Ultimate Racer and NincoD, RMS system for NincoD Options

[Nijn]

Ultimate Racer 3.0 supports NincoD.
Meaning, you can use the Ninco MultiLane (ML) sensor for car detection and let UR do the rest and the rest is quite a lot…
Here are some, for more click on this link:
• manages up to 8 lane : 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 lanes with a 1/1000 sec precision
• all statistics per driver, slot car and races
• use an MS Access database with described database schema for use with MS Office softwares
• direct publishing of your race, score, circuit, tournaments on the WEB
• easy and quick race parameters setup
• work with parallel port sensors (Sensors, RMS)
• printed and WEB published reports are based on html & XML templates => can be easily customized
• reports can be saved as html files for WEB publishing
• switched-off / red-orange-green start lights status managed
• HTML compiled on line help
• integrate a clock and a lap counter to play several circuit race rules
• power control for each lane (power control hardware)
• complete slot car inventory with maintenance tasks, advanced statistics
• fully powerfull customizable race screen with UR30 embedded editor
• displays number of laps, time, best time, average, gap with first and previous driver, speed, driver position in a segment, total time on track and more...
• compliant with VNC to share the race view between several computers.
• race in number of laps or limited in time with possibility of segments and inter segment.
• false start detection
• quick & handy race setup and race type selection
• manage drivers with picture and statistics per slot cars
• customizable race sound events : false start, start race, end race, best lap, etc.
• track managing with minimum lap time and track length.
• possibility to resume a race after an electric cut.
• manage several type of race tournaments : automatic championship setup and follow up
• powerfull point management per race
• manual entry with keyboard also available
• starting, ending, resume lights
• race statistics
• huge library of slot car and driver avatars
• for the other features, play with the software : that would be to long to describe'em here!!!


For NincoD it supports up to 4 ML sensors.
For fuel management you need to use infrared detectors or other systems as the ML sensor has not been implemented for this purpose yet.
All advantages and disadvantages of the ML sensor remains valid…

The ML sensor is connected to the PC running UR via a COM port.

I will make a procedure to modify the ML sensor so you can connect it to the COM port.
Note: the data signal coming from the ML sensor is on TTL level, not all COM ports supports TTL.

In case the COM port does not support TTL, you should convert the signal to RS232 first.
You can use a Max233 to do the job.

Regards,

Nijn

[GTR XU-1]

Ninj,

If this works it sounds great.

Not being clued up on computer ports or anything..how do you know if your computer com port supports TTL?......and what is a Max233 and how do you convert to RS232

Maybe I will just go into a computer mod shop if I need to.

Dave

[hiuy]

it work's great and we race with it @ our club , nice job again guy's

greetings

[GTR XU-1]

So do I need to mod the N-digital computer in any way? Or is it a totally independent timing system.....

Still taking the questions further..... I have a four lane N-digital track, can I use the ones at the start line or do I need to install another set just after or before the start line....What should I do with my Ninco tower - bin it?

This sounds like it will be really good!!!

Dave

[injectorman]

What interface does this use?

[GTR XU-1]

Thats the bit I am sort of wondering Rick, How does it know what car/chip is going over the sensor? It must have some interface to the N-digital computer when you dial each car in.

....just trying to milk the N-digital for all its good for until something better comes along

Dave

[MrFlippant]

Seeing this, I checked if it supported SSD. It says it does, but I couldn't get it to work. I'll look into that later, but there is a hardware configuration screen that has a LONG list of choices including Ninco Digital for the lap counting hardware. It would seem the idea is to use some kind of output from something the Ninco Digital system has, and not a wholly separate lap counting hardware.

[Martin H]

This SOUNDS like it could be fab as a race management system for my BLST / N-Digital track - but could some kind soul please translate all of this into language that me and other technically-challenged members can understand? How does it actually work, and what connects to what? I think I interpreted that there was an issue with fuel management (presumably the PS Mode - which I use all the time) but I didn't understand the solution suggested. To further muddy the waters I use Mac computers - presumably I'd have to finally cave in and buy a PC, or use emulation software, to use this?

Thanks

Martin H

[Nijn]

Not being clued up on computer ports or anything..how do you know if your computer com port supports TTL?......and what is a Max233 and how do you convert to RS232

Maybe I will just go into a computer mod shop if I need to.

I can't tell how you could know if the COM port supports TTL.
You can test it by connecting the ML sensor directly to the PC running UR3.0
If it don't work, use a convertor.

I will make a procedure to build your own convertor.

So do I need to mod the N-digital computer in any way? Or is it a totally independent timing system.....

Still taking the questions further..... I have a four lane N-digital track, can I use the ones at the start line or do I need to install another set just after or before the start line....What should I do with my Ninco tower - bin it?

This sounds like it will be really good!!!

Dave

Dave it is not needed to modify the Ninco Power Base.
You need minimum one Ninco Multilane sensor.
The Ninco tower will become useless if you use UR3.0, sorry!

