ZS40P CLASS 40 Protodrive soundfile for Zimo

ZS40P Class 40 ProtoDrive SL Enhanced V21.122

Please spend a few moments to read these notes which have been produced so that you may obtain the maximum satisfaction from your new sound scheme.

The sounds should work perfectly when the decoder is fitted correctly. Individual locos may require some fine tuning that you can achieve with your DCC controller.

What is ProtoDrive SL Enhanced?

This is a system developed to allow more prototypical sounds to be deployed across a wide range of operating conditions.

The sounds have been programmed in such a way that you, the user, may change the way that the sounds respond to your driving style or needs. This avoids the need for reprogramming and all the additional costs that would imply.

 Alternative Starting Sounds

Warm engine starts are the default for this model, operated by F key 1.

The sound of cold starting is available by engaging F key 8 before pressing F key 1. When the engine sounds have started, please disengage F key 8.

Throttle Response Scheme.

As supplied, the decoder will produce the sounds of a Class 40 with a train on the hook.

After the start-up routine the loco will stand with the diesel engine, the Prime Mover (PM), ticking over at idle.

The sounds will respond to the throttle control in the following way:

Select speed step 1. The brakes will release, the PM will increase power to get the loco moving, and will continue until at higher speed, a further ramp up will be initiated until the final high speed running sounds begin. The precise speed steps will depend upon your model, so I suggest you make a note of the actual figures for your later use.

The sounds will spool down at similar points on deceleration.

The model can be driven in this way without ever needing to use any control other than the throttle .

For those of you who prefer something more immersive, in this version there are extra control features to further enhance your driving pleasure.

Coasting

No matter what actual speed your model is travelling at, or which engine note range is playing, reducing the throttle by 10 speed steps (of 128) will spool down the engine sounds to ‘Coasting’

The coasting sound will continue until you accelerate; at which point the sounds will change to those relevant to the current speed.

Alternatively, to force the engine to play idling sounds, or to avoid engine ramp up when pottering about the yard, use F6 at any time

Notch Down

During any driving sound ‘loop’, at any steady engine speed, it is possible to cause the engine power to spool down to the level immediately below. This is easily achieved by reducing the speed by one step only E.g., if the loco is playing power band 3 sounds, reducing speed with your throttle by one step will cause the sound to immediately spool down to the sound of power band 2, if in power band 1, it will spool down to idle.

Acceleration of one speed step or more will immediately ramp the sound back up to the higher power. So you can now, at any road speed, vary the engine note by reducing or adding a single speed step.

Heavy Train/Light Engine Mode Selection

The default setting is for ‘heavy train’. Inertia is high so acceleration (and deceleration) is restricted.

Activated by F5, Light Engine enables multi-function changes with one key. The switched features include reduced inertia setting to allow more rapid acceleration and engine sounds which accelerate differently.

F5 can be operated at any speed to give another way in which the engine sounds at a given road speed may be modified instantly.

Note. This works best if you switch F5 on or off whilst the engine sounds are playing in idle. Once switched, you can leave it that way, but any further change should also be made with the engine sound again playing the idle loop. Just to be clear, the actual speed is unimportant, but the engine sound must be idling. You can achieve this in several ways as discussed above. Dynamic Inertia

A combination of new features is included in the automatic operation of the throttle which will affect how the model responds to your control inputs.

The operation is identical in either ‘heavy’ or ‘light’ mode.

Put in simple terms, the wider you open the power controller, the quicker the engine sounds ramp up and for the first time on any decoder, the acceleration rate increases correspondingly.What does this mean in practice?

If you use your controller’s throttle gently, with modest speed step increases, then the engine will rise and fall automatically and the model will accelerate according to the momentum setting. This is by default high for ‘heavy’ and low for ‘light’.

If however, you open the throttle rapidly, the engine will ramp up to full power and acceleration will be approximately 3 times quicker. This change in acceleration rate is variable and dependent upon throttle operation.

Brakes

F2 will give the sound of air brake applications. They can be ‘dabbed’ or held for varying length. The sound will respond accordingly.

However, if the throttle is reduced beforehand, as a real driver would do before braking, a braking force will be applied which will continue to increase the longer F2 is held. Short dabs will provide speed trimming, held down continuously will result in a controlled ‘Emergency Stop’.

PowerCab users please note that the Horn/Whistle button operates the same sound/function as the F2 Key, but set as ‘momentary’. This facilities the precise operation of the brakes and should be used instead of F2.

Other systems may have F2 set to operate as ‘momentary’ by default, or can be set to do so.

Speed Lock

This feature allows the road speed to be locked whilst the throttle control is used to control the engine power sounds playing.

Accurately simulating the sound of a heavy train slowly climbing a gradient with engine at full power is as easy as depicting it coasting down a gradient with the engine at Idle with this single new feature.

