HSSRMS Thread - Home for FAQ & Discussion on Bruce Y's PC based Carrera Digital T&S

[edmagner]

This is a thread for FAQ's and general discussion of Bruce Yingling's fantastic Timing and Scoring software for Carrera D132/D124. HSSRMS is a Windows PC based program that uses a USB serial interface to connect to the CU or older Black Box. This was originally developed by Bruce as an alternative to Carrera's own rudimentary X-Lap software. Carrera supported this with an interface cable 30349 that was discontinued when they transitioned to the AppConnect Bluetooth interface.

The USB interface cables are available from a number of sources - links below The software is made available by Bruce at the link below. It's free to download and use -there is an extra screen to go through that you can make disappear by getting a license code from Bruce for a nominal contribution.

The worldwide Carrera Digital community is greatly enriched by Bruce having shared his work with everyone.

Here is a link to the current HSSRMS version.

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/sh...orumconvert-20

Here is a link that Carreraslots still has up for the discontinued 30349 for reference - many of the aftermarket cables reference the 30349 PN - you can occasionally find these cables on ebay just search for Carrera 30349

https://www.carreraslots.com/slot-car/30349.html

Current sources for USB PC interface cable - no endorsement implied - we can add any links that anyone has to a cable that works

Digital Racing Solutions http://www.digitalracingsolutions.com/cables.html

Carreraslots - sells DRS cable https://www.carreraslots.com/Merchan...Category_Code=

LEB - sells DRS cable https://www.lebhobbies.com/30349usb-...html?cPath=496

Professor Motor - sells DRS cable https://www.professormotor.com/product-p/30349usb.htm
has listing for an earlier version - does not appear to still be available https://www.professormotor.com/product-p/pmtr6852.htm

You will need to install a driver for the PC interface cable..

Here is a link from DRS to the most common driver

http://www.digitalracingsolutions.co...-Certified.EXE

I will keep updating this post and add descriptions of features, etc

[MX5]

I've been trying to install HSSRMS in Win7.
Installer says it can't find inpout32.dll.
Probably makes sense because I'm running a 64 bit machine.
Is there a work-around for this?

[b.yingling]

There is no 'install' procedure. You download the zip package, extract it to a folder, and run the program. 'inpout32.dll' is included with the package. If you download and extract the package, then run the program from that folder, the program will find and load the dll. It makes no difference whether you are running a 64-bit or 32-bit version of Windows.

As is explained when you click on 'What do I need?' on the download page, if this is a new installation, you have to download the full HSSRMS package, not the update package. If you are updating an existing installation, you only need to download the update zip, and extract it into the existing installation's folder.

Current version is hssrms_v2226.zip

[MX5]

Ah, yes. ("RTFM" as they say. ) I’m up and running now. Thank you very much!

[b.yingling]

A new version of HSSRMS is on the website.

A few new enhancements for everyone, and one new feature for the tech tinkerers among us.

The software now includes the option to flash a car's lights when it is in a penalty or event condition. So a tire down, or a stop-and-go penalty will cause the car's lights to flash until the condition is corrected.

The old Black Box would flash a car's lights when it was *low* on fuel (the CU doesn't flash the lights until the car is empty). I have missed that, so flashing a car's lights when it's fuel level drops to the system-wide low fuel threshold is now an option. The lights will continue to flash in the pit until the tank is full, or until the software believes the car has enough fuel to finish the race.

There is a new random rotation for those that run multi-heat races. The software also now displays all of the remaining races in a rotation on the 'Next Race' page, not just the next one up. You can also print out the full rotation. As before, the software saves the state of the rotation after every completed heat to protect against disaster. If an incomplete rotation is found at program startup, the software will ask if you want to complete the rotation or forget it.

Pressing the 'P' key on the race screen will launch the pace car. Pressing a second time will instruct it to return to pit.

Now on to what I think is the most interesting new bit:

A very simple Arduino circuit (http://www.wasserstoffe.de/carrera-h...ode/index.html) designed by Peter Niehues and available at his 'Carrduino' site (http://www.wasserstoffe.de/carrera-hacks/) enables a few new features in the software. The software will have tighter synchronization with the CU start lights during a countdown, and it will be able to identify who is guilty of a false start during the countdown. But the big reason for building this very simple device: it will also turn every controller into a track call button! If your car is not in the pit lane, and you release the throttle and hold the lane change button down for >3/4 of a second, the software will send a command to the CU to raise the start lights. So zero throttle and squeezing the lane change button for >3/4 of a second will pop the start lights. This will work with any Carrera digital compatible controller. Because the state of the lane change button is not sent to the track while the start lights are raised, the controller can't be used to begin a countdown. You still need to press the space bar or the physical 'Start' button on the CU to do that.

