User Reviews QSI G Aristo Sound and Power Decoder

by Dave Megeath

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Dave form California has taken the time to share his observations on the new G scale DC/DCC PnP sound and power decoder. There are two sections to Dave's review:

1. Installation and operations with detailed pictures
2. Decoder Pro programming data for those interested - click here (PDF only)

QSI Solutions’ Plug'n'Play Aristo "G" Scale DC/DCC Decoder
Review by Dave Megeath, Fair Oaks, California

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Introduction

As a die-hard fan of DCC operations in HO scale, I have taken on the challenge of applying DCC (through the rails) in the Garden Railroading world we call “G” scale. Think of it as 3 times bigger than HO (of course there are various scales of reduction in G scale ranging from about 1:22.5 to 1:32). The version 7 release of QSI, HO decoder firmware really impressed me, and I could just imagine the same feature sets arriving in my own 1:29 world ... the QSI Solutions, “Aristo” P n P just in time for a new Santa Fe E-8 locomotive that arrived this summer.

DCC control with sound, packaged in a single decoder, has been pretty much unavailable until this time. QSI Solutions has first come out with a P n P decoder targeted at the Aristo-Craft line of diesel locomotives. Aristo-Craft is notable for their low-amperage draw motor blocks so a decoder rated at ~ 3.5 Amps capacity is safe. QSI Solutions has also released the “Magnum” a Universal G sacle based on the Atisto decoder platform. Other brands of locomotives are known to draw a much higher amperage, so use caution and do a stall-current test to make sure you are not going outside the amperage limit parameters of the decoder.

Install,Test and Program

Experience has taught me the extra step taken to first test and program your new decoder on a test-fixture will save the frustration later on that sometimes occurs when you install the decoder. My test fixture is home-made, providing bi-color LEDs (light emitting diodes) for motor control output and F0 (forward) and F0 (reverse) lights, as well as an 8 Ohm speaker so I can hear the sound output.

QSI Solutions has an adaptor that can be used as plug-in tester for the Aristo board. It is the adaptor board used for the “Magnum” Universal G decoder.

Another suggestion – read the instructions. And if you do not have the full technical reference for the QSI version 7 firmware, trust me, you will want to at least have it downloaded and available on your computer. QSI Solutions has the document in PDF located here: Q1a DCC Ref Manual v4.0.2 The manual is 253 pages in length – don’t be thrown off by the HO reference – the programming information appears to apply equally to the G Scale decoders.

Decoder Programming

The programming of the decoder can be accomplished by following the manual provided with the decoder.

The following section is based on my personal preference using a personal computer with hardware and software that allows the use of a graphical user interface to manipulate the seemingly hundreds of parameters in these decoders.

Using the shareware “Decoder Pro” software (JMRI Project) version 1.8, I was able to connect to the decoder. Hardware for programming consisted of a Digitrax “Zephyr” command station with its programming outputs connected to a PowerPax DCC Programming Booster.

The computer is connected via a serial port to a LocoBuffer II – note that this is an older unit and the current technology is a LocoBuffer-USB. The fun begins once you have the pieces connected together and the software up and running.

Decoder Pro does not yet have the profile built for these new decoders (as expected for a new decoder on the market) – but using the QSI Industries “Diesel Version 7” will lead you to the right place. After selecting the correct decoder click on “Open Programmer” and the world of QSI firmware opens up for you.

Assuming you are using Decoder Pro, first step is to download the entire memory map of the decoder (“Read All Sheets”) and save this file after the download has completed. I suggest changing the decoder address to prove you have connectivity with the decoder through your DCC command station – write the address and read it back out to verify.

Testing

Back to the installation process – once you have the decoder up on a test fixture experiment with different parameter settings in the software. For most modelers, a quick test of functionality and setting up of the decoder address (usually the engine number) is all that you need to do. You have proven that the decoder works out of the box and that you can program an address into the unit. So far, ‘no smoke escaped from the electronics’. Old joke – if you let the smoke out of electronics the darned stuff just quits working. Our goal – keep the smoke inside the components.

After you complete the mechanical installation you can go back and program and tweak the parameters.

