popdog Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Hello all...have completed making my dead strips in my braid ...they all check out good with the multi meter that is no shorts ...I connect the DB 25 plug to my laptop which has the wires connected to pins 12/24....13/25....15/23 and have tried running the programs ..PC Lap Counter ... Unreal Racing and Lap Timer 2000 and get varying results each time . The first running of PC Lap Counter (Demo) all three lanes registered and counted and timed laps .Lap Timer 2000(Freeware) would only see red lane and Unreal Racing(Freeware) would work on blue and red but not yellow....Since testing all products PC Lap Counter will only work on red lane but if I use my Home PC it works on red and yellow lanes but not blue. I have measured 5 v DC on each dead strip when connected to the PC ...ahhhh it is getting frustrating maybe I should use the joystick port perhaps>>> ANY THOUGHTS would be welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X1/9 Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 As someone who has just been going through a similar process - I sympathise. I can't necessarily help you but you do have my sympathy! I have used Ultimate Racer 3.0 and I'm using Infra Red Receivers through the 25 Pin plug on LPT1. All I can suggest is search through all of the possible menus of each of the software versions you are using. I found Ultimate Racer to have lots of "not obvious" selections and choices to make - I assume the other software products are the same. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick1776 Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Youve got a dead strip and I assume you have 5V sitting on one side and youre relying on the motor to complete the circuit and feed the 5V across to the Printer port? Good luck with getting that to work reliably. Is your port sitting at 5V normally or 0V normally? You do realise that the motor will still be pumping out a dirty 12V as it goes through the dead strip. Quote cheers rick1776 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 As someone who has just been going through a similar process - I sympathise. I can't necessarily help you but you do have my sympathy! I have used Ultimate Racer 3.0 and I'm using Infra Red Receivers through the 25 Pin plug on LPT1.All I can suggest is search through all of the possible menus of each of the software versions you are using. I found Ultimate Racer to have lots of "not obvious" selections and choices to make - I assume the other software products are the same. Good luck! Been there done that, just about through the lot in the bin. i have just installed SlotRace Manager with dead strips and power solinoids and have to say I should have done it first. Thanks to Syd who put it together for me, he has been using it for years, it runs off ms dos and is accurate to 1/1000 of a sec. Cheers Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdog Posted April 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 As someone who has just been going through a similar process - I sympathise. I can't necessarily help you but you do have my sympathy! I have used Ultimate Racer 3.0 and I'm using Infra Red Receivers through the 25 Pin plug on LPT1.All I can suggest is search through all of the possible menus of each of the software versions you are using. I found Ultimate Racer to have lots of "not obvious" selections and choices to make - I assume the other software products are the same. Good luck! Been there done that, just about through the lot in the bin. i have just installed SlotRace Manager with dead strips and power solinoids and have to say I should have done it first. Thanks to Syd who put it together for me, he has been using it for years, it runs off ms dos and is accurate to 1/1000 of a sec. Cheers Bill Ok I will take advice on this thanks....do you have a schematic of your circuit that you could share? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlotsNZ Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) It is sometimes easier to unhook the loom, and manually short out each contact pair. then, once you know that side of things is working, hook back up into your track and "repeat until successful" Laptimer 2000 is better set with 10,11,12, and 13 with 25 as the common; selecting "trackmate" wiring. There is also a sensor inversion option in LT2000, try fiddling with that. If it works right in LT2000 using those pins, in Trackmate mode, it should also work in Ultimate Racer 3.0. Depending upon car speed and length of deadstrip, you may be getting cars traveling THROUGH the strip faster than the trigger in LT2000, which can be set from 1 to 10 milliseconds. - try setting the sensor at 1 ms and drive through. Next, some really old PCs just cannot sample quickly enough to deal with 1ms or 5ms, so then again, you may need to set it at 10ms so the poor old windows dog has time to peek at the port, make a decision and act on it. Next; printer port sensitivities vary, that's a case by case basis, I haven't personally come acorss one that actually needed resistors for protection, or to create the right "range" - but it happens. There is a danger of blowing a printer port when using a live feed short like the dead strip and car motor - - from what I understand Rick?? you're the electronic whizz. Personally, I prefer using photo sensors in the slot, with a bridge. I've built about 8 or 9 systems now, and the only problem child was an in-slot combined sensor/emitter unit which couldn't cope with fast car speeds (the guide was travelling through the sensor in less time than the fastest sampling the PC could do.) Edited April 6, 2009 by SlotsNZ Quote Recovering Lapsed Slot Addict * Custodian of many used screws (mostly loose ) * Total kidder * Companion of other delusional slot addicts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X1/9 Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 I don't have a schematic to show you. I don't always work to a plan! I started off with this link http://www.hoslotcarracing.com/LapCounter.html and went on from there. When I think back on what I've made it is really quite simple, it was just the little user errors that cropped up along the way that caused me heartache. I'm very inexperienced at anything electronic, so I had to get by with lots of advice from the local electronics store (in my case Jaycar Electronics). It sounds like Bill has got a system closer to yours than mine (he's using deadstrips also) so maybe he has the answer for you. If you decide to change to I/R receivers let me know, they are very simple and look neat in the track. Actually, the I/R receivers worked straight away for me - I had more trouble with the relays to cut power when you run out of fuel - but that's another story! Now that the whole thing works (as of yesterday) I have to say it is absolutely worth it. I'm very happy with Ultimate Racer 3 as a RMS and although I felt like giving up on it at times, it does work quite well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdog Posted April 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 