[b.yingling]

QUOTE (DonaldW @ 28 Feb 2009, 08:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Bruce,

I just set up the new version 0.8.0.1 and it looks great (I really miss the cable, 4 more days...

).

Just the Question that todo also raised: Will it be possible to save the settings for the race in one of the next versions? Also if you change the colors, they are not saved for the next race, so you do have to set everything anew.

As you see there are a lot new users from Germany...

BYe from here
Matthias

Sorry about the colors. I thought I had set it to save them. I just checked, and you're right. They don't get saved. I'll post a fix for that right now

As to saving the setup for a race- that will have to wait until I rewrite the data handling. With the current crude sytem there is no way for the software to duplicate a driver/car combination from a previous day.

 

[Nikko]

Bruce,
Sounds like your program is running great. I look forward to a fix for the Windows 98 issue.

 

[b.yingling]

QUOTE (Nikko @ 28 Feb 2009, 22:21) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Bruce,
Sounds like your program is running great. I look forward to a fix for the Windows 98 issue.

The Win98 machine I was planning to test with last weekend ran into some issues- the motherboard died on the bench. This is not a high priority for me- I have other things I need to get done with the software, and a track I need to landscape. It may be some time until I get around to trying it.

I asked once before and never got a reply: Has anyone who wants to use Win98 tried either RichG's cable or Carrera's PC Unit using only the Win98 approved drivers from FTDI's website? They are the folks who make the chip that's used in RichG's cable and in the Carrera PC Unit. RichG has a machine running WinME, and my software worked just fine using his cable and their drivers. WinME is the same code base as Win98, so there's a very good chance it will work.

Has anyone with a Win98 machine tried it?

 

[DonaldW]

Hi Bruce,

several people in freeslotter wanted to download 802 but when you get to your download site we all get 801 (rms.exe 2009-02-28 18:31). Can this be possible?

Btw, do you something else than programming the software? It is remarkable how fast you set up everything in your software.

Regards from Germany
Matthias

 

[poolschool]

Bruce,

I know exactly what it feels like to lose the computer you were going to try the 98 mods on. Same thing happened to me. Anyway all sorted now and the software is running beautifully on a Win XP machine.

I made my own cable, based on the FTDI chip, and you're right, I would be surprised if it doesn't work with the drivers for Win 98 that are available on FTDI's website, after all, they are just a driver for the chip, should have nothing to do with your software.

I have tested the software finally and must congratulate you on such a fine effort, and the speed which you constantly improve the software through many versions is amazing. Well done mate!!! Definitely a good one for us Carrera Digital guys.

Gino

 

[poolschool]

On that note, most computers running WIN 98 have a DB9 serial port on them, as the data from the lap counter is serial, do you need to go through a serial to USB converter, as the FTDI based one, or just go straight from the lap counter to the DB9 serial port?

Gino

 

[Carrera124]

@Bruce, 2 more questions:

1. Does your RMS work on Windows Vista ?

2. Does it work with a standard user account (i.e. without administrative rights) ?

 

[poolschool]

Chris,

Yes it does work on Vista, not sure about user acc though

Gino

 

[RichG]

QUOTE (poolschool @ 1 Mar 2009, 10:45) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>On that note, most computers running WIN 98 have a DB9 serial port on them, as the data from the lap counter is serial, do you need to go through a serial to USB converter, as the FTDI based one, or just go straight from the lap counter to the DB9 serial port?

You either need to use a Serial to USB converter like the FTDI chip that my cables are based on, or you can go to the Serial port. This will need to be through a level convrter such as the Max232 range of chips. It will not work when directly connected, the Lap Counter has 5V level signals and the PC requires RS232 levels.

Rich

 

[b.yingling]

QUOTE (DonaldW @ 1 Mar 2009, 04:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Bruce,

several people in freeslotter wanted to download 802 but when you get to your download site we all get 801 (rms.exe 2009-02-28 18:31). Can this be possible?

Btw, do you something else than programming the software? It is remarkable how fast you set up everything in your software.

Regards from Germany
Matthias

Not sure what happened here. I just downloaded the .zip and the install package and both contain v0.802?

Maybe there was an issue with my cheap (free) website? I did not download and check the post last night, I just assumed the update was immediate. It seems to have been in the past. Anyway, it certainly works now. Again, the only difference here is that version 0.802 remembers your custom colors from the race screen. v0.801 does not. This update was simple- I had included all of the necessary bits to save the colors- in fact they were getting saved to the D132.ini file. I had just forgotten to update them with the current colors before saving. So this was a 5 minute fix.

As to doing something else- yes, I have a day job

. I'm also treasurer and webmaster of my Lions Club, and I spent most of yesterday racing with my analog slot car club.

Lets just say I don't watch much TV. Or read (I miss that). Or golf (that will change when the weather warms up).

The last 2 months I've probably spent an average of 3-4 hours a day on the software. Some days less, some more.

 

[Bannon05]

I wanted to point out that it is possible to show Bruce your appreciation for his work in a more material way. By clicking on the "About 132RMS" button Bruce provides his PayPal information should you wish to make a donation. For the record, I do not know Bruce personally but was happy to make a small donation toward the cause.

