31st-Aug-25, 09:01 AM
UPGRADE TO FIRMWARE v1.009
Step 14: There are several methods to upgrade the APB firmware to the current recommended version which is v1.009. An excellent method is embedded in RCS64. Here I use the exe file from the ‘jackaments’ website. It still functions perfectly on Windoes 11 machines all these years later. Acknowledgements to the PBPro team for their excellent work on APB development all those years ago :)
The photo below shows the APB connected to my Windows 11 laptop via the RS485 opto isolator block. I prefer this to the more basic hard wired cable as it blocks static electricity and other forms of signal noise including ground loops. I describe this approach elsewhere on slotracer.online.
The simple start-up procedure is followed and firmware v1.009 downloads successfully onto the repaired APB. It is now a fully up-to-date APB!
Finally, the repaired APB is powered-up with the tower attached to confirm the current firmware version.
The final stage of the repair exercise is to connect the powerbase to a highspeed raceway, connect a favourite RMS (RCS64 in my case) and race hard with six digital cars.
This repair is not for everyone to attempt but I do hope it inspires and assists a few digital slot car ‘electronics gurus’ to give it a try.
We know the APB has been out of production for quite a few years and it appears, finally, that new old stock has finally become exhausted (happy to be corrected if this proves to be incorrect).
This repair approach may be useful in extending the useful life of those much appreciated APBs which lie at the heart of racing clubs and home raceways.
c
Step 14: There are several methods to upgrade the APB firmware to the current recommended version which is v1.009. An excellent method is embedded in RCS64. Here I use the exe file from the ‘jackaments’ website. It still functions perfectly on Windoes 11 machines all these years later. Acknowledgements to the PBPro team for their excellent work on APB development all those years ago :)
The photo below shows the APB connected to my Windows 11 laptop via the RS485 opto isolator block. I prefer this to the more basic hard wired cable as it blocks static electricity and other forms of signal noise including ground loops. I describe this approach elsewhere on slotracer.online.
The simple start-up procedure is followed and firmware v1.009 downloads successfully onto the repaired APB. It is now a fully up-to-date APB!
Finally, the repaired APB is powered-up with the tower attached to confirm the current firmware version.
The final stage of the repair exercise is to connect the powerbase to a highspeed raceway, connect a favourite RMS (RCS64 in my case) and race hard with six digital cars.
This repair is not for everyone to attempt but I do hope it inspires and assists a few digital slot car ‘electronics gurus’ to give it a try.
We know the APB has been out of production for quite a few years and it appears, finally, that new old stock has finally become exhausted (happy to be corrected if this proves to be incorrect).
This repair approach may be useful in extending the useful life of those much appreciated APBs which lie at the heart of racing clubs and home raceways.
c
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