UWT-100 Release Notes

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Instructions for Updating WiFi-enabled Throttles

NOTE: Before getting started it is recommended that you first power up the throttle normally, then observe the battery level before starting the update process. If your indicator shows less than 25% remaining, replace your batteries as a precaution. If the device you are updating loses power while performing the update, you will need to start over.

Connecting to WiFi

Devices such as the UWT-50, UWT-100, and CS-105 feature on-board WiFi. These WiFi-enabled devices can be updated wirelessly using TCS depot and a PC. Before updating, you need to get the computer and the device connected over WiFi. These steps below will guide you through that process.

You may skip this section and proceed to the Installing The Update IF...

1. You have already performed this setup before
2. Your device is already connected to the same WiFi as the computer being used to update the device
3. You use the same WiFi for your trains and your computer

Option 1: Using An Available WiFi Network

If this is the first time you are updating your device, complete the normal booting process so that you can add a new WiFi connection. Make sure your computer is ON and connected to a network with WiFi - this could be your home WiFi for example.

How to Add a Network to Universal WiFi Throttles (UWT):

1. Open the Menu [≡] and select "6 Network Options"
2. Select "3 Add Network" from the list of options
3. Select "1 Scan For WiFi"
4. From the list, select the WiFi name that is the same as what your computer is connected to.
5. If necessary, you will be prompted to enter the password.
6. Once the throttle has successfully connected to the network, power down the throttle
7. Proceed to the next section for instructions on updating.

Option 2: Using Access Point Mode

To eliminate the complexities of multiple WiFi networks, and make your updating process a little more streamlined, you can use the built-in WiFi of the device and connect your PC directly. To do this, the device needs to be put into a special mode so that it can broadcast its own WiFi - Access Point Mode.

Entering Access Point Mode on a UWT:

1. Wake up your UWT by holding any button for two seconds. DO NOT press button 2 to finish the startup.
2. Press Button 7 to enter the Bootloader for updating the firmware
3. Press Button 8 to enter Access Point Mode
4. Connect your PC to the WiFi network created by the throttle. The name will be "tcs_thr_xxxx" ("xxxx" is the serial number of the throttle.) If prompted to enter a password, the default password is "123456789"​ WARNING: If you are using Access Point Mode from your device, changing the network connection of your PC may interrupt your connection to the internet. Unless your computer also has a wired connection, launch Depot first so that any new firmware files are downloaded before severing the connection.
5. Proceed to the next section for instructions on updating.

Installing The Update

These instructions will guide you through the process using TCS Depot to install the firmware update. Before getting started, make sure your computer is connected to the internet when you launch TCS Depot. If there are new firmware files available, they will be downloaded automatically.

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NOTE: If you are normally using LNWI/MRC-WiFi/WifiTrax devices, it is recommended to power them down. TCS WiFi throttles and devices will always try to reconnect to networks it knows, starting with the most recent successful connection. If you are not using the same WiFi to update your device as you do to run your layout, you need to power these other WiFi sources down or manually connect the UWT to the correct WiFi network in the normal operating mode before powering it down again for updating.

Follow These Steps To Update Your WiFi-enabled Device:

1. Launch TCS Depot
2. Click the "Scan For Devices" Button
3. Follow the instructions on the screen. Once you complete each step, click the "Next" button [Image] [Image]
4. If your device was detected as the pictures show below, you could skip to step 6 and instead press the button for the device that was found. If you have to click connect manually, proceed with step 5. [Image]
5. Depot will give you an error (as shown below) if no devices were detected. It will then prompt you to select which device you would like to update. Enter the IP Address of the device to be updated, then click "Connect" Note: On any UWT, the WiFi name and IP Address are shown on the screen. In Access Point Mode, the IP address is always 10.0.0.1 [Image] [Image]
6. You will be presented with an option to "Select a file to update your throttle" Depot will automatically select the newest file for your device. If for some reason you want to load an older version, you can click the file name to display a list of all of the options for the connected device. [Image] [Image]
7. Click the button to begin the updating process. The UWT will blink the flashlight LED's as the update progresses. Once the update is complete, Depot will confirm the success. [Image] [Image]

Click the Back button to return to the main menu if you want to continue updating more devices.

