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NCE Command Generator

NCE binary commands are designed to work in a computer friendly mode.
Command format is: (cmd number) (data) (data) ...
Commands range from 0x80 to 0xBF

The number of reply bytes is automatically calculated by the program. You can override the number of expected bytes by entering a number in the text box located in the lower left hand corner.


NCE Binary Commands Supported by all Systems

BINARY CMD FORMAT DESCRIPTION # OF BYTES RESPONSES RETURNED

0x80 NOP, dummy instruction (1) !

0x8C Dummy instruction returns "!" (3) !,0x0D,0x0A followed by CR/LF

0x9C xx Execute macro number xx (1) !,0,3

0x9E Enter Programming track mode (1) ! = success 3 = short circuit

0x9F Exit Programming track mode (1) ! = success

0xA0 aaaa xx Program CV aa with data xx in (1) ! = success paged mode 0 = program track not enabled

0xA1 aaaa Read CV aa in paged mode (2) !,0,3
NOTE: cv data followed ! for ok, 0xff followed by 3 for can't read

0xA2 (4 data bytes) Locomotive control command (1) !,1
Sends a speed or function packet to a locomotive.
Command Format: 0xA2 (addr_h) (addr_l) (op_1) (data_1)

Addr_h and Addr_l are the loco address in DCC format.
If a long address is in use, bits 6 and 7 of the high byte are set.
Ex: Long address 3 = 0xc0 0x03
Short address 3 = 0x00 0x03

op_1 data_1 Operation description
00 0-7f nop
01 0-7f Reverse 28 speed command
02 0-7f Forward 28 speed command
03 0-7f Reverse 128 speed command
04 0-7f Forward 128 speed command
05 0 Estop reverse command
06 0 Estop forward command
07 0-1f Function group 1 (same format as DCC packet for FG1
08 0-0f Function group 2 (same format as DCC packet for FG2
09 0-0f Function group 3 (same format as DCC packet for FG3
0a-14 not supported in PowerCab or SB3 version 1.28
15 0-ff Functions 13-20 control (bit 0=F13, bit 7=F20)
16 0-ff Functions 21-28 control (bit 0=F21, bit 7=F28)
17-7f reserved reserved

0xA6 rr xx Program register rr with data xx (1) ! = success in register mode 0 = program track not enabled

0xA7 rr Read register rr in register mode(2) !,3
NOTE: cv data followed ! for ok, 0 = program track not enabled 0xff followed by 3 for can't read

0xA8 aaaa xx Program CV aaaa with data xx (1) ! = success in direct mode 0 = program track not enabled

0xA9 aaaa Read CV aaaa in direct mode (2) !,3
NOTE: cv data followed ! for ok, 0 = program track not enabled 0xff followed by 3 for can't read

0xAA Return software revision number (3) (data1),(data2),(data3)
FORMAT: VV.MM.mm

0xAD (4 data bytes) Accy/signal and macro commands (1) !,1
Command Format: 0xAD (addr_h) (addr_l) (op_1) (data_1)
Addr_h and Addr_l are the accessory/signal address (NOT in DCC format).
Ex: Accessory Address 513 = 0x02 0x01 (hi byte first)
NOTE: accy/signal address 0 is not a valid address
SPECIAL NOTE: PowerCab/SB3 version 1.28 only supports up to accessory address 250

Op_1 Data_1 Operation description
01 0-255 NCE macro number 0-255
02 0-255 Duplicate of Op_1 command
03 0 Accessory Normal direction (ON)
04 0 Accessory Reverse direction (OFF)
05 0-1f Signal Aspect 0-31
05-7f reserved reserved

0xAE (5 data bytes) OPs program loco CV (1) !,1,3
Command Format: 0xAE (addr_h) (addr_l) (CV_h) (CV_l) (data)
addr_h,addr_l are loco address (same as 0xA2 command)
CV_h, CV_l are cv address high byte first data is 8 bit data for CV

0xAF (5 data bytes) OPs program accessory/signal (1) !,1,3
Command Format: 0xAF (addr_h) (addr_l) (CV_h) (CV_l) (data)
addr_h,addr_l are accy/sig address (same as 0xAD command)
CV_h, CV_l are CV address high byte first data is 8 bit data for CV

NOTE: a single byte of 0 will be returned if not in programming mode
for commands 0x9F,0xA0,0xA1 and 0xA6- 0xA9

Errors returned: '0'= command not supported
'1'= loco/accy/signal address out of range
'2'= cab address or op code out of range
'3'= CV address or data out of range
'4'= byte count out of range
'!'= command completed successfully


Additional NCE Binary Commands Supported by Power House

0x81 xx xx yy assign loco xxxx to cab cc (1) !, 1,2

0x82 read clock (2) (hours)(minutes)

0x83 Clock stop (1) !

