DIY SSD Base

Drifter2 · 16th-Nov-23, 09:55 PM

Inspired by Slingshots DIY Controller….

I wondered if it is possible to make a powerbase for Scalextric Sport Digital from development boards and if it could drive and ID change cars in a usable fashion. Turns out the answer is yes.
Furthermore using wireless or wired controllers works fine.

As an added benefit it is possible to put together this system without soldering! provided you have a bench power supply and an old PB4 track piece to use/abuse.

Dr_C2 · 16th-Nov-23, 10:46 PM

Very nice work and very impressive!

c

Drifter2 · 18th-Nov-23, 12:42 AM

Some more info on this project.

I wanted to see if I could add a car (or two) to the 6 car SSD framework and it be reverse compatible. Afaik it was tried a while back with mixed results.

I tried adding a byte to the command packet and sure enough my stock SSD car went into analog mode. By the way I have two stock test SSD cars with different behaviours. One car Rev G. will fuss and go analog if the crc byte fails but the other car just works crc or not.

So I tried adding the extra byte in a different way and the Rev G. car just drove normally including lane changes etc. Same with the other test car. Next I coupled the extra
bytes data with the throttle inputs from the test car so that it would be constantly changing and still the test cars drove normally. Interesting....

Marconi212003 · 22nd-Nov-23, 04:25 AM

VERY interested in this project.
I have 3 PB4s and cannot justify the expence of buying a 6 car base.

However I do have soldering skills and some programming experience ( from a LONG time ago)

Been looking for a good reason to buy an Arduino!!

Dr_C2 · 22nd-Nov-23, 11:21 AM

Hi Drifter2,

Very exciting work - anything more than six cars is always fun.

You mentioned that a rev G decoder switches to analog if the crc sequence is broken but another decoder works fine. Is the second one a rev H decoder by chance? I ask because the switch from rev G to rev H will have required significant firmware re-write at Hornby on account of the microcontroller switch-out.

Very interesting findings - and many thanks for sharing.

c

Drifter2 · 22nd-Nov-23, 08:30 PM

Hi Dr_C,
re the decoders I'll check to see what Rev it is.
I haven't bought any for a long while since I started making my own, so it may not be the latest version.

Drifter2 · 22nd-Nov-23, 08:37 PM

(22nd-Nov-23, 04:25 AM)Marconi212003 Wrote: VERY interested in this project.
I have 3 PB4s and cannot justify the expence of buying a 6 car base.

However I do have soldering skills and some programming experience ( from a LONG time ago)

Been looking for a good reason to buy an Arduino!!

Hi Marconi,
I found this to be a great resource for developing these projects.

https://web.archive.org/web/201005142340...ntrol.ashx

Marconi212003 · 23rd-Nov-23, 10:14 AM

Thanks for link.

Time to beak out the cro!!

Do you know how each car identifies itself to the lap counter as it goes past??

Drifter2 · 23rd-Nov-23, 09:29 PM

(22nd-Nov-23, 08:30 PM)Drifter2 Wrote: Hi Dr_C,
re the decoders I'll check to see what Rev it is.
I haven't bought any for a long while since I started making my own, so it may not be the latest version.

Just had a look and surprisingly it's also Rev. G

Drifter2 · 23rd-Nov-23, 09:34 PM

(23rd-Nov-23, 10:14 AM)Marconi212003 Wrote: Thanks for link.

Time to beak out the cro!!

Do you know how each car identifies itself to the lap counter as it goes past??

Over here.....

https://web.archive.org/web/201005142342...oding.ashx