If you encounter issues during the updating process, follow these troubleshooting steps before contacting TCS technical support:

1. Ensure your throttle is connected to the same network as the computer you will be using to update it.
2. Ensure that WiFi is turned ON if you are using a Laptop, WiFi dongle, or PC with integrated WiFi.
3. Ensure you have downloaded and installed the most recent version of Depot (Current Version is 2.1.0)
4. Ensure the computer you are using is not running a WiThrottle server or OpenMRN/LCC hub.
5. Verify that the WiFi name displayed on the throttle screen in Bootloader Mode is the same as the WiFi name that your computer is connected to.
6. Ensure that TCS Depot has permission to pass through the firewall on your computer (Windows Defender, etc.)
7. If you are running an add-on or additional antivirus software program on your computer, you may need to disable it temporarily.

If you are having connectivity problems between your UWT-100 and Depot, perform the following steps in order:

1. Reboot your throttle (press 9 while in Bootloader Mode to exit into standard operation mode. Power Down again, then reboot into the Bootloader Mode again). Restart Depot and start over.
2. Make sure that Windows User Account Control does not have a window open in the background asking for permission to allow Depot through the Firewall (Windows Defender).

Note: If you use JMRI to run your railroad and have an LCC and/or WiThrottle server running, stop the server(s) or Quit JMRI before updating any devices using Depot

Release 3.4

Release 3.4 makes the following changes and improvements to the UWT-100:

Feature Additions & Changes

• Adds a configuration option for disabling or changing the sensitivity of the ballistic tracking (acceleration) for the encoder knob. Menu > 8 Settings > 1 Throttle Settings > 3 Drive Settings > Encoder Ballistics > Off/Low/Mid/High. The default of this setting will be Mid, whereas throttle software until 3.2 had the same behavior as High. Changing the setting to Off will disable all ballistics and the knob will control the speed at a constant rate with the rotation.

Bug Fixes

• Fixes bug when the locomotive speed would jump to 126 unexpectedly after the throttle has been sitting idle for some time.
• The sensitivity of the thumbwheel is adjusted down in the text entry window to match that of the menus. This will make it easier to select individual characters and enter text.

Misc changes:

• Updated DCC accessory addresses according to the newest standard RCN-213 and NMRA S-9.1.2 from 2023. This changes the behavior of turnout address 2045-2047, and extends the maximum to turnout address 2048. Turnouts 1-2044 did not change as part of this update.
• Fixed corner case when the same locomotive is selected on both sides in Dual Throttle mode and speed changes would not update each other. The speed and direction displayed will now follow each other as expected.
• Various fixes regarding LCC standards compliance. The Producer Identified Messages are updated. The CDI XML has an additional null terminator. Some non-user-visible but non-compliant parts in the XML are fixed.

Release 3.2

This release adds support for the magnetic encoder. The type of the encoder hardware is auto-detected, and printed in the About This Throttle page (Menu > 7).

Feature Additions & Changes

• Adds support for Magnetic Encoder in UWT-100.
• Removes ballistic tracking when using the thumbwheel in the menus and text entry window.

Bug Fixes

• Bug fixes and performance improvements in specific situations.
• LCC turnout change screen: documents in the help text that ENTER will toggle the accessory and exit back to the main screen. Fixes a rare bug when it forgot to exit.
• Fixes crash when the LCC Command Station was slow in responding to requests during a select locomotive operation.

Release 3.0

UWT Firmware Version 3.0 is a scheduled software release for the UWT-100 and UWT-50 which adds full support for the CS-105 at initial release. Most of the changes focus on improvements and bug fixes in LCC mode. Continue reading to see the full list of changes.

UWT Firmware Version 3.0 or newer is REQUIRED to operate a CS-105 when connected in LCC mode. Use of an older UWT firmware version with a CS-105 will result in most features of the system not working properly, and error messages and connection issues.

CS-105 Feature Support

NOTE: All of the items below only apply when the UWT is connected to a CS-105 in LCC mode, and do not apply when in the WiThrottle Protocol connection mode. Many of the features described in this section are feature integrations with the Command Station. Listed below are some of the highlight features. For more detailed information on these features and how to use them, please refer to our Wiki Documentation for the CS-105.

