1Introduction

SlotDash is the complete race software for club slot car tracks: timing via the Bepfe pulse electronics, race control (admin), a big live display (dashboard), results, rankings, records and printouts. SlotDash fully replaces the classic Rennbahnmanager (WinRBM) — the terminology (series race, slot mode, F1 mode, track call …) is deliberately the same, so WinRBM veterans will feel at home right away.

System requirements

• Windows PC (older machines are fine), screen resolution 1024×768 or higher
• Bepfe pulse electronics on a serial port (COM port)
• No internet required — SlotDash runs completely offline
• Optional: printer (default printer for silent result printing), second screen for the dashboard

2Installation & Starting the Program

1. Copy SlotDash.exe from the USB stick to any folder on the race PC (e.g. C:\SlotDash\).
2. Double-click SlotDash.exe — that's all: no installation, no registration, no additional software.
3. SlotDash starts a local server, opens the display window in full screen (kiosk) and automatically searches for the Bepfe box.

File locations

• Database: %APPDATA%\SlotDash\slotdash.db — survives updates of the EXE. Copying this one file is a complete backup.
• Logs: %APPDATA%\SlotDash\logs\ — including slotdash.log and the crash-safe race recording race_events.jsonl.

Updating to a new version

1. Copy the new SlotDash.exe over the old one (rename the old one first, e.g. SlotDash_alt.exe — it remains runnable as a fallback).
2. Start it — any required database adjustments run automatically, all data is preserved.

Exiting the program

In the admin, choose “Exit program” at the bottom left. SlotDash first switches off all track power (safety) and then closes all windows.

Demo version

SlotDash_Demo.exe simulates the entire box (cars, start lights, false starts) and uses its own database — ideal for practising and testing without corrupting real records. In addition, the demo version can play back raw recordings in real time (replay).

3Hardware Setup (Bepfe Box)

1. Switch off the PC, connect the Bepfe pulse electronics to the serial port.
2. Connect the power supply of the electronics, wire the photocells according to the wiring diagram.
3. Switch on the PC, start SlotDash.

SlotDash searches for the box automatically: first on the last port used, then COM1, then all available ports. The ongoing search also detects the box if it is plugged in or moved to another port later. The connection status is shown at the top right of the admin (e.g. COM1 in green) and on the dashboard start screen.

Connecting manually

Settings → Connection to the Bepfe box: pick a port from the list and press Connect, or use “Search for box automatically”. Disconnect pauses the automatic search until you connect manually again.

Function test

• Cover/uncover the photocells one by one — in practice mode the corresponding lane counts one crossing.
• Emergency panel (chapter 12): power individual lanes and test the start light lamps.

4First-Time Setup

On the very first start, SlotDash takes you straight to Settings. Set once:

1. Club — appears in the title of every printout.
2. Track name — the active track/class (additional profiles: chapter 11).
3. Lanes — 2 to 8.
4. Minimum lap time — crossings on the same lane that follow each other faster than this count as double triggers and are ignored. Enter a value just below the fastest real lap (e.g. 4.0 s).
5. Language — Deutsch, English, Italiano, Español or Français; takes effect immediately.

Confirm with Save — then create the first line-up under Race.

5The Cockpit (Race Control)

The admin area is the control centre. Reached via the ADMIN button at the bottom right or by clicking the dashboard start screen. On the left the menu (Race · Drivers · Results · Settings), at the top the status bar with the race phase and box connection.

The big buttons (always at the top)

Button	Function
Start on dashboard (green)	Becomes armed as soon as a line-up has been created. Opens the big screen — there, START RACE starts the light sequence.
Track call (red)	All track power off immediately, race halted. Continue releases it again (optionally with 3-2-1-GO). Can also be operated from the dashboard.
Stop	Hard abort after confirmation — no result, nothing is saved.
Next heat	Series: to the next heat (the line-up appears, drivers move lanes).

While a heat is running

• Restart heat — the running heat is discarded and restarted with the same line-up (e.g. drivers were on the wrong lanes).
• Score & finish — score the heat immediately with the current standings (e.g. after a crash).
• Penalty — one button per lane: the lane loses power for the configured time (chapter 11, “Manual penalty”). The dashboard shows PENALTY TIME on the lane.
• Live standings — table with position, laps, last and best lap.

Managing drivers & teams (“Drivers” menu)

• Driver database: create, delete; each driver can be assigned a car.
• Teams: name + at least 2 members — for team series races.
• Cars: cars with up to 5 free setup fields (motor, tyres, gear ratio …).

