Slimax manager keeps force closing or freezes mid game solved

[Tzanido]

I have the 5" sim display and I am using slimaxmanager to control the leds. I mostly play Iracing and I am on windows 10.  The rpm leds stop working at a random time every time I am in a session. Sometimes its after 2 laps, sometimes after 5 etc. The leds will freeze in position, in other words, however many leds are illuminated at the time of the issue, is how many leds stay lit.  Sometimes it freezes with 5 leds illuminated, sometimes 8, 10 so on, the point is its random.

Ill exit out of the session and sometimes find slimaxmanager forced closed and sometimes still open to which I start another iracing session and they start working again until 2,3,4,5 laps later or so they freeze again.

Ive read through the numerous faq's, disabled UAC, run in admin mode, clean install, etc (not in that order) but the issue persists.

Any advice or suggestions I can try?   

[Software Support Staff]

Hello,

"Random" means you have no idea how to reproduce the issue so this can be related to many things and not easy to fix. This could be a hardware issue related to usb connection or not related to SLIMax Mgr or VDASH-EMU For SIM Race LCD at all.

For example, your CPU occupation reaches a critical threshold at some point and do not give enough cycle to apps in background, cap your fps in iRacing settings to be sure to give enough CPU to other apps running on you PC (use a very low res for the test, monitor your CPU activity during session)

Also, DO NOT USE the outdated "SLIMax SIM Race LCD iRacing Combo setup". make your tests with the default sim race LCD setup even if the shift lights don't match the car you're driving. Start with the DEFAULT setup (simracelcd_default.cfg ) and do your tests.

- do not run vdash-emu for sim race LCD during you tests to isolate your issue
(REMINDER: VDASH-EMU For SIM Race LCD is 100% free for all sim race LCD owner )

- Check For Update to be sure to have the latest updates

- use the minimum devices during your tests, disconnect (or turn off) all others

- use the minimum apps during your tests, SLIMax Mgr Pro + iRacing only

- SLIMax Manager Pro natively manages Fanatec hardware so you can bypass the management by launching SLIMax BEFORE turning ON the Fanatec base

launch iRacing and run sessions with different car / track combination to see if the problem persists

If this persists please be specific and provide all the steps step by step to reproduce the problem.

Regards,
EKSIMRacing Staff

[Tzanido]

- For example, your CPU occupation reaches a critical threshold at some point and do not give enough cycle to apps in background, cap your fps in iRacing settings to be sure to give enough CPU to other apps running on you PC (use a very low res for the test, monitor your CPU activity during session)

I have had fps capped at 84 like is recommended, I even lowered it to 60 fps to test and CPU activity was around 11% during the session.  The Leds froze every session.  I tried maybe 10+ session, all on different tracks with different cars.

- Also, DO NOT USE the outdated "SLIMax SIM Race LCD iRacing Combo setup". make your tests with the default sim race LCD setup even if the shift lights don't match the car you're driving. Start with the DEFAULT setup (simracelcd_default.cfg ) and do your tests.

Yes, I have been using the simrace lcd default setup

- do not run vdash-emu for sim race LCD during you tests to isolate your issue
(REMINDER: VDASH-EMU For SIM Race LCD is 100% free for all sim race LCD owner )

Have not been using vdash either, all other programs, software were turned off last night and the issue kept happening. 

- Check For Update to be sure to have the latest updates

Yes, also checked for update and the software was up to date. Clean install as admin and run as admin.

- use the minimum devices during your tests, disconnect (or turn off) all others

Yes, just Iracing and Slimanager were on and I unplugged every other device on my PC, issue still persists

- use the minimum apps during your tests, SLIMax Mgr Pro + iRacing only

Yes, see above

- SLIMax Manager Pro natively manages Fanatec hardware so you can bypass the management by launching SLIMax BEFORE turning ON the Fanatec base

Do not have a fanatec base

I really did my best going through this forum looking for other solutions or methods that have been suggested and tried everything before posting.  The hardware works as the display itself does not get stuck ever.  Just the led's freeze "randomly".  I know I keep using the word randomly but I can replicate the issue.  Just have to turn on slimanager and start a session in iracing, drive a few laps and the leds will freeze.



I took pictures of the display and slimanager last night whiel it got stuck but I can not add them to this post for some reason. 

[Software Support Staff]

Hello,

Thanks for your last report. Its an odd issue. If we could repro then maybe its possible to fix it. We did a big session ( more than hour) in practice mode using iRacing classic UI with several combos cars/tracks and sim race LCD (5" version) without any issue.

Potential hardware issue:
You can try to make some laps in practice mode then if the display freeze again hold esc to exit the track (stay in session) and to put slimax in standby/menu/pause mode, unplug the sim race lcd usb cable (important to exit the track first), wait 10 secs until slimax detect the missing device (see the screenshot below) and plug it back wait again a few secs, then re-enter the track, if this works again it certainly an hardware issue, usb controller/hub or cable or the SIM display device itself. try to avoid USB3 controller/hub use exclusively USB 2.0 connection, this may fix your issue.



Potential conflict with Windows config or third party apps:
Also, you may reduce any potential conflict with third party apps, driver, firewall, windows config, etc. by bypassing the scripting module of slimax, go to the SLIMax Manager Pro program directory (C:\Program Files (x86)\SLIMax Manager Pro\ ) and simply rename the scripts/ folder for example _scripts/ and launch SLIMax (click OK to all "scripts not loaded" error dialogs) and make some laps... unfortunately bypassing the script module also reduces drastically the functions available of slimax to ultra basic behavior without any control over the leds ...but this confirms the conflict with Windows configuration (usually firewall rules) or other apps/services running in background.

We're always willing to help but unfortunately we can't repro the problem here with the information we have, so this doesn't appear to be related to our software.
Regards,
EKSIMRacing Staff

[renanlofiego]

I have the 5" sim display and I am using slimaxmanager to control the leds. I mostly play Iracing and I am on windows 10.  The rpm leds stop working at a random time every time I am in a session. Sometimes its after 2 laps, sometimes after 5 etc. The leds will freeze in position, in other words, however many leds are illuminated at the time of the issue, is how many leds stay lit.  Sometimes it freezes with 5 leds illuminated, sometimes 8, 10 so on, the point is its random.

Ill exit out of the session and sometimes find slimaxmanager forced closed and sometimes still open to which I start another iracing session and they start working again until 2,3,4,5 laps later or so they freeze again.

Ive read through the numerous faq's, disabled UAC, run in admin mode, clean install, etc (not in that order) but the issue persists.

Any advice or suggestions I can try?

Hello, at the time when I started using the Display I had a little bit of this problem and it was the USB HUB that would have to have additional power for the USB, but in my case I don't use the LCD 5 "was the display SIM Delux

I hope I helped the friend up.

[Tzanido]

Seems like having the usb cable plugged into my motherboard was causing the issue. I plugged the usb into a powered usb hub I was using and it now works each time.  Thanks for the help.

[Software Support Staff]

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback and glad you got everything sorted out.

REMINDER to all SIM Race LCD owner, a license of VDASH-EMU For LCD, one of the most powerful virtual racing dash and virtual buttonbox, is included with your SIM Race LCD license and free to use, don't wait, go to VDASH-EMU web page to download (PURPLE download button) and give it a try.

Regards,
EKSIMRacing Staff

Seems like having the usb cable plugged into my motherboard was causing the issue. I plugged the usb into a powered usb hub I was using and it now works each time.  Thanks for the help.