Fun Fact: If your layout is run with assistance from JMRI, you can control your trains with a UWT in LCC mode using JMRI. In order to do this, you MUST be running JMRI Version 5.0 or newer otherwise you will not have the feature support. JMRI can be used to run an LCC/OpenMRN “Hub” (similar to a WiThrottle server) to connect an unlimited number of UWT’s to your CS-105.

Programming Track

To access this user interface, navigate to Menu>4 CV Programming>2 Programming Track

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NOTE: CV programming is only available when connected to a CS-105 in LCC mode.

Roster Data Entry for Locomotives

Add, modify, and remove locomotives in the CS-105’s Internal Roster. Configure options such as:

• Name of locomotive
• Speed Step Mode
• Names/Labels for each button-controlled function
• Button-controlled functions which respond while in a system-controlled consist

To set up and access roster settings, first select a locomotive, then navigate to Menu>8 Settings>3 Roster Settings

Train name and metadata on the display of the current throttle will refresh automatically after editing Roster Settings.

Miscellaneous Train Selection and Control Changes

• Adds support for selecting a locomotive using Marklin-Motorola (trinary) protocol by adding double-zero before the locomotive address. Example: to select M/M address 25, press the Loco key, type in “0025” and press ENTER. Note that entering “025” will select DCC long address 25.
• Function labels used for soft key settings will match CS-105 software version 1.0. As an example, when Button [:.] is configured under Throttle Settings > Change Buttons for “Coupler Open”, and the CS-105 presents a F9 as “Uncouple”, then pressing [:.] will trigger F9 on the locomotive.

LCC Throttle “Heartbeats”

• Adds support for heartbeats in the LCC train protocol.

NOTE: The CS-105 requires heartbeats from a throttle by default. When a UWT throttle with software prior to this version controls a train in LCC mode, the operator will find that the train speed resets to zero after ~10 seconds of running. This is resolved in the 3.0 release. If UWT’s with older software versions should not need to be used with a CS-105, heartbeat must be disabled in the command station settings.

Notifies LCC train to stop sending heartbeat requests when the throttle is powered down (intentionally or due to inactivity timeout).

Accessory Control

• Makes accessory screen in LCC mode work similarly to WiThrottle Protocol mode:
  • Pressing ENTER will toggle-and-exit
  • Pressing the Turnout Button will toggle and stay in the accessory screen.
• Adds support for triggering Command Station Macros on the CS-105. To trigger a macro, press the turnout button, enter zero followed by the macro number, then enter. As an example, type “042 ENTER” to run macro number 42.
• Adds support for turnout addresses up to 2047 according to the RCN-213 standard.

Short Circuit Indicator

• Adds an indicator to the top-right of the screen whenever a short circuit is present. This icon will appear instead of the WiFi signal strength indicator.

[Image]

NOTE: This feature will only work when connected to a TCS CS-105 and TCS Boosters.

Fast Clock

• Adds Fast Clock support in LCC mode. In LCC mode the throttle can automatically detect whether there is a Fast Clock generator available on LCC.

Bug Fixes for LCC Connections

• Fixes an issue where trailing locomotives in LCC consists did not respond to function button presses.
• Fixes a rare network-related lockup in LCC mode.
• Fixes incorrect display on screen when selecting a locomotive fails.
• Fixes incorrect display of address in the DCC Address Programming screen when a locomotive is being reprogrammed from a long address to a short address.
• Fixes a crash that was dependent on the serial number of the throttle.

Miscellaneous Changes

Items in this section apply regardless of the connection mode (LCC or WiThrottle Protocol).

• Improved the behaviour of the UWT-50P when the knob is moved while the user is in the menu screens. After exiting the menu, the knob will have to be first returned near the current speed before the locomotive speed can be changed. This is the same behavior as just after selecting or recalling a locomotive which avoids a sudden change of speed.
• Menu Name for Menu>8 Settings>2 Consist Functions changed to “2 WT Consist Funcs” for clarity purposes. This menu is used to handle function routing when creating and running In-Throttle Consists with the UWT, and does not apply or change any settings in LCC mode. The menu title was changed to reflect this to avoid confusion with consist function settings in the CS-105 Internal Roster.
• Improved clarity of some error messages
• Improved Help Text in many areas, and added new Help Text for new menu items.