6Setting Up a Race

Race menu, “Start race / practice” card. The layout follows the WinRBM dialog: first race or practice, then race type, race length, race end.

6.1 Race types

Race type	How it works
Single race	One heat, drivers are assigned directly to the lanes.
Series race	Every driver drives every lane exactly once; the laps of all heats are added up. This evens out differences in lane length and cornering.
Team series race	Like a series race, but with teams — every team drives every lane once, and the team name is scored.
Qualifying	Each driver individually, one after another, on one lane, fixed duration, start without lights. Criterion: fastest lap. The result sorts the participant list for the race.
Head-to-head (2 lanes only)	Everyone races everyone on both lanes: (participants × participants) − participants heats.
Practice	Free (no end) or as timed practice (chapter 6.5).

6.2 Race length and race end

Race length: minutes, seconds or laps — with quick-select buttons. Race end depends on the basis:

Basis	Mode	Meaning
Laps	First to finish	The first driver to complete the full lap count ends the race immediately for everyone.
	F1 mode	Chequered flag — everyone finishes the lap they are on, then their lane loses power.
	Everyone full distance	Everyone drives the full lap count; the time needed for it is scored.
Time	Slot mode	Time up → power off immediately; coasting cars still count (overrun). In a series, racing continues without lights — the lap in progress carries on across the lane change.
	F1 mode	Time up → chequered flag, everyone finishes their lap.
	Slot mode with restart (series only)	Like slot mode, but the cars return to the start and every heat begins with the lights; the lap in progress is recorded as a partial lap (chapter 9).

6.3 Series race: participants, groups, rounds

• Select participants by clicking them in the driver list; create new drivers directly in the field.
• Sort the order with the arrow buttons — it determines the group split (fastest first → group A). After a qualifying session or a race: “Apply order”.
• Groups: With more drivers than lanes, SlotDash splits automatically (8 drivers / 4 lanes → 2 groups of 4; 7 → 4+3). Special case: exactly one driver more than lanes (e.g. 5/4) stays ONE group — a rest lane rotates through, and everyone sits out once. Racing starts with the last group; the group change (“when group finished” or “after every heat”) is set in the settings. The preview shows the split before you create the race.
• Rounds of the complete series race (1–99): run the full rotation multiple times (endurance racing). The total duration is displayed.
• Carry over the result of the last race: checkbox — the laps of the previous race keep counting (e.g. sprint + main race as one classification).

“Create line-up” creates the race — the line-up appears on the right and on the dashboard. Names can be changed at any time, even during the race.

6.4 Qualifying in detail

1. Race type Qualifying, choose the qualifying lane and duration per driver, set participants + starting order.
2. Each run starts from the dashboard without lights (“START QUALIFYING”); when time runs out, the power is switched off.
3. Between drivers: Next heat (or repeat the run).
4. At the end you get the ranking by fastest lap — when creating the series race, press “Apply order from qualifying”.

6.5 Timed practice

Practice → timed practice: set practice time and break time. When the time is up, the power goes off, the break countdown runs on the dashboard, and the practice then restarts automatically. CONTINUE starts earlier, Stop aborts. Option “Show best lap only”: per lane, only the best lap in giant digits.

7Start Procedure

1. Line-up ready → press START RACE on the dashboard.
2. The red start lights come on one after another (light phase duration adjustable).
3. After the last light: fixed start time (GO immediately) or random time (unpredictable hold time, as in an F1 start).
4. GO — lights out, race on. With light variants that include green, the green lamp now stays lit as long as the race is running.

False start

If a car moves during the light phase, the configured policy applies:

• Penalty (default): The lane loses power immediately and is automatically released again after the penalty time. The standstill is visibly included in the first lap time.
• No detection: Power only comes on with GO — a false start is technically impossible.
• Abort: The start is aborted, back to the line-up.

Light variants (lamp hardware)

Variant	Sequence
5× red (default)	5 red lamps one after another, all off with GO.
4× red + green	4 red one after another; with GO they go out and the green lamp (output 5) lights up.
1× red / 1× green	Red (output 1) is lit for the light phase; with GO it switches to green (output 2).

Practice and qualifying always start without lights. From heat 2 on, a slot-mode series continues without a start procedure (optionally with a big 3-2-1-GO).

