deadstrip lapcounter

1/43rd Scale Slot Car Forum

deadstrip lapcounter

Postby Rinkrat99 » Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:46 pm

hi all

Got my set running but having issues with certain cars not counting laps with the stock Carrera mechanical lap counter.

been looking at using a laptop and freeware lap counting software. I pulled apart a USB keyboard and brought out the #1 and #2 key leads and gnd. I figure use a deadstrip trip pad for the trigger. Instead of modifying a straight track, why not use a junction which hast two open rails?

All you need is to close the switch and it triggers lane 1 as a 1 key and lane 2 as a 2 key press.

Thoughts.
Rinkrat99
 
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:06 pm

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby pfuetze » Sat Jan 14, 2017 1:58 am

i tires using all kind of triggering for a lap counter.
- industrial proximity sensors that triggered the keyboard
- reed switches triggered by the car magnets
- dead strip (did not get this to work)
- light bridge triggered by the cars (sensors above track, Infrared emitting diodes in the track) (best easy option!)
- light bridge across the slot triggered by the guide with electronic impulse lenghtening circuit (in use for 8 years now without problems, no false lap counts)

did you have a look at Gregory Braun´s site? he offers Laptimer 2000 - free software - i like it.
User avatar
pfuetze
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 2255
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 11:35 pm
Location: Austria

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby walker » Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:53 am

Have a look :

https://www.google.de/search?q=dead+str ... 8Q_AUICCgD

And selected from there - not the newest, but quite informative

http://www.slotcarracing.org.uk/trackbuild/part4.htm

Roland

I have been using dead strips from the very beginning and never had any issues with them.
walker
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 424
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2015 8:42 am

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby strangebrew » Sat Jan 14, 2017 9:48 am

I posted this some time ago & have been using it flawlessly ever since.

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=7624&p=88891&hilit=lap+counter#p88891
User avatar
strangebrew
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 1097
Joined: Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:50 pm
Location: Southern Illinois

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby slothead » Sat Jan 14, 2017 5:43 pm

The nicest thing about a setup like strangebrew shows is it goes on top of the track rails or existing tape/braid and doesn't require any messing about with that. I use a similar setup with duct tape strips over the existing copper tape and then about 2 inch strips of copper tape over the duct tape. The deadstrip pieces of copper tape are insulated from the powered rails by the duct tape. New leads from each side of the deadstrip go under the table and in my case connect to the circuit board inside a wireless mouse so a car passing through closes the circuit creating a mouse click. A program running an a nearby computer counts the mouse clicks and displays the time.

There are easier ways to go than using a mouse, but this method of creating a deadstrip is ideal. (Just don't allow tire goop on your track - stick to lighter fluid. If your ever racing with someone like strangebrew and you smell wintergreen, demand a tech inspection!)

Slothead
User avatar
slothead
The Doctor is IN!
 
Posts: 1560
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:04 pm

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby Rinkrat99 » Sat Jan 14, 2017 6:52 pm

Hi all

Yes I will be using Laptimer 200 utilizing the Keyboard inputs.

pfuetze - I was thinking of using the keyboard inputs with hall effect sensors and then started thinking about the Junction track which already has a deadzone. Light bridge would be fun if I had time to research the components and circuitry. That could have been a past life!


Walker - HAve you thought about a deadstrip with Junction track? Gotta read these before comments

Slothead/Strangebrew - Based on the method used, all was done was insulate the two copper pads from the main track rails. Similar to to the Junction track idea I have but yours makes sense too. Basically all that happens is the car closes the two leads from the copper as keypress for Laptimer to record as Key 1 or 2 that I looked at. I think 1 rail would be gnd to the keyboard circuit and the other the associated pin for the keypress.

THANKS
Rinkrat99
 
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:06 pm

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby slothead » Sat Jan 14, 2017 7:48 pm

Rinkrat99 - I'd be interested in how you connect to keys in the keyboard. I thought about using that approach to do section timing. My road course has 7 sections, determined by changes in lane spacing to create alternating passing (3 1/2 inch) and non-passing (2 inch) sections. It would be great if I could have multiple deadstrips per lap to break a car's overall laptime into section times. Keystrokes from a keyboard would be ideal for this, a different number for each deadstrip/section.

