The New Slot.it Chip C Is Here

[GRUNZ]

It might have taken more than a year since it was first announced, but the new version of the slot.it chip, called version C, is here.

The main feature of this new chip is that it is fully compatible with oXigen, SSD and Carrera.

On SSD and Carrera it will run as a native chip.

As a bonus, the chip is much smaller than any other oXigen chip (closer in footprint to a SP15 chip).

 

For the time being, switching between system will require to flash a dedicated firmware into the chip.

To perform this operation you can use your smartphone: it will connect via BT with the chip.

 

Given that I have both SSD and Carrera Digital, I will perform some testing in the coming weeks to see how easy it is to switch from one system to the other.

 

g

[Pedro51]

I'll be keeping an eye on these, being locked into one system is the major downside currently re:digital in my view.

Probably too late for me to be able to afford to rechip my current cars, but it would be sensible to use them in future projects.

[SlotsNZ]

Be interested to hear your thoughts Gio. The warehouse near Pedro has the stock sitting there ready

[GRUNZ]

Cool! I have some travelling lined up in the next couple of weeks but should be able to do some preliminary writing.

Mark, since you are an admin, could you please remove "Othe" from the thread title?

thanks

g

[GRUNZ]

I am not sure if you have heard, but even the best sometimes get it wrong.

It seems that Slot.it managed to install the wrong IR LEDs on the chip.

As a result, on some SSD lane changers the car might not change lane.

Slot.it has issued a recall of these chips.

I am not sure, but I might have been the first to report this issue that triggered the recall!

[SlotsNZ]

The hi tech company in Italy that produce the boards for them got that wrong. I read it on SFI about a week ago. A chrisD? first reported it.

I am not aware of an actual recall. They are advising those who WISH to use them on SSD or any who wish to anyway, that they will replace the chips if they return to a dealer, but for those not directly affected, many will not send back

 

I advised a customer of this a few days ago, he promptly hoovered up all the chips I had anyway.... now waiting to hear if they have more in house of that batch, as he is pure O2, and when the new batch will be available with the correct LED

[GRUNZ]

I believe Chris99 was one of the first to report back on SFI that the car can be a run away. Which I also experienced. I do not recall issue with lane changing mainly because he is using a small track.

You are right actually they said that if you intend to use on SSD...but and this is a big but, the main selling point of this chip is the cross-platform capabilities which at this stage is missing.

Anyway, I do not think much of it except that I am affected by it. But being slot.it they will get it right.

 

This is the official statement issued by Slot.it:

 

Unfortunately we've come across an unexpected problem on type C universal ICs.

While they work as expected on oXigen and D132 lane changers, the performance on Scalextric digital Lane Changers is not what we expected despite many months of beta testing.

We made a mistake in the assembly phase of the chips.

It's a HW, not firmware issue, and we know what happened.

Therefore, we are asking customers intending to use type C chips on Scalextric SSD circuits (or oXigen on Scalextric SSD hardware), to return the chips for a free replacement.

[SlotsNZ]

Gio

 

if you have any chips there which you bought overseas, I can still deal with swap/replacements for you if you need them when they come available. No need to send back to Europe.

[munter]

Gio, if you have any chips there which you bought overseas, I can still deal with swap/replacements for you if you need them when they come available. No need to send back to Europe.

That sounds like good service to me.

[GRUNZ]

Thanks Mark for the kind offer.

But I think I should be fine.

 

By the way, you should try to put in touch all the people that do digital in NZ.

Maybe we need to organise a DiSCA Chapter here in NZ. I am already the DiSCA contact person in this side of the world but having something specifically for NZ would be good for fostering ideas and possible events.

[SlotsNZ]

I have a guy in Asia running O2, who has a sizeable domestic club, but his people don't travel - he does. He will be in Auckland in January, and is keen to chat with you about DISCA events in NZ and/or Oz.

I'll probably come up to Auckland or Hamilton to meet with him, so we should make an attempt to all get together if you're not back "home-home" in Italy over the summer break.

 

Also - maybe time I did another digital article for the newsletter to reach out to digital people - - oooh, I wonder if I could get Giovanni to write that :)

[GRUNZ]

More than happy to write the article ;-)