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Arduino Setup


popdog

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well today I tried loading the arduino setup and when I go to track setup in race coordinator it says that I have an incompatible sketch and need to load version 1.0.0.6

 

I have looked in the race coordinator files and it has lapCounter.ino in it

 

What do I do now?

 

Heeeeelp please

 

Madpopdog

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You need to download the newer version of Race Coordinator.1.08.0.10 I think is the latest version.

Dave changed the Sketch some time ago to add more features and allow RC to control things more than having to alter the sketch.

Edited by kalbfellp
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Don't forget that the correct version of the sketch for the version of race coordinator you are running will be in the "Program Files" folder...

Default Location - C:\Program Files (x86)\Race Coordinator\data\arduino\lapCounter

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  • 4 weeks later...

Have you uploaded the current sketch to the Arduino using the Arduino software?

Also, in track setup, you need to select the correct com port that your Arduino is using...

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Michael: not sure what is going on here, the sketch opens the Ardunio software and displays the sketch OK, he appears to have the latest RC program loaded.

I tried to simulate his problem yesterday But could not get any error message.

Now wondering IF the PC is seeing the board, or if the driver is installed.

Have also asked if the right port is selected before the sketch is uploaded.

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Hi Popdog,

I'm currently experiencing identical issues as you've raised above.

To get passed the 1.0.0.7 error you said the original download was corrupt so you done it a second time.

Did you mean re downloading to the Arduino only or re downloading the entire race coordinator program then downloading to Arduino again???

 

 

Wensky

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Cheers Phil,

I've managed to get it running again but the problem now is it keeps loosing connection to the track.

I ran half the day without any issue after I reboot the pc it looses connection within 20 mins.

I'm getting the same issue on a pc running Xp home and net book running windows 7.

Any ideas???

Wensky

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That issue is unfiltered cars creating emi which crashes the arduino. See the race coordinator thread for how I fixed it on one if the tracks here.

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Hi Popdog,

I'm currently experiencing identical issues as you've raised above.

To get passed the 1.0.0.7 error you said the original download was corrupt so you done it a second time.

Did you mean re downloading to the Arduino only or re downloading the entire race coordinator program then downloading to Arduino again???

 

I downloaded ALL versions again and tried them all individually until Hey presto it worked

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LInk to my post to resolve the "lost communication" issues I was having...

http://www.auslot.com/forums/index.php?/topic/12871-race-coordinator-software/page__view__findpost__p__230077

 

Had an interesting situation with my latest install...

 

 

Everything was up and running via arduino setup, and all seemed great.

Then we started running trucks, and RC kept losing connection to the arduino.

 

Checked all connections, and everything seemed to be ok.

Swapped out the arduino itself with a different brand one, and it all worked ok.

 

Turns out that the trucks (and most fly vehicles) have no noise suppression fitted, and the EMI from the truck motors was crashing the original Arduino.

 

 

Managed to resolve it though...

1. Fitted '104' ceramic caps (Same as on a SCX motor) accross the rails on each lane.

2. Fitted 200uF capacitor between ground and +5v on the Arduino to reduce brown outs.

3. Grounded an unused, but wired up, 4th lane input.

4. Fitted a ferrite core to the sensor harness.

 

 

Now the timing runs flawlessly back on the original Arduino...

 

 

Anyway, hope that helps someone else who may be having random issues with RC losing connection with the Arduino.

 

Note. This issue is in no way a problem with RC, and is an enviornmental issue with the Arduino itself.

Interferance was most likely caused by the unfiltered truck motors as the light bridge is very close a braking zone.

I believe that a capacitor on the rails was probably all that was required, but put the rest in place anyway just to be sure...

 

When the issues were occurring, I switched to a different Arduino, and there were no issues.

Seems like this Arduino is just a little more sensitive that the other.

 

And like Phil, no power supply needed...

 

USB ports can easily deliver 500mA, and at worst, my rig is using 350mA.

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Cheers Phil,

I've managed to get it running again but the problem now is it keeps loosing connection to the track.

I ran half the day without any issue after I reboot the pc it looses connection within 20 mins.

I'm getting the same issue on a pc running Xp home and net book running windows 7.

Any ideas???

hey guess what? I have the same problem .....after a 200 lap race is started at about half way it says I need to reconfigure it to get connection back

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All of the boards I have access to are not genuine Arduino ones.

3x Supplied by "Core Electronics" and 1x random Ebay user.

 

The random one actually has "Arduino" on it, and didn't suffer as much from EMI.

The 'Core' ones don't have "Arduino" on them, and 2x seem to work well, and just 1x is having issues (which have now been solved as per above).

 

 

 

One test is to find a couple of long can cars with no capacitors or chokes fitted (Fly trucks seem to work well).

Time how long it takes to crash the system.

 

Swap the cars for a couple of RX-41 powered SCX's which have the factory Capacitors fitted to the motor and see if it still crashes...

Time how long it takes to crash the system.

 

 

In my testing on the unmodified track...

Unfiltered long cans seem to 'corrupt' the board faster as I could get it to fail within 30secs with 2x fly trucks on the track.

Factory filtered SCX's ran forever with no issues (We ran about 20 heats).

Edited by shadow_rusty
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I'm using the genuine Arduino uno and I have noticed that the long can motors seem to cause the fault each time.

I can even tell before its about to lose connection if I'm running the middle lane about half way through a lap and nowhere near the sensors the outside lane will register a lap with no car on the lane approximately 20 seconds later connection lost......

Wensky

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Hay Shadow Rusty,

Some great tips below I will be sure to try out this weekend.

Can you elaborate on point 3 below?

Did you ground unused lane sensor terminal back to the ground 0V on the Arduino board itself??

Re ferrite core did you use 1 for all the sensor wires or 1 for each sensor?

 

 

 

Managed to resolve it though...

1. Fitted '104' ceramic caps (Same as on a SCX motor) accross the rails on each lane.

2. Fitted 200uF capacitor between ground and +5v on the arduino to reduce brown outs.

3. Grounded an unused, but wired up, 4th lane input.

4. Fitted a ferrite core to the sensor harness.

 

Thank you

 

Wensky

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I use network cables for my sensor harnesses.

Each pair is a lane.

At the arduino end, 1 wire from each pair is grounded, and the other wires go to the input pins.

 

This harness was on a 3 lane track, but the 4th 'lane' was wired up, but without the sensor.

Basically I joined the input wire and the ground wire where the sensor should have been.

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