Tsunami2 Digital Sound Decoder. Diesel Manual - part 20

Troubleshooting

Tsunami2 Diesel User’s Guide

Troubleshooting

Sorting Out Decoder Difficulties

If you have any difficulties operating your Tsunami2 Digital Sound Decoder, refer to this section
first before doing anything else. We find that most problems are caused by errant CV values
and can be easily corrected. We suggest you perform your diagnostics with the decoder on the
programming track. If you are unable to locate the CV that is causing the problem, try resetting
the CV values back to their defaults. Refer to “Resetting CVs and Starting Over” in the
“Introduction to Programming” section for more information.

The locomotive was running, but isn’t anymore

  The decoder’s address has been accidentally changed.
  CV 19 (Consist Address) has been inadvertently set.
  CV 29 (Configuration Data 1) has been programmed to select other address.
  CV 3 (Baseline Acceleration Rate) and/or CV 4 (Baseline Deceleration Rate) have been

set to values that are too high.

 Broken motor wire or track pickup wire.

Tip:

Check the decoder’s pilot light to confirm that track power is present.

The locomo

tive isn’t running, and never has

 Refer to the information above.
 The decoder has been wired incorrectly.

The locomotive is running, but isn’t producing sound

  The mute function (F8 by default) is turned on.
  Another function has been remapped to the mute function.
  Volume control CVs (CVs 128-160) have been set to zero.
  The speaker wire is broken.
  The speaker needs to be replaced.

The locomotive is running in a consist, but without sound and lighting

 The consist functions are disabled. Refer to “Consist Function Enable” under the section

“Configuring for Advanced Consist Operation” to set functions for consist operation.

The lights are alternating on and off as speed steps are changed

 The decoder is set to 14 speed-step mode, while the command station is set to 28 or

128 speed-step mode.

The lights aren’t working

 Refer to default function assignments to ensure that the correct button on your throttle is

being pressed to activate the effect output.

  The function mapping CVs have been improperly configured.
  CV 64 (Master Brightness) has been set to a value of 0.
  Lightbulbs or LEDs are burned-out.
  If using 1.5 volt micro-bulbs, the resistor value is too large.
  The lamp wires are broken.

Troubleshooting

Tsunami2 Diesel User’s Guide

The locomotive is sitting and both headlights are flashing

 Refer to the following section, “Error Codes.”

Sound works for a while, and then stops working

 The amplifier is overheating. Lower the volume and verify that properly rated speakers

are installed.

 The decoder is overheating. Check for short circuit conditions in the track pick-up wires.
 The speaker is damaged. Replace speaker.

A “crackly” sound is coming from the speaker

 The volume has been set too high for the speaker to successfully reproduce the audio

signal.

  The speaker is not baffled properly.
  The speaker wire is loose.
  The speaker is damaged. Replace speaker.

The decoder cannot be programmed

 The incorrect address is selected or the address is unknown while programming on the

main in Operations Mode. Move the model to a dedicated programming track and use
Service Mode programming to read and write CVs.

 A PowerPax™ programing track booster is being used in-line with your command

station’s programming track output. Remove this non-compliant device from the
programming track output to allow for reading and writing of all CVs.

 All CVs are locked. Refer to “Locking and Unlocking CVs” in the “Introduction to

Programming” section for more information regarding unlocking CVs.

Troubleshooting Tip: If the above trouble shooting steps have proven to be unsuccessful in
resolving your issue, we recommend that you remove the decoder from the model and test its
functionality with a decoder tester or separate motor/speaker/lights. This will help to isolate
which component (locomotive, speaker, lights, motor, decoder, etc.) could be causing the issue.

Diagnostic Lamps

There is one blue and one red LED mounted on the circuit board that act as diagnostic
indicators and that may help you identify and resolve problems.

Pilot Light
The blue pilot light indicates that the decoder is receiving power. If this light is not illuminated, it
may indicate an improperly wired decoder. It could also indicate a loose wire, poor track
pickups, no output from the command station, or another wiring problem on your layout.

Fault Light
When the decoder encounters a fault, the red fault light and all installed lighting will flash an
allotted number of times to report an error code. The number of times the light flashes
corresponds to a specific error.

Note:

The fault light is connected in series with the decoder’s FX6 output (F27 by default) and

will illuminate in a steady “on” state when that function is on. This is not an error code but can
be used to check for proper operation of the fault light on a decoder.

Troubleshooting

Tsunami2 Diesel User’s Guide

Error Codes

Error codes indicate problems that are easily solved. The decoder’s error codes are shown
below for reference.

Error 10: Over-Voltage Fault
Voltage is monitored during normal operation to automatically deactivate sound and motor
processes when voltage exceeds the decoder’s voltage limit. Settings resume when the voltage
is reduced to within limits and will vary between decoder models.

Note:

The decoder’s absolute maximum voltage input varies with decoder model, generally

between 22 and 27 volts!

Refer to the decoder’s packaging for actual voltage limits as

exceeding these limits may cause permanent damage to the decoder.

Error 12: Motor Overload Fault
The motor current is monitored during normal operation to automatically deactivate motor
processes when the current exceeds the decoder’s rating. Power is returned to the motor after
100ms. The motor remains inactive if current-overload persists.

Error 16: CV Reset
This code indicates that a CV reset has occurred and all settings have been reset to default.

Additional Error Codes
Although rare, the decoder may also report the following error codes, which cannot be remedied
by the user and require factory repair:

Error 5: EEROM Checksum Failure
Error 6: EEROM Data Integrity Failure

If you’re still having difficulties, please contact our customer service department:

SoundTraxx Customer Support Center

141 Burnett Drive

Durango, CO 81301, USA

Phone: (970) 259-0690

Email: support@soundtraxx.com

Monday-Friday, from 9am to 5:30pm (Mountain Time).

Appendix A: Decimal-Hex-Binary Conversions

Tsunami2 Diesel User’s Guide

Appendix A: Decimal-Hex-Binary Conversions

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