Timer Communication (cable accessories)
Valiant Ski Scoring comes with 42 pages of instructions concerning Timer Communication. Valiant supports 8 timers that are all a little different. That makes discussing them confusing. First we'll discuss wiring.
The Tag Heuer timers have built-in DB9 serial ports. If your computer has a serial port, you can connect a Tag timer with a basic DB9 serial cord available at any computer store or Radio Shack. If you have an Alge timer, they have a special serial cord that you must purchase from your Alge dealer. The same applies to the MicroGate. If your computer does not have a serial port, you must also purchase a USB-to-serial adaptor cord that will allow you to connect the serial cord to a USB port on your computer. The adaptor runs about $45. You might want to use a PCMCIA card. They are available with one or more serial ports built into them and are a bit more reliable (at about 2 or 3 times the cost). Both USB-to-serial adaptors and PCMCIA serial cards will require you to install additional software (drivers). I have designed communication tests in Valiant that allow you to check for correct communication between the timer and the computer.
All the supported Tag Heuer timers speak the same language and all require that you connect start and finish hardware (the start wands and finish lights) to the correct input channels on the timer. All Tag timers communicate at 9600 baud and this is hard coded into Valiant.
None of the Alge timers speak the same language. Alge timers are available with optional or user settable baud rates. Alge timers also do not care which input channel you use. Consequently, when you set up Valiant to talk to an Alge timer, there are additional dialog boxes that allow you to specify the baud rate and to check timer channels (by sending signals from the start wands and finish lights). Valiant uses the results of these tests to determine which timer signal is for which course, and which are start signals and which are finish signals. Alge timers also change their communication language when you change programs within the timer. Consequently for the timer to be understood by Valiant: the S4 must be used in "Program 3" and the Timy must be used in "Stopwatch".
The MicroGate timer always uses the same channels but the baud rate is adjustable. You will be asked to supply the baud rate setting of the timer to Valiant so the program can communicate with the timer.
As far as actual timing goes, the CP520 and the CP705 can be lumped together and the PTB's, Timy, Comet, S4, and Racetime 2 can be lumped together.
During actual timing with a CP705 or CP520, the timer does most of the work. You will run the race on the timer and the computer acts as a recorder for things that happen at the timer. You will enter bibs on the timer (although the CP705 can have the run order uploaded from the computer in Alpine Ski or Cross Country mode) and you will note DNS, DNF and DSQ on the timer as well as false starts and false finishes. Every time something happens at the timer, a signal is sent to the computer. The signal contains the bib number and the related information. Valiant goes to work and searches the event score sheets for bib numbers and pastes the information into the cells on the spreadsheet. There is a little dialog box on screen when you are using a CP timer. It looks like this...
Depressing the "Downloading" button will stop information from being pasted into the sheets. The timer can continue to send info and it will pile up in the input buffer. When you un-press the button, all the stored information will come in at once. After a run is complete in an alpine event, you must cancel the dialog box before you start the next run. (Valiant must know which run the received data is for or existing data might be overwritten.) When activated, the Auto-Scroll button forces Excel to jump to the cell that the data is being pasted into.
Below is the Alpine Control Console designed for use with the PTB's, Timy, Comet, S4 and MicroGate Racetime 2 (and optionally the CP705). It is more complicated because these timers will simply record events at the wand or lights and pass the time along to the computer. Consequently, unlike the CP705/520, you will run the race from the computer using the Alpine Control Console or the Cross Country Control Console. Valiant then takes the information sent from the timer, determines which input channel it came from, and then deals with the information as needed. For instance, a start signal is received from the left course. Bib #7 (Wfepamig Vcnhlxv) will move from the Next to Start box to the On Course list. Valiant will remember Bib #7's start time and relate the time to bib #7. Every time the left course start wand sends a signal, the bib that is present in the Next to Start box gets moved on course. When a finish signal is received from that course, the top bib in the On Course list is assigned the finish time. Valiant then calculates the net time for the bib number, searches the score sheet for the bib, and pastes the time into the cell. All DNS, DNF and DSQ are entered into this dialog box using the buttons you see. If you are only timing a single course, the right side of the dialog box is hidden from view.
The Alpine Control Console provides you with automatic start orders pulled right from the score sheets and even gives you the racers names. As each racer starts into the course the racer-in-the-hole becomes visible in the Next to Start box and their name appears in the top text box. If you are timing with a PTB605/606, you have the option of sending information from the computer back to the PTB's printer. The printed information will contain the bib number and the associated time.
Start Wand lock-out is adjustable from 3 to 10 seconds and operates independently for each course. Turning Q-Calc on brings another dialog box up that can remain on screen and gives the unofficial results for each racer as they finish the course. This allows your announcers to give the total time for two runs.
Below is the Cross Country control console used with the PTB's, Timy, Comet, S4, and RaceTime 2. It works similar to the Alpine Control console. The main difference is when a start time is noted, an entire group may be placed on course and the score sheets will be searched for every bib number in the group and the start time will be pasted into the cells for each bib number. Before a finish time comes in, the computer operator must select a bib from the On Course list. (Double clicking on a bib will send it to the Next to Finish box. Selecting the NextFIN button will send the top bib from the list to the Next to Finish box.) When the finish time comes from the timer, the bib in the Next to Finish box will be assigned the finish time and will be removed from the dialog box. In the event of gang finishes, if there is no bib number in the Next to Finish box, the finish time is recorded by Valiant and is saved as an un-attached time. You could send multiple manual finish signals (or however many you require) and then use the "R" button to recall the times. They appear in a dialog box with all the bib numbers that are still on course. You then select a bib to manually match up with a time. If you false start a group, the entire group is removed from the on course list and sent back to the Next to Start box.
If you intend to utilize direct timer-to-computer communication, your timer needs to be wired directly to your computer. Listed below are some commonly used accessories. Your timer and computer will dictate the actual cables you require. The prices were current when I checked them.
Radio Shack USB-to-Serial adaptor $39.99
PCMCIA Serial Port cards and USB Adaptors various prices on a website I stumbled onto.
Alge timer-to-computer cable is Alge part #D-D9 and is available from Phoenix Sports (see the Links page)
(It is a DIN to DB9 cable.)
The cord for the MicroGate Racetime 2 is also available from Phoenix Sports. The cord has a DB15 that connects to the timer and a DB9 that connects to the computer.
If you are using a Tag Heuer timer you will need a regular serial cable. Make sure you buy one with ends that are the correct gender.
Inputting race data on laptops that do not have a normal numeric keypad can be a pain. The Belkin Numeric USB Keypad: Part # F8E466-MOB is $19.99 on their website.