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QUOTE (anttu @ 1 Dec 2011, 22:25) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Ok. Thanks for the tip. I have actually thought about sending Ian an email, but have been too busy coding my win application that communicates with the processor the last weeks
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The idea of the project is to not buy the rather expensive advanced power base but instead build it myself, as all the hard work is already done by the guys at Electric Image, with the addition of an USB interface to communicate with the device.
I can tell that at the moment I can read all handset data, track current (not verified if accurate), track power enabled flag and show this data in a WinForms application. I can also take control over the power base and let data flow through the application, read from the handsets, before sent to the cars, and thus be able to control separate channels (cars) from the application as I like. This gives me the possibility to have pace cars running around the track at static speed. In future I might implement some recording/playback to run ghost cars (just for the sake of learning).
I have also built a translation module that converts my PIC communication protocol to the SNC protocol so that my application can forward and receive data to/from e.g. PC Lap Counter or SSDC over a virtual COM port which should give me all the joy these applications can provide with fuel consumption etc...
The next big thing to get to work is car detection using IR sensors, which also can be found on Electric Image's pages. My goal is to incorporate this code into the same PIC and get that data over the USB line too.
If someone is interested I could post some pictures/screenshots with the current hardware/software status.
I'm might perhaps release the code of the application as open source licensed sometime, but I think I'll wait 'till it's more stable
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Hi Anttu,
Did you ever get any further with this project?
Chris
The idea of the project is to not buy the rather expensive advanced power base but instead build it myself, as all the hard work is already done by the guys at Electric Image, with the addition of an USB interface to communicate with the device.
I can tell that at the moment I can read all handset data, track current (not verified if accurate), track power enabled flag and show this data in a WinForms application. I can also take control over the power base and let data flow through the application, read from the handsets, before sent to the cars, and thus be able to control separate channels (cars) from the application as I like. This gives me the possibility to have pace cars running around the track at static speed. In future I might implement some recording/playback to run ghost cars (just for the sake of learning).
I have also built a translation module that converts my PIC communication protocol to the SNC protocol so that my application can forward and receive data to/from e.g. PC Lap Counter or SSDC over a virtual COM port which should give me all the joy these applications can provide with fuel consumption etc...
The next big thing to get to work is car detection using IR sensors, which also can be found on Electric Image's pages. My goal is to incorporate this code into the same PIC and get that data over the USB line too.
If someone is interested I could post some pictures/screenshots with the current hardware/software status.
I'm might perhaps release the code of the application as open source licensed sometime, but I think I'll wait 'till it's more stable
Hi Anttu,
Did you ever get any further with this project?
Chris