0x84 Clock start (1) !

0x85 xx xx Set clock hr./min (1) !,3

0x86 xx Set clock 12/24 (1) !,3

0x87 xx Set clock ratio (1) !,3

0x88 xxxx Dequeue packet by loco addr (1) !, 1,2

0x89 Enable main trk, kill prog (1) !

0x8A yy Return status of AIU yy (4) (current hi byte) (current lo byte) (change hi byte) (change lo byte)

0x8B Kill main trk, enable prog (1) !

0x8D xxxx mm Set speed mode of loco xxxx to mode mm, 1=14, 2=28, 3=128 (1) !, 1,3 (speed mode, 0 to 3)

0x8E aaaa nn (16 data bytes) Write nn bytes, start at aaaa Must have 16 data bytes, pad them out to 16 if necessary (1) !,4

0x8F aaaa Read 16 bytes, start at aaaa (16) 16 bytes

0x90 cc xx... Send 16 char message to Cab ccLCD line 3. xx = 16 ASCII char (1) ! ,2

0x91 cc xx Send 16 char message to cab cc LCD line 4. xx=16 ASCII (1) !,2

0x92 cc xx Send 8 char message to cab cc LCD line 2 right xx=8 char (1) !,2

0x93 ss (3 byte packet) Queue 3 byte packet to temp _Q send ss times (1) !

0x94 ss (4 byte packet) Queue 4 byte packet to temp _Q send ss times (1) !

0x95 ss (5 byte packet) Queue 5 byte packet to temp _Q send ss times (1) !

0x96 ss (6 byte packet) Queue 6 byte packet to temp _Q send ss times (1) !

0x97 aaaa xx Write 1 byte to aaaa (1) !

0x98 aaaa xx xx Write 2 bytes to aaaa (1) !

0x99 aaaa(4 data bytes) Write 4 bytes to aaaa (1) !

0x9A aaaa(8 data bytes) Write 8 bytes to aaaa (1) !

0x9B yy Return status of AIU yy (short form of command 0x8A) (2) (current hi byte) (current lo byte)

0x9C xx Execute macro number xx (1) !, 0,3

0x9D aaaa Read 1 byte from aaaa (1) 1 byte

0x9E Enter programming track mode (1) !=success 3=short circuit

0x9F Exit programming track mode (1) !=success

0xA0 aaaa xx Program CV aa with data xx in paged mode (1) !=success 0=program track no

0xA1 aaaa Read CV aaaa in paged mode Note: cv data followed by ! for OK. 0xFF followed by 3 for can't read CV (2) !, 0,3

0xA2(4 data bytes) Locomotive control command (1) !,1

0xA3 (3 byte packet) Queue 3 byte packet to TRK _Q (replaces any packet with same address if it exists) (1) !,1

0xA4 xx xx... Queue 4 byte packet to TRK _Q (replaces any packet with same address if it exists) (1) !,1

0xA5 xx xx... Queue 5 byte packet to TRK _Q (replaces any packet with same address if it exists (1) !,1

0xA6 rr dd Program register rr with dd (1) !=success 0=program track no

0xA7 rr Read register rr. Note: cv data followed by ! for OK. 0xFF followed by 3 for can't read CV (2) !,3 0=program track no

0xA8 aaaa dd Program CV aaaa with dd in direct mode. (1) !=success 0=program track no

0xA9 aaaa Read CV aaaa in direct mode. Note: cv data followed by ! for OK. 0xFF followed by 3 for can't read CV (2) !,3 0=program track no

0xAA Return software revision number. Format: VV.MM.mm (3) 3 data bytes

0xAB Perform soft reset of command station (like cycling power) (0) Returns nothing

0xAC Perform hard reset of command station. Reset to factory defaults (Note: will change baud rate to 9600) (0) Returns nothing

0xAD (4 data bytes) Accy/signal and macro commands (1) !,1