Bannon05

 

[indianfire]

hello bruce,
i know you are interested on other testings your programm:

i had 2 times this problem: just exact in the second one driver falls out of the slot my windows xp crashed over and i had to start xp new.
this was only 2 times by for about 500 rounds,- so its not so hard to take this mistake

i am sure, its a problem from d132rms, cause d132 blackbox and counter didnt show a problem....

greetings

klaus

 

[b.yingling]

QUOTE (indianfire @ 2 Mar 2009, 15:28) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>hello bruce,
i know you are interested on other testings your programm:

i had 2 times this problem: just exact in the second one driver falls out of the slot my windows xp crashed over and i had to start xp new.
this was only 2 times by for about 500 rounds,- so its not so hard to take this mistake

i am sure, its a problem from d132rms, cause d132 blackbox and counter didnt show a problem....

greetings

klaus

I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying a car deslots, and XP crashes?

I can't imagine how the RMS software could cause that. It doesn't know whether a car is in the slot or on the shelf- it just knows when a car has crossed the lap counter.

Maybe I am misunderstanding what you're telling me?

 

[indianfire]

hi bruce,
yes, you are understanding right.
just exact the moment the cars falls out from slot xp crashes...

but i had it only two times by 500 rounds, does'nt really matter....

klaus

 

[b.yingling]

QUOTE (indianfire @ 3 Mar 2009, 02:10) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>hi bruce,
yes, you are understanding right.
just exact the moment the cars falls out from slot xp crashes...

but i had it only two times by 500 rounds, does'nt really matter....

klaus

It's an interesting issue.

The RMS software only asks the lap counter if a car has crossed, and it gets a yes or no answer. It has no way of knowing a car has deslotted. So I can't imagine how it would be involved.

But I have seen some strange behavior from USB devices over the years. Printers that prevent a computer from booting if they (the printer) are turned on- but only some of the time. An occasional spontaneous reboot when plugging in a camera or hard drive. It wouldn't surprise me if the PC unit is causing this- a hardware issue, rather than software.

 

[indianfire]

hello bruce,

whats the effect of this setting:

??? After initial (timed) heat, count all crossings as lap ???

normaly i had not activated this.

 

[poolschool]

QUOTE (RichG @ 1 Mar 2009, 23:00) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>You either need to use a Serial to USB converter like the FTDI chip that my cables are based on, or you can go to the Serial port. This will need to be through a level convrter such as the Max232 range of chips. It will not work when directly connected, the Lap Counter has 5V level signals and the PC requires RS232 levels.

Rich

Rich,

makes sense

thanks
Gino

 

[b.yingling]

QUOTE (indianfire @ 3 Mar 2009, 14:20) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>hello bruce,

whats the effect of this setting:

??? After initial (timed) heat, count all crossings as lap ???

normaly i had not activated this.

Generally not something you would want to do unless you have track power controlled from the software. If you're running a sequence of timed heats, drivers begin the next heat from where they ended the previous heat- so partial laps are not lost. Say you are 1 meter past the lap counter at the end of a timed heat (and track power is cut by the computer). Then you start from the same spot in the next heat, and when you cross the lap counter the first time a lap is counted.

I should have my track wired to make this possible later this week. It will also let me use the space bar as a track call button.

If you don't have your track wired like that, it is probably not an option you want to use. Unless you have a race steward who cuts power (the 'start' button on the Black Box?) as soon as the timed heat is over.

 

[b.yingling]

I should have an update available this weekend.

For most users, the only difference will be the option to use a black background on the race screen. Currently you are stuck with the Windows color settings.

It will also include the ability for the software to control power to the rails. In order to use this feature, you will need a parallel port relay board in the circuit feeding the rails. This is an easy addition on my track because I've already set it up to run digital/analog. I used the method outlined by SFI member brumbaer (who also made my software possible by decoding and making available the D132 lap counter protocol, Thanks again!!), which involves powering the rails individually, and powering the lane changers, the pit, and the lap counter separately.

This feature is one of the main reasons I decided to tackle the software project. If I hadn't planned on including this, I probably would have muddled along in silence with X-Lap.

It will mean I'll have a track call button available from the computer, and I'll be able to cut power at the end of a timed heat.

If anyone else has such a setup (must be a parallel port relay board controlling track power), I'll be happy to tell you how to enable this option in the software. It is off by default, and you can't change that setting within the program. This is to protect against the very strange results you'll get if you enable it and don't have a parallel port relay board controlling power to the rails.

If anyone wants to setup something similar with a serial port relay or a USB port relay (my first option, but every solution I found was waaaaay too expensive), I will be happy to include code in a future release to use those.

 

[Dommie]

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU...
DOES THIS WORK ON VISTA OR VISTA 64 BIT? IS THERE A WAY TO ONLY SHOW THE DRIVERS PARTICIPATING ON THE RACE SCREEN?
EXAMPLE IF THERE IS ONLY THREE DRIVERS RACING , THE FIRST THREE SPOTS SHOW THE INFO AND THE LAST 5 ARE BLANK. CAN I NOT SHOW ON THE RACE SCREEN THE LAST 5 SPOTS? BECAUSE THERE IS NOBODY THERE? I LOVE YOUR PROGRAM. IT IS WAY BETTER THAN CARRERAS. THANKS