[Dr_C]

I’m drawing my work on IR lap counting methods into a development system which I am calling System-D.

System-D uses a Mark/Space timing method for lap counting and signal inversion for commanding a lane change. This is a 36 car ID detection system i.e. far too many for most of us.

But does this approach offer anything for Hornby SSD users who want more than six cars on the grid but who don’t wish to splash out on a complete Slot.it oXigen system?

Here very kindly Slot.it have provided a nice cross-compatibility option. Slot.it oXigen decoders can be set up to strobe their IR LEDs on IDs 1-6.

Meanwhile I have a version of In-car Pro firmware for Hornby SSD decoders which can be driven on any of the six Hornby throttles but which strobes its ID on System-D proprietary IDs 7-12.

This provides a potential solution for up to 12 cars.

For this 12 car solution:

Cars 1-6 are controlled by oXigen wireless and they strobe on corresponding SSD IDs 1-6.

Cars 7-12 are controlled by SSD track packets (this of course is limited to six cars) and they strobe on System-D proprietary IDs 7-12.

To protect an investment into an existing Hornby SSD six car setup, while adding oXigen decoders and throttle controller pairs as required… the following is required:

1/ All six SSD decoders need to be upgraded to a special version of ICP firmware which strobes on IDs 7-12. This is called ‘Block B variant’.

2/ A System-D Sensor Hub is required together with high speed 4-phototransistors-in-row sensors.

3/ Race management is via PC LapCounter so a user licence is required.

4/ Since the track would be running up to 12 cars and retaining the Hornby powerbase, some form of high power mod would also be required.

5/ Hornby SSD lane changers with standard firmware remain compatible with all of above.

The above is quite a technical solution and clearly not for everyone … maybe very few … but it trades skilled upgrading for minimal additional cost outlay for users who already own a six car SSD system who need to race additional cars.

This is absolutely not an off the shelf plug-and-play solution - more a discussion of the art of the possible!!!!!

c

[Dr_C]

The other option for a hybrid SSD/O2 system using the same System-D Sensor Hub involves hardware modification of the  oXigen wireless decoders but allows the SSD decoders to remain absolutely standard.

For this option:

1/ the SSD decoders strobe their IR LEDs on IDs 1-6 as normal.

2/ ‘Smart IR LEDs’ are fitted to the oXigen wireless decoders which shift their strobe signals to System-D proprietary IDs in the range ID7-14. Smart IR LEDs are described on another thread within Slotracer.online - they exist and they function correctly.

3/ Hornby SSD lane changers with standard firmware remain compatible with all of above.

So two alternative methods to get more than six cars running on an SSD track.

Both involve access to some of the features of System-D. And, both draw on the flexibility already designed into the Slot.it oXygen system - it’s always nice to see systems designed to maximise cross-system compatibility.

c