SymProjects Devices freezing

[HardYakka]

Edit: whilst my original post (below) indicates that the problems occurred within iRacing, I have now discovered the problem is not uniquely associated with iRacing. This morning after doing some practice on iRacing, I was not actively in iRacing but I left the SimDash window open and running. After an hour or so I heard the Windows error sort of "Ding!", but didn't think too much of it. When I went to shut my system down, I couldn't close the SimDash window. I had to go to the Windows Task Manager to quit SimDash.

Original Post:

I use GI Max, Pro Shift, SimScreen, & SPI-D in iRacing. I've been using them for several months. I had been using Version 1.3.2 of SimDash up until yesterday, but because of the problem I am having, I uninstalled it and installed version 1.3.3 to see if it would make any difference: it didn't - the problem remains the same.

Up until some time in the last week or so, I had had no problems using the above mentioned devices with iRacing. Then suddenly as I was driving, the action froze on the monitor for a half second or so and then resumed. A moment or two later, I heard a Windows generated "ding!". When I looked at the SymProject instruments, each one's display was frozen on the indication that it had at the time the unknown error/bug occurred: the SPI-D was locked on a particular speed; the GI Max locked in a particular gear (even when I changed the gear stick); the Pro Shift lights were lit up stuck at the revs they were; and the SimScreen was frozen in the moment in time as well.

This problem happens about every 15 to 30 minutes in iRacing (I don't use any other sim or game) after I unfreeze things.

I would appreciate any confirmation or help from anyone else who may have experienced this problem and overcome it. Cristiano, does my explanation make sense to you and do you have any advice?

The unfreezing takes one of two ways of getting it done:
1) if I left the SimDash window open (i.e. not minimized), I can't do anything to it with the mouse when it is frozen - I have to open the Windows Task Manager and quit it that way.
2) if I was running the SimDash minimized, I can just open the SimDash from the Taskbar icon and that rectifies the problem.

In practice sessions, this is just a bother, but it's nothing serious. I just 'Alt' + 'Tab' from iRacing and I can get SimDash running again and I continue.

In a race, it's a real turd! I run a pretty low FOV and I can't see the in-car instruments, so when my SymProject instruments go, I'm driving blind and I lose time and concentration like crazy.

[Cristiano]

Hello.
Exactly, what do you do to recover SimDash when it is running minimized?

Thank you.
Cristiano

[HardYakka]

Hi Cristiano

Before I answer your question, I have to correct some of the information I gave in the "Edit:" of my OP. I have said in the "Edit:" that I wasn't actively using iRacing, which is true. But what I realize now is, at the time the 'iRacing Service Helper - background tasks' (Start_iRacingService.bat) was running in the background at the time the problem occurred, so it is more than possible that iRacing was still an influential factor. I'm no tech head, so I don't know if the problem is iRacing related or not.

Now to answer your question.

When I say I have SimDash minimized, that means it is running in the Windows Task Bar and the SimDash window isn't visible. If I remember the way I've dealt with the problem correctly, when the problem that I have described occurs with the SimDash minimized, if I simply hold my mouse over the SimDash icon in the Task Bar, right-click it and click 'open', when the SimDash window opens, the problem is eliminated and everything is reset to normal operation just by the SimDash window opening. I haven't done it in two days, so I may be over looking something, but I'm pretty sure that is the way it goes when my SimDash problem happens when the SimDash is minimized.

Because it is a simpler method of recovering from the SimDash crash, I run the SimDash minimized, unless I forget to after changing a configuration.

Please, let me know what you think. I'll keep you informed if anything changes or if new information comes to light.

One last thing, on iRacing's API's and Development Discussions forums there is mention in late July of a new API (I only have a vague sense of what that means, not a clear idea) and how that effects API clients (SimDash gets a mention). Nothing definitive is discussed. Might this have some relevance to the problems I have started experiencing recently?

[HardYakka]

Hi Cristiano

I may have found the problem. It occurred to me that it may not be a software problem per se, but a hardware problem. I decided to use iRacing for several hours at a time and unplug one of the SymProject devices to see if that solved the problem. The first one I chose was the SimScreen SS-01. I have used iRacing for more than 2 hours without the SimScreen (but all the other devices connected) with no repeat of the problem. It may be the culprit. But now I'm too tired to keep on testing - I'm going to bed.

Once I get a chance to race again, I will put the SimScreen back in and unplug the other devices one at a time and see what results I get.

I'll keep you posted of the results.

[Cristiano]

Ok, thank you.

The Iracing plugin will be replaced very soon to support the new API.

If you suspect the problem is related to the SimScreen plugin I will tell you how to enable logging in SimDash and get a description of the error message.