I watched a few videos about hacking into keyboards but haven't tried it. Was it easy to do? Did you make connections at the circuit board? Where you able to soldier in the connections? Any advice for things to do or be mindful of will be appreciated.

Slothead
User avatar
slothead
The Doctor is IN!
 
Posts: 1560
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:04 pm

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby Rinkrat99 » Sat Jan 14, 2017 8:58 pm

ImageSlothead

Tearing into a keyboard is easy. The one I used was a USB but should work for PS2 ones as well.

Once you open the keyboard assembly, there are the keys and then a rubber membrane. Under the membrane are three very thin layers (2 circuits and 1 insulator). The two circuit layers have the traces for each key press and you need to trace these back to the connector. One was Ground which would be common for each key. Each key has one and only one trace to a pin of the control chip. Basically the key press closes the key trace and ground which is then interpreted at the chip level as a keypress.

The circuit board had a number of contacts which seem to have a material that mates with these two thin film layers. Have not tried soldering yet but in theory should not be an issue.

http://www.modd3d.com/articles/item/keyboard-hack

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image


I do not have time till next weekend to look at this again but in theory should work as long as I have that deadstrip defined
Rinkrat99
 
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:06 pm

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby Rinkrat99 » Sat Jan 14, 2017 9:10 pm

Slothead, did you ever have an issue with a voltage backfeeding to the PC? I am not sure this would be an issue but could throw a scope across it to see.
Rinkrat99
 
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:06 pm

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby slothead » Sat Jan 14, 2017 11:38 pm

I thought this might be happening because two times the mouse seemed to work then stopped - even when I bridged the sides of the deadstrip with a wire to ensure the circuit was closed. I thought the gap between the end of the deadstip and where the powered rails resumed was too narrow and the braid on the guide was somehow connecting the powered rails to the deadstrip and shorting out the mouse. Since I was using wireless mouses I wasn't worried about the PC but I increased the gaps at both ends. I was on my third mouse before I learned polarity matters and reversed the leads from the deadstrip, which solved the problem.

The gaps at each end of my deadstrip copper tape are an inch long to be sure the track power can't connect with the deadstrip. I use a 4" piece of tape under the 2" deadstrip copper tape. The long deadstrip has no effect on cars at all.

A wireless keyboard is more expensive than a wireless mouse, but would still be my choice just to be safe and not risk damaging the PC if a short circuit did occur.

Slothead
User avatar
slothead
The Doctor is IN!
 
Posts: 1560
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2013 7:04 pm

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby pfuetze » Sun Jan 15, 2017 3:38 am

this light bridge has been directly wired into the parallel port of the computer

Image

wired according to the diagramm on gregory braun´s site
User avatar
pfuetze
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 2255
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 11:35 pm
Location: Austria

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby Rinkrat99 » Sun Jan 15, 2017 9:22 am

Slothead - I have a USB Mouse and did not think of a wireless Keyboard but thats an idea. The mouse issue was that I could not get LapTimer to acknowledge a Mouse click. What did you choose for that?

Based on everyone discussion, it seems that a junction track has too short of a gap between rails to be effective. I am not sure about the light bridge but I can see where it would work fine. I like the Hall Effect sensors but then again depends on the magnets of the sensor sensativity and car. Would not work for a non=magnet car though.

Pfuetze - Parralel ports are hard to come by these days so that is why I was looking at USB, we could use the same philopsphy thought where the light bridge count goes to a USB Keyboard "keypress". Will lok at light bride when I have time next week too. Good thoughts thanks
Rinkrat99
 
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:06 pm

Re: deadstrip lapcounter

Postby pfuetze » Sun Jan 15, 2017 9:30 am

i tried also an usb joystick port adapter - also easy to connect tp the pc
User avatar
pfuetze
HRW SlotCar Veteran!
 
Posts: 2255
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 11:35 pm
Location: Austria


Return to HRW 1/43rd Scale



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests

cron