JMRI® DecoderPro® Manual

This Manual deals with DP version 3.6.
Online Help for the current version of JMRI® DecoderPro® is here.

JMRI is a Java-based cross-platform application for model railroaders. JMRI contains applications for:

The programming of Digital Command Control (DCC) decoders (DecoderPro®)
Drawing computer based panels for depicting a model railroad layout (PanelPro™)
Controlling the layout (Layout Editor)
Creating train manifests for duplicating railroad operations (Operations)
Controlling the signals on the layout
Controlling lighting and sound in the room, and so forth (SoundPro™)

All this capability is contained in one program (JMRI) which has several "start-up" screens for the various applications.

If this is your first visit to our manual we suggest that you take the DecoderPro® tour to get an overview of what we're about to cover.

Notes:

All screen shots in this manual are from a Windows machine using the "Metal" User Interface option. While your screens will probably differ in some layout details, they will be essentially the same. All programming examples shown are with Digitrax PR3 (in "MS100" mode) connected to Digitrax Super Chief Radio Command Station. Most of the decoders in locomotive samples will be Digitrax, except for sound examples.
This entire manual has been updated to correspond to JMRI® v3.6 DecoderPro only, and the SHTML verified using HTML4 and Cascading Style Sheets. If the formatting looks odd, you probably need to update your browser.

Installing JMRI®

Getting started

Using DecoderPro®

DecoderPro® Programming Modes

The Basic Programmer

The Comprehensive Programmer

The Advanced Programmer

DecoderPro® Main Window

Main Window
Menu Overview
File Menu
- Print Decoder Definitions...
- Print Preview Decoder Definitions...
- Quit
Edit Menu
- Cut
- Copy
- Paste
- Preferences
Tools Menu
- Programmers
- Tables (not yet covered in this manual)
- Throttles
  - New Throttle...
  - Throttles List Window
  - Save Throttle Layout...
  - Load Throttle Layout...
  - Save as Default Throttle Layout
  - Load Default Throttle Layout
  - Start Wi Throttle
- Consisting Tool
- Clocks
  - Set up Fast Clock...
  - Nixie Clock
  - LCD Clock
  - Analog Clock
- Power Control...
- Turnout Control...
- Simple Signal Logic (not covered in this manual)
- Sensor Groups... (not covered in this manual)
- Speedometer...
- Light Control...
- Dispatcher... (not covered in this manual)
- Send DCC Packet...(not covered in this manual)
- USS CTC Tools (not covered in this manual)
- Operations
  - Settings
  - Locations
  - Cars
  - Locomotives
  - Routes
  - Trains
- Start JMRI Web Server
Roster Menu
- Roster
- Create Entry...
- Edit Entry...
- Copy Entry...
- Import Entry...
- Export Entry...
- Delete Entry...
- Print Summary
- Print Preview Summary...
- Roster Groups
  - Create Roster Group
  - Delete Roster Group
  - Table Association
  - Add Roster Entry to Group
  - Remove Roster Entry from Group
- Export Complete Roster...
Panels Menu
- New Panel
- Open Panels...
- Store Panels...
- Show History
- Show Panel
  - Panel
  - Panel 2
  - Control Panel
  - My Layout
- Run Script...
- Thread Monitor
- Script Output
- Script Entry
Operations (see the JMRI® OperationsPro User's Guide)
- Settings
- Cars
- Locomotives
- Routes
- Trains
System dependent menu
- Acela
- CMRI
- EasyDCC
- Grapevine
- LocoNet
- NCE
- OakTreeSystems
- Powerline
- QSI
- RPS
- SECSI
- SPROG
- TMCC
- Wangrow
- XpressNet
- Zimo
Debug Menu
- Memory Usage Monitor
- Import Decoder File
- Import Decoder URL
- Recreate Decoder Index
- Recreate Roster Index
- Update Decoder Definitions
- Validate XML File
- Check Decoder Names
- Check Programmer Names
- Load Logixs Disabled
- Log Message
- Display Message Log
- Display Log Categories
- Virtual Sound Decoder
  - VSDecoder Manager
  - Manage VSD Locations
  - VSDecoder Preferences
  - VSDFile and Configuration
- PRICOM
  - PRICOM Pocket Tester
  - - Connect
  - PRICOM Flash Updater
- USB Input Control
- USB Device Viewer
- RailDriver Throttle
- Start JMRI Web Server
- Start Wi Throttle
Window Menu
- Minimize
(lists all DecoderPro windows that are open)
- DecoderPro
- LocoNet Traffic
- Power Control
Help Menu
- Window Help
- General Help
- License
- File Locations
- Context
- System Console
- Upload Debugging info...
- About DecoderPro

JMRI® OperationsPro Program

Creating a Decoder Definition

Error Messages

Decoder Programmer Error Messages

Thanks for reading, and Let's Run Trains!

Revisions

Version	Revision Date	Editors	Major Revisions
original	9/4/2002	Joe Ellis	Bethlehem-Ares Railroad, a 1:160 Corporation
1.3	no date	Bob Blackwell	Updated to JMRI version 1.3
2.4	2/15/2009	Dale A. Tripp Bruce Shanks	Updated to JMRI 2.4, new sections added added Main Menu information added Decoder Definition How To added Error code page
2.8	1/15/2010	Dale A. Tripp Bruce Shanks	Updated to JMRI 2.8 Expanded Table of Contents with additional direct links Updated Comprehensive Programmer, moved Function Label pane to Advanced Programmer added Advanced Programmer features, including Roster Media pane Added Roster Group feature Updated decoder definition submission process Added Operations section
2.12	9/15/2011	Dale A. Tripp Bruce Shanks Walter Thompson	Updated to JMRI 2.12 Installation information added Contents updated to current functions
2.14.1	7/26/2012	Dale A. Tripp Bruce Shanks	Updated from JMRI 2.12
3.0	8/9/2012	Dale A. Tripp Bruce Shanks	Updated from JMRI 2.14.1
3.2	1/20/2013	Dale A. Tripp	Updated from JMRI® 3.0 and separated Operations to separate User's Guide
3.4	8/29/2013	Dale A. Tripp	Updated from JMRI® 3.2
3.6	3/1/2014	Dale A. Tripp	Updated from JMRI® 3.4
3.6	8/10/2021	Dave Sand	Convert to HTML 5

Thanks and congratulations to all who contributed! Contact us via the JMRI users Groups.io group.

Copyright © 1997 - 2024 JMRI Community. JMRI®, DecoderPro®, PanelPro™, DispatcherPro™, OperationsPro™, SignalPro™, SoundPro™, TrainPro™, Logix™, LogixNG™ and associated logos are our trademarks. Additional information on copyright, trademarks and licenses is linked here.

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