Regards
Cristiano

[HardYakka]

Hi Cristiano

I have been doing some testing, but I plan to do more because I would like my results to be conclusive. Nonetheless, the results I have gathered so far seem to indicate what I expect the conclusive results to indicate.

When I remove either 'GI Max' or 'SPI-D' (I only remove one device at a time), the problem occurs.

When I remove either 'Pro Shift' or 'SimScreen' the problem does NOT occur. It seems that running both of these at the same time creates the problem for me.

I don't know the technical details or differences between these two different sets of devices, but from an ignorant point of view it's clear to me that the 'GI Max' and 'SPI-D' are relatively simple segment LED displays only, where as the other two have substantially more complex circuitry (maybe I reading too much into it).

Again, taking an ignorant stab what the problem might be. Based on what I didn't really understand on the iRacing forum about the new API, there was mention about the new API doing away with the need of using iWrap. Might the changes in the new API be creating problems for me running the 'Pro Shift' and 'SimScreen' together because of the way the API client interacts with the new iRacing API?

Anyway, tonight, I'll continue with the testing to see if I get a repeat of the results I have already experienced.

I report more after the further testing.

[Cristiano]

Hi Cristiano

I have been doing some testing, but I plan to do more because I would like my results to be conclusive. Nonetheless, the results I have gathered so far seem to indicate what I expect the conclusive results to indicate.

When I remove either 'GI Max' or 'SPI-D' (I only remove one device at a time), the problem occurs.

When I remove either 'Pro Shift' or 'SimScreen' the problem does NOT occur. It seems that running both of these at the same time creates the problem for me.

I don't know the technical details or differences between these two different sets of devices, but from an ignorant point of view it's clear to me that the 'GI Max' and 'SPI-D' are relatively simple segment LED displays only, where as the other two have substantially more complex circuitry (maybe I reading too much into it).

Again, taking an ignorant stab what the problem might be. Based on what I didn't really understand on the iRacing forum about the new API, there was mention about the new API doing away with the need of using iWrap. Might the changes in the new API be creating problems for me running the 'Pro Shift' and 'SimScreen' together because of the way the API client interacts with the new iRacing API?

Anyway, tonight, I'll continue with the testing to see if I get a repeat of the results I have already experienced.

I report more after the further testing.

Thanks for your help.

The new IRacing API doesn't require iWrap anymore. Of course all the new clients connecting to the simulator must support it.
SimDash will start supporting the new API from the next version.

[HardYakka]

Hi Cristiano

I expect this will be the last part of my reporting on the problem I was having, as I seem to have found a solution - only time will tell if my assumption is correct. Firstly, though, I would like to inform you of what subsequently occurred in my testing in case another customer of yours reports a similar problem in the future, then you have a bit of a case history to work with.

• In one of my previous reports I told you if I had the SimDash running in the Windows Task Bar and the SimDash crashed, it could be reset by just opening it from the Task Bar. In subsequent testing, this did not prove to be correct 100% of the time. When I opened the SimDash window from the Windows Task Bar, the SimDash window was frozen and I had to use the Windows Task Manager to quit SimDash. The SimDash gave me the strange indication that the SPI-D and the SimScreen need updated firmware. There was no firmware available for the SimScreen on your website, so I couldn’t update it. I updated the firmware on the SPI-D to V3 (but I suspect it already had that version of firmware). I reset the SimDash, but the problem kept occurring.
• One time (only) when the SimDash crashed, it crashed my in-game session of iRacing.
• I tried running SimDash, with the Pro Shift plugged in, but turned it off in the SimDash. This did not stop the problem from occurring.
• The SimDash crashed with the SimScreen disconnected and the Pro Shift connected - when I unplugged the Pro Shift I could start using the SimDash again. !!! I discovered the problem device!!!
• I updated the Pro Shift firmware with the ‘button’ oriented firmware. Because it was now recognized as a game controller, it destroyed all my wheel settings and I had to recalibrate everything :-( The problem, unfortunately, kept on happening. I unplugged the Pro Shift, but because it was no longer plugged in, the computer had a problem with the way it recognized game controllers and required me to recalibrate my wheel again. That shit me off, so I decided not to use the Pro Shift as a game controller.
• I updated the Pro Shift with the original firmware. When I started using iRacing again, I left the Pro Shift plugged in just to test an idea. I have practiced and raced for 3 to 4 hours and the problem has not reoccured.

It seems there was some corruption of the firmware in the Pro Shift which was causing the problem and crashing the SimDash. Now that I have re-updated the Pro Shift with the original firmware, the problem has not occurred in a time-frame where it would have otherwise occurred several times. I suspect the problem has been resolved.

[Cristiano]

Thank you.

I will investigate