Atlas COMMANDER 330 User Manual
Atlas Model Railroad Co, Inc. • 603 Sweetland Ave. • Hillside • NJ • 07205
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:
www.atlasrr.com
dcc@atlasrr.com
LIMITED ONE-YEAR WARRANTY
Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc. warrants that this Commander will be free from defects in
material and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase. If this
Commander fails during the warranty period, carefully pack the item in the original carton,
together with the dated sales receipt, and return to: Atlas DCC Warranty, 603 Sweetland
Avenue, Hillside, NJ 07205. Defects due to misue, improper maintenance and/or abuse are not
covered by the warranty. Items that have been disassembled by the modeler or anyone other
than an authorized Atlas repair person are not covered by the warranty. This warranty gives
you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state.
ADDING MORE POWER TO YOUR LAYOUT
Trains (especially those with lights) consume a lot of power. The Commander
delivers a maximum of 2.5 Amps of current to your layout. If your locomotives and cars use more then 2.5 Amps, it is necessary to split the layout in
several power sections and feed each section with an extra "booster" which
provides more amperage. Terminals C & D on your Commander can be used
to wire in extra boosters. For more information about adding power stations
to your layout, please see the DCC section of Atlas' web site at
www
.atlasrr.com.
ITEM #330
The Atlas Master DCC Commander complies with Part 15 of FCC Rules. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this
device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Getting Started...................................................................... 3
Decoder Preparation...3
Setting Up Your Layout To Run DCC...3
Using the Atlas Master DCC Commander..................................5
Locomotive Addressing....5
Running Your Locomotive........................................................ 6
Controlling Speed...6
Changing Directions...6
Activating Functions...7
Emergency Stop...8
Recalling Locomotives (“stack” function)................................. 8
The Menu System...................................................................9
Accessing the Menu...9
Menu Selections...10
Controlling Turnouts...10
Setting Speed Steps...11
Decoder Programming...12
System Settings...15
Expanding Your System.........................................................16
Adding Additional Throttles...16
Connecting Two Commanders...17
Characteristics of the Slave Commander...18
Adding More Power to Your Layout (Power Stations)...Back Cover
WELCOME TO THE ATLAS MASTER™DCC SYSTEM!
The Atlas Master DCC System and the related components have been designed to be
fun and easy to use so you can enjoy running your trains using the latest in digital
command control technology. Not only do you not have to be an electrical engineer,
but you will be running your trains in DCC mode in no time, if you follow the
Commander instructions contained in this manual.
ATLAS MASTER DCC SYSTEM COMPONENTS
The following is all you need to get started running your trains in
Digital Command Control:
1. Commander
*: Controls your trains. Item #330
2. Generator
*: Provides power to the Commander. Item #335
3. Decoder
*: Atlas offers an HO scale multi-function Dual-Mode
Decoder™ that, once installed, allows you to easily switch the operation of
your locomotive from analog to digital mode. This function enables you to
run your decoder-equipped engines on an analog layout without the typical
speed differential. N scale multi-function decoders are also available. Some
HO & N scale Atlas locomotives have decoders factory-installed, for your
convenience. See our web site for further details. www.atlasrr.com
* The Atlas Master DCC System components follow the NMRA DCC standards
and are also compatible with items from other DCC manufacturers.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
• Atlas Colored Layout Wire: (or any18-20 gauge stranded wire). Items
#315-#319
• Terminal Joiners: HO - Item #842; N scale - Item #2539
2
1
• Insulated Rail Joiners: HO - Item #55; N scale - Item #2538
• Mini flathead screwdriver
GETTING STARTED
Decoder Preparation
Before you can use your Commander, you must have a decoder installed in
any locomotive you wish to run in DCC mode. Please note
that Atlas DualMode Decoders factory-installed in HO scale Atlas locomotives come set-up in
Analog mode. To switch from Analog to Digital mode, please refer to the
instructions that came with your locomotive.
Setting Up Your Layout to Run DCC
Any analog layout that is run using a standard DC power pack can be converted to run as a digital layout controlled by a DCC system. Here are the steps
to convert your layout to run DCC using the Atlas Commander:
(See Fig. 2 on page 4 for location of terminals on the Commander.)
1. Connect the Generator to the Commander. Connect terminals U & V
on the Commander to the output terminals of the Generator, using stranded
18-20 gauge wire. Please note
that you may use any 14 to 16VAC, 14 to
18VDC, 45va to 55va transformer in place of an Atlas Generator.
2. Connect the Commander to your track leads. Connect the wires from
your terminal joiners, or other track leads, to screw terminals J & K on the
Commander. Use 18-20 gauge stranded wire to extend your leads, if necessary. IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE www.atlasrr.com
(in DCC section).
3. Create a Programming Track Section. The programming track section
allows you to program your decoder-equipped locomotive. First, you must isolate a section of track from your mainline (such as a siding), using plastic insulated rail joiners. Second, connect the non-insulated end of your programming
track section (using terminal joiners or other track leads) to screw terminals P
& Q on the Commander. If you prefer, you can use an Atlas Selector (Item
#215) toggle switch to apply mainline track power or programming track
power to the insulated track section.
4. Plug the Power Cord of the Generator into a 120VAC power
outlet (US standard).
Please note that terminals C & D may be used to add additional Power
Stations. Please see page 18 for an explanation of Power Station usage.
FIGURE 2
3
4
*CAUTION: If you use
an Atlas Selector and your
layout is using common
rail wiring, as in all Atlas
layout plans, P & J must
go to common rail.
Terminal Q & K must go to
the A & B input of the
Selector. Otherwise an ER1
message will be displayed.
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