Atlas User Manual: Diesels
with QSI Sound
14/52
13 January 2015
Decoders (Quantum, Quantum Titan, or
Quantum Titan with ET)
•
DCC function F15 to play the Grade Crossing Horn sequence (long, long, short, long), but only when the
locomotive is moving.
•
DCC function F26 to start the Fuel Loading Scenario (dialog and sounds appropriate to fueling with diesel oil),
but only when the locomotive is stopped.
•
DCC function F27 to start the Maintenance Scenario, but only when the locomotive is stopped.
•
DCC function F28 to start the Water Loading Scenario, but only when the locomotive is stopped. (For
example, this scenario might be used to generate dialog and sounds appropriate to adding water to the steam
generator in a diesel passenger locomotive.)
In order to use the above new features, you need a DCC system that supports 29 DCC functions (F0 plus F1 to F28).
Most currently-sold DCC systems do support F0 and F1 - F28. If your DCC system does not support all of these
functions, check with the manufacturer of your DCC system to see if an upgrade is available.
Other New Quantum Titan Features
Other new features of Quantum Titan sound-decoders (for both Version 8 and Version 9 firmware) include:
•
The availability of CV51.20 to set up (or turn off) automatic Horn warning signals that will be generated by the
sound-decoder including:
−
Two short Horn blasts when starting in FWD,
−
Three short Horn blasts when starting in REV,
−
One short Horn blast when coming to a stop.
•
The availability of CV6 to adjust the mid-range speed of a locomotive. (Using CV6 to set directly the mid-
range speed is an alternative to using CV25 to select a speed curve.)
•
Gradual brightening and dimming of locomotive lights when they are turned on and off.
•
Lower minimum locomotive speeds.
New Features Available with Version 9 Firmware in a Quantum Titan Sound Decoder
The major new feature in locomotives with Version 9 firmware is the use of sound records that have an approximate
16 kHz sampling rate, instead of the 8 kHz sampling rate used in firmware Versions 7 and 8. This higher sampling
rate will almost double the highest frequency sound that can be reproduced, assuming that the frequency range of the
speaker extends up to 8 kHz.
As stated earlier, in addition to a higher sampling rate, Version 9 firmware has a number of firmware enhancements
that are listed on page 2 of Reference [3] under the heading
New in DCC Reference Manual Version 5.1.0.
Only one
of these enhancements (
Added CV127.PI.SI Component Sound Volumes
) is covered (Section 4.2.9.2) in this
User
Manual
. The QSI
DCC Reference Manua
l
[3]
discusses in detail
all
of the Version 9 firmware enhancements listed on
page 2 of the DCC Reference Manual.
3 DC (Analog) Operation
Most analog features can be accessed from any variable voltage DC power pack that has a standard reversing
switch
7
. However, there are some features that can be accessed more easily from the
Quantum Engineer
or are only
accessible from the
Quantum Engineer
. See Section 3.12 for a discussion of the Quantum Engineer.
3.1 Starting the Locomotive
Most variable voltage DC power packs with a standard reversing switch are suitable for analog operation of Atlas
sound-equipped locomotives. Generally, modern electronic type power packs will provide better performance.
When operated with a standard DC power pack, your Atlas sound-equipped diesel locomotives behaves quite
differently from non-sound-equipped locomotives that you may have operated. Unlike standard DC locomotives that
start at very low track voltages, Atlas sound-equipped locomotives require a minimum amount of voltage (about 4.5
7
Some electronic power packs do not have a reverse switch. Instead they have a reverse button, which does not cause a rapid change in track
polarity to the track and is not suitable for Quantum operation. See the list of suitable power packs in the
Quantum Analog Reference Manual
[2]
.
