How to Program a DCC Decoder 
I’ve found the best way to program a DCC decoder, and it’s free (depending upon your DCC system)!
DecoderPro is a free application that runs on pretty much any Windows98, WindowsXP, MacOS or Linux computer. If you have an NCE Powerhouse Pro system of just about any vintage, you can simply plug your computer into the serial port and you’re ready to program just about any decoder currently on the market. Other systems will require some sort of computer interface (for Digitrax users, that’s the MS100).
Decoder settings, including those pesky custom speed curve tables, can be easily adjusted and sent to the loco, along with literally every other setting in the decoder, and all through easy to read and understand screens.
Once you’ve got all your settings for a particular loco set, you can save it off for future reference, or, if you’ve got a “fleet” of one particular loco type, simply change the address and download all the same parameters to each loco.
Did I mention this is free software? What more could you ask for?
Hi Geren, I noticed nobody ever commented on this titbit.
I had problems with my Forney tsunamis so I bought the USB Sprog11 interface that sits between the PC and my Prodigy Advance - no problems whatsoever ( apart from the 1st Sprog being duff.
Now I can also run my test layout from the JMRI - great for testing the locos.
The USB Sprog can be bought from
http://bbmgroup.home.comcast.net/sprog/
Thoroughly recommend it for non NCE systems
Cheers
David(UK)
Railbaron of Leeds
I discovered, much to my surprise, that I can program the Bachmann/Tsunami decoder with my NCE. Interestingly, we tried programming one with another, newer NCE system at the Kimberton show this past weekend, and it wouldn’t read back. Since the NCE has a serial port built-in, I can’t seeing myself buying a SPROG. However, I may go ahead and get one of the programming boosters — just in case.