8The Dashboard (Big Screen)

The dashboard is the display for drivers and spectators — one column per lane, in the official SRA lane colours. Per lane, from top to bottom:

• Lane number (crown = leader)
• Driver name
• Position / lap count
• Last lap — flashes briefly on every new lap; the fastest lap of the race glows with a “Best Lap” marker
• Personal best in the format 7.609/02 — best lap and the lap on which it was set
• Gap — LEADER, laps behind (−2 lap) or time behind

Additional displays

• Remaining time at the top centre: time left with a draining bar (timed races) or “Lap x/y” (lap races).
• Overlays: GO!, 3-2-1, TRACK CALL, chequered flag/FINISH per lane, FALSE-START PENALTY, PENALTY TIME, practice break with countdown.
• Sounds: light-sequence steps, GO, track call, race end, new best lap, penalty — can be switched off in the settings. No sound files are needed.
• Bottom-right corner: context-dependent TRACK CALL/CONTINUE or PRINT, and the ADMIN button (hidden in full screen).

9Race End, Corrections & Printing

Sequence at the end of a race

1. Heat result — the result of the last heat, large, with a countdown bar (duration adjustable).
2. Print/display choice — Show, Show & print or Print only (silently to the default printer). If nothing is selected, the overall result appears automatically.
3. Overall result — ranking across all heats, fastest lap, best heat.

Between the heats of a series, the dashboard shows the heat result with NEXT RACE and REPEAT HEAT.

Corrections

• Lap correction: one field per driver with the lap count of the last heat, entered on the keyboard with 2 decimal places — 10.55 = 10 laps + partial lap/section 55 (slot mode) or penalties/measurement errors. Then press “Regenerate race result”.
• Repeat heat: discards the last heat completely (including from the database) and puts the same line-up back on the grid — possible even after the series has ended.
• Break limit: If a break between heats is set in the settings, the next heat starts automatically after the countdown.

Print options and race name

• The printout contains club/track, best lap, best heat, the overall classification with gaps (“First”/“Next”) and the lane overview. If a lane length is stored in the track profile, it also shows distance and km/h (real and to scale).
• Print options (checkboxes in the result window): short result (without lane overview), with lap times, with track best laps.
• Naming the race: input field in the result window — the name applies to all heats of the series and makes the race easy to find again in the results.

Saving

Every finished heat is saved immediately (crash-safe, survives a power failure). Alternatively, in the settings: Ask first (heats wait for “Save now”) or Never.

10Results

• Ranking (best lap per driver): across all saved races of the active track — with CSV export for Excel.
• Track records: personal best lap per driver. Individually editable (pencil) and deletable; “Delete all” restarts the record list.
• Lane records: the fastest lap ever driven on each lane.
• Team ranking: best lap per team (team races only).
• Saved races: all races with name, date, race type and participants — rename, export as CSV (including all lap times), delete individually or all at once. Deleted races also disappear from the ranking.

11Settings

Club & track

Club, track name, number of lanes, minimum lap time, language (Deutsch, English, Italiano, Español, Français).

Tracks / classes

Multiple track profiles — or one track in several classes (e.g. “Holzbahn NINCO” and “Holzbahn Carrera 1/24”). Each profile has its own minimum lap time, number of lanes, optionally a lane length (for km/h) and a scale — and keeps its own records, rankings and races. Activate switches the profile and applies its lanes + minimum lap time. “Print track data” outputs profiles, best laps and lane records as a sheet.

Race procedure (WinRBM)

All race-procedure settings take effect immediately — no restart needed.

Log / errors

Shows the last lines of the server log right in the admin — e.g. why a race ended or a connection dropped.

12Emergency & Troubleshooting

Manual track control (F4 / F5 / F6)

At the very bottom of the cockpit, collapsed: Power ON (F4), Power OFF (F5), Box reset and switching individual lanes (F6) — for car recovery, tests and special cases.

Frequently asked questions

Problem	Solution
No box found	Check cable/power supply, try a different COM port (Settings → Connection), “Search for box automatically”. The red LEDs on the electronics must be lit.
Laps count double	Minimum lap time too low — raise it to a value just below the fastest real lap.
Laps missing	Check the photocell (hold it against the light — the input LED must react); minimum lap time must not be higher than the fastest real lap.
Car won't move at the start	False-start penalty active? (shown on the lane). Otherwise power the lane individually in the emergency panel.
Wrong result	Lap correction in the result window (chapter 9) — or “Repeat heat”.
No printout	Check the default printer in Windows; “Print only” uses silent kiosk printing.
Test data in the lists	Results: delete races and best laps (chapter 10).
Program not responding	Check the console window, close the program via “Exit program” or, if necessary, Task Manager and restart — the data is stored crash-safe.

Backups

Regularly copy %APPDATA%\SlotDash\slotdash.db to a USB stick — that is the complete backup (drivers, races, records, settings).