24 replies to this topic

[MOPARDEVIL]

Where should your timing sensors go in the track in comparison to the start/finish line. Should the startline be In front, behind or on the timing sensors. ie do the cars need to cross the timing sensors at the start of the race or complete a whole lap before crossing the timing sensors.

I am about to install my timing sensors & dont want to have to redo my start line ive already painted in.

thanks
greg

[gzminiz]

I haven't set my stuff yet, but I would "assume" that the timing sensors are the start finish. Sensor to sensor would constitute one lap always so I would/am going to put them on the start finish (and in the pits in the same line so you still get the lap counted in the pits).

Cheers

[espsix]

Depends on what software you are using,
Trakmate (DOS) gives you 1 lap as soon as you cross the sensors,(but everyone gets the extra lap, so it dosn't effect the outcome)
Startline just starts the timer going, and dosn't give your 1st lap until youv'e been around the track once.

not sure on the others, thats something for the users of other software to answer.

[rick1776]

Just mount the sensors in the light bridge at the start line. Then depending on the software your running, start the cars just ahead of the sensors or just behind the sensors. Simple, no??

[MOPARDEVIL]

Thanks for your replies. I plan on using ultimate racer 3. The reason I ask is I have already painted in the start/finish line. I will not be having a light bridge it is going to be installed in the track. I dont want to have to repaint the start line.

[kalbfellp]

Greg: IMO put the sensors a bit over one car lenght BEHIND the start line that way you can use any program you like. I assume you are using the DS sensors with just ambient light?

[Count]

UR30 needs the cars to trigger the sensors at the start, therefore also detects bad starts this way. Good program IMO

Count

[MOPARDEVIL]

Count, on Jul 28 2009, 05:45 PM, said:

UR30 needs the cars to trigger the sensors at the start, therefore also detects bad starts this way. Good program IMO

Count

Ok great count, so just to confirm for ur30 the cars need to be on/over the sensors at the start of the race, not before or after.

Greg

[Yngwie]

MOPARDEVIL, on Jul 28 2009, 06:19 PM, said:

Count, on Jul 28 2009, 05:45 PM, said:

UR30 needs the cars to trigger the sensors at the start, therefore also detects bad starts this way. Good program IMO

Count

Ok great count, so just to confirm for ur30 the cars need to be on/over the sensors at the start of the race, not before or after.

Greg

No, they need to be before. The first trip of the sensor starts the beginning of the first lap!

[Badbilly]

sorry to hi jack the thread but does anyone know which relay to use and where i can get them to cut the power to the lane for false starts... that aught to fix Mr 5's cheating

PS i use UR30

[X1/9]

With UR30 I'm using relays that I bought from Jaycar (they needed to order them in for me). They are marked TPDH05.

[Yngwie]

X1/9, on Jul 28 2009, 07:06 PM, said:

With UR30 I'm using relays that I bought from Jaycar (they needed to order them in for me). They are marked TPDH05.

You wouldnt have a pic of how you wired them would you?

[Badbilly]

Thanks X1/9 looks like a trip to jaycar tomorrow.

[charlesx]

Agree some computer programmes will detect false start. I am looking to use Laptimer 2000 but have been looking at Ultimate Racer as well. Not sure what either these will do in this respect.

Did come across relatively simple plan for start sequence/lights however that has hard wired system worked from controllers. Perhaps this could be incorparated into your system?

<http://picprojects.org.uk/projects/sc/sc.htm>

Apart from that interested to know also how you have wired to work with computer as complete novice and do not want to blow computer up. Any help would be most welcome.

Regards

Chas Le Breton

[SlotsNZ]

Yngwie, on Jul 28 2009, 07:30 PM, said:

MOPARDEVIL, on Jul 28 2009, 06:19 PM, said:

Count, on Jul 28 2009, 05:45 PM, said:

UR30 needs the cars to trigger the sensors at the start, therefore also detects bad starts this way. Good program IMO

Count

Ok great count, so just to confirm for ur30 the cars need to be on/over the sensors at the start of the race, not before or after.

Greg

No, they need to be before. The first trip of the sensor starts the beginning of the first lap!

Count is correct. The cars have to start BEHIND the sensors, so it is usual to have the sensors on the start finish line - but hey, put them where-ever if you want. But UR3.0 BEGINS the first lap when cars pass over the sensor, which also acts to determine a false start if someone jumps the gun.
If you started the cars in front of the sensors, you would not have any proof whether someone jumped the gun.
If you are using power relays, that becomes immaterial, but you wont start your first lap until you have COMPLETED one, if you start your cars after the sensor.