Release 2.4

Release 2.4 is a scheduled software release for the UWT-100 that adds additional features, brings improvements to existing features based on the feedback of our users, and fixes some minor bugs. Release 2.4 is the first production firmware version for the UWT-50.

Fast Clock

• Under the WiThrottle Protocol mode, the throttle will display the Fast Clock if the WiThrottle Server supports it. The Fast Clock display works with all known fast clocks, but support will depend on the connection to your layout and supporting infrastructure.
• 12 hour and 24 hour clock formats are select-able in the settings.
• The Fast Clock displays on the right-hand-side. If the layout is in E-STOP, or Dual Throttle Mode (UWT-100 only) is enabled, that covers up the fast clock display.
• If the Fast Clock is not in use at the layout you are operating at, but the display is still turned on in the throttle settings, there is a possibility that a clock will display. By default, JMRI will create a “fast” clock which matches the current time of day and has a rate of 1:1. These clocks can be disabled in the JMRI WiThrottle Server settings (applies to all throttles), or individually on a per-throttle basis as stated above.
• To enable the Fast Clock automatic display, go to: Throttle Settings > Fast Clock > Show Fast Clock. (Default = OFF)

Remappable Button (Softkey) Changes

• To select F0 to F28 as fixed locomotive function number for a remappable button, enter the chosen number in the new “F0 - F28” menu. Found at: Menu > Settings > Throttle Settings > Change Buttons > [Button]
• Further to the above, The long list of entries F0, F1, … F28 is now removed from the "Common Functions" list in order to improve performance and give a better user experience. Common Functions list still exists, and consists of only named functions now.
• After selecting a remappable button in the Change Buttons menu, the current setting is now printed in the title.
• “Stop” is a new selectable function that can be assigned to any remappable button. The behavior is that it sets the locomotive speed to zero (with normal deceleration).
• The operations on the 1-dot, 2-dot, 3-dot and 4-dot keys are slightly rearranged on the UWT-100 in certain auxiliary screens to be aligned with the UWT-50 and be more intuitive to use. For example a confirmation dialog is now presented as “Yes | No” instead of “No | Yes”.

Accessory Mode Control Improvements

• Added new "toggle-and-exit" feature to the Accessory Window. This feature was recommended through user feedback.

To use the toggle-and-exit feature, first select an accessory (e.g. typing in a number), then press the Enter button to toggle the accessory and immediately exit the Accessory Window. If you want to toggle and remain in the Accessory Window (for example to change multiple accessories), select the accessory, and then press the Accessory (turnout icon) button to toggle, OR use the "Normal" and "Reverse" (N/On / R/Off) buttons on the 2-dot and 3-dot keys.

• The Accessory button no longer exits to the drive window if an accessory number is selected. Use the "Esc" key to exit back to the drive window.

[Image]

LCC-related Changes (Do not affect connections over WiThrottle protocol)

• Added an assisted/automatic DCC Address Programming process. This can be found when connected through LCC under: Menu > CV Programming > DCC Address.
• This menu allows one to view the current address(es) of a locomotive on the Programming Track, set a short or long DCC Address, as well as view, set and clear CV19 Consist Address in an automatic and easy-to-use manner.
• Removed an unneeded step after accessing Menu > Settings > Roster Settings.
• Updated Consist Function Routing menus to support the advanced capabilities of LCC consisting in the CS-105.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where trying to add a new WiFi profile beyond the supported maximum (seven) did not prompt the user that their profiles were full. The throttle appeared to take the 8th WiFi but it would not take/would not work correctly; instead, the throttle now prompts the user before adding a new WiFi, when their profiles are full, to delete a profile before proceeding.
• After locking in (latching) a speed in yard mode on the UWT-100 and UWT-50E, entering and exiting the menu incorrectly changed the display.
• Removed an incorrect and out-of-context message from the built-in website from the Add WiFi box.

