Simple lap timer

[skelstar]

Honestly, a .5s hold push on a horn button timed from the first touch on that button would be quite managable.

Yeah, just like the 'no button' idea. I'm sure that a racer is going to be 0.2s out with their button-push too...

Seems you can get a bicycle computer for about $20 online.

[skelstar]

Just add a volatile memory unit, such as push/pop registers with capacity for 30 laps that can be displayed as long as the power is still on.

I'm sure this concept is not too hard to implement.

Well...its a prob with the chip I'm using. Its a PSoc device, friggin quick to program and fiddle with. Otherwise it would be a PIC. I don't really want to stuff around with a non-simple-as UI anyway. Buttons everywhere..."which lap am I looking at?". Besides you can get printouts after you race from the officials if you're running with a transponder.

[JayRacer37]

Yeah, just like the 'no button' idea. I'm sure that a racer is going to be 0.2s out with their button-push too...

Seems you can get a bicycle computer for about $20 online.

id b right with th button
i know i can be tottaly accurate. and i wouldnt want to have the magnet and speedo and stuff on the race bike
is the $20 unit guna be able to read at 280km/h??
honsestly, i can be as accurate all but on a stopwatch compared to tracktiming, from next to the track, riding over the same point lap after lap on the bike, runnning over a line or whatever and hitting the button on that mark isn't going to pose a problem.

[skelstar]

Fair enough. Was wondering about fixing the speedo stuff on it too...didn't think about the max-speed issue, but Im sure that people use them as speedos for WOF time.

[Marmoot]

Besides you can get printouts after you race from the officials if you're running with a transponder.

From my understanding, most trackday organizers nowadays are reluctant to run any timing device since it invalidates insurance covers.

I'm sure a lot of people would be interested in your lap timer device if it has memory.

Just wire the button as a clock that pushes the record into the memory/register.

The complicated thing would be to figure out how to retrieve the data, but this would be something simple enough to be talked over a beer night in the pub.

[skelstar]

Trust me I know how to do it, but am keeping this simple as its my time that is the biggest factor and I have lots of other things I should be doing. Cheers

[White trash]

Well if your time's so fricken valuable, I feel honoured to have wasted so much of it on Friday night.

[Deano]

I like it. Would prefer the button to be on the left handlebar, cause the left thumb ain't doing anything else down the straights.

I wouldn't worry about the countdown as you get close to your previous best time, or showing the difference between the previous and last lap times.

Simply show the lap time for 10 seconds or so, then start counting up until you hit the button again.

[skelstar]

I like it. Would prefer the button to be on the left handlebar, cause the left thumb ain't doing anything else down the straights.

Hmmm...I'm sure if you were racing a Suzuki your left-hand will be busy down the straights...

Cheers all for the suggestions. Its quite likely that I'll have the software done today (once I fix some tyre-warmers) and will move on to making up the hardware.

[cowpoos]

I have nearly completed a prototype of a very simple lap-timer...and I need your help to workout some desirable features.

I don't really want to discuss the merits of automatic lap-timers and more complex solutions...this is purely a box with a display, and a button. All I want to do now is sort out the software/features for it.

I plan to chuck a unit or two at some racers to help them out in the VMCC this year, not looking at making stacks of cash eh?

Design Concept:
A simple box with an internal battery and one external switch. The racer/rider rides around a track, pushes a button on the handlebars (mounted somewhere convenient), the unit will display the elapsed time since you last pushed the button. Presumably you are going to select somewhere on the track that is not considered a busy section (front straight/pit straight). SO ideally its to give immediate feedback to how fast you're going while you're out there on the bike.

So this is the hardware design:

• The unit will be quite small, probably not 100% waterproof, will have a 4 digit display that shows time down to 0.1s. The image below gives you an indication of the type of display (x4).
• The box will mount in under your screen, and there will be a switch that remotely mounts near your 'trigger finger'. I was thinking that I want a fairly universal mount for the switch (see pic) and am considering using the brake/clutch lever and a hose-clip (see pic).
• I think I'll have the unit run off a 9v battery...means we can move it around bikes without having to wire to bike batteries.
• There will be a reset button on the case/unit itself...and an LED that shows you some sort of status about your lap (to be discussed).

Software:
This is how I see the product working at the moment. I'm kinda guessing what would be useful immediate feedback for the rider while trying to appreciate the amount of time you guys have etc.

• When you roll out on the track your display will show [0:00.0] or something. On the start of your first proper lap you will push the lap button [LAP] at a certain point on the track. I think that you would have the display showing the time counting up (reassurance).
• ...as you cross your trigger point you push [LAP] again. The display will show you the time elapsed since you last pushed [LAP]. Maybe [1:18.4]?
• The display will show [1:18.4] for most of the remaining lap. Now I think that as you approach [1:18.4] the display might count down to your fastest lap time so far (obv [1:18.4] at the moment). Depending on the circuit and trigger point, you might have enough time to do this.
• If your new lap was faster than your fastest lap I think I will have a bright LED flashing on the unit under your screen (next to display).
• Optional: I could have the new lap-time shown as a difference in time from your fastest lap ie [0:04.3] (flashing LED would indicate a negative difference).
• Reset button would reset the stored 'fastest lap'.

So, what do you think? I don't want to know how many people are interested in having one (I have enough to make already), I'll have a stab at getting it right, then maybe offer them for sale. I can't add data-logging and laptop integration features etc...but I can do trick things with the existing hardware/design.

Appreciate any help. If I can make them real good, then some racers get some good units to use. Cheers!

need it crash tested??

[R6_kid:Me]

need it crash tested??

i thought texmo gave up on racing?

[cowpoos]

i thought texmo gave up on racing?

bwahahahahahaha!!!!! but seriously....tex wasn't that bad... he is pretty quick on a track!

[Ivan]

I know the push bike ones read up to 999 kph


I have one

[skelstar]

I have hit a bit of a snag with the display in the box. I might have to go with one of these types (16ch x 2lines):


At least this will give me a few more options for displaying data. For example:


|----------------|
|Last Lap 1:18.4 |
|Fastest 1:16.3 |
|----------------|

or...



|----------------|
|Last Lap +1.4s |
|Fastest 1:16.3 |
|----------------|

[Drew]

I have hit a bit of a snag with the display in the box. I might have to go with one of these types (16ch x 2lines):


At least this will give me a few more options for displaying data. For example:


|----------------|
|Last Lap 1:18.4 |
|Fastest 1:16.3 |
|----------------|

or...



|----------------|
|Last Lap +1.4s |
|Fastest 1:16.3 |
|----------------|

That looks like the shiz to me bro, can ya get 'em fairly cheap?