Long timer lurker - thanks to everyone for the great information available on this board. Now that my son's council race is completed I thought I would clean-up and share the Arduino based track timer I built and a software utility I created for us to track his car's progress.
Here's a webpage for the timer/software: https://www.dfgtec.com/pdt (new website as of Sep 2018)
Features of the timer:
- Easily expandable from 1 to 6 lanes
- Lights indicate winning lane (default configuration)
- Supports (optional) solenoid start gate circuit
- Supports (optional) lane place/time digital displays
- Works standalone or can be interfaced to software running on a PC
- Supports lane masking, start gate status check, force end of race
- Free PD Test/Tune/Track (PDT3) software utility
- The popular GrandPrix Race Manager software
- timer (base 1 lane config): $40 ($1-3 per lane for additional lanes)
- start gate solenoid circuit: $10 (not including DC power supply for solenoid)
- lane place/time displays: $14 per lane
David
Here are some pictures:
- prototype of the Arduino based timer
- start gate solenoid
- lane place/time display
- screenshot of PDT3 software utility