Miscellaneous Changes

• In the text entry window, added visual clarification between the space and underscore characters. This avoids confusion where entering a WiFi name or password with underscores appearing to be not accepted by the throttle.
• In the text entry window, the most common punctuation characters (dot, minus, underscore and space) now appear on almost all pages when entering text.
• Accelerated (“ballistic”) behavior of the encoder-based thumb wheel is now disabled in menus. This change was made in response to user feedback.
• Removed scanning on WiFi channel 13. This channel is not universally accessible due to regulatory constraints. Use channels 1 to 11 for maximum compatibility.
• Added a "refresh" button to the "About This Throttle" menu. This allows you to periodically refresh the window to update info displayed there. This can help users troubleshoot connectivity issues by having a "live update" on signal strength, SSID, IP, etc.
• Added some new icons to the user interface

Note: Firmware Synchronicity With UWT-50

From this point forward, the firmware release numbers between the UWT-50 and UWT-100 throttles are always going to be the same. This means that the same release numbers will have the same features, performance and bug fixes. Most changes made can affect both devices, but there is also the possibility of having new updates which primarily address features or bugs on one device only. TCS' release schedule for firmware updates on the UWT-100 and UWT-50 is scheduled to include updates for both devices in synchronicity.

Release 2.0

Release 2.0 is a major software release that adds new features, brings improvements in different areas based on the feedback of our users and our development schedule, and fixes some minor bugs.

New Feature Additions

The TCS UWT-100 throttle can now be used to control two locomotives at the same time. Both locomotives will be visible on the screen with their address, speed and direction.

Dual Throttle Mode Features:

• You can enable or disable Dual Throttle Mode by going Menu > Operations > Dual Throttle or typing [≡][2][6] on the keypad.
• While Dual Throttle Mode is active, the Recall softkey (default [·]) will display as ‘Swap’. Swap may be used to flip the positions of the two throttles. NOTE: If you have changed the settings for your remappable buttons (softkeys) and have removed or overwritten the Recall option, but would still like to use Swap, you may use the Recall Menu instead and select the first option at the top of the list. Using the keypad would go like this: [≡][1][1]
• The single chevron keys will operate the right throttle’s speed while the double chevron keys, the thumbwheel, the direction key, and the function buttons operate the left throttle. Using the Select Loco key or Menu > Recall will replace the locomotive on the left throttle.
• If needed, a softkey (such as [∷]) can be re-configured to operate as the Dual Direction button for the secondary throttle (In the Settings > Change Buttons menu, pick “Dual Direction” from the Common Functions list).
• Both throttles can be independently set to drive consists. The consist change operations manipulate the consist on the left throttle.
• Both throttles can be independently set to Yard Mode. We recommend using the right throttle to control a locomotive in Yard Mode because the direction can be controlled by using exclusively the chevron keys without the need to swap sides or reconfigure a soft key for the Dual Direction function.

We especially recommend Dual Throttle Mode for operators working a yard and users who would like to monitor and control two locomotives at the same time.

Accessory and Route Support

• The Accessory Control Screen now has separate keys for setting a turnout to Normal or Reversed. Pressing ENTER will “throw” the switch or toggle the accessory if the underlying system supports it. More details can be found in the new Help Text for the Accessory Control Screen.
• The soft buttons in the Accessory Control Screen will now highlight to show you that your command was sent to the layout.
• Controlling turnouts over an LNWI connection is now supported. Press the Accessory key, enter the turnout number, then press the N/On or R/Off keys to set the turnout to Normal (aka. Closed) or Reversed (aka. Thrown). “Toggling” or throwing a turnout using the Enter key is not supported by the LNWI.
• Controlling Routes via JMRI. The UWT-100 throttle is now able to show and set Routes entered into JMRI. Routes will show when pressing the Accessory key in the list after the turnouts. The list can be restricted to show routes only by typing 0 on the keypad, after which typing more digits will further restrict the shown routes. A route from the list can be activated by scrolling to highlight it, then pressing the [··] (Select) key. Blind typing is also supported, for example if you have a route called “Yard entry 28”, you can trigger that with [ACCY] [0] [2] [8] [ENTER]. NCE macros can be operated using the Accessory Control Screen with the Appropriate JMRI Configuration.

