There are four basic program components to the lap counting system: Setup, Main, Report and Cycle . These are maintained on separate computers connected together via a computer network, using another computer called a file server to store all the information.
Here is a basic diagram of the system:
This program sets up all the data for the Pedal Prix. It creates all the necessary files for the cars, the classes that are racing, the file for the fastest cars, the distance of a single lap around the track. It also saves information regarding the tags that are individually attached to each vehice to identify them as they pass the recording point. All of the information about the event is set up in this progam prior to the race.
| The computer running the MAIN program is
connected via the serial port to a device called an
interrogator. When a car goes past, a small passive tag
on the car transmits a signal to the interrogator unit
which in turn sends this to the computer. The information
is then processed and the data, together with a time
stamp, is saved on the fileserver. If the speed for the
lap completed is the greatest for cars in that particular
class, then the fastest lap information file is also
updated. A single click on the mouse button will generate
an interupt and force the program to load setup files and
configurations. In this way provisions have been made to
replace a lost tag on a car with a different tag or
change a car from one class to another without stopping
the program. A screen reports deatils of each car as they
pass and on positive identification an audible
"BEEP" is sounded light is flashed to alert the
driver that the pass has been successfully recorded. To protect against system failure, we have two computers running Main, one primary and one backup, which both collect data from the interrogator. |
|
| So that teams can get information on how
well their car is performing, detailed reports can be
generated for them. The report computer reads the
information from the database generated by MAIN, and
calculates speeds and other things and prints them out in
an easy to read format, including a graph of speed versus
time. Each team is allowed six reports during the period
of the race. Along with reports for each team, every hour
a result sheet is printed for each class showing the
relative position of cars. These are posted up so teams
can see who is winning. This year, a new version of the report program has been developed which generates reports in HTML format so they can be quickly and easily put on the web. |
|
| We also transmit the results live via television throughout the site. We use a Power Macintosh 7100 AV computer which cycles through the results for each class and provides information about the fastest car in each class. These results are superimposed over a live video picture which shows the cars passing the recording point. Many teams use a TV set to view results. |
|
| There is a lot of work that goes into preparing for an event like this. A few weeks before it starts, we set up the computers at the school and enter in and verify all the car data. Then we must test that it all works, and we have a special program to simulate the actual race, which helps in testing. We have to work out how the equipment is going to be set up and any improvements that need to be made to the software before the actual race day. There is considerable pressure on the lap counting team to ensure that the event runs smoothly. Backup measures and a UPS (Uninterubtable Power Supply) are important in the case of a power failure. The software must run flawlessly for 24 hours and considerable testing prior to the event is important. Only the Main program has write access to important data files. All other programs such as Report and Cycle have read access only to eliminate the risk of file corruption. |
|
