[Billy_Cart]

I finally got around to fitting my new Slot.it Type C chip (O201c1) into one of my new Slot.t McLaren F1 GTR cars and figured out how to download the phone app and firmware bits etc. and got it going

.

It works get on the track with no RMS and works great with SSDC, however when driving in race mode in RCS64 (practice, qualify or race) it works fine until the car loses contact with the track rails (I.e. crash, lane change dead spot, lift car to clean tyres etc.)

Driving the chasis around with no body I can see the flashing red light blinking as I race until I stop on a dead spot and the light goes out and when I push the car forward to get going again the red light is fixed on (no flashing) and the car does not drive. Repeating this with SSDC or no RMS the car is fine and the red light starts flashing again and the car drives.

I also get the issue if I start the RCS64 race screen menu and then put the car on the track the car will not go when the race is started.

Also when the car does stop working in the middle of a RCS64 race once I stop the race and take the car off the track and put it back on it starts driving again.

I have used the O201c-SSD-0106-190514 firmware, is this a known issue and will the prior O201c-SSD-0100-180525 firmware work better ? unfortunately I can't get the car to go into programming mode to select the Dfu02Car devise on the phone app to try and install the prior version firmware.

 

[MrFlippant]

I did have some strange things with different versions of the SSD firmware. I think there were three available to test. I would test all three and report your findings so that slot.it can investigate.

 

[Billy_Cart]

Unfortunately I can't figure out how to load any other version of the firmware, I can't get the chip back into programme mode to select the Dfu02Car device on the phone app, the chip light just stays on fixed.

Also I noticed this morning that when the car stops in a RCS64 race after a desolt or dead spot etc. I can turn it around in the other direction and the chip light flashes and the car goes, if I turn the car back around the light is fixed on again and the car doesn't go.

Also I cannot change car ID's on this chip using my old PB Pro powerbase that I have setup for this purpose and must use the RMS software and I assume the APB (but I don't use the APB tower).

 

[MrFlippant]

Yep, those are some of the oddities I ran into. There was one version that worked better, but I've forgotten what it was. I wasn't doing proper testing at the time.

You should be able to force it into DFU mode by parking the car with the hall sensor over a magnet.

 

[GregK]

or simply hold a magnet over the Hall Effect Sensor .......... :thumbsup:

TFTFY ......

 

[Billy_Cart]

You should be able to force it into DFU mode by parking the car with the hall sensor over a magnet.

Thanks for this tip Mr F, I can now get the chip into programme mode and try different firmware. Although it wasn't as easy as just parking the car with the hall sensor over a magnet, I had to take the body off and hold the magnet hard up against the hall sensor chip and have a nunber of attempts to get it into programme mode, that said I can at least do this now.

There are only 2 SSD firmware versions availble on the Slot.it website and I uploaded the earlier O201c-SSD-0100-180525 version and same issue with RCS64 is evident.

Although I tried starting a race running in the opposite direction and the issue did not occur with both firmware versions. The chip could lose contact with the track and when re-slotted the car kept running fine.

However as soon as I turned the car around to race in the correct direction (right to left) the car wouldn't run, however with the 180525 version the car would sometimes fly off by itself.

Not sure we have "One Chip to rule them all" just yet but hopefully the issue can be fixed with firmware upgrades which is a positive feature.

The chip seems to run fine in normal Scalextric mode and with SSDC but it appears not to run with ESRM and has this issue with RCS64.

 

[Billy_Cart]

or simply hold a magnet over the Hall Effect Sensor .......... :thumbsup:

Thanks Greg I finally figured that out, it didn't seem to work by just holding the magnet under the chassis, I had to get inside the car lift off all the blue take and press the magnet against the hall sensor chip and wait...... and try again and after a few goes it works, sometimes. This whole experience has not been as convenient as I thought it would be, let's hope there is a solution.

 

[Dr_C]

Thanks Greg I finally figured that out, it didn't seem to work by just holding the magnet under the chassis, I had to get inside the car lift off all the blue take and press the magnet against the hall sensor chip and wait...... and try again and after a few goes it works, sometimes. This whole experience has not been as convenient as I thought it would be, let's hope there is a solution.

Also, when in SSD native mode, placing the car on a track with dc power should move it into DFU mode e.g. an analog track with throttle trigger pressed. Does that work too?

The whole question of SSD works, and when under SSDC race control, but not when under RCS64 is a really interesting one since both programmes operate through an identical serial interface with the same commands. So what commands is RCS64 sending over the serial link that unsettles the O201c1 decoders? or is it some sort of system timing error? all very interesting... and without doubt solvable...

C

 

[MrFlippant]

I'm sure it is. The more information Maurizio and team have to replicate the problem, the faster it will be resolved. Don't be afraid to send your findings direct to their email [email protected] and I'm sure it will get to the right people.

I also keep a plinth with a slot and rails wired to a 9v battery handy. The G-Slot car boxes as especially nice for this as they have actual metal rail on the plinth, but I've also used regular box bases with a little bit of copper tape. I use this to get the car into DFU mode when it doesn't want to on the SSD track. If you're going from oXigen firmware, you just need to make sure that the controller that it was paired to is turned off.