Recall Functionality Tweaks

• The throttle will now remember if a locomotive was in Yard Mode through power cycles and Recall button presses. This allows for seamless transitions between a switcher in Yard Mode and a road locomotive in normal mode when using the Recall key -- the throttle will automatically switch to the last used mode for each locomotive. The throttle will remember the Yard Mode setting for all recently used locomotives that are still in the Recall list (up to 20), and apply it even if you select a recently used locomotive by address.
• Certain system connections via JMRI are incorrectly reporting locomotives acquired as zero speed and all functions off, even if the locomotive is running on the layout. This makes the quick switching between locomotives using the Recall button very difficult to use. We recommend using Dual Throttle Mode which does not exhibit this issue and makes switching between two locomotives much faster.
• If you regularly need to switch between more than two locomotives, we added a workaround in Settings > Throttle Settings > Drive Settings > Workaround for Recall 0 Speed. This will make the throttle keep all locomotives which were selected in the current session in a hidden consist, causing JMRI to correctly remember the locomotive state. You can still explicitly release a locomotive with Menu > Operations > Release/Dispatch. WARNING: this behavior can make most command stations really unhappy, so make sure you only enable it if absolutely necessary. So far we’ve only seen this issue on the NCE PowerCab and PowerHouse Pro when using it via JMRI and the NCE USB or Serial connections. The WFD-30 module from WiFiTrax does successfully report speed and function status to the throttle, and does not require this workaround. Use this feature at your own risk. If transitioning between layouts and command stations, turn this feature on or off as necessary.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed incorrect scrolling when exiting the Advanced parameters menu in the Network Profile.
• Fixed incorrect line breaks on the Locomotive Steal dialog.
• Fixed bug where it was impossible to use the E-STOP button to turn track power on when using an LNWI connection.
• Fixed bug where selecting Menu > Network > Current Network > Reconnect showed a locomotive on the screen that could not be controlled. The locomotive is now correctly re-acquired after the reconnect.
• Fixed bug where an unintuitive error message was left on the screen in Offline mode.
• Fixed bug when an empty menu item was shown in the Main Menu under some circumstances.
• Fixed bug where selecting an accessory from the search results was sometimes impossible if it was the only result in the list.
• Fixed bug where the menu labels in the Consist Functions menu displayed 1 for F0.
• Fixed bug where “Connected to {WiFi}” message was stuck on screen under some circumstances.
• Fixed bug where F0/headlight was not correctly displayed after acquiring a locomotive under some circumstances.
• Fixed bug where the direction sign was not correctly shown in Yard Mode under some circumstances.
• Fixed bug where the double chevrons failed to repeatedly change speed when held down in normal speed control mode, whereas single chevrons worked with repeats.

Miscellaneous Changes

• Added Help text to the Select Loco and Select Accessory screens. Use the [?] button on these screens to access the help.
• Yard Mode On/Off can now be assigned as a function to any of the eight remappable buttons (including the soft keys), allowing you to turn Yard Mode on or off on any locomotive at any time with one button press.
• In Yard Mode the double chevrons are permanently assigned to control the locomotive; any other functions specified for the double chevrons will be active only in Standard mode. Similarly, in Dual Throttle Mode the single chevrons are permanently assigned to the right side throttle.
• Added a menu option to display and control track power in Menu > Settings > Track Power. This menu option can control layout power on any system that supports it. Track power may still be controlled via the E-STOP button if configured as a more convenient option.
• The main screen will display when the throttle is in Offline mode. You may now exit Offline mode by selecting Menu > Network > Current Network > Reconnect, or by selecting a specific profile and the Connect Now command. Previously you had to turn off the throttle to exit Offline mode.
• The throttle now supports pressing two buttons at the same time. For example while holding down the horn button, a chevron key in Yard Mode can be pressed. This also allows you to drive two locomotives in Dual Throttle Mode at the same time, including when both locos are in Yard Mode.
• When the throttle gets into the automatic network discovery after turning on (this happens after a few seconds if reconnecting fails), it will print the name of the WiFi network it connected to on the top to aid in troubleshooting.