BLI Decoder History & Reset

BLI (Broadway Limited Industries) offered over time has offered many of the same locomotives with different decoders inside. Attempting to reset the engine can become confusing because the decoder is locked or the decoder is not what you think it is. This section goes over the various types of decoder used in each family/series of engines.

1) ORIGINAL BLI SERIES (Discontinued in 2006).

These engines came with a QSI sound decoder model Q1 V6.0 manufactured by QSI. They support DC and DCC operation out of the box. Reset is. These decoders do not support the decoder lock function. They are however upgradeable to Q1A software V7.0 software which fixes an advanced consisting bug.

1a) Software Reset command is CV 56.128.255.

QSI uses indexed CV which requires multiple CV coordinated to access certain commands.

CV49 (Primary Index) = 128

CV50 (Secondary Index)= 255

CV56 = 113.

This decoder does NOT support the decoder lock function.

1b) Hardware Reset uses a Reed Switch and a Magnetic Wand. Wave the magnetic wand over the top of the engine where the decoder is and the engine will reset back to factory defaults complete with an verbal acknowledgment.

QSI decoders were replaced by the Paragon Version 1 decoders.

2) BLUELINE SERIES (Current Production)

These engines are shipped with a M1 sound only decoder manufactured by BLI and will only run on DC until a DCC decoder is added via a plug and play socket. Most people just call the M1 decoder the BlueLine decoder. Reset will depends on what you want to reset.

2a) BLI sound only decoder. Software Reset command is CV8 = 8. This decoder DOES support the decoder lock function and will not reset if the decoder is locked. You must unlock the engine first.

2b) DCC decoder. Consult the manual of the manufacture of the DCC decoder and follow it reset procedure. Some decoder do support the lock function.

NOTE: There apparently are two version of the M1 decoder. I only have information the Release 2.0 shipped 8/1/08.

3) PARAGON VERSION 1 / PRECISION CRAFT (2006 to 2/22/09)

Reset command is CV8 = 8.

These engines came with a LokSound V3.5 Sound Decoder manufactured by ESU in Germany. They support DC and DCC operation out of the box. This decoder does NOT support the decoder lock function. BLI purchased Precision Craft.

Paragon 1/Loksound decoder was replaced by the Paragon 2 decoder.

4) PARAGON VERSION 2. (Current Production)

These engines come with the Paragon Sound Decoder manufactured by BLI. They support DC and DCC operation out of the box. Two ways to reset this decoder:

4a) Software Reset command is CV8 = 8. This decoder DOES support the decoder lock function and will not reset if the decoder is locked. You must unlock the engine first.

4b) Hardware Reset uses a button on the decoder. You must place the engine/decoder on dead track, press down and hold the button and apply track power. Wait for the decoder to acknowledge the reset and then release the button.