Mechanical Installation

Plug ‘N Play worked as advertised! Seven screws hold the E-8 shell to the chassis – once removed the shell can be tipped over on its side to reveal the control board that sits under the steam boiler hatch on the rear. Note the ‘dummy plug’ in the right-hand socket.

Without cutting any wires or making any solder joints
the decoder was installed in a matter of minutes. Remove the dummy plug ...

... and insert the QSI Solutions board.

Photo shows the board ‘face-up’. Note that one set of header pins is longer than the other,
matching the sockets on the control board.
Flip the board over and plug into the receiving sockets on the control board.

One of the cables provided by QSI Solutions is a connector for the speaker. Here you seen the decoder now plugged into the sockets of the control board and the speaker cable from the decoder is about to be plugged into the socket on the control board.

Final item to plug in is the reed switch that is also supplied with the decoder. Waving a magnet over the reed switch toggles an input to the decoder. Two functions are supported by the ‘magnetic wand’ – reset the decoder to factory defaults and volume control. More information is in the QSI manual, pages 222-224.

Completed installation showing the reed switch taped to the inside of the shell. Next step is to place the shell back on the chassis and do a quick test under DCC power to make sure everything fires up as expected.

So this install was Unplug (dummy plug) – plug (decoder) – plug (speaker cable) – plug (reed switch) – and then PLAY! It all works and I had the neighbor’s dog barking until 11 PM at night (you HAVE to blow the horn for forward and reverse changes of direction and for grade crossings, right?

Operation and Tweaking

If you are not familiar with the latest QSI firmware you have a lot to learn. Once again, get that technical reference document out and start looking at the topics. Pay particular attention to “Locomotive Operation in DCC”, pages 11-23. This will get you started, and in my case, the dogs wake up and start barking. Another section to focus on is the QSI Throttle Mode. Note the default setting is for Regulated Throttle Control. This is a unique (and very impressive) feature to QSI. Quoting the manual...

Regulated Throttle Control (RTC) combines the best of both Standard Throttle Control and Speed Control. The locomotive still uses speed control circuitry to maintain the locomotive’s speed but the speed is allowed to increase or decrease slowly in response to loading. When the locomotive encounters an uphill grade, it decreases speed slowly in response to the extra loading. If a locomotive encounters a tight curve or if it has to climb a bad track joint at low speed, it passes through or over these obstacles with little change in speed, just like the prototype. In RTC as in standard throttle control (STC), the speed step is a requested power setting, but in RTC the locomotive acts like it weighs thousands of pounds in response to changing loads or layout conditions.

This “intrinsic mass” is not the same as the inertia settings specified in CV 3, CV 4, CV 23, and CV 24, where the locomotive responds to throttle increases and decreases slowly over time. Even with these CV’s set to large values, in STC the locomotive would still stop suddenly if it encountered a minor obstacle at slow speeds since there is no Inertial Control circuitry to maintain its motion.

RTC provides an advantage when operating Consists. If the locomotives in a consist are slightly mismatched in speed and experience unequal loading, the RTC firmware in each locomotive responds to automatically equalize the loading.

RTC applies a little more power to the locomotive that tends to run slightly slower, and applies a little less power to the locomotive that tends to run slightly faster. As a result, all the locomotives in the consist tend to work together rather than fight each other.

The first adjustments I made were to the master sound volume followed by the individual sound effect levels. You will want to play with this so that everything is balanced to your ear ... running outdoors versus indoors will affect the final values.

One of the many nice tweaks is the ability to have function F8 mute all sound as a percentage – meaning you do not have to completely kill the sound; for example, you can run it at 15%, slightly audible. This is a great solution to those late night runs outside with sound that make the neighbors’ dogs bark.

Summary

The QSI Solutions "Aristo"decoder installed without a hitch and performed flawlessly. The throttle control modes, sound effects and lighting effects all come together in one package – try one, you will be amazed.

The decoder also supports many (not all) sound effects in an analog system – one of these days I will have to bundle up my Santa Fe passenger cars and E-8 and head off to a friend’s analog track powered garden railroad. I have also provided a PDF printout from Decoder Pro showing the 3rd revision to the decoder programming – take a look at this and it will give you an idea of the flexibility provided by the QSI firmware.