Making an Extra Sensor Cable for Timing Software
by
Daniel J. DykeI wanted to use my Trakmate Software with two tracks in my house. The one is a 45' two lane Scalextric Sport track jammed into my office. The second is a 10' oval in my workshop that is used as a skidpad. The problem was that the program only came with one cable and a second one is not available for purchase. Luckily other sources explain the making of these cables to one degree or another.
The first set of instructions came from Gregory Braun's freeware program LAPTIMER 2000 (http://www.gregorybraun.com/) His software is designed to use either the TRAKMATE hardware or the VRS hardware, but it is unnecessary to buy these other programs because he adequately describes how to make the hardware from Radio Shack parts. If one does not want to make the hardware, he will do it for you. Here is the catch. His hardware is the same price as TRAKMATEs software and hardware together. My advice is if you are going to do this is to buy TRAKMATE and if you don't like the one software use another. On a four lane setup they use pins 10, 12, 13, 15 as data pins and pin 25 as a ground for the VRS software and pins 10, 11, 12, and 13 as data pins and pin 25 as a ground. One uses pin 11 and the other uses pin 15.
The second source was from the VRS site. The sell their software for $37.50 USD. You have choices on the cables ranging from $22.50 to $67.50 (2-8 lanes). The even have instructions for wiring up their hardware. This is very nice as I find anything above two lanes a little expensive as the hardware works out to $1.50-$2.00 a lane to add to a two lane setup. On a four lane setup they use pins 10, 12, 13, and 15 as data pins and pin 25 as a ground.
This chart illustrates the fact that to use either of the above types of hardware is not the best course of actrion, if one is going to test software or use multiple types of software.
COMPATIBILITY CHART HARDWARE Software: Full Compatibility Software: Partial Compatibility TRAKMATE SRM-2
TRAKMATE
LAPTIMER 2000 (Default Settings)VRS (One lane has a different pinout than TRAKMATE) VRS SRM-2
VRS
LAPTIMER 2000 (Alternate Timer Settings)TRAKMATE (One lane has a different pinout than VRS) SRM-2 SRM-2
VRS
LAPTIMER 2000
TRAKMATEWhich cable do I recommend for a person to make? The SRM-2 hardware because it is compatible with everything on the list. That was a no brainer wasn't it. How does the SRM-2 hardware do it? Simple, they just wire in five receivers on pins 10, 11, 12, 13, 15. The reasoning is that since a receiver costs so little, one should just wire in a fifth one and the hardware is usable with any of the listed pieces of software. I did not want to have five receivers so decided to wire in a switch that would let me alternate between pin 11 and pin 15. The switch was one of the many reverse switches I removed from Carrera cars. All one has to do is flip a switch and start another piece of software. Four receivers require an eight wire cable and there is plenty of 8 wire cable at stores.
Why would anyone want to use multiple pieces of software? Fair question isn't it? The answers given here are quite simple. One program is commercial, two are freeware, and one is shareware. In other words I can try them all out for less than $50. The second reason deals with human nature. We are all different and perceive things differently. One person likes Fords and the rest of us are sensible. Some like Windows based programs and I like SRM-2 and Trakmate. Each to his own, but I believe I am right.
WIRING THE HARDWARE
The best information for me came from the SRM-2 site. They explain very clearly the advantages of using a DOS computer for a timing device. The discussion was so clear and persuasive that I consider DOS my only option in this matter. The second major issue that they helped with was pin identification. I had already concluded that I should build a four sensor setup with variable pin assignments so I could use the other software or at least write intelligent reviews about it. I already knew that I was going to use data pins 10, 11, 12, 13, and 15. I thought I was going to use pin 25 as a common ground pin. I made a one lane setup (pins 10 and 25) and all worked well, but when pin 11 was added in mixed results were achieved. I read the SRM-2 materials and they pointed out that pins 18-25 could be used as ground pins and so each lane could have its own ground. I rewired the connector and everything worked very well. When I finally got my Trakmate hardware in the mail I discovered I had wired it exactly like Daniel Groulx did for his. Great minds work alike? Maybe I was just lucky.
STEP ONE: A TRIP TO THE SHACK
One should be careful to have a complete hardware list before one goes to RADIO SHACK (RS). Here is what is needed in addition to an old computer, tools, and soldering equipment.
4 Photo Sensors (RS# )MAKING A DOS/WINDOWS COMPUTERI originally had planned on using one of the thirteen 386 laptops that were piled in the corner of the workshop, but it turned out they had funny pin assignments on their parallel ports and as a result only pin 10 would read. This made the thing usable only for my skidpad as only one lane is used there and so only one receiver is needed. I made a cable for this out of an old serial port cable and one sensor.
Access to a real computer with internet access is essential to download software from the internet. If you do not have this then how are youreading this article?
The first pieces of software to download are the programs.
DOS SOFTWARE (Preferred)
1. TRAKMATE: http://www.infoserve.net/oss/slotcar/index.htmI know these two DOS programs exist, but know little about them. (Questionable until I test them)
2. SLOT RACE MANAGER 2: http://www.cenobyte.nl/slotracemanager/hoofdframe.htmlUSING THE HARDWARE WITH THE SOFTWARE
3. SPTS: http://www.geocities.com/bbyarker1/software.htm
4. SPLIT SECOND: http://web.inter.nl.net/users/dekloet/WINDOWS SOFTWARE (I don't trust Windows for this type of software).
1. HOMETRACK: http://www.vmbollig.de/Hometrack/hometrack.htm
2. VIRTUAL RACE SYSTEM (VRS): http://www.i2mnet.com
3. LAPTIMER 2000: http://www.gregorybraun.com/FREEDOS
CD BURNER
386 or better
1 Meg of ram
Monitor
Keyboard
HARDDRIVE/ZIP drive
CDFUTURE UPDATES: I get more software and test it.
SPTS: http://www.geocities.com/bbyarker1/software.htm
(and SRM- 2)