Inc Sound Module Decoder - Manual
© 2017 Digitrax, Inc. 
www.digitrax.com- 25 -
4.0 General Decoder Troubleshooting 
4.1 The decoder won’t respond
Make sure track power is ON
If the throttle is indicating that track power is off, turn track power on. 
Can you control the functions but not the motor? 
If so, remove the loco from the track and check your installation for motor iso-
lation or short circuit problems. 
Can’t select the loco address on your throttle 
1. If you see STEAL=Y? or stL? on your throttle display, the loco is
in use by another throttle. Release the loco from the other throttle
before proceeding.
2. If you see consist or cn, the loco is part of a consist and can’t be
selected individually. Remove the loco from the consist before con-
tinuing
Check the value programmed into CV29
If your decoder is a 14 step decoder running on a system that is sending 28/128 
speed step commands, status editing is necessary to make the commands sent 
by the system match what the decoder can handle. 
Have you reset any CVs since the last time you ran the loco? 
If so, go back and change them to their default values and then try to run the 
loco. It is possible to set acceleration so high that it will take 10 minutes for the 
loco to start moving. 
Does your throttle say slot=max or FuLL?
This means that the system’s capacity to handle operating locos is full. If you 
have the slot=max or FuLL message, be sure that all locos that are not running 
are released from throttles. Check your command station manual to determine 
how many locos your system can handle at a time.
During decoder programming, slot=max or FuLL message will be displayed if 
the loco you are trying to program has too many current loads attached. If this 
is the case, you need to remove some of the extra loads to program the decoder. 
This happens with locos that have many lamps installed or where the lamps are 
wired directly to the track pickups.
If all else fails, reprogram the decoder’s address and reset CVs to default 
values by setting CV08 to 08 to reset everything or to 09 to reset every-
thing except loadable speed table and sound project selection entries.










