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Game Manager and Engine (V1) crashes consistently

Discussion in 'SimTools DIY Version' started by glenche, Nov 29, 2013.

  1. glenche

    glenche DarkMan

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    Hi,
    Ive been testing my Sim on GTR2, rfactor and NoLimits.
    The Game Engine and manager tends to crash consistently with some kind of .Net error.
    Any similar experiences out there.
    How can I avoid it?
    I have all the right versions installed and am running on Win7.
    Glenche
  2. RaceRay

    RaceRay Administrator Staff Member SimAxe Beta Tester

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    Hi Glen,

    a screenshot of the error message would be useful.
  3. glenche

    glenche DarkMan

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    Hi RaceRay,

    Appreciate your reply

    I will capture it but there is not much info to see.
    It points at Microsoft :)

    I will do it anyway, next time.

    Cheers

    Glenche
  4. Niko77

    Niko77 Member

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    Hello,

    i have sometime some crash of "Game Manager" too. I will try to make a capture.
  5. RaceRay

    RaceRay Administrator Staff Member SimAxe Beta Tester

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    @glenche and @Niko77 Exact error descriptions or better screenshots are essential for error analyzing. Its also important to tell us the following:

    - Your OS
    - Exact name of the plugin and game you were using / 32 / 64bit etc.
    - When did the error happening exactely? E.g. start of GameManager, adjusting of any setting, game was running or stopped etc.


    @yobuddy It would be good to have a automatic or semi automatic error debugging log (when a error occurs) which can be uploaded by user here and contains all that information.
  6. yobuddy

    yobuddy Well-Known Member Staff Member Moderator SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    The crash error it reports tells us what's going on pretty well.
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  7. Niko77

    Niko77 Member

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    Hello

    i made a test yesterday and "Game Manager" stop working after 10minutes. No error description (problem message), just "Game Manager" close.

    My spec: OS seven 64 bits
    Rfactor 2 plugin
    Game was running
  8. yobuddy

    yobuddy Well-Known Member Staff Member Moderator SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    What interface are you using?
    Have you tired a different plugin besides rFactor?
    I just don't have enough info to tell what's happening, yet.
  9. Niko77

    Niko77 Member

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  10. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    @Niko77 Sorry I can't help with the problem you have now but I would like to ask how the kangaroo is working out for you? I have seen you on the other side attempting to work with it also. So are you having any success? I have not used the kangaroo on a "build" myself yet so I'm looking for some feedback on what others opinions of it are. Any feedback, good or bad, would be appreciated! Thanks
  11. Niko77

    Niko77 Member

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    Yes it's running good. i try another time yesterday evening and i play 1/2 hours without problem. It's not crashing all the time.
  12. eaorobbie

    eaorobbie Well-Known Member SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    Sounds like we may need a custom interface plugin or something on those lines to run the Kangaroo, shame has great potential.
  13. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    @Niko77 I’m glad to hear you say its, "running good". Does that mean you are satisfied with the quality of the motion the kangaroo is providing (Is the kangaroo's motion any good?)?

    I still have no idea what is causing SimTools to crash. But I can say with much confidence that it has nothing to do with the kangaroo. The kangaroo and SimTools have no direct connections to each other what so ever. Since the kangaroo uses a serial interface with SimTools, SimTools sends information to a buffer (a chunk of memory associated with a serial port in this case) and that’s all it does. Then the kangaroo can get information from the buffer and that’s all it does. SimTools will send out the same data to the buffer regardless of whether the kangaroo is connected or not. While there could be a conflict with drivers or ports that SimTools and the kangaroo uses, that doesn’t make since if its working fine already before a crash. So it sounds more like a SimTools/buffer issue or some other problem that is causing the crashes. I wish I could be of more help but I think it will require the services of yobuddy to find and possibly fix the problem.

    ps While I don't anticipate a conflict it would be wise to make sure DEScripe software is not running while using SimTools as you can't use it at the same time anyway.
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    Last edited: Dec 4, 2013
  14. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    There is only a couple of people giving feedback on the kangaroo so we don't have much data to see if a lot of people have a crash issue with it. But if SimTools serial is working fine for most people using other interfaces then SimTools is probably working as it should. Therefore, it may be a problem with the USB to TTL line level converter you are using. If you have another one I would try it. If it fails also and its using the same IC chip, it may be a problem with your ttl converters driver. If you don't have another to try you could still try reinstalling the driver to see if that helps.
  15. Niko77

    Niko77 Member

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    @BlazinH ,
    I'm very happy with this card. I appreciate that my rig don't be crazy when he lost information. If happens a problem the rig stop and that all. : Pouces
    My TTL converter is really cheap, http://www.ebay.fr/itm/Convertisseu...matique_Perpheriques_Hubs&hash=item3cd96e7f76. :D. Windows install the driver automatically.
    and i think Simtools can't work in the same time with Describe Software.
    I try to catch an error message if it's happen again. (a software crash)
  16. yobuddy

    yobuddy Well-Known Member Staff Member Moderator SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    Typically, a com port can only be used by one program at a time.
    So please make sure that the DEScripe software is not running while using SimTools.

    What is the output rate at which you are sending packets to the kangaroo?
    Maybe you are sending them faster than the kangaroo can handle and its locking up the com port?

    yobuddy
  17. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    @Niko77 Thanks for the input. Since the kangaroo stops as expected during a crash that would seem to indicate it is functioning properly.

    To clarify, DEScripe software does not automatically connect to the kangaroo. Therefore, the COM port connected to the kangaroo is open until you do. That’s why I stated I see no conflict with it and SimTools. If either DEScripe or SimTools is connected to the kangaroo then the port is closed and will not allow the other to connect. But because they can’t be used at the same time there is no reason to leave DEScripe running at all really.

    I have no experience with the Prolific chips you are using. But FTDI and Silicon Labs chips have worked without issue for me. You can try a slower refresh rate as yobuddy suggest and it may do the trick. I do know that Dimension Engineering’s motor controllers can handle around 250 updates per second and ignores anything it can’t handle but I can’t say for sure if the same holds true for the kangaroo. But it really shouldn’t make a difference if your converter is working properly. If the buffer fills up it should ignore any more data until it has additional space.

    Even though your converters driver is automatically installed, you can still go to the device manager in windows and under ports double click on the port you are using, click the driver tab, and uninstall the driver. Then disconnect and reinsert your converter and it should reinstall the driver. Driver corruption issues are know to happen at times so it’s worth a try. And it really seems to me that if SimTools game manager is crashing, it probably does have something to do with your converter, in effect crashing first. If you continue having problems I suggest you go on ebay or somewhere else and get a converter with a Silicon Labs cp2102 chip and give it a try. You can get them for just a few dollars. They usually look like this.
    $_57.JPG
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2013
  18. eaorobbie

    eaorobbie Well-Known Member SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    I use the suppiled DELink 2 provided by Dimension Engineering when I first bought the Roo. They we giving them away with the Roo.
  19. BlazinH

    BlazinH Well-Known Member

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    Yes, I got one with my kangaroo also. If you have a DELink @Niko77 , by all means, try it. If not I would go with the cp2102 chip if needed because the DELink is $25, the FTDI chip cable is around $8, and the cp2102 can be had for about $3 on ebay (US$).
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2013
  20. yobuddy

    yobuddy Well-Known Member Staff Member Moderator SimAxe Beta Tester SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    Anything with a FTDI chip would get my vote, they have worked flawless every time for me.