MX32 buttons & controls

Overview

This page is a walkthough of the MX32 cab keyboards:

There are a bunch of "Shift key" combinations, normally they are described right in the manual, but most are "hit this key first and release, then press the next key". In some places in the manual it written like press and hold the first key and then press the second one.  One exception is power off.

Two other keys usually to have some overall meaning:

A = "accept", our "enter" or "ok" key

E = "escape" or "back"

The top row of keys: help and options, just below screen

M

• normally menu

I, II, III

• normally are help and menu options and the screen shows what they do.
• often show lists of locos or other objects

The next group of keys are the most used:

F^

• This key is normally used to scroll between the locomotive recall memory, forwards
• during definition or modification of a loco, is the "save and close"

vU

• normally used to scroll the locos recall memory, backwards
• often used to go to the next page in menus

TP

• in consisting, used to create/modify consists from the LoRcl screen

W – controls switches

• You can have “panels” with boxes to press for switches, when in the switch display, press the "II" key to show panels
• The shift key will toggle display between field numbers and the actual decoder addresses, hold it down for a bit when toggling, too quick and it just changes momentarily
• E + 3 + (optional shift) takes you to the switch definition screen, but it's not where normal humans program switches, see below
• After defining switches, W again does a save and exit, E escapes without exiting
• The scroll key will show more switches
• F takes you back to loco mode

C

• normally Clear
• removes a loco from recall memory
• deletes last character/digit entered

↑ (red up arrow) - is the shift key

• shifts between groups of functions, switches.

Note well:  "Shift W" (holding ↑ and pressing W will take you to the switch definition screen where you can enter the symbol, orientation and DCC address of the switch. Also note that what passes for normal addresses is apparently not normal in Europe. See below for how to program this.

Off to the left side

MN

•   usually used to enter service mode

RG

•  shunting (switching) key, which should lit the RG led, and the color will indicate 1/2 speed or 1/3 speed.

The A and E keys again deserve special mention

A

• 1 sec – turn on
• 10 sec – Reset
• With e key (first) shuts down cab
• When on, enters “loco in” mode – enter loco address

E

•   besides escape, is used in conjunction with other keys to enter various modes, see below

Direction and stopping

R

•   reverse key

S

• stop

 Back to the E key, entering modes, E key followed by another key

+ F = enter ops mode programming

+ MN enters service mode

+ 1 – functions FUMZ – select the number of functions available, also old LGB serial function

+ 2 – speedometer

+ 3 – switches or accessories

+ 4 – loco image

+ 5 – functions Fusy – Functions System – function key mapping

+ 6 – object database

+ 7 – routes

+ 8 – not sure...

+ 9 – nothing, used to be list of all connected devices

+ 0 – cab conf – configure the MX32

(I tried E + the following keys, nothing:  U / TP / W / C / ↑ / RG = n

Loco in mode:

• Type digits
• F key activate address
• C key is backspace
• A key again allows you to enter name
• How do you enter long vs short addresses?

U enters CV programming

Set the default locomotive screen now!

Now is a good time to set the default screen whenever you add a loco. This is important because there are so many different appearance items to configire.

The trick is to modify locomotive # 16382. What the hell is this? It is the default "pseudo address". You configure this loco, and whenever you define a new loco, this is the "template" you start with.

To enter a new loco you press "A" key, and then you enter address digits, or you look at the bottom of the screen for the ones in memory. You will see them at the bottom.

You will see a prompt on the screen to use the "II" key to select from the object database

do this and then scroll to the 16382 loco (see the carat on the left side), and select with "A", then hit the F^ key to select that loco.

To edit the attributes of a loco:

E+1 =DCC control parameters

• select speed steps
• man mode (what is this?)
• number of functions (dcc functions)

E+2 = set the speedometer, l speed limits, curve

• select the speedometer appearance, I like the black on white background, # 17
• set the max speed and max speed for switching, I use 100 and 50
• set the "trailing", has the speedo needle lag your actions to simulate momentum (goofy, I set to 0)

E + 3 - set switch panels

there is this weird and complex set of blocks, usually to show occupancy, change to normal switch position display with

I need the way to switch from these blocks, looks like shift W.

 E+4 sets loco image.

• 33622 is an F7 seems the only us picture... you can blank it too

 E+5 is the function key mapping

I use:

F0 - white light bulb

F1 - white bell

F2 - picture of a steam whistle

F3 - F6 I eave as "FX"

F7 - there is a picture of a wheel with brake shoes on each side and curved lines above (sound)

F8 - there is a picture of 3 music notes (adds an x over it for mute)

 Resetting the MX32.