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Diagnostics D ACK Command
When the ACK processing on the prog track does not work as expected, you may want to use the <D ACK ON> command in a serial command window to enable the extra diagnostics produced when the command station is attempting to interact with a loco on the programming track.
The output lines generated will depend on the kind of programming command you give. For example to set a cv requires only two interactions with the loco (set the value, verify the value) but reading a loco id with the <R> command involves reading the consist CV, the address-type bit and possibly two address bytes, perhaps as many as 30 individual DCC packets, each with an acknowledgement wait.
This is an example how to read CV8 with diagnostics on. You enter the first 2 lines. DCC-EX does not echo what you write, your serial command window may. With diagnostics on on you get the extra lines of output, possibly including an automatic power-on/off for the programming track. The last line is the answer, CV8=145:
<D ACK ON>
<R 8 1 1>
ACK-BASELINE 33/98mA
V0 cv=8 bit=7 ACK-FAIL after 143mS max=12/35mA pulse=0uS
V1 cv=8 bit=7 ACK-OK after 34mS max=646/1931mA pulse=6852uS
V0 cv=8 bit=6 ACK-OK after 34mS max=583/1743mA pulse=6844uS
V0 cv=8 bit=5 ACK-OK after 34mS max=646/1931mA pulse=6800uS
V0 cv=8 bit=4 ACK-FAIL after 144mS max=12/35mA pulse=0uS
V0 cv=8 bit=3 ACK-OK after 34mS max=563/1683mA pulse=6792uS
V0 cv=8 bit=2 ACK-OK after 34mS max=647/1934mA pulse=6800uS
V0 cv=8 bit=1 ACK-OK after 34mS max=573/1713mA pulse=6844uS
V0 cv=8 bit=0 ACK-FAIL after 145mS max=14/41mA pulse=0uS
VB cv=8 value=145 ACK-OK after 34mS max=639/1910mA pulse=6848uS
Callback(145)
<r1|1|8 145>
Your output may show different formatting with respect to linefeeds. Here the deocoder reports that bits 7, 4 and 0 are not Zero. That gives the value of 10010001 = 145 which is the manufacturer ID for Zimo. That value is checked in the VB line. For a successful read, the result of the verify bit and verify byte commands have to match, otherwise the value can nor be read. If you have problems reading decoders, you can compare the received values with the expected values. The format is:
OPER cv=n bit=b ACK-FAIL/OK after WAITTIME mS max=INTERNALVAL / CURRENT mA pulse= PULSELENGTH uS
The OPER is the DCC operation that the Command Station is attempting:
V0 verify a bit of a cv has the value 0
V1 verify a bit of a cv has the value 1
VB verify a cv has a given value
W0 write a bit of a cv with the value 0
W1 write a bit of a cv with the value 0
WB write a cv with a given value
The CURRENT should be over 60mA for a successful ACK and the length should be 6000uS +-1000uS but because of Decoder variations from the standard DCC-EX has some extra pulse length margin.
If you encounter problems with ACKs from the Decoder and you want help, the DCC-EX support will probably ask you to provide this kind of diagnostics.
The two values of 1 after each other in the <R> command and in the <r> answer you can safely ignore.
The Ack current limit is according to the DCC standard(s) set to 60mA. But as modern motors (N and Z scales) may have problems to draw that amount of current, you can adjust down that limit. Or if for some reasons your acks seem to be too "trigger happy" you can make it less sensitive.
<D ACK LIMIT 30>
would set the ack limit to 30mA. The custom ack limit will be effective until you restart the Command Station (it will not "stick" in EEPROM).
To turn off the ack diagnoistics use any parameter that is not "ON" or "LIMIT".
<D ACK OFF>
Diag messages off.