Even if you have never worked with an Arduino, this is a very simple project. The circuit consists of two resistors, a diode, and some wire. If you have any experience with electronic projects, this is a very simple circuit to solder. (The circuit has low current draw so while it is clumsy, inelegant and not recommended- you could use a breadboard as pictured in the docs even while connected to the track if you absolutely don't want to solder). I am using an Arduino Uno because I already had one, but any Arduino with a USB connection can be used as pictured.

The required components are extremely cheap. You can probably easily find a genuine Arduino Nano for $15 or less, and clone boards are even cheaper. The resistors, diode and wire are negligible. So an easy, cheap, and fun project can net you the ability for every driver to pause the race right from their controller! The software now creates an 'Arduino' sub-folder that includes the pictures and documentation needed to make this work.

[b.yingling]

Those of you who have been using my software for any length of time are already familiar with this drill :-).

v2.304 is on the website, as 2.303 did not properly update the state of the Arduino button when you clicked 'Search for devices' from the Easy mode screen.

Also more information has been added to the Arduino documents.

[dw5555]

Thank you Bruce.

[Slotspeed]

Very exciting enhancement of HSSRMS and the track call from the controller is going to be a very popular new feature!

[Eric P]

And just like that, my Magner Big Red Button is obsolete LOL. The flashing lights for fuel is interesting, I may choose to keep it turned off as the length oft he last fuel stop has become part of the strategy for my group.

[b.yingling]

The BRB isn't obsolete! You still need a way to *start* the countdown. It's just easier and simpler to pop the start lights from your controller. With some time off, I think I might finally get around to installing my last two BRBs so that each corner and each center side of the track have a spot to restart the race.

[Bandit17762]

I am looking for more on what are the actions for using the arduino board and the controllers and big red button. I just downloaded HSSRMS and want to use the arduino with it. I may be in over my head, but I am trying. LOL

[b.yingling]

The arduino circuit is very simple. If you just downloaded the latest package, it contains links to all of the information you will need, as well as the sketch (the arduino name for source code) you need to make it work. This is really a pretty simple beginners project for arduino. You don't need many components at all.

[b.yingling]

... The flashing lights for fuel is interesting, I may choose to keep it turned off as the length oft he last fuel stop has become part of the strategy for my group.

As far as the lights not flashing when the software estimates you have enough fuel to finish the race: this is just an extension of the existing Driver Display/Team Radio behaviour.

[b.yingling]

I had a user report to me that since upgrading to 2.304, they are getting a cryptic error message which just says: 'Apro exception'.

The code that communicates with an arduino is causing this exception. If you are using that feature (I don't think anyone is!), I am working on improving it. I haven't seen this exact error, but the arduino decoder code just stops working after a bit, and I have had program lockups.

If you are not using an arduino decoder circuit to turn all of your controllers into chaos buttons, there is no advantage to using 2.304 over the prior version- 2.226. The 2.226 update is still on the website. To backdate to 2.226, just download it, and copy the 2.226 version of the hssrms.exe file right over top of your installation. The older hssrms.exe file is all you need.

Thanks,
Bruce

[dw5555]

Thank you Bruce. Good to see you still lurking.
Dave

[b.yingling]

I'm making good progress on fixing and improving the arduino code. Today I've had the program running on a live track for over an hour with the arduino code still working and no program errors. This is a mild test with (2) ghost cars, one rubber banded (actually, twist tied!) controller, and me driving one car. This weekend we'll do some race condition stress testing, and if all goes well, I may have something ready for public consumption by Christmas.

[b.yingling]

There is a new version (2.403) up on the website.

If you are using the arduino decoder to turn all of your controllers into track call devices, then I highly recommend you update to this version. It includes a new script for your arduino device as well as a new version of the software. I had experienced program lockups and drops in communication with the arduino using v2.304. This version has been run continuously for days on end w/o any failures. No lockups, no loss of communication.

It surprises me that so few people have taken advantage of the arduino decoder feature. It's about as simple an arduino project as you can get, and it transforms practice as well as races with the ability to pop the start lights right from your controller.

Even if you are not using the every_controller_a_ track_call_button feature, I still recommend you update to this version if you are using 2.304.

There is also one new feature, that will work with or without the arduino. If you raise the start lights to stop the cars on your track, this version will allow you to by-pass the long 5 LED countdown from the CU to restart the race. The program will give a brief, verbal countdown- 3..2..1..GO, and release the cars. There is also no chance of a false start using this feature. The countdown proceeds and the track goes live, even if you squeeze the throttle during the countdown. That's actually the main reason I added it- the long countdown and false starts can be frustrating when you just want to get back to racing. The start of a heat still uses the regular CU countdown, and false starts can still happen there (remember, if you are using an arduino decoder, the software will identify the false start car).

I have some ideas for some major new features- but I haven't decided yet which way I want to proceed. They will definitely require an arduino decoder (it's 2 resisters and a diode!), but depending how I proceed, they may require a more 'advanced' arduino project.