Release Notes for JMRI 5.1.7 release

Date: December 4, 2022

From: Bob Jacobsen

Subject: Test Release 5.1.7 of JMRI/DecoderPro is available for download.

Notes:

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 is the next in a series of 5.1.* test releases. It requires Java 11 to work. (See our page on downloading Java 11) We expect this series to end in the next JMRI 5.2 production release in December 2022. (See the tentative release schedule)

Some of the changes involved are quite extensive. They may require a certain amount of experience before they are working well. Therefore, this test release should be considered experimental.

JMRI is now only available under the GNU General Public License. For more information, please see our copyright and licensing page.

Update From Older JMRI Versions

If you are currently using a version older than JMRI 4.24, please follow these instructions carefully:

1. Is your current version older than JMRI 4.12? If so, then update to JMRI 4.12 first, and ensure everything works correctly: check start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else. Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on. Then continue with step 2.

   If you are currently using JMRI 4.7.3 or earlier on Linux or macOS (Windows doesn't need this), then it's very important that you update to JMRI 4.12 and carrying out the migration process described in the JMRI 4.12 release note before updating to any later release.

2. Is your current version older than JMRI 4.20? Then update to JMRI 4.20 first, and ensure that works correctly (check start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else. Save your preferences again. Store your configuration and panel files under a new name, use those from now on, and go on to step 3.
3. Is your current version older than JMRI 4.24? Then update to JMRI 4.24 first, and ensure that works correctly (check start-up, check things you need to be working, and check the JMRI log as well) before doing anything else. Save your preferences again. Store your configuration and panel files under a new name and use those from now on.
4. You can then install this release.

Following this multi-step order of updating via stable major releases safeguards you against possible migration issues that can arise from skipping these versions.

New problems with this release

• None yet

New warnings for this release:

• The way defaults for some LocoNet connections are handled has changed. Existing LocoNet connections might give a "The Defaults preferences are invalid" warning when saving preferences. In that case, click "yes" and then go set all the default radio buttons on the "Defaults" pane to the LocoNet connection. (You can also click "no", but you'll get the message next time you store too)

Older warnings

See the JMRI 5.0 release note for more warnings predating the 5.1 development series, including pointers to various migration issues. These may be relevant to you if you're updating from an earlier version; we strongly recommend you update to at least JMRI 4.20 before installing this test release.

• Since JMRI 4.99.1 This test release, and all subsequent ones, require the use of Java 11 or later. Java 8 is explicitly not supported. There's more information on this migration on the JMRI Tech Road Map and JVM Capabilities pages.
• Since JMRI 4.99.1 This version no longer reads ZeroConf IPv4 and IPv6 preferences written with JMRI 4.16 and before. Please make sure to upgrade to JMRI 4.20 (or later) and save your preferences before updating to this version if you have configured the WiThrottle preference pane.

Download links:

Changes since Test Release 5.1.6:

The list of included changes is available from our GitHub code repository.

Hardware Support

EasyDCC

• Now allows adding multiple new turnouts at the same time.

LocoNet

• You can now select separate defaults (in the Preferences -> Defaults pane) for additional types of LocoNet connections.

  Note: Existing LocoNet connections might give a "The Defaults preferences are invalid" warning when saving preferences. In that case, click "yes" and then go set all the default radio buttons on the "Defaults" pane to the LocoNet connection. (You can also click "no", but you'll get the message next time you store too)

OpenLCB / LCC

• Added new service scripts in the scripts/LCC directory:
  • DisplayTrackCircuit.py - This script manages a set of sensors to follow a RR-CirKits track circuit. It uses 8 sensors in a state machine to update a memory for text display of the track circuit state.
  • SetSignalNodeDefaults.py - This script will populate the sensor and turnout tables with many default entries for a Signal LCC node.
  • SetTowerNodeDefaults.py - This script will populate the sensor and turnout tables with many default entries for a Tower LCC node.
  See comments within the scripts for more info.

  Note: The Set*Defaults scripts create a large number of sensors and turnout entries. This makes the connection monitor easier to read as you get names for everything instead of just numbers. But it also slows down the startup as those items get loaded during startup and synced to the nodes.

New / Updated decoder definitions

Viessmann

• New decoder definition for Viessmann 4567 TT Motorized point machine
• New decoder definition for Tillig 08335 TT Motor-driven double crossing point

ZIMO

• New decoder definitions for Firmware 40.18
• Nigel Cliffe did a large update to the Zimo definitions

Dispatcher

• Add ability to add PreStart delay and actions.

LogixNG

• The Throttle action supports multiple throttle connections.
• The expression Sensor Edge has been added. It returns True when the sensor goes from one predefined state to another predefined state.
• The LogixNG table now have the option Execute that lets you to execute a single LogixNG.

Scripting

• Updated ControlPanel.py sample script to show the panel windows instead of the panel editor windows.

Signal Heads

• "Single Output" signal heads had their Thrown and Reversed positions reversed in the "Add..." dialog. This is now corrected.

Warrants

• Fix bug making NXWarrants over very short blocks.
• New concatenation option (Warrant Table menu Warrants->Concatenate Warrants). Concatenated warrant may either stop or continue at speed through the connecting block. It is no longer required to match paths at the connecting block. Concatenation will find the connecting path if it exists. This method is preferred rather than linking warrants of the same DCC address.

Miscellaneous

• SpotBugs has been updated to 4.7.3
• Remove the i18n-consistency-check ant target (and related jar) as ineffective

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