Derby Talk

Vitamin K wrote:

notmeiquit wrote:
gpraceman Ok good deal. My main question is how the Arduino sends the information to the computer. What output connects to the computer?

Thanks

The Arduino connects to the computer via the USB port.

OK I use the USB port on the computer. what connects the USB port?

Thanks

I think I'm missing something here. One end of the USB cable goes into the computer. The other end goes into the Arduino.

notmeiquit wrote:

Vitamin K wrote:
The Arduino connects to the computer via the USB port.

OK I use the USB port on the computer. what connects the USB port?

Thanks

Vitamin K--- That's what I'm looking for. the connection point to the Arduino.

I can not find it any place in the documentation that specifies the data out to the computer Input.

What model Arduino are you using?

notmeiquit wrote:Vitamin K--- That's what I'm looking for. the connection point to the Arduino.

I can not find it any place in the documentation that specifies the data out to the computer Input.

notmeiquit wrote:I can not find it any place in the documentation that specifies the data out to the computer Input.

The data sent to the computer is handled by the firmware sketch that you would load into the Arduino.

Vitamin K wrote:What model Arduino are you using?

notmeiquit wrote:Vitamin K--- That's what I'm looking for. the connection point to the Arduino.

I can not find it any place in the documentation that specifies the data out to the computer Input.

I'm using an Arduino UNO

I'm not really understanding the difficulty. The USB port on the Arduino is the physical connection to the computer. The firmware that you load into the Arduino through that same USB connection is what will do all of the timing and reporting to the computer.

gpraceman wrote:I'm not really understanding the difficulty. The USB port on the Arduino is the physical connection to the computer. The firmware that you load into the Arduino through that same USB connection is what will do all of the timing and reporting to the computer.

Thank you. I wasn't positive that the Arduino UNO sent the data over the USB port on the UNO.


Thanks for the clarification.

Indy,

I might make up one of these, as I already have a Arduino Uno board on hand. It might come in handy with testing any changes in GPRM.

Anyways, I am a bit confused on the display boards. If I am understanding things correctly, these displays are supposed to daisy chain off of each other. So, I am trying to think how to easily connect these together without a bunch of wire splicing.

It is not readily apparent how the Arduino will know which display goes to which lane. You mention jumpers in your documentation, but I don't see anything on the Adafruit site about them.

gpraceman wrote:If I am understanding things correctly, these displays are supposed to daisy chain off of each other. So, I am trying to think how to easily connect these together without a bunch of wire splicing.

Yes they can be daisy chained together or since the displays are close to one another you could utilize an I2C splitter like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Crius-Pixhawk-i2c ... B00LAWOUE4

(A note to those using the shield PCB from me - the display pin order on the PCB does not match the pin order on the Adafruit displays - the SDA and SCL pins are swapped.)

gpraceman wrote:It is not readily apparent how the Arduino will know which display goes to which lane. You mention jumpers in your documentation, but I don't see anything on the Adafruit site about them.

I've added additional information on my website regarding the addressing:
http://www.miscjunk.org/mj/pg_pdt_info1.html

The Adafruit information on addressing can be found here:
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-led ... 2c-address


Let me know if you have any other questions.

Indy wrote:Yes they can be daisy chained together or since the displays are close to one another you could utilize an I2C splitter like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Crius-Pixhawk-i2c ... B00LAWOUE4

I like that idea instead of trying to splice a bunch of wires.

Indy wrote:(A note to those using the shield PCB from me - the display pin order on the PCB does not match the pin order on the Adafruit displays - the SDA and SCL pins are swapped.)

I would hope that it would not be too hard to swap the two wires on one end of the cable that connects to your shield.

Indy wrote:I've added additional information on my website regarding the addressing:
http://www.miscjunk.org/mj/pg_pdt_info1.html

The Adafruit information on addressing can be found here:
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-led ... 2c-address

Ah! Those pads are the jumpers. I hadn't see that implementation before for jumpers.

Is there an easy implementation for a single 7-digit display per lane? For my purposes, I don't really need the times displayed.

I'll have to order your shield once you get more in stock.

gpraceman wrote:Is there an easy implementation for a single 7-digit display per lane? For my purposes, I don't really need the times displayed.

I don't know of any single digit 7-segment LEDs pre-made with the controller board like the Adafruit displays.

Depending on how many lanes you have it would be pretty simple to alter the software to just display the finish order across one (<= 4 lanes) or two (5 or 6 lanes) Adafruit 4 digit displays. The numbers would not physically line up with the lanes but it would work for testing.

That is an idea. All but one of the timers in my collection are 4 lanes, which makes testing GPRM changes easier (don't have to keep changing the number of lanes in GPRM). Anyways, I just need a test unit, not a real race timer setup, so that would work. Though, those backpack displays aren't too expensive, so I may still go that route.

I do like how those display modules come in red, blue, green, and yellow in addition to white. It would be cool to have the timer lane colors match a track with colored lanes.

Hello all,

With local Radio Shacks getting fewer and farther between for most people I've been getting questions regarding alternate emitter/detector components for building the timer.

If anyone has built the timer using non-Radio Shack components for the lane emitters/detectors can you please reply with the source and part numbers (if possible)?

Thanks!
David

I've built one of these and it works pretty well in my tests. In a few months I'll use it in our Derby.

My question is: how do you protect the IR receiver?

I just soldered wires directly onto the leads coming out of the receiver and basically bent that into a 90 for insertion beneath the track. I've already had a couple break on me. Is there some better way to do this?

It's fine for now since I'm ok twiddling with it but I'd like to make something bulletproof so it can live on in the pack well after my son has moved on.