I posted this in the product reviews forum because I'm attempting to review the feature, and how it works on this new product.
I'd really appreciate it if we stick to only this topic, (it's hairy enough). Also all items presented by myself will be facts, any opinions will be so noted, so why don't we keep the bashing comments to zero. In fact there is another forum where DCC is being bashed as opposed to the TE, be my guest to comment there.
The TE is compared on an almost daily basis by Aristo to DCC, and DCC's speed matching capability works and is documented, so since no other system has this concept, the TE functionality will be contrasted and explained in the context of the successful DCC function.
Basically, the goal is to get two or more locomotives to run at identical speeds at all speeds from zero to maximum.
In reality, different model locos will have different maximum speeds, so you cannot get all locomotives to go the same top speed. Luckily, most locomotives can approach a top speed we can live with!.
In DCC, there are many methods for speed matching, but I will describe the simplest case, because it is the one the Aristo system comes closest to. The 3 point speed curves, custom built in speed curves and complete step by step custom speed curves are, to coin a phrase, "beyond TE".
The 2 settings needed to do basic speed matching are in CVs (configuration variables) 2 (start speed) and 5 (max speed). Most DCC systems run in 128 speed step mode. (although several actually use 1024 or 2048)
You set a value in each CV and the DCC system will interpolate a "speed curve" (normally linear) between these 2 speeds for all steps in between speed step 1 and speed step 128.
In most cases setting one loco as your "standard" and then running the second loco in a consist near by and setting these 2 CVs is all you do. This should take just a few minutes. 10 minutes is my average.
In the Aristo system you have a start speed and a max speed. What is not clear yet how these work. Speeds are expressed as percentage of full speed.
From what I understand, setting a start speed of 25% throttle means that as soon as you "crack" the throttle, it jumps to 25% power immediately. That seems to be analogous to how the system applies power, but it sort of just "locks out" the speed steps from 0-25% In DCC, you RE-MAP those steps to different voltages.
On the top speed, it appears that the Aristo system is a "limiter", like a governer on a motor. DCC max speed setting CV5 is an endpoint to interpolate a speed curve from start speed to max speed.
Main point: From this information it APPEARS that you can match 2 locos near the starting voltage, and also near the max speed, but the system does not "interpolate" the speeds between.
Now, this should work OK if your total speed range is narrow, or you run near each "end" of available speeds.
It has been stated and hypothesized by several people including Aristo management that changing the speed step size on one loco will allow you to change the "speed scale" to match locos.
But, it has been also stated that the speed step is per loco, but actually per "cab".... when you put locos in a consist on an Aristo system, they must be on the same "cab" (obviously, since consisting is defined as a single point of control for multiple locos).
There is conflicting information on the Aristo site about this, it appears the speed step is set on a cab by cab basis, so while 2 locos on 2 different cabs can have different speed steps, I do not believe that different locos can have different speed steps in a consist.
Point: It seems that the speed step size cannot be different for locos in a consist since they use the same "cab" number, and the setting is per "cab".
So, the procedure is very much a cut and try experimentation, since it appears that the Aristo system only sets "limits" at the start and top speeds, as opposed to the true interpolation of speeds between the DCC start and max speeds. This is supported by people who I have talked to and by the posts on the Aristo forum.
In a recent posting, Aristo shows a long thread of text to "prove" that the DCC procedure is more complex, and requires a speedometer car and programmer. This is not so, and the DCC procedure is much simpler and faster to accomplish. I make this statement based on the number of people posting how much fooling around it took to get locos near each other. I can do it in about 10 minutes with 2 locomotive and no other special equipment. You basically set the start speeds so that each loco just starts crawling at step 1, and then run them both and adjust the max speed(s) on the fly while they circle a loop of track.
Point: So, it seems that some form of speed matching, limited to mostly the extremes of speed, is possible with the Aristo system, but it is more complex, takes more time, and is less deterministic than a DCC system.
Aristo has stated they will add a "speed offset" for individual locos in a consist, by +- 25%. Unfortunately, this is again not adjusting the "gain" of the system, or the "speed curve" as is done successfully in DCC, but just a bump in speed. The fundamental problem that not all motors are linear in speed vs. voltage is not being addressed here.
In summary, the Aristo system has a method to minimize speed differences between locos, but it works in a fundamentally different way than DCC and it does not adjust the "curve" between the start and max speeds, but only adjusts the end points.
For many people who do not run a wide range of speeds, and will not do complex consisting (like mid or end of train helpers), this should be more than sufficient, and is a big step forwards in capability from Aristo.
Regards, Greg