I don't have a schematic to show you. I don't always work to a plan! I started off with this link http://www.hoslotcarracing.com/LapCounter.html and went on from there. When I think back on what I've made it is really quite simple, it was just the little user errors that cropped up along the way that caused me heartache. I'm very inexperienced at anything electronic, so I had to get by with lots of advice from the local electronics store (in my case Jaycar Electronics). It sounds like Bill has got a system closer to yours than mine (he's using deadstrips also) so maybe he has the answer for you. If you decide to change to I/R receivers let me know, they are very simple and look neat in the track. Actually, the I/R receivers worked straight away for me - I had more trouble with the relays to cut power when you run out of fuel - but that's another story! Now that the whole thing works (as of yesterday) I have to say it is absolutely worth it. I'm very happy with Ultimate Racer 3 as a RMS and although I felt like giving up on it at times, it does work quite well. Thank you everybody for your input and ideas... I will look at using the joystick port as it can be protected and if that doesnt work then I will go to maybe micro switches or the light gantry with I/R receivers etc .Will keep my findings posted. cheers all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdog Posted April 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 (edited) Youve got a dead strip and I assume you have 5V sitting on one side and youre relying on the motor to complete the circuit and feed the 5V across to the Printer port? Good luck with getting that to work reliably. Is your port sitting at 5V normally or 0V normally? You do realise that the motor will still be pumping out a dirty 12V as it goes through the dead strip. Maybe but I dont think in that short contact that the motor acting as a generator would generate 12 volts ...but I could be wrong...but I take your point on board..some voltage input to the LPT would not be good unregulated. I have 4.2 v (red lane)and 4.2 v(yellow lane) and 3.9 v (blue lane)and this is why i think there might be a voltage drop to the PC that is significant enough to make signal strenght at LPT not work Edited April 10, 2009 by popdog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick1776 Posted April 6, 2009 Report Share Posted April 6, 2009 Your car is going full tilt at 12V and it then hits the dead strip. What makes you think that it is now not putting out 12V?? If it goes through the dead strip at roughly the same speed its putting out 12V. Quote cheers rick1776 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdog Posted April 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 (edited) Your car is going full tilt at 12V and it then hits the dead strip. What makes you think that it is now not putting out 12V?? If it goes through the dead strip at roughly the same speed its putting out 12V. Yes I agree there would be a SPIKE but at what voltage...these motors are designed as motors and running as a generator there would be losses due to inefficencies in the design. Whatever it is it wouldnt be good for the LPT of my PC That is why I will try using the joystick port on my pc as it has over voltage protection built in . The other point that I have realized is that the length of the leads from the track to my PC means that the feeble 5 v dc could be breaking down and not triggering the port. Some designs I have looked at include a seperate 5 v dc power supply for the dead strip sections and as I am using PC power supplies for each lane there is a 5 v dc leg on each that I will use Edited April 8, 2009 by popdog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalbfellp Posted April 8, 2009 Report Share Posted April 8, 2009 Rick: Didn't you draw up a circuit for debounce and extending the pulse time for dead strips? Popdog: why not just use photo transistors like the other guys? Quote Phil https://www.hobartminiaturecarclub.com/ Email Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdog Posted April 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Rick: Didn't you draw up a circuit for debounce and extending the pulse time for dead strips? Popdog: why not just use photo transistors like the other guys? No moving parts nothing to wear out nothing to clean nothing to purchase ease of making .....But now turning out to be a pain in the proverbial....may have to resort to Photo interupters in the end>>>>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalbfellp Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Photo interupters in the end Looks like it might have been the easier choice! Quote Phil https://www.hobartminiaturecarclub.com/ Email Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick1776 Posted April 10, 2009 Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Pop, How handy are you with a soldering iron? Are you able to read basic cct diagrams? The cct I have designed is basic but a little bit more complicated than your basic LED + sensor. I have designed and built a optical sensor system and that has run faultless. I have also built two dead strips and they have run faultless. The dead strip is VERY different to what is normally built. You only need a 25mm break in the +ve rail and you dont need 25mm worth of deap space before and after the dead strip. It relies on the voltage generated by the motor and will tigger on as little as 1V. There is an opto cct somewhere on the site. Type in "bullet proof optical timing circuit". It works well but I now use a 555 IC timer instead of an LM324 op am IC. The circuit diagram is at work so youll have to wait. Would you be able to build it on vero board? Depends if you can read basic cct diagrams and are confident in soldering ISs etc. Quote cheers rick1776 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdog Posted April 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2009 Pop, How handy are you with a soldering iron? Are you able to read basic cct diagrams? The cct I have designed is basic but a little bit more complicated than your basic LED + sensor. I have designed and built a optical sensor system and that has run faultless. I have also built two dead strips and they have run faultless. The dead strip is VERY different to what is normally built. You only need a 25mm break in the +ve rail and you dont need 25mm worth of deap space before and after the dead strip. It relies on the voltage generated by the motor and will tigger on as little as 1V. There is an opto cct somewhere on the site. Type in "bullet proof optical timing circuit". It works well but I now use a 555 IC timer instead of an LM324 op am IC. The circuit diagram is at work so youll have to wait. Would you be able to build it on vero board? Depends if you can read basic cct diagrams and are confident in soldering ISs etc. yeh was a business machine techo with Canon and Konica for a lot of years no problemo ta very much ...must have to be able to host race soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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