Hinkles_Hounds

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I am looking for a good lap counting system for racing t maxx and savage . I need one that will let you put laps in mannually using keyboard on pc. I have already checked on amb system we cant afford it. if anyone knows where I can get one please post link thanks

i8tweety

My Feedback: (11)

This should fit your budget (FREE).

http://www.rctiming.com/

joelacrane

Yes, but what about hardware? Im sure whatever they use to count the cars must cost quite abit of money...

RobH

I've heard the systems go for $3000-$4000. I do see that personal AMBrc Transponder goes for about $70 on ebay. I'd imagine that they run $100 in stores. You need one transponder per racer... The above free software supports ambrc transponder system.

I believe our track uses that free software. I notice it requires a sound card. It makes noises and stuff and speaks the results with the race is over.

i8tweety

My Feedback: (11)

Hinkles_Hounds specifically asked for software you can manually enter the laps using a keyboard.
You can also use the software with manual lap entry using the computer keyboard. Typically, one person calls out "colors" or "numbers" (you put a sticker flag of various colors or characters on the body or antena) while the other person pushes the appropriate key on the keyboard. All you need to run the system is a personal computer and two volunteers. No special lap counting equipment is required.

joelacrane

Hahaha i could make a program like that in 10 minutes with Qbasc or Visual Basic. Or i could even use Java or flash! Or you could just use a pencil and paper but if it announced who won and everthing that would be cool. Or you could get a videocard with a TV out and use an old TV to show race results and stuff. But you would only need that in a big club.

dg2b

rctiming software, according to the manual, runs on a PC.

joelacrane - you can program what i8tweety in 10 minutes using flash? How would you do that in flash tech? Just wondering.

joelacrane

Flash can be used to make alot more then annoying blinking stuff. If i had the software and a couple books about flash i could make one of those Jump and run 2d sidescrooling games. Go check out that game here on RCU, "hellfire" or something. I'll bet its made with flash! From what i hear flash is VERY easy to use.

The most efficient program to use would be Visual Basic. Qbasic is DOS based to it would be kinda ugly... You know, like "Press (A) to enter car names / Press (X) to exit". Visual Basic is made for windows, so it would be much easier to use. You wouldn't have to mess with DOS. I would make a lap counting program but at the moment i dont have Visual Basic. I was my bro's and he went to college last year.

i8tweety

My Feedback: (11)

Why recreate the wheel when there is a FREE alternative? They have all kinds of features such as hot laps, scheduling the mains based on qualifying position........

joelacrane

Thats true! But i like to mess with my computers for the fun of it.

Hinkles_Hounds

I down loaded the free laps . it is just what I was wanting. it is awesome . The sounds are cool. I will have to learn all the ends and outs of the program but It is fairly easy to use. thanks . one other thing is it possible to use 3 orion personal lap counter systems at the same time ? and could a person use software like this to run it? I know that the orion reads alot of transponders but only 1 at a time . thats why I was asking we only run 3 to 4 trucks at a time. so it would take 1 system per truck. but wondered if you could feed info into one program simultaneously.

i8tweety

My Feedback: (11)

Having an orion lap counter, I would have to say no. Building the physical interface would be as difficult as building an AMB system itself. The interface doesn't currently exist.

You could however, use multiple orion lap counters and at the end of the 4 or 5 minute race, compare the individual results.

dg2b

Thanks joelacrane. I write software for a living that is why I was just wondering.

As for lap counting, i8tweety is correct. No need to repeat the information.

Unstable

I am really supprised nobody has designed a cheaper lap counter system yet.

i wish i had the talent to do electronic engineering because the theory of the system is simple.

you need.
a small low power transmitter. this should send out a unique signal (frequancy based ?) with a range of about a foot. sing he power is so low you shouldnt have to worry about fcc regs.

a RX system with a picc that records the signal and sends a data bit to a PC (ie when transponder with 102.0mhz(or whatever the freq we chose) goes over the antenna the picc sends 102.0 to the PC.

coding the PC shoud be real simple after that... even modifieing the free version should work.

somthing like this in kit form shouldnt cost too much.. (few hundred) the hardest part is the PICC... you would need someone to program them.

joelacrane

Using different freq's for different transponders would be inefficient. Theat means that each transponder would have its own crystal that you would have to switch every time you wanted to switch freq's. What would be better to me is if every transponder ran on the same freq but they each sent out a digital signal. Then you could put a small knob or screw on the transponder to switch numbers. All you need is a chip in the transponder with all the different signals (Like 40 or something...)and a single crystal. Then for the anntenna like you say, you could just run a wire accross the track (In the air or on the ground...) that runs into filters, amplifiers, decoders ect. and then into the computer VIA paralell, serial or USB cable. I'll bet Dg2b could do the coding! The harware is the toughest part.

