New timing system for race organizers: Chronocone 2004

[Pat Chewning]

Chronocone 2004 is compatible with Trackmate wiring, but it probably won't work to simultaneously connect both systems to the same wires and tape switches. (Might be a good experiment to try).

The flow is like this:

1) Tape switch
2) Telephone wire
3) Goes to custom circuit board for noise immunity and pulse stretching
4) Goes to disected game controller to buttons 1,2,3,4
5) USB port of game controller to PC or laptop. (Items 2, 3, 4 are in one box -- Chronocone 2004 Hardware)
6) Chronocone 2004 software on laptop polls the game controller for tape switch activity. Software accepts user input for tones (# and style), cone penalties, racer names, false-start thresholds, DQ, etc.
7) Each time a racer runs, the raw time, cone count, reaction time, DQ status, resulting time, and DATE/TIME (clock setting) is output to a file.
8. At any time MS Excel can be invoked from within Chronocone 2004 to view the data.
9) At the end of the race, MS Excel is used to import the data, sort the results, generate the list of racers for the next heat, etc.

The hardware consists of a box with Chronocone 2004 custom circuit board and the useful portions of a disected USB game controller.

The software is written in Visual Basic. It runs on any PC with MS Windows 2000, NT, or XP. The PC requires a USB port.

The software uses DirectX to rapidly poll the game port. Older MS Operating systems may have to update DirectX. Very old systems cannot run DirectX (Windows 95).

The output file format is written to be imported into MS Excel. Other spreadsheet programs might also be able to use this file format (text, comma-separated values).

The PC's sound card generates the tones. The output of the sound card should be run to amplified speakers at a big race, so the racers and fans can hear the tones.

[Jack Quarantillo]

That's pretty cool. I wish I qualified. Any DC Outlaws want to chip in on one of these for our crew?

2 questions:

1. I'm assuming the tones and timing are coming from the Laptop, correct?

2. Could you split the RJ11 cable and run this parallel with a Trackmate (in start from tape mode)?

I'll probably download the software just to mess with it.

I'll let you know if I find any suprise "features" (...cough...bugs....cough)

Q

[Pat Chewning]

Six game pads gave up their lives today to become components of Chronocone 2004 slalom race timing units.

Chronocone 2004 -- coming to a race near you.






<Ed note: Images copied onto this server. /Jani >
Original posting of images here

[Pat Chewning]

Over the winter I finished development of a timing system for slalom races. The goals of this project were:

1) Compatible with Trackmate wiring. This allows one set of wires to use either Trackmate or Chronocone. Now you can have a backup system ready to plug in right away. Use your same tape switches.

2) Automated output to MS Excel spreadsheet. This allows instant calculation of results.

3) Low-cost. The hardware components consist of a custom circuit board with 4 IC's on it wired to the circuit board from a cheap computer game pad.

4) Lots of features:
Tone count-down (you choose the tones and how many)
Common start at the tone, or individual start from the tape switches.
Cone penalties: per-cone, cone limit for DQ, clean-run bonus, etc
False start: Set a threshold for early or late starts, choose an action (DQ, time penalty, or no-action) for a false start.
List of racers entered and display race order. Choose in order or out of order, choose to swap lanes.

The downside is that the system needs a computer (laptop) to attach to. But most races have a computer anyway to calculate the results..... The timing system plugs into the USB port of the computer.

I ordered 6 of the circuit boards so I will be offering 5 of these systems to other race organizers under the following terms:

1) You must be a race organizer planning on holding a race.
2) The software is free.
3) The hardware is either $50 or approx equal skateboard goods (wheels, deck, bearings, trucks, etc)
4) You must be willing to wait for me to finish building the remaining units.
5) You must be willing to test the system prior to holding a race, have some computer skills (MS Excel, installing programs on your computer).
6) You must be willing to give me feedback on any problems, suggestions for improvements, etc.
7) You understand that this is not a full-time moneymaking venture for me ... so the documentation is sketchy (plans to improve it), the support is haphazard (that's why only 6 being built), and the build quality is home-built. But it works.

Try out the software at:
http://home.comcast.net/~pchewn/Chronoc ... ne2004.htm

You should download and save the User's manual file and the Chronocone2004.msi file. The Chronocone 2004.msi file is a standard Microsoft install file.

Test drive the system.

If you are still interested, send me an email.

When I have time I will post up some diagrams, schematics, and user documentation for anyone who might want to build their own system. But this is much more difficult without the custom PCB ....

Planned enhancements and upgrades:
Software upgrades are free (downloadable)
Add a practice mode (e.g. Cyberslalom practice)
Add a comment field for each race. (Organizers can optionally enter a comment to be recorded with each race)
Automated Excel spreadsheet templates for various forms of racer brackets (to receive results from Chronocone, calculate next racer bracket, automate list of racers for next race).

At a minumum, running the software stand-alone makes for great keyboard racing! You set up a race (e.g. against Kenny). You initiate the start sequence. You hear the tones. You stop your clock sooner than Kenny's. You give Kenny a couple of cone penalties. You beat Kenny!

PS: The software has been tested on MS XP. It should work on Windows 2000 and Windows NT, but I didn't test it yet.

-- Pat