iRacing with X-sim and SLI-Pro/SLI-M

I just purchased an F1 wheel upgrade for my G25 which comes with an integrated Leo Bodnar SLI-Pro. Does anyone know if the SLI-Pro will work with x-sim and iRacing? It has already been discussed that the iRacing API can only output to one source at a time so I am not sure if x-sim will be able to output the RPM and gear information directly to the SLI or if there is any other workaround.

Any info would be greatly appreciated

....Mike

Not this one isn't it That thing rocks!
http://www.virtualr.net/dyi-formula-one ... otos-info/

Yeah, that's the one.

If the SLI-M and Pro share the same control sw, I don't understand how some people are reporting issues with the Pro module.
I have the M version for quite a while and never had problems with x-Sim.

BTW, great wheel you bought, don't forget to share some pics/vids with us.

BTW2, I am going to Toronto beginning of May, maybe I could stop by to test drive this awesome rig you have there, uh?!

Cheers,

MY

Thanks for the reply Eric. Are you using it with iRacing or just rFactor/Simbin?

Let me know what date you will be here and we can definately hook up for a driving session

....Mike

Hum...
Good point!
I've never used x-Sim with iRacing, only with rF/Race, etc... Should that make such dif.? The ctrl software for Simbin/iRacing is the same, isn't it?

I will be arriving on May, 9th and coming back on the 11th.

Cheers,

Erick

I believe the issue is with the iRacing API and that it will not allow more than one ouput connection. So if you're using x-sim, you cannot use anything else that will be acquiring data at the same time from iRacing at the same time. Since iRacing can output rpm and gear information, I would hope that there would be a way to interface the SLI directly with x-sim instead of with iRacing or rFactor.

hey mike i can use my sim with the simrdisplay gauge so you'll be able to use your sli-pro with xsim and iracing as long as the sli-pro has a plugin for x-sim.

I don't think there is a plugin for the SLI-M or Pro at the moment. It seems that EK (the designer of the software for the M and the Pro) has no interest in developing a parallel project using x-sim either.

If there is to be a solution, it will have to come from the x-sim I'm afraid. The good news is, Leo and EK both encourage outside developers: http://www.eksimracing.com/forum/index.php?board=20.0

If there is an x-sim solution, I'd like to see it retain all the great features of the SLI manager software.

It would probaly make more sense to develop more robust electronics if one were to take the time to build a driver. It's easier to design and build the electronics than it is to design and write the software / driver combo.

I would love to see a plugin for x-sim for the SLI. At the moment, the simplest solution seems to be some sort of data proxy for iRacing so that it can send data to multiple external sources. The iRacing developers do not have the bandwidth to fix this within their API at the moment but the are willing to provide the data to anyone that wants to take on that project. From my understanding, EK has already done this but does not want to release it for some reason so it is definately feaseable.

....Mike

Why? Is there something wrong with the SLI-M and Pro? Perhaps I don't know what you mean by robust?

I think the SLI series is a great piece of kit. Add to that, their immense market share and I think you have a good mate between X-Sim and SLI. It just seems to me that the hardware is there, many people already have it, and it would add much to the x-sim community to have yet another thing to add to the compatibility list. I think it would also attract more outside users to this community as well.

I was under the impression that all devices currently looking to the iRacing API would have to be redirected to a proxy (after that had been created) thus requiring some re-writing of the base device's DLL's anyway. Is this incorrect?

You're probably correct as I'm not a software developer . I agree that the SLI products are pretty robust and very popular and x-sim should look at making them compatible.

Hehe, I'm not a programmer either That was just my thinking as a casual observer. I could be wrong though.....

Got a little clarification from EK (the developer of the SLI software):

Let say, we have an app connected to iRacing in standard way (i.e. with iRacing API and of course with an exclusive access). Inside this app, we create another multitasking thread (the proxy data server) and as soon as we get data from iRacing, we write that data into a memory area called shared memory. This area is public and accessible by all applications simultaneously (the structure of data and the name of this public memory area is known).

So, this is very important to understand. My app changes the way you get the data from iRacing. *All* other apps using iRacing API today wanting to use the proxy server MUST be rewritten to get data from this shared memory area and not from iRacing API...

As you see, this is not just a development but is also intended to convince others to rewrite their applications.


So there you have it.

I'm not saying that someone shouldn't develop and be the proxy. I am saying that as the only FREE option, it would make more sense for X-Sim to be the proxy , not EK or Leo.

With regard to to SLI support, I was speaking for myself, not for the community. As someone who could build the electronics or the software, it would be easier for me to build the electronics and define my own software interface than it is to unravel someone else's design and build the software interface.

I suppose it once again boils down to agendas which will soon need to be discussed a bit more openly.

For those that have these products, I can understand the desire to have them be X-Sim compatible. For X-Sim to cave on it's free nature and rely on a commercial product to get it's data....probably not happening, no matter how much pressure you attempt to apply.

It doesn't seem too hard to make a plugin/proxy server for the iRacing data. X-Sim could take care of that, and also if the communication protocol is known, the plugin could control the SLI.

Other way would be that EK modify the software and get the public data made available by X-Sim and control the SLI.

I guess it will come down to how much EK and Leo want to support X-Sim in this matter. It would be smart for them to support.

I fully agree...

The question is not for them to support x-sim, as their products work fine together on all sims except iRacing. iRacing cause our problem with it's 1 connection limitation.

So, we need that software layer to interface between iRacing and all other tools.

I have been militant also, since I find x-sim already has the base done, that x-sim should become that layer where other devs want to interface to to get data, in order to connect to iRacing and not do it directly. In order to have multiple tools working. I really think this would be an awesome exposure for x-sim.

Unfortunately, getting everyone on the same page is a rough thing to attempt. :

There is talk on the iRacing forum about this. I am working to sponsor this to happen, soon will look into getting a freelance programmer to look into it, if nothing comes out of the communities.

Cheers,

Eric_P

Thanks Eric,

Please keep us posted.