[Skeeter]

ive got a decent amount of track, well, enough to fill my uni room floor, but i aint got a lap counter. ive heard that the scaley ones can be problematic, and they dont have all the features of light bridges. so heres the deal:

i want to build a light bridge for a 2 lane scaley track
i dont fancy cuting track up, so one that has sensors that poke thru the slots wud be good (altho i wud drill some holes if needed.)
i want to have it conected to my laptop and have it measure lap time, count laps, show fastest lap, individual fastest lap, and also have a starting system that counts to a start, and also detects false starts.
i dont hav a serial port on my laptop, so parralell of something else is needed.

i know how a light bridge worka and everything, but i dunno n e thing about making one, so this is what i would like to ask of you kind people:

could you point me in the directions of an easy to build bridge instrictions, and software pakage, or somewhere where i cud purchase something fitting the criteria above. the most important point however is that im a student, with a very bid overdraft, so i have very little amount of money, so the cheaper and easyer to build the better. this is to tide me over till SSD becomes easyer to get hold of and convert cars, and chaper, and also so i will know how to make a timer for my first routed track i want to build (a single lane autotest style time trial track)

all help is greatly apreciated)

 

[azrael]

Hi
I looked at light bridges for my current project and found them very difficult to manage due to external light sources.

I used a RMS multilane extension track (£10) and made a suitable connector for the parallel port.

I then used Ultimate Racer 3 for all my timing needs (didn't have time to code it myself) it is a great piece of software and free.
I have found the latest beta version to be best but there is the current gold release as well.

Phillipe has links on how to build the kit you need.
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/maindir/ur30/UR30.htm
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/maindir/hardware/rms.htm

I have made 3 connectors in one for my 3 tracks and just switch between them in the software rather than swapping connectors.

Make sure you buy STEREO jack plugs and not MONO or the sensor will act weird.

Total project cost £13
Total time taken 1hour including buying the materials.

If you need any further help drop me a pm to discuss things.

Cheers

Az

 

[Skeeter]

ill gove this a go, cheers!

ill let u know how i get on

 

[a Bill]

Doesn't get much cheaper than a dead section for lap counting. Reliable too.

 

[azrael]

I tried the dead strip solution and ended up blowing pins on my parallel port.
It was also a pain cutting the track so it didn't cause excessive wear to the braids.

Probably just my lack of experience in these things.
I found the multi lane extension solution easier but not cheaper

Az

 

[RobFitz]

I use the same hardware as azrael - ie the RMS extension piece and a homemade lead.

Works really well for me and I suspect anyone having problems with it has it placed on a section of the track thats too fast.

I am using Mario's SRM software at the moment - I think I will be sticking with that.

I have a track call switch installed and working and am starting on a start light system next - after that it will be a track power relay hooked up to the PC and and track call button(s)

As has been mentioned this is cheap as it gets and works.

 

[Skeeter]

ive bought the RMS lane extention, and the connectors (parallel and stereo will be her ein the post in a day or 2), but i wanna know what is the best software to use. ive got UR30, but it seems to complicated and confusing and way to advanced! also, what is this turns stuff all about? i wanna count laps, and time them. does any one know of any alternatives that use the rms/parallel conection, or if u can modify ur30. i wanna know have a software package soon so i know hopw to connect up the wires and conectors when i get them (which pins to use).

cheers

 

[azrael]

First off you need to build your hardware connection.
To do this follow the instructions on the link I posted.

Then in the setup part of UR30 set the pins to the ones you have wired up usually between 10 & 15 this will assign a pin to a lane.
Then in race setup instead of turns either select practice or first arrived and set the max number of laps.

We use practice to do time trials and first arrived for competition.

Then start race.

There is online instruction on the site as you can add cars & drivers including photos and stats.

I just played around with it one afternoon though to get to grips with it.

Hope this helps.

Az

 

[azrael]

Also you could code your own.
This was my intention but UR3.0 does everything I need apart from start light control and I believe this is coming out in the next release.

Cheers

Az

 

[Skeeter]

k, il give it a go, i downloaded SRM2 aswell, but its dos based, so i dunno how it will like winxp?

 

[vfr750]

Hi Skeeter,

Have a look at http://www.hoslotcarracing.com/ the software is free and it works well for all scales. I use it for my home routed track.

John

 

[Skeeter]

will lap timer 2000 work with the rms sensor track connected to pins 10,12, and 25 on a parallel port?

 

[Skeeter]

got all my stuff, and finaly found the soldering iron and made my cable. but i have a problem. firstly, the parallel port on my laptop is screwed, it wont read pin 11, so that means lane 2 isnt workin (it works fine on my pc, btu thats quite a way away from my track). but thats fixable. im having a problem with SRM. it keeps giving me times of a lap before (eg: as i complete lap 4 it shows the time for lap 3,) menaing i then have to do another lap to see the time for that lap. its realy annoying, as it means u can crash, and show a good time cos u dont realise its a lap behind? is the program meant to do tis or is it a problem? the setup works fine on UR30 (showing lap times for the lap as u complete it) so i know its not the cable. it also does it on my pc where there is no problem with the conections or parallel port. help please?

 

[Ricky Torpedo]

Hi Skeeter,

I do agree : turns is a non-sense; I do apologize for these mistranslations. The software doc and interface has been re-readen to hunt'em

You can download the last update from : http://perso.wanadoo.fr/maindir/

Cheers,

Pierrick

 

[Ricky Torpedo]

Hi Az,

a new release of ur30 is available since Jan, 1st

Pierrick

 

[Skeeter]

i still havent fixed my laptop (i need it for uni, and last time i sent it to be fixed it was gone 3 weeks, and then the laptop i got back wasnt mine!) but i will download the new release of UR30 to see what its like

 

[azrael]

I will have a look this evening.
Looks very similar to the beta version of this release.

Thanks

Az

 

[azrael]

Managed to have a look
Exactly trhe same as the beta version.
The outputs still don't work, which is what I am waiting for, so I can build a set of start lights.
Hopefully this will be next release.

Az