Date: January 2, 2005
From: Bob Jacobsen
Subject: Test version 1.5.6 of JMRI/DecoderPro is available for download.
This is a test release. Please post a note if you encounter any new or old bugs! And please back up your JMRI files before installing this, in case you want to go back to an earlier version.
This test release is part of a series that will eventually lead up to a production release called version 1.6; no date has been set for when that will happen.
There was no public 1.5.1 test version; it was used for internal testing.
The CT Elektronik decoders have been reworked and renamed. Users of this decoders (only) need to reread their roster or manually edit their roster.xml-file.
The method for configuring the C/MRI protocol has changed since version 1.4. If you use the C/MRI protocol, you will have to reconfigure your preferences the first time you run this version.
Please use these links for downloading, including the "?download" at the end. That adds to SourceForge's advertising statistics, which makes them happy to host our stuff.
Dennis Miller added an analog (with hands) clock.
Fixed a crash on Mac classic when a DecoderPro speed table is opened for the 2nd time.
Fix a formatting problem in the LocoNet monitor display of messages with certain PSTAT values pointed out by Rob Heikens
Alex Shepherd fixed a bug where the LocoNet slot monitor wouldn't display properly when not displaying system slots
Alex Shepherd added some periodic checking to the LocoNet slot monitor so that it would catch the change when a slot was purged
J Salemi contributed another round of improved definitions for TCS decoders, including the Tx series and A1X series.
Signals now flash when set to an appropriate aspect.
PanelPro can make Digitrax SE8C signals do a mix of flashing red, flashing yellow, flashing green and dark signals at the same time. For this to work, the SE8C board should have the 4th aspect configured to show "dark"
Fix a bug where the Signal Table wouldn't update the "Lit" column if it was changed elsewhere. The fix is general, and covers other BeanTables that have extra columns.
Signal icons on a panel can now be clicked to change the signal aspect (color). Note that if there's logic controlling the signal, the new state might be changed right back.
New sample script SampleLnStats.py for monitoring a LocoNet. It writes a summary of traffic statistics every 15 seconds to the log window, plus to a file.
New sample script LocoTest.py for testing a newly-installed decoder. You enter the locomotive address and click start, then it runs through a sequence of commands: forward 0%, forward 50%, forward 100%, reverse 0%, reverse 50%, reverse 100%, F0 on in forward, F0 on in reverse, F0 off, etc.
Two bugs with Routes fixed: A newly added route wouldn't be active (wouldn't automatically fire when it's sensor or input turnout changed) until it had been stored/loaded or edited. And you couldn't have more than one Route with a null (empty or "") user name.
Added several features to the logic for sensors firing Routes. You can now specify four possibilities: "On Active", the default, will fire the route when the Sensor goes active. "On Inactive" fires the route when the sensor goes inactive; you can e.g. use this to have a route return a turnout to the normal state when an input is returned to inactive. "Veto Active" means that the route will not fire when that sensor is active; this is used to protect a turnout from changing when e.g. the track section is occupied. And "Veto Inactive" rounds out the four.
LocoNet turnouts have three extra feedback modes: MONITORING, the default, will follow changes on the LocoNet, e.g. from other throttles; EXACT, will handle DS54 messages from two microswitches; INDIRECT will handle DS54 messages from one microswitch per turnout.
Paul Bender fixed an XPressNet technical issue associated with XPressNet being only able to address CVs up to number 256
Dennis Miller improved the way icons are selected for the panel editor. When you open a window to select new icons for turnouts, sensors, etc, you now get a preview of the selected icon at the bottom of the window. Also, if you hover the cursor over one of the icons at the top of the window, a tooltip will be displayed with the icons full pathname so you can find it again.
On Windows, a "shortcut" to PanelPro is now added to the desktop. If you don't like it there, just delete it. Ron Sommer and Bob Blackwell provided an icon for it. On some windows systems that icon appears OK, and on others the default JMRI icon is appearing; there doesn't seem to be any rational reason for this.
Alex Shepherd's method for installing javax.comm on Windows is being used to avoid problems with multiple and odd Java installations confusing our installer. The installer still tries to figure out where files should go, but in addition we leave the files in the distribution where they can be also found and used. Note that there are some Windows systems on which this doesn't work for SerialIO (used to connect to an MS100), so those still need to install the libraries in the Java installation.
Peter Brandenburg did a major update on the CT Elektronik decoder definitions. They no longer need special programmer definitions; just use the Comprehensive programmer to get the full capability. (Patch 1094135) Since this renamed and added some decoders, users need to reread their roster or manually edit their roster.xml-file.
If you try to store a panel or configuration file and there's an existing file by that name, you'll be prompted to confirm that you really want to overwrite the existing file.