It would be cool if you could get a transponder for under 50 and the whole system for under 150 or so...

Unstable

a bare bones am tx would not need changeable crystals. you can have the freq changed with a variable cap (like your home stereo). all we need is a carrier signal (basic sine wave?) so that the antenna can pick it up as the car passes.. this eliminates alot of the bulk from the transponder and puts more into the RX.

this should cut overall costs down alot. i am sure I can design something for a transponder out of radio shock project guides that would work for something like 20 bucks.

then we set the RX to send a data signal at the peak strength (when the car is directly above the antenna)

figure for a 8 car setup if you run 20 bucks a TX and 200 for the RX it comes out to 360
vs
50 bucks a TX and 150 for the RX == 550.

..... just thought of another way of doing it...

8 TXs tuned to diffrent frequencies.
8 RXs in one package.. each set to send a "high" (or on) signal to the parralell port on the PC when a set signal strength is reached...

the TXs are simple and the RX shouldnt be too hard to do (basic tuner setup and a IC to turn on the high signal.) even though its 8 diffrent RXs they can share alot of components (power etc)
I will look into this next time I talk to my friend (he is better at this design stuff them me)

joelacrane

About your second idea... It would be hard to detrmine the winner because it may still work at 2 feet away... Unacceptable in a close finish! It would make an interesting post-race conversation though (I won! What? You won? No, i won!)! Great ideas though! That would be REALLY cool if any club could just go to radio shack and build this thing.

packfan88

My Feedback: (2)

use th efirst link in this topic an dclick some of the links on that page. they sell the hardware, and one site i visted was gonna run you $1900 + software + transponders+ more.

Frost_

My Feedback: (1)

I am a controls engineer; I would look towards ebay or the like for an older PLC system. The interface for them can be written in VB and the data moved directly from the driver to the HMI, it could also simultan. dump into a database for reports or even a spread sheet; the example code could be modified so that you don't even actually have to understand it to implement it. Do a search for an older Allen Bradley controller, say a SLC-150. Get the PC interface also as the hand-held programmer can be a bear to learn. You should be able to get this stuff pretty cheaply as it is no longer the standard (they began to disappear from production lines in the late 80's early 90's). I don't remember exactly how many, but with no expansion module you still get something like 32-64 combined physical IO. All types of sensors, switches, etc can be read in and outputs set accordingly. Also from an HMI you can directly access the registers so the virtual IO would be nearly unlimited. You could provide incremental timing results as well as lap times, or basically WHATEVER you wish to record/provide. The flexibility is endless. The HMI developement platforms could be costly but because the driver can be accessed directly, an interface would be a snap. It could be a database w/reports, a spreadsheet that becomes populated or even a GUI written in HTML and ActiveX... This system would also work with the transponder type setup that was mentioned. The possibilities are limitless....

Frost_

My Feedback: (1)

To avoid this scenario you need to inhibit the RF reader until the appropriate time. A photo beam setup would work. Basically the reader ONLY reads when the beam is broken and if there are two cars that appear to be continous to the beam, one will read before the other but you need a unit like a PLC mentioned above to work out the timing.... the reader should be placed ahead of the read spot so that the results could be accurately calculated. The solution will likely be application specific, but with thought nearly anything can be made to work...

joelacrane

When you start adding thing like a light barrier that really jacks up the price.

Frost_

My Feedback: (1)

beam sensors have been standardized by industry, one suitable for this application could be purchased for under 75 bux new and certainly MUCH lower used and working..

neap38

hey joelacrane

lol i use flash software its a little bit harder than just reading a few books then you know everything :P

Unstable

you would have to tune the RX so that only a car within several inches of the line will trigger it. that way it wont register till the car is right on top of the line (giveing space for wheels off the ground etc.)

tuning the sensativity would be a slight pain but once set it should be good for the duration.

you want the 2 ft TX range so that it is strong enough to overcome any ambiant RF noise.

Frost_

My Feedback: (1)

For around 100bux you can get a laser unit that needs only a reflector on the opposing side; use this to enable the reader, any other time the reader would stay inhibited.