Display a slip an a CPE panel

January 14, 2025

2025   ·   jmri     ·   trains   how-to  

How to put a double slip on a JMRI Control Panel

On my layout a remote double slip connects the Ouray loop in Silverton. To display this turnout on a Layout Editor panel or a classic Panel is straight forward using a dedicated tool. But in Control Panel Editor (CPE) the so-called Turnout Indicator element that can show occupancy and route assignment is not available for 3-way turnouts and slips (see docs).

LE slip edit pane
LE slip edit pane

My slip turnout LT2 has only two states to operate, whilst the LE slip/3-way tool expects two turnout addresses for at least 3 states. Relay LT1 flips the return loop DCC track power to match the feeders to the slip and beyond to prevent a short. Using these 2 turnout addresses we can create a representation on the CPE panel:

LT1 (loop relay, left half) IT2 (right half of icon) LT2 (2-state remote slip)
closed thrown thrown
closed closed closed
thrown thrown closed
thrown closed thrown
Logic table LT1 + IT2 > LT2
Logic table LT1 + IT2 > LT2

The slip is operated via two indicator turnout icons displayed on the panel. A JMRI Logix checks the State of both and sets LT2 to match the logic table. (Routes can use only one commanding turnout, so they would require a sensor to track the second turnout).

Screen shot of Logix config pane
Screen shot of Logix config pane

The slip turnout icon on the Control Panel is actually made from two halfs placed back-to-back. Each indicator part uses an icon map of 4 x 4 .png afbeeldingen:

Edit screen for icon map
Edit screen for icon map

The image map for both halves of the slip icon was trimmed from a normal indicator turnout icon set, with the left side rotated 180 degrees. Download a zip containing the special icons I created here and copy its contents to the JMRI preferences/resources folder.

Slip icon in operation showing closed
Slip icon closed
Slip icon in operation showing thrown
Slip icon thrown

The panel file was tweaked in a text editor, but you could do this using the UI tool too. Work on a copy of the panel file to prevent errors in JMRI. The good thing was that there was no need to dive deep into the CPE Java code and extend a class plus a tool. Enjoy warrant operations!

Panel xml snippet

<indicatorturnouticon x="352" y="93" level="7" forcecontroloff="false" hidden="no" positionable="true" showtooltip="true" editable="true" degrees="180" class="jmri.jmrit.display.configurexml.IndicatorTurnoutIconXml">
  <tooltip>OBlock "Sv Crossing"</tooltip>
  <turnout>IT2</turnout>
  <occupancyblock>OB:AUTO:0003</occupancyblock>
  <showTrainName>no</showTrainName>
  <iconmaps family="sliphalf-right">
    <OccupiedTrack>
      <BeanStateUnknown url="preference:resources/slip/unknown-sliphalf-yellow.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateUnknown>
      <TurnoutStateClosed url="preference:resources/slip/closed-sliphalf-yellow.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateClosed>
      <TurnoutStateThrown url="preference:resources/slip/thrown-sliphalf-yellow.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateThrown>
      <BeanStateInconsistent url="preference:resources/slip/error-sliphalf-yellow.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateInconsistent>
    </OccupiedTrack>
    <ClearTrack>
      <BeanStateUnknown url="preference:resources/slip/unknown-sliphalf-white.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateUnknown>
      <TurnoutStateClosed url="preference:resources/slip/closed-sliphalf-white.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateClosed>
      <TurnoutStateThrown url="preference:resources/slip/thrown-sliphalf-white.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateThrown>
      <BeanStateInconsistent url="preference:resources/slip/error-sliphalf-white.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateInconsistent>
    </ClearTrack>
    <AllocatedTrack>
      <BeanStateUnknown url="preference:resources/slip/unknown-sliphalf-green.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateUnknown>
      <TurnoutStateClosed url="preference:resources/slip/closed-sliphalf-green.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateClosed>
      <TurnoutStateThrown url="preference:resources/slip/thrown-sliphalf-green.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateThrown>
      <BeanStateInconsistent url="preference:resources/slip/error-sliphalf-green.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateInconsistent>
    </AllocatedTrack>
    <DontUseTrack>
      <BeanStateUnknown url="preference:resources/slip/unknown-sliphalf-gray.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateUnknown>
      <TurnoutStateClosed url="preference:resources/slip/closed-sliphalf-gray.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateClosed>
      <TurnoutStateThrown url="preference:resources/slip/thrown-sliphalf-gray.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateThrown>
      <BeanStateInconsistent url="preference:resources/slip/error-sliphalf-gray.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateInconsistent>
    </DontUseTrack>
    <PositionTrack>
      <BeanStateUnknown url="preference:resources/slip/unknown-sliphalf-blue.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateUnknown>
      <TurnoutStateClosed url="preference:resources/slip/closed-sliphalf-blue.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateClosed>
      <TurnoutStateThrown url="preference:resources/slip/thrown-sliphalf-blue.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateThrown>
      <BeanStateInconsistent url="preference:resources/slip/error-sliphalf-blue.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateInconsistent>
    </PositionTrack>
    <ErrorTrack>
      <BeanStateUnknown url="preference:resources/slip/unknown-sliphalf-red.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateUnknown>
      <TurnoutStateClosed url="preference:resources/slip/closed-sliphalf-red.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateClosed>
      <TurnoutStateThrown url="preference:resources/slip/thrown-sliphalf-red.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </TurnoutStateThrown>
      <BeanStateInconsistent url="preference:resources/slip/error-sliphalf-red.png" degrees="180" scale="1.0">
        <rotation>0</rotation>
      </BeanStateInconsistent>
    </ErrorTrack>
  </iconmaps>
</indicatorturnouticon>

