Lap Timer - Page 5

wild03 · #61 11-20-2002, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve
Nice instructions. That cassette tape project box is classic!

Thanks Steve, I wrote them in a rush yesterday and they might be a little hard to follow for someone not familiar with the project, I'll see If I can clean them up a little. If you noticed I ended up having to send 12V instead of 5V because the Voltage Regulator circuit I used has a initial 1.25v drop. So with 5 Vin I was getting 3.75Vout, and the lasers were a little dim. I used 12v and regulated down to 4.15 or so.
This simple circuit is really handy for projects because with a simgle power supply of 12V you can regulate all the way down to whatever you need by turning the variable resistor.

wothrottle · #62 12-18-2002, 03:05 PM

Hi,
I´m new to this forum and the bit scene,since I mostly drive alone,I really need a Lap timer,so this should be the right one-think it´s better than the TOMY one.
OK,I already downloaded the LAPTIMER software,but don´t really understand what to do next-I´m a little confused ,since someone posted that it only costs $6-I know that i need a keychain type laser pointer,but how to connect,...

Greets,
LUD

wild03 · #63 12-18-2002, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wothrottle
Hi,
I´m new to this forum and the bit scene,since I mostly drive alone,I really need a Lap timer,so this should be the right one-think it´s better than the TOMY one.
OK,I already downloaded the LAPTIMER software,but don´t really understand what to do next-I´m a little confused ,since someone posted that it only costs $6-I know that i need a keychain type laser pointer,but how to connect,...

Greets,
LUD

very simple really, The quick and dirty way is to use a 25 pin
male-to-female computer cable, similar to the ones used on parallel port scanners.
Plug the cable on your printer port and plug the phototransistor between pins 25 and say 10 on the other side (female)
aim the laser at the phototransistor and everytime you break the beam the software displays the time since the last beam interuption and a count.

There's pinout help on the software help menu.

You can get fancy once you understand the idea, see mine at:
www.geocities.com/wdiaz03/laptimer.html

wothrottle · #64 12-18-2002, 05:44 PM

Thank you,
those laserpointers are really expensive here i germany,try to find a cheap one.
greets,
LUD

wild03 · #65 12-19-2002, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by wothrottle
Thank you,
those laserpointers are really expensive here i germany,try to find a cheap one.
greets,
LUD

I got mine from www.wholesaleforeveryone.com $3.00 each! Germany is in their list so they might ship there!!!

Lead Foot · #66 12-23-2002, 06:46 PM

Is it possible to create a device that could detect a color LED?

For example, if I mount a different color LED on my bit is there a way to create a device that could see the color LED and then do some action. This way you could distinguish each bit

wild03 · #67 12-23-2002, 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lead Foot
Is it possible to create a device that could detect a color LED?

For example, if I mount a different color LED on my bit is there a way to create a device that could see the color LED and then do some action. This way you could distinguish each bit

Very, very unlikely! I think the best thing you can do and this idea came up before is to use a small flag, say 1/4 inch tall and 1/2 inch long, and mount it at different heights on the roof of the cars.
Say one car will have it right on top of the roof, the other will have it 1/4 inch higher...etc. Then you can mount the lasers and detectors 1/4 inch apart one on top of the other. only the car with the right height flag will trigger a particular sensor. this will work because the laser pointers have a very narrow beam for a few feets. you'll need to use a thin wire to mount the flags so the other sensors wont trigger.

Good luck!

Lead Foot · #68 12-23-2002, 10:22 PM

Optical Mice use different color LEDs and a grid pad to detect movement. Each differect colored LED is paired with a light detector that actually looks for a specific color. I was hoping to do something similar

I will keep hunting

wild03 · #69 12-23-2002, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lead Foot
Optical Mice use different color LEDs and a grid pad to detect movement. Each differect colored LED is paired with a light detector that actually looks for a specific color. I was hoping to do something similar

I will keep hunting

Just want to caution you that you might be wasting your time, If optical mice really work like you say they do, the enviroment is very different, the mice is enclosed and you will have the cars running around a track, were will you mount the leds and the detectors? The detectors will have to cover the width of the track...You might also need special circuit to clean up the signals...
Don't know but seems like a lot of work!
Good luck

tinyrc · #70 12-28-2002, 04:16 PM

galway, sounds cool, can you post some pics? Thanks!

wild03 · #71 12-29-2002, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by galway
So i saw steves work and decided to create my own micro dragstrip.

Pines 1, 6, 8, and 9 will be are data pins (CD, DSR, CTS, and RI.) hook the red and green wires up to these 4 however you wish because it can all be sorted out in software.

Nice! The software we used only monitors one data line per lane, so Steve came up with the idea of using two mirrors to accomplish that same thing. you will have the laser pointer at the starting line, cross the lane to a mirror that will take the beam along the lane to another mirror that will take the beam cross the lane along the finish line to the detector. I tried this setup and it was VERY easy to setup and use. You break the beam when you are over the start line and this will trigger the counter, then you'll break the same beam on the finish line stopping the counter.

Good luck!

MadMicroDoc · #72 01-12-2003, 09:13 PM

What about a Palm Pilot type deal thing or whatever mine has an Ir port, would that do anything ?? Or would anything work for a palm pilot ?

MadMicroDoc · #73 01-12-2003, 09:14 PM

for a controller or timer i mean

Steve · #74 01-12-2003, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wild03
Nice! The software we used only monitors one data line per lane, so Steve came up with the idea of using two mirrors to accomplish that same thing. you will have the laser pointer at the starting line, cross the lane to a mirror that will take the beam along the lane to another mirror that will take the beam cross the lane along the finish line to the detector. I tried this setup and it was VERY easy to setup and use. You break the beam when you are over the start line and this will trigger the counter, then you'll break the same beam on the finish line stopping the counter.

Good luck!

I'm glad someone finally tried the mirror idea. I'm thinking one might even be able to split a single laser into two, so you could mount the laser in the center of the dragstrip, devide it imediately into two starting lines, then using other mirrors direct both the length of the strip and again reflect across the lanes for finish lines. Just a thought.

Steve · #75 01-12-2003, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MadMicroDoc
What about a Palm Pilot type deal thing or whatever mine has an Ir port, would that do anything ?? Or would anything work for a palm pilot ?

In theory yes...though you might try using two palms, one to send and the other to receive...though you'd have to know how to program in Palm OS language..whatever that is. Also, you're battery would probably drain pretty fast because the sender has to emmit a beam constantly in order for it to work.