Here’s how it works.

Engage the SpeedLock Key, (F7) to fix the model’s road speed temporarily. The throttle now directly controls the engine sounds only. Increase speed steps to apply more power, decrease speed steps to spool the engine down to lower power bands or to Idle.

Disengage the SpeedLock Key when you wish to return control of the model’s speed to the throttle.

Enhanced Features

I have changed the way in which some sounds work or are triggered in order to enhance the simulation of real railway sounds.

Flange Squeal. 

Enabled with the F Key 9; if it is not engaged, the Flange sounds will not play under any circumstances.

If the key is engaged, sounds will operate in the following automated way:

Loco is stationary or comes to a halt. The wheels are not turning and so there would be no flange squeal in reality. No flange sound will play in your model.

Loco is moving slowly. A slow speed flange squeal will play.

Loco is moving more quickly. A faster speed flange squeal will play.

Wagons Snatching and Buffering

Enabled with F Key 13; if it not engaged, the wagon Snatching and Buffering sounds will not play under any circumstances.

If the key is engaged, and the Light Engine Mode (F key 5) is also engaged, the sounds will not play under any circumstances. (No wagons coupled in Light Engine Mode).

If the key is engaged, and the Light Engine Mode (F key 5) is not engaged, sounds will operate in the following automated way:

Loco is stationary. The sounds are not played.

Loco moves off/accelerates gently. The sounds are not played.

Loco moves off/accelerates more rapidly. The sound of the couplings taking up slack as the train stretches plays. This is also the case if the loco accelerates further when already moving.

Loco decelerates gently. The sounds are not played.

Loco decelerates more rapidly. The sound of several wagons buffering up is played each time.

Loco comes to a halt with the Brake Key (F key 2) engaged. The sound of several wagons buffering up is played after it comes to a halt.

Speed Related Detonators

F key 14 enables the warning Detonators to sound. The first explosion is heard immediately, but the time for the subsequent two alerts in the series will depend upon the road speed of the loco.

Since the detonators would be placed at 20m intervals, the faster the road speed, the quicker the sound will repeat.

This time intervals will be calculated by the decoder.

So, when you hear the first ‘bang’, reduce the throttle to zero and hit the Brake Key (F2) for an emergency stop. If you manage to stop the loco in time, you may prevent subsequent detonations. (That’s not issued as a challenge, and it’s easier at low speed where the intervals are greater and the brakes more effective).

F 14 must be disengaged and road speed reduced to zero before you will be able to operate this feature again.

Functioning Handbrake

When F17 is engaged, the sound of the handbrake being ‘wound on’ will be heard. When this sound stops, the model will no longer be drivable.

To release, disengage F17. The sound of the handbrake being ‘wound off’ will be heard. When this sound ends, you may drive the loco (subject to the status of F2)

Despatch Whistle

F key 11 can be used to operate the despatch whistle though the actual sound produced is selected at random. The whistle can be operated only whilst the loco is stationary.

Live Volume Control

Provided the sound is switched on and the ‘fade’ button is not active, it is possible to change the overall  volume to suit changing needs.

Engage F27 and the sound levels will gradually reduce, eventually to silence

Engage F28 and the sound levels will gradually increase, eventually to maximum.

In each case, disengage the F key when the desired level is attained. Set F27 and F28 as ‘momentary’ if your DCC controller allows you to do so.

Note: If the volume controls appear to not function, check that F19, F27 and F28 are disengaged before making a further attempt.

It’s now down to your skill and knowledge to simulate any eventuality!

Function List

 

F Key	Function/Sound	Latch/ Momentary	Volume  CV	Sound CV
0	Lights	L	-	-
1	Sound On/Off	L	-	-
2	Brake Key	M	517	516
3	Low Tone	M	520	519
4	Dual Horn	M	523	522
5	Light Engine Mode	L	-	-
6	Coasting/Idle Key	L	-	-
7	Speed Lock	L	-	-
8	Cold Start	L	-	-
9	Enable Speed Related Flange Squeal	L	-	-
10	Light switch (FO1 and FO2 directional)	M	541	540
11	Guard’s whistle (Randomly Selected)	-	-	-
12	Coupling	L	547	546
13	Enable Automatic Wagon Buffering	-	-	-
14	Enable Speed dependent Detonators	-	-	-
15	Fan	L	556	555
16	Primer	L	559	558
17	Working Hand Brake	L	-	-
18	Door Slam	M	565	564
19	Fade All Sounds	L	568	567
20	Exhauster	L	674	673
21	Compressor	L	677	676
22	Morning Charlie	L	680	679
23	Going Under	L	683	682
24	Fancy a Brew?	L	686	685
25	Station Ambience	L	689	688
26	Not used	-	-	-
27	Volume Down	M	-	-
28	Volume Up	M	-	-