Fabulous work as always. At first the DOC document did not come up, but it did today.
Suggestions and comments detailed. Obviously this is a list of things that I feel deserve comment or could imho be done differently, it is not intended to come over negatively.
Firstly regarding the guide method of ID -
This would work elegently for me on the old scalextric blue guide system - simply snap out the guide number 7 and click in the guide for car ID 12 when needed. But changing the ID of cars with other guides can be fiddly. The new scalex type is screwed in from inside the car, others have the wires soldered to the braids or use those bullet things - I hate changing those guides cos the braids never go back the same!
also - the variety of guide types means that the system presumably would not come with a set of guides, but people would have to saw their own. I am just trying to envisage how this would work in clubs where the cars need to be recoded etc.
Sector Timing -
It is my understanding that you are planning to use the LCs to divide the track into sectors. Since at the moment people are generally thinking of evenly spacing LCs, this makes a lot of sense. However, maybe a sector track should be a seperate thing to an LC? It would make track/sector design more flexible (eg you might want to set up a couple of sector dividers so you can time the velocity along the long straight of your track)
High Voltage Low current -
I understand what you are saying and the advantages of this. Thers a few things I don't quite follow:
Say a given car in analogue goes top speed at 12 volts DC, drawing 2 amps. power used = 24 watts, and it goes at a certain speed.
Now with the high voltage system, we are sending the car 24 volts, but only allowing it 1 amp (again 24 watts) Is the chip inside the car supplying the motor with 12 volts 2amps, or 24 volts 1 amp?
If the chip is supplying 24 volts but limiting the current, then the car motor will be running in a current starved situation. Even though it is recieving the same power, will it behave the same? and what about at 22 volts? Has this method of motor control with current starvation been tried in the analogue (or digital) environment before it is implimented?
I just know that home racers get frustrated with power when there is not enough current, and in analogue the best driving is unlimited amps, adjust voltage for top speed..
Hand controller connector
jacks or mini jacks - although cheap and small, are not the most reliable of connectors, and the cheaper sockets sustain wear and corrosion quite quickly. Something with seperate pins (XLR/cannon connectors are excellent but pricy and bulky - telephone connectors as used by SCX and Carrera are probably the best except they are fiddly to wire) would in my opinion provide better longterm reliability
ok - only 25% through - need a break! hope this is useful
cheers
Dave
Suggestions and comments detailed. Obviously this is a list of things that I feel deserve comment or could imho be done differently, it is not intended to come over negatively.
Firstly regarding the guide method of ID -
This would work elegently for me on the old scalextric blue guide system - simply snap out the guide number 7 and click in the guide for car ID 12 when needed. But changing the ID of cars with other guides can be fiddly. The new scalex type is screwed in from inside the car, others have the wires soldered to the braids or use those bullet things - I hate changing those guides cos the braids never go back the same!
also - the variety of guide types means that the system presumably would not come with a set of guides, but people would have to saw their own. I am just trying to envisage how this would work in clubs where the cars need to be recoded etc.
Sector Timing -
It is my understanding that you are planning to use the LCs to divide the track into sectors. Since at the moment people are generally thinking of evenly spacing LCs, this makes a lot of sense. However, maybe a sector track should be a seperate thing to an LC? It would make track/sector design more flexible (eg you might want to set up a couple of sector dividers so you can time the velocity along the long straight of your track)
High Voltage Low current -
I understand what you are saying and the advantages of this. Thers a few things I don't quite follow:
Say a given car in analogue goes top speed at 12 volts DC, drawing 2 amps. power used = 24 watts, and it goes at a certain speed.
Now with the high voltage system, we are sending the car 24 volts, but only allowing it 1 amp (again 24 watts) Is the chip inside the car supplying the motor with 12 volts 2amps, or 24 volts 1 amp?
If the chip is supplying 24 volts but limiting the current, then the car motor will be running in a current starved situation. Even though it is recieving the same power, will it behave the same? and what about at 22 volts? Has this method of motor control with current starvation been tried in the analogue (or digital) environment before it is implimented?
I just know that home racers get frustrated with power when there is not enough current, and in analogue the best driving is unlimited amps, adjust voltage for top speed..
Hand controller connector
jacks or mini jacks - although cheap and small, are not the most reliable of connectors, and the cheaper sockets sustain wear and corrosion quite quickly. Something with seperate pins (XLR/cannon connectors are excellent but pricy and bulky - telephone connectors as used by SCX and Carrera are probably the best except they are fiddly to wire) would in my opinion provide better longterm reliability
ok - only 25% through - need a break! hope this is useful
cheers
Dave
