JMRI: Turnout Control
Author: Bob Jacobsen
Keywords: JMRI help Route Add Edit

# Turnout Control

Enter the accessory number or turnout system name for the accessory or turnout you wish to control in the box to right of "turnout:". For example, entering 678 and by pressing either the Thrown or Closed button, you should be able to change the state of accessory number 678 on the layout. Another example, a valid turnout system name for NCE could be NT456. Then by pressing either the Thrown or Closed button, you should be able to change the state of turnout or accessory number 456 on the layout. Another example, a valid turnout system name could be IT123 which is internal turnout number 123. Pressing Thrown or Closed will only change the state of the internal turnout and will not change a turnout on the layout. See "Names" under general help for more information.

For more information on JMRI Turnouts, see the Turnout help page.

## Turnout Control Buttons and Status

current state:
  Shows the current known state of the turnout. A turnout can have four states: unknown, inconsistent, thrown, and closed. The unknown state is when JMRI doesn't know if the turnout is thrown or closed. The inconsistent state is when a turnout on the layout is commanded to throw or close but the feedback from the layout hasn't been received. Also note that the inconsistent state can only occur if a turnout has feedback. The thrown and closed states are what the JMRI program knows or believes is the state of the turnout.
feedback mode:
  Shows the turnout's feedback mode. Some of the available feedback modes are: DIRECT, DELAYED, ONE SENSOR, TWO SENSOR, and MONITORING. A turnout using DIRECT mode doesn't have feedback from the layout. When a close or throw command is executed the JMRI program assumes that the command always completes immediately. DELAYED simulates the turnout operation taking a few seconds to complete. ONE SENSOR uses one sensor on the layout to provide feedback on the state of the turnout. TWO SENSOR uses two sensors for feedback, one for closed and one for thrown. MONITORING gets feedback from the system by either listening to cab commands on the layout or polling the system for turnout status. See the turnout feedback page for more information.
Thrown
  Push this button to throw the turnout.
Closed
  Push this button to close the turnout.
Cab operation:
  Some turnouts can be locked. If the control button is grayed out, the lock feature isn't available. See the NCE Turnout lock feature below.

### NCE Turnout lock feature

The turnout lock feature allows you to selectively disable accessory (turnouts) commands from cabs. By locking a turnout, the JMRI program will monitor the turnout's accessory address and if it detects a change command from a cab, will cancel the command immediately by sending out the opposite command to the turnout.

To use this feature you must select MONITORING as the feedback mode for the turnout and the NCE command station must have the 2007 or newer EPROM.

To help you select a set of turnouts to lock, a route can be locked. All turnouts that are being monitored by the JMRI program and are included in the route will be locked.