What interface does this use?

Ninco Multilane sensor (NI40206) does the car detection.
The ML sensor is connected to the computer by a COM port

Seeing this, I checked if it supported SSD. It says it does, but I couldn't get it to work. I'll look into that later, but there is a hardware configuration screen that has a LONG list of choices including Ninco Digital for the lap counting hardware. It would seem the idea is to use some kind of output from something the Ninco Digital system has, and not a wholly separate lap counting hardware.

There is no data collected from the powerbase, all data is collected from the ML sensor.

This SOUNDS like it could be fab as a race management system for my BLST / N-Digital track - but could some kind soul please translate all of this into language that me and other technically-challenged members can understand? How does it actually work, and what connects to what?

I will make a procedure

I think I interpreted that there was an issue with fuel management (presumably the PS Mode - which I use all the time) but I didn't understand the solution suggested

Fuel management of Ninco will not be used.
The fuel management of UR3.0 will be used.



Regards,

Nijn

[Nijn]

Procedure to modify the Ninco Digital Sensor

BOM:
1) Ninco Digital ML (Multilane Sensor NI40206)
2) DB-9 female connector

First remove the plastic cover of the ML sensor, then you will find the PCB card




Original setup:
Only the blue wire is connected to the print ( TX out) , the yellow wire is not connected!
On the other side of the cable there is a mono phone jacket, the blue wire is connected to the outside connection, the yellow to the centre connection.








Modifications:
-On the print: Solder the yellow wire to the GND (hole next to the TX out)
-Connector side of the cable: Remove the jacked and solder the bleu wire to pin 2 of the DB-9 connector and solder the yellow wire to pin 5

Put the print back and put back the plastic cover.

Done!

[Nijn]

TTL – RS232 convertor

The signal coming out of the ML sensor is TTL (Transistor- Transistor Logic) level.
Not all PC COM ports accept TTL.
In case TTL is not supported it is needed to convert the TTL to RS-323 standard.
Best way to do this is by using a Max233 (same function as Max232 but no need for external capacitors, other pinout!!)

Here is a scheme to build your own TTL to RS232 convertor.
Each chip has got 2 TTL to RS232 convertors. This means that you can connect two ML sensors to this board.

Scheme:



BOM:
• stripboard, wires
• MAX233 : Maxim MAX233A or equal ( attention to pinout)
• 7805: Positive Voltage Regulator 5V
• C1: Capacitor 220µF
• C2: Capacitor 1.0 µF
• DB 1 / DB2 : DB9 Male connector
• DB3 / DB4 : DB9 Female connector





Alternatively build one of these :

electronics-diy.com
zero-soft.com

or buy one of these:

compsys1
tildesign.nl

Note: I have not tested them!

[pclapcounter]

Nice, this should work also with Pc Lap Counter because the data packet is the same as the BS interface V1.1 from Bourbon slot.

Regards.
Guy

[GTR XU-1]

Nice...The photos are a big help for the non electrical guys. Assuming my computer supports TTL, it looks easy. One last question though...

With say four lanes, you will need two multi lane sensors. Would I just join both blue wires together from the multilane sensors and still connect them to pin 2.....and same for the yellows, join them both to pin 5?

Thanks very much again.

Dave

[GTR XU-1]

Sorry to double post but I just want to check that I am understanding this correctly and not misunderstanding. Is this timing system fully compatible with N-digital in terms of that if I have multiple cars on the one lane (as in digital racing) it can differentiate between the different cars crossing the strip OR is it for an analogue timing system that can use the Ninco multilane sensor to act as the sensor.

I have been of the understanding that it can be used with N-digital but now I have downloaded it am trying to find the option for N-digital. I can see the option to choose the multilane sensor but is that just purely for an analogue use with the N-digital detection or can it actually detect the different cars signals.

Dave

....................(After Edit) I think I have found the answer....it seems as though I am understanding it correctly.

[Nijn]

With say four lanes, you will need two multi lane sensors. Would I just join both blue wires together from the multilane sensors and still connect them to pin 2.....and same for the yellows, join them both to pin 5?

Four lanes means you need 2 multilane sensors.
Per ML sensor you need a COM port.

RS232 to USB can be used, most likely the signal will have to be converted from TTL to RS232 first.

Sorry to double post but I just want to check that I am understanding this correctly and not misunderstanding. Is this timing system fully compatible with N-digital in terms of that if I have multiple cars on the one lane (as in digital racing) it can differentiate between the different cars crossing the strip OR is it for an analogue timing system that can use the Ninco multilane sensor to act as the sensor.

I have been of the understanding that it can be used with N-digital but now I have downloaded it am trying to find the option for N-digital. I can see the option to choose the multilane sensor but is that just purely for an analogue use with the N-digital detection or can it actually detect the different cars signals.

When the ML sensor detects a car it will send CAR# and LANE# to the UR.
Up to 8 cars are supported.

The solution is a step forward, not backward.