Add a copy for the other half of the slip (LT1).

Logix xml

<logixs class="jmri.managers.configurexml.DefaultLogixManagerXml">
  <logix userName="Sv slip LT2" enabled="yes">
    <systemName>IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:0008</systemName>
    <userName>Sv slip LT2</userName>
    <comment>Silverton crossing</comment>
    <logixConditional systemName="IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:00081T" order="0" />
    <logixConditional systemName="IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:0008C2" order="1" />
    <logixConditional systemName="IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:0008C3" order="2" />
    <logixConditional systemName="IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:0008C4" order="3" />
  </logix>
</logixs>
<conditionals class="jmri.managers.configurexml.DefaultConditionalManagerXml">
  <conditional systemName="IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:0008C2" userName="slip NW-SE" antecedent="R1 and R2" logicType="1" triggerOnChange="yes">
    <systemName>IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:0008C2</systemName>
    <userName>slip NW-SE</userName>
    <conditionalStateVariable operator="4" negated="no" type="3" systemName="Loop reverse relay" dataString="" num1="0" num2="0" triggersCalc="yes" />
    <conditionalStateVariable operator="1" negated="no" type="3" systemName="slip-east" dataString="" num1="0" num2="0" triggersCalc="yes" />
    <conditionalAction option="1" type="17" systemName="LT2" data="2" delay="1" string="1" />
  </conditional>
  <conditional systemName="IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:0008C3" userName="slip W-E" antecedent="R1 and R2" logicType="1" triggerOnChange="yes">
    <systemName>IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:0008C3</systemName>
    <userName>slip W-E</userName>
    <conditionalStateVariable operator="4" negated="no" type="4" systemName="Loop reverse relay" dataString="" num1="0" num2="0" triggersCalc="yes" />
    <conditionalStateVariable operator="1" negated="no" type="4" systemName="slip-east" dataString="" num1="0" num2="0" triggersCalc="yes" />
    <conditionalAction option="1" type="17" systemName="Sv Slip" data="2" delay="1" string="1" />
  </conditional>
  <conditional systemName="IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:0008C4" userName="slip W-SE" antecedent="R1 and R2" logicType="1" triggerOnChange="yes">
    <systemName>IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:0008C4</systemName>
    <userName>slip W-SE</userName>
    <conditionalStateVariable operator="4" negated="no" type="4" systemName="Loop reverse relay" dataString="" num1="0" num2="0" triggersCalc="yes" />
    <conditionalStateVariable operator="1" negated="no" type="3" systemName="slip-east" dataString="" num1="0" num2="0" triggersCalc="yes" />
    <conditionalAction option="1" type="17" systemName="Sv Slip" data="4" delay="1" string="1" />
  </conditional>
  <conditional systemName="IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:00081T" userName="slip NW-E" antecedent="R1 and R2" logicType="1" triggerOnChange="yes">
    <systemName>IX:RTX:IO:AUTO:00081T</systemName>
    <userName>slip NW-E</userName>
    <conditionalStateVariable operator="4" negated="no" type="4" systemName="slip-east" dataString="" num1="0" num2="0" triggersCalc="yes" />
    <conditionalStateVariable operator="1" negated="no" type="3" systemName="Loop reverse relay" dataString="" num1="0" num2="0" triggersCalc="yes" />
    <conditionalAction option="1" type="17" systemName="Sv Slip" data="4" delay="1" string="1" />
  </conditional>
</conditionals>


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