Light Mode and Sound Mode

WOWSound Operational Modes

Question: I hooked up my lights on my WOWSound decoder but I cannot turn them on. What gives?

NOTE: If you are looking for assistance or advice on wiring your locomotive, see our help article: Support - Lighting

NOTE: If you are looking for assistance or advice on programming lighting effects for your locomotive, see our documentation for Lighting Effects

WOWSound decoders have two operational modes: Light Mode and Sound Mode. Whenever a WOWSound decoder powers up, it will default to Sound Mode. In order to access your light functions beyond F0, you must enter Light Mode. (Unless otherwise user-configured.) Keep in mind that a TCS decoder will save the ON/OFF state of the lighting functions through power cycles, meaning it is unlikely that you will need to turn them back on between sessions or power-on-resets.

To toggle operational modes, you must press Button 8 on your controller twice in rapid succession. You will hear an announcement from Audio Assist® announcing the active mode. In order to change back, just press button 8 twice again. If you switch too fast, however, the decoder may register 4 presses and enter the Audio Assist® program.

In sound mode, you can use buttons 0-28 to control sound functions. In Light Mode, you can use buttons 0-12 to control lighting functions. Both modes can be remapped using Audio Assist® or CV programming, but you should refer to your decoder literature for the default mappings. By default, Light Mode buttons will correspond directly to their numbered function output unless otherwise programmed. For more information and guidance on how to remap lighting functions, please refer to our help article on the subject: Support - Lighting

By default, ONLY function 0 will respond to commands in both Sound Mode and Light Mode. In order to use any other function button in both modes, that button must be "dual-enabled" using CV programming. For assistance on CV programming function buttons into dual-mode, visit the Guided Programmer for your decoder type:

Programming Tools

Question: Function 2 doesn't work?

Most likely, lighting Function 2 of your decoder is working. Some command stations and throttles (such as Digitrax) set Button 2 as a momentary function (not latching). You can confirm this by holding the button down to see if your light remains on.

Okay so how do I fix that?

The simple solution is to remap your light to another button. Otherwise, the instruction manual for your throttle or command station should tell you how to change the momentary function to a latching one.

To learn more and see a demonstration of Light Mode and Sound Mode, check out our video on WOWSound Operational Modes:

Dual Enabling Functions

Since some throttles have a limited number of physical function buttons, TCS created "Light Mode" and "Sound Mode" for our WOWSound decoders. This feature allows the user to control many more functions while using the same limited number of buttons. Sound and Light functions can overlap and use the same numbered buttons using this method of operation. While in Light Mode function buttons will control lights, while in Sound Mode the function buttons will control sounds.

The Dual Function feature of WOWSound decoders offers a theoretical 12 additional functions exclusively for lights, in addition to the 28 sound functions. Unlike other decoders, where it is necessary to selectively choose which buttons you need to sacrifice for light functions, the WOWSound Dual Function feature offers a no-compromise solution to throttle control for lights and sounds.

Principle Of Operation

To switch between the modes, press the Audio Assist Button (default is F8) twice in rapid succession and the decoder will announce the mode you are now in. To switch back to the other mode, press the Audio Assist button twice in rapid succession again.

Function Pagination

Some decoders offer additional function pages (if enabled) in addition to Light Mode and Sound Mode - "Function Page 2" and "Function Page 3". This makes it easy to access all 28 functions and all lighting effects on throttles with limited function access by adding an offset to the pressed function button.

On Function Page 2, an offset of +10 is added, meaning pushing F0 is the same as pressing F10, F1 becomes F11, and so on. On Function Page 3, F0 becomes F20, F1 is F21 ... F8 is F28. This feature is useful for command stations that don't support extended functions, such as the Bachmann EZ Command, as it allows users to access all functions even if the command station can't actually send a DCC packet for that function.

NOTE: If a function packet higher then 9 (Button 13 for example) is sent while on a higher function page (2 or 3) the number button pressed will not have an offset. Ergo, Buttons 10-28 always activate Functions 10-28 regardless of the active function page.

Configuration Options and CV's

Dual Enabling Buttons

There are sometimes where you may want both a sound and a light to respond together with a single button press such as pressing F2 to blow the horn and blink the ditch lights, in this case you need the function to be "dual enabled." To dual enable a function button on a WOWSound decoder, you need to configure the Dual Enabled Functions indexed CV 4:14.

1. Begin by programming CV 201 to a value of 4
2. Program CV 202 to a value of 14
3. Use the table below - Select the button(s) to dual enable and program the values into CV 203 and CV 204 accordingly.

TCS Indexed CV 4:14 - "Dual Enabled Functions"

CV204 (Button 0 through Button 6)										CV 203 (Button 7 through Button 12)
Button	0F	0R	1	2	3	4	5	6		Button	7	8	9	10	11	12
Value	1	2	4	8	16	32	64	128		Value	1	2	4	8	16	32

NOTE: In Version 5 decoders, this process was simplified using individual CV's to configure the dual enabled functions from 0 through 28, rather than indexed CV's.

Audible Feedback

The audible feedback for function pagination can be disabled if desired. To do this, you must clear Bit 5 of Indexed CV 4:19, "Sound Options."

Related:

• Light Mode and Sound Mode