If you want to have dead track starts, JayCar make a little kit that has a 10? 15? amp relay, that can be triggered by software like UR3.0 wired via the usual pin ports for any one lane, and you simply have the relay wired to interrupt the power to ALL lanes before it splits off to each controller jack. This is a bit simpler than building a 3 or 4 lane version of the power control Pierrick has on his site, but DOESN'T provide for the option of bad start time/lap penalties, just a facility to begin races from "dead track"

I have custom screens for UR3.0 for up to 6 lanes, designed to look like Trakmate or Laptimer 2000, so anyone is welcome to a copy, but each file pair (header and main pane) is about 550Kb, so quite big emails.

This thread has my basic tutorial on screen pane development, and some examples, including the 6 laner I developed for our amigo Chenglaw
http://www.auslot.com/forums/index.php?sho...racer+3\.0
I also have the complete help files, unbundled, and mostly re-written in more precise english.
These updated files SHOULD be contained in the latest version of the download from the UR3.0 site, but I haven't had time to check recently.

[X1/9]

Yngwie, on Jul 28 2009, 07:20 PM, said:

X1/9, on Jul 28 2009, 07:06 PM, said:

With UR30 I'm using relays that I bought from Jaycar (they needed to order them in for me). They are marked TPDH05.

You wouldnt have a pic of how you wired them would you?

I just took the camera out to the shed to take a photo - and the batteries went flat. I'll try to organise a photo tomorrow night.

Basically, like most things that you've done at least once, it's pretty easy. I'm not up with electronics at all but I managed to work it out. Pretty much you wire the relay to take an assigned pin on the parallel port to activate the relay. You'll need to give the input side of the relay a negative pin from the computer too.

On the output side you split one wire of the power supply to the track and feed this cut wire to the two output pins on the relay.

Chas - I think it is possible to "blow" pins on the computer but everything went ok for me. Maybe one of the electronics gurus could tell us what to be careful of.

The relays together with fuel stops makes the racing a whole lot more fun.

[Badbilly]

Thanks for explaining it in simple terms X1/9. I knew WHAT the relay did and that i needed a "triger" from the computer but didnt understand HOW it did it.. i was thinking for some reason that both the +ive AND -ive went throu the relay leaveing me wondering how it connected to the puter...DOH..." so thanks as i now get it You wouldnt happen to have a Jaycar part number would you as i checked there web site and couldnt find the relay with the TPDH05 on it and we only have a jaycar dealer in town and if its not in the book he dont know about it.

How do you manage the pit stops for fuel? do you have a low fuel light for each lane or just the guage in the race pane? Thanks

PS i hoping to have the sensors in the pit lane when i build the big track but till then can i just have refueling with the one set of sensors?

[X1/9]

Badbilly, on Jul 28 2009, 11:00 PM, said:

You wouldnt happen to have a Jaycar part number would you as i checked there web site and couldnt find the relay with the TPDH05 on it and we only have a jaycar dealer in town and if its not in the book he dont know about it.

How do you manage the pit stops for fuel? do you have a low fuel light for each lane or just the guage in the race pane? Thanks

PS i hoping to have the sensors in the pit lane when i build the big track but till then can i just have refueling with the one set of sensors?

Ok. I've found the Jaycar part number and I've got batteries in the camera. The code is S4420 - they cost $19.95 each earlier this year. You will need one per lane so that UR30 can cut the power (via the relay) if your car runs out of fuel. The relay will also cut the power to the car that triggers a false start (you can adjust the length of time the power is cut in UR30).

For fuel management I just use the race pane - I wasn't happy with the visibilty of the fuel gauges on the standard race panes so I edited one to suit my needs. Editing race panes is pretty easy too - if not a bit scary at first!

Not sure if I'm following you correctly about the sensors in the pit lane - I've just selected a spot on my track to have the refuelling area and built in some infra red receivers (part no ZD1950 ) for each lane. You could pretty much do this same thing in a pit lane area but each car would need to have its own sensor to trigger refuelling. Hope that helps explain it.

[kennedyrd]

I pondered over where to place the sensors too.

I have the sensors right on the start finish line and the cars start just in front of the sensors. Trackmate has an option that allows the cars to start behind or in front of the sensors.

If you want to use a power relay to cut power and start the next heat where they have stopped (in the next lane of course!) you will have to do it this way. If you want to start each heat from the start finish line it doesn't matter.

However it is kinda unfair to not have part laps accounted for as you end up with dead heats all the time when somebody could well have been almost 4 laps ahead. (on a 4 lane track)

[charlesx]

Great photo and explanation but thicko here still not sure what wire goes where.

Are the thicker ones on left to controllers and the thin ones on right to track sensors or what.

Can see the computer lead easy enough but wires hard to follow for relays etc. Are you perhaps able to give a simple explanation?

Also what pins did you use for computer?

In meantime will continue to study photo and try to work out myself.

Regards

Chas Le Breton