I'm using an Oaktree board for output to signals and the CATS extension to JMRI. JMRI recognized and
the addressing of outputs works as described. I was able to get ABS signals going quckly and they work
fine. On moving over to CTC I discovered a consistent reproducible problem. The following is a simple
description of the scenario and the full output of the Oaktree monitor follows that. A trains moves from
West to East through the 6 blocks. I'll show the aspect of the signals protecting Blocks 2,3 & 4 as their
color order (e.g. G Y R). I’m showing the trace only for signals blocks 2,3 & 4 as that’s where the issue
lies.
Until the dispatcher clears blocks 5&6 the three signals are G Y R. Once the dispatcher clears blocks 5&6
they become G G G. Everything goes as expected until the train clears block 4 (the Westmost CTC
block). At that time, Block4's signal should stay at RED now because of CTC rules not occupancy and it
does. The panel shows the CTC segment cleared and the JRMI signal table shows it as RED as well.
However, the intermediate block signal in the preceding Block3 goes to green rather than to yellow. That
is, I see G G R where I believe it should be G Y R, just like the start of the sequence. CATS thinks the
Signal at Block3 is yellow and so does the JRMI signal head table. However the message sent to the
signal that can be seen in the Oaktree monitor window clearly shows that the head of the signal at Block3
gets a turn-green command. Here’s the full trace of the Oaktree Monitor window with some annotation.
The Oaktree monitor shows four numbers [theNode: 2 in this case, the command, Hex 11, Dec 17, set an
8 pin bank, Data binary will show which pins are set] For any pair 10 would be Green on Red off, 01
would be Red on, Green off, and 00 would be both on yielding Yellow.
Initialize
16:56:20.643: [02 11 00 01 12] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 1 [Bin 000001 Y Y R] Layout order R Y Y –
Too fast to see
16:56:20.643: [02] Ack from node 2 16:56:20.693: [02 11 00 11 02] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 11 [Bin
010001 R Y R] Layout order R Y R – too fast to see
16:56:20.713: [02] Ack from node 2 16:56:20.743: [02 11 00 12 01] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 12 [Bin
010010 R Y G] Layout order G Y R - VISIBLE
16:56:20.763: [02] Ack from node 2
Dispathcer Clears CTC Eastbound block6
[1]
Dispatcher Clears CTC Eastbound block5
16:57:21.941: [02 11 00 16 05] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 16 [Bin 010110 R R
G] Layout order G R R – to fast to see
16:57:21.961: [02] Ack from node 2
16:57:22.051: [02 11 00 2A 39] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 2a [Bin 101010 G G
G] Layout order G G G - VISIBLE
16:57:22.071: [02] Ack from node 2
Enter Block1
Enter Block2
16:57:40.968: [02 11 00 29 3A] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 29 [Bin 101001 G G
R] Layout order R G G - VISIBLE
16:57:40.978: [02] Ack from node 2
Leave Block1
Enter Block3
16:57:56.992: [02 11 00 25 36] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 25 [Bin 100101 G R
R] Layout order R R G - VISIBLE
16:57:57.012: [02] Ack from node 2
[2]
Leave Block2
16:58:01.999: [02 11 00 24 37] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 24 [Bin 100100 G R
Y] Layout order Y R G - VISIBLE
16:58:02.019: [02] Ack from node 2
Enter Block4
16:58:08.007: [02 11 00 14 07] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 14 [Bin 010100 R R
Y] Layout Order Y R R - VISIBLE
16:58:08.017: [02] Ack from node 2
Leave Block3
16:58:12.013: [02 11 00 11 02] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 11 [Bin 010001 R Y
R] Layout Order R Y R – too fast to see
16:58:12.033: [02] Ack from node 2
16:58:12.123: [02 11 00 12 01] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 12 [Bin 010010 R Y
G] Layout Order G Y R - VISIBLE
16:58:12.143: [02] Ack from node 2
Enter Block5
[3]
Leave Block4
16:58:40.033: [02 11 00 12 01] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 12 [Bin 010010 R Y
G] Layout Order G Y R – too fast to see
16:58:40.053: [02] Ack from node 2
16:58:40.174: [02 11 00 1A 09] Transmit addr=2 byte 0 data = 1a [Bin 011010 R G
G] Layout Order G G R - VISIBLE ERROR Binary should be 010010 R Y G [Layout order G Y R]
16:58:40.194: [02] Ack from node 2
Note that CATS clears the CTC block showing a clear white signal graphic and clears the green trailing
route. The signal protecting Block 4 remains red as it already was. The JMRI signal table shows the
signal at Block3 to be Yellow but it displays Green. CATS also shows the signal at Block3 to be Yellow.
The message that was sent to the Oaktree board is to make the signal at Block3 Green not Yellow
Leave Block6 & Enter Block6
My hunch is this is down in the JMRI Oaktree driver. Any help would be greatly
appreciated. Thanks
Dick Johannes
[4]