 

[Billy_Cart]

Also, when in SSD native mode, placing the car on a track with dc power should move it into DFU mode e.g. an analog track with throttle trigger pressed. Does that work too?
The whole question of SSD works, and when under SSDC race control, but not when under RCS64 is a really interesting one since both programmes operate through an identical serial interface with the same commands. So what commands is RCS64 sending over the serial link that unsettles the O201c1 decoders? or is it some sort of system timing error? all very interesting... and without doubt solvable...
C

Hi Dr C,
I have an Analogue powerbase that I use for trueing tyres and when I place the car on this track piece and press the controller trigger the chip light lights up fixed but the phone app doesn't recognize the Dfu02Car so this doesn't seem to work.

It's very interesting that RCS64 works in the opposite direction (left to right) but it doesn't work when the car is placed to run right to left.

I would love to test by running a full RCS64 race in the left to right direction but I have 14 lane changers so I think I will try and avoid switching all them around.😎

 

[Billy_Cart]

I just ran a 10 minute practice session in RCS64 with the car running in the opposite direction (left to right) and the chip had no issues with deslots, dead spots etc. If the car lost connection with the rails and the chip light went out, it would start flashing again when the braids connected with the live rails and all was good.

I couldn't use the lane changers but pressing the LC button triggered the flippers as expected.

Several times during the session I picked the car up and turned it around to face the right to left direction and the chip light stopped flashing and remained fixed on and the car would not go. However if I pushed the car over a LC sensor in this direction it triggered the normal straight through flipper response but the LC button on the controller would not trigger a lane change of the flipper.

Also pushing the car over the pitlane sensor triggered the car into pit and the RCS64 pit menu worked fine.

Could there be a directional issue in the APB settings that might be causing this ?

 

[Dr_C]

In the short term it does sound like reversing the wiring between chip and braids would get things sorted. But the underlying cause does need investigation... maybe its a one-off problem with your decoder, or maybe a wider issue?

Also, I wonder if it might be aux packet related?

C

 

[chris99]

Hi,

Try loosening and re-tightening the SSD selector screw on the chip

 

[GregK]

Such a shame that the SSD Selector Screw is not a simple mechanical switch .......

 

[Billy_Cart]

In the short term it does sound like reversing the wiring between chip and braids would get things sorted. But the underlying cause does need investigation... maybe its a one-off problem with your decoder, or maybe a wider issue?
Also, I wonder if it might be aux packet related?
C

Looks like this maybe the solution 👍, I switched the wires from the chip to the braids and all is working OK with RCS64, I will do more testing tomorrow, by the time I saw this and Chris99's advise I had a couple of beers too many so any real fix will need more steady hands 👐.

I tried loosening and re-tightening the SSD selector screw on the chip first but no difference.

The confusing thing is I wired up the chip in line as you would expect and it worked fine in standard Scalextric mode and SSDC but not RCS64.

Anyway thanks for everyones feedback and tips and hopefully I will report back tomorrow with issues fully sorted 😁

 

[Billy_Cart]

OK this morning after a good nights sleep I tidied up my wiring switch for the lead wires going from the C type chip to the car braids (I.e. top down view as you look at inside of the car chassis, the left chip wire now goes to the right braid and the right chip wire goes to the left braid).

I have now run the following tests;

RCS64 - 10 minute Practice session, followed by 5 minute Qualify session, followed by 60 lap race with all the simulations.

SSDC - 20 lap race with fuel & penalties

ESRM - 10 minute Practice session and 20 lap race with all the sims.

Scaley APB - a heap of laps with no RMS loaded.

The chip worked fine with all the above tests so all good 100%

I will now install my 2nd Type C chip into another new Slot.it McLaren F1 GTR and see if the exact same issue is evident or was this just a "one off" chip issue (which I hope it is).

Thanks again for everyone's contributions and help in getting this resolved, it was a bit frustrating but now I can race this car with all the RCS64 sims

.

Next thing to look forward to is taking it to a mates Digital Carrera track and testing it and then testing on our club analogue track with another mates wireless SCP 2 controller and Oxigen cartridge to see if it will run on an analogue track with this setup.

Now just waiting on the SCP3 to play with

P.S.I still can't change the Car ID for this Type C chip using my trusty old PB Pro powerbase, If that could be resolved in a future firmware upgrade that would be great, otherwise I may have to pull out my spare APB for quick change Car ID'ing.

 

[Billy_Cart]

Finally got around to installing my 2nd Slot.it Type C chip and got the same results. That is as soon as the car loses contact with the track rails the chip light stays on fixed and the car does not go.

I quickly switched the left chip lead wire to the right car braid and right chip lead wire to the left car braid and all works OK. 👍

Is this what is supposed happen? or am I doing something wrong with my installs, 2nd chip install (photo below).

Also still seem to have the same issue with getting the chip into programme mode which requires opening the car and pressing magnet against Hall Sensor chip, any feedback on correct Hall Sensor install would also be appreciated.

 

[GregK]

When fitting a sensor/transmitter for any make of digital car, you ideally want it as far forward as possible so as to register with the lap counter or trigger LC activation.

The red arrow is marking the current position of the Hall Effect sensor, a better place for it is where the yellow arrow is pointing. OK, the distance and therefore the delta time before sensor activation is minute but every little bit counts in tight racing.

IMO, the inflexible ribbon cable is not best suited for this purpose. If possible, replacing the ribbon with softer silicone wire will make the task of fitting the HE sensor so much easier.

 

[Billy_Cart]

Thanks Greg 👍

Should I be drilling a hole into the chassis for the Hall Sensor chip to read the magnets or should the Hall Sensor work through the plastic chassis?

Please excuse my electrickery ignorance 😎

 

[Minardi]

It works through the chassis.