd Address) | (3rd Address) | |||||||||||
Aspects | RED Address | GREEN Address | YELLOW Address | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | G1 | N | R2 | G2 | N | R3 | G3 | N | |||||
RED | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
GREEN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
YELLOW | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
WHITE | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
EMPTY | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
The linear control type is the easiest way to control signals. Only one base address is set. For signals with two aspects only this address is used. Signals with three and four aspects are controlled by two addresses, the second one is base address + 1. The more aspects are used, the more addresses will automatically be employed. In this way up to 32 aspects can be controlled using up to 16 consecutive addresses.
Standard signals with up to four aspects use the aspect number to assign aspects to gates. Multi aspect signals have a fixed correlation between aspects and gates.
Aspect numbers are between 0 and 3 where 0 is the first aspect and 3 is the fourth. Usually aspect 0 is red and aspect 1 is green. Yellow is either 2 or 3 depending on the decoder configuration. If yellow is aspect number 2 then white has aspect number 3 and vice versa. The aspect number for aspects not used can be left at 0 (zero).
Addressing and aspect numbers as shown in the examples5).
Addressing (Interface tab):
Addressing | ||
---|---|---|
Field | Address | Port |
RED | 0 | 1 |
Only the base address is set in the RED field for any number of aspects between 2 to 32.
Note: Further addresses are assigned automatically depending on the number of aspects. These addresses have to be available and must not be used any other device.
Aspect numbers (Details tab):
Aspect | Aspect Number |
---|---|
green | 1 |
red | 0 |
Exchange aspect numbers with each other in case the aspects are interchanged.
Aspect numbers (Details tab):
Aspect | Aspect Number |
---|---|
green | 1 |
red | 0 |
yellow | 3 |
Exchange aspect numbers for red and green with each other in case the red and green aspects are interchanged. Use 2 instead of three in case the yellow aspect does not work.
Aspect numbers (Details tab):
Aspect | Aspect Number |
---|---|
green | 1 |
red | 0 |
yellow | 3 |
white | 2 |
Exchange aspect numbers for red and green with each other in case the red and green aspects are interchanged. Exchange aspect numbers for yellow and white with each other in case the yellow and white aspects are interchanged.
Setting up a signal requires some configuration work and should be done in the order described here.
Setting up a signal obviously always starts with adding the signal to the track plan:
S_01
The general type of signal was already selected when adding the symbol to the track plan. Further characteristics are selected from the signal properties.
The Interface tab has to be selected which offers options for control and addressing.
1
0
3
or 2
2
or 3
With the command station powered on and Operate chosen from the Track Plan menu the settings are tested:
For automatic operation signals are mostly linked with blocks as described on page Block: Signals.
Signals linked with blocks are handled by the Rocrail block automatic in auto mode. The underlying logic can be customised by the following settings in the Rocrail server Automode settings (File → Rocrail Properties… → Automatic tab):
In some cases it is favourable to link signals with routes instead of blocks. For multi aspect signals (i.e. signals with more than four aspects) it is mandatory.
If a signal is to be switched by a route command, the signal has to be added to the list of commands of that route.
This is done by opening Tables → Routes… and selecting the relevant route from the Index tab.
On tab Commands the commands executed on activating the route are listed. If the route contains switches, some switch commands should be in the list already. Now, from the drop-down field ID the wanted signal is selected by it's ID. Afterwards the command that should be executed for the signal when the train departs (for instance "green") has to be selected. For standard signals the commands red, green, yellow and white are available. If the signal is a multi aspect signal, the radio button Aspect has to be selected instead and afterwards the aspect number has to be entered in the field Track number (this field is otherwise used to specify a track of a turntable, hence the name).
Once the signal and the command have been selected in this way, the command is added to the list by pressing Add.
It is recommended to move signal commands to the end of the list using the Down button since they should be executed after the switches have been set.
In order to switch the signal back when the route is cleared, a second command is necessary.
The steps on tab Commands described above have to be repeated. This time the command to be executed for the signal when the train arrives the next block has to be selected (for instance "red"). In the last step the check box At free has to be activated. Now the command can be added using the Add button. Afterwards the changes are saved by pressing Apply and the dialogue can be closed by pressing OK.