# LAP COUNTER(s)



## Road Rat (Jan 8, 2013)

I've been trying different approaches to a Lap Counter that is USB compatible. I stumbled across a 12 button game pad that works very well with UR30. "SABRENT USB-GAMEPAD" has 12 buttons that all work with UR30. Although the Gamepad does come with a CD that has drivers, they are not needed. Just plug and play. UR30 supports the ability to have several USB gamepads set up and operating. If one disassembles the game pad and adds wiring with either hall effect or IR sensors, lap counter construction just got very affordable. I purchased several of the SABRENT game pads from Amazon for $9.99 with free shipping. The gamepad is compatible with Windows8. 

Further testing of the 12 button "SABRENT gamepad" has proved it also will work with "Race Coordinator".
I will post photos of homebrew interface, wiring schematics, parts list, and cost of the interface upon completion of testing. 

If you have found any other quik and inexpensive ways to interface counter hardware, please share it with others by posting in this thread.

The attached photo is of the circuit board of the Sabrent Gamepad that shows where the leads of the photo/IR sensors should be attached. The attaching points indicated are approximate, I recommend that an ohm meter be used to find the exact point of connection. It is not necessary to disable the button functions if a solder point is located in such a manner as to facilitate the addition of new wiring without interference. One may also consider mounting the modified circuit board inside a new housing. The Sabrent Gamepad is capable of handling 12 switching circuit.
The type of switching component used is entirely up to the builder. I have tested this with both IR and Hall Effect devices. My preference is IR or Photo sensors.
This modification is made available as an experiment/hobby project.
I assume no responsibility for damage to equipment or incidents that may result from testing or usage of this modification.


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## Road Rat (Jan 8, 2013)

Lap Timer 2000 is another small program that I recently tested and it worked very well.
It's a small program that does not have all the bells and whistles, but it works very well.
Only supports 4 lanes, but interfacing with the USB game pad mentioned in previous post is a quick and simple set up !


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## pat4gis (Jan 12, 2008)

Looking forward to seeing details on IR/Photo sensors connected to SABRENT. 

Not familiar with a Hall effect sensor timing system, any links?

Btw, Anyone have a lap timing system that works in one of the the many "free" linux variants that seem to run pretty well on older PC's?


I have Lap Timer 2000 with a Radio Shack USB game port adaptor running on an old tablet PC with XP. It does seem to miss count sometimes, graphics card requires a tap with rubber hammer on occaision. Seemed to work (count) better on an old M200 that gameport on mother board, but that W98 PC died. 

Top of Gantry IR rig

Bottom of Gantry IR rig


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## Road Rat (Jan 8, 2013)

Hall effect devices act much like a switch when a magnetic field passes over it. Much like a reed switch, but it has no mechanical parts. In many applications it can be much more sensitive to a magnetic field than a reed switch.

I have never run Linux, but I will search for a lap counter that will work with it.


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## pat4gis (Jan 12, 2008)

*How's the SABRENT project going?*

Any diagrams to help understand the complexity? What sort of cost we talking?


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## GoodwrenchIntim (Feb 22, 2005)

have you tried SRM, not sure if it is usb though http://www.cenobyte.nl/slotracemanager/


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## Road Rat (Jan 8, 2013)

*Sabrent project*

Sorry for not getting back sooner, Just got home from hospital due to heart problems.
SABRENT project is actually simple. All you are doing is removing the push sensor pad and attaching a switch in it place via soldering wires to the circuit board that lead to either your photo sensor or hall effect device. When the triggering device is activated it is just as if the original button on the game pad has been pressed. The USB SABRENT Game Pad will support 12 switch/sensors.
see the attached photo that shows 6 approximate locations for wire attachments that would lead to the reed switch/hall effect device/photo sensor.
using an ohm meter will assist in locating the exact solder points.
A hall effect device could by embedded into the MDF or attached to the underside of a plastic track and requires NO light source. Hall effect device needs to be placed in the path of where a magnet would pass over it, such as one side of the motor magnets. At this time I have not selected a hall effect device for the purpose of counting. There are many on the market and most likely Radio Shack has one that will work. The physical size of most hall effect devices is smaller than an LED or Photo Sensor.


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## GoodwrenchIntim (Feb 22, 2005)

Only problem I see with Hall effect sensor( I have played with these for quit a few projects) is the magnets from the car/cars in the other lanes strong enough to trip the sensor. Most ceramics have a wide field. If it works it will be a very nice way to time slots. Good luck


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

yes

The right Reed switches on the other hand if set correctly will count t-jets to neo cars without the car in other lanes tripping them.


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## Road Rat (Jan 8, 2013)

*Sebrent usb*

It may be a week or so before I get back to playing around with the Sabrent USB game controller, but with the ability to handle 12 switches/sensors, it certainly shows the possibility for a lot of use with simple modifications. The price at Amazon.com is certainly affordable. The nice thing about it is that NO serial to USB adapter cables are needed. Window 7 and 8 find the game controller quickly. I have not tried it on other operating systems. 
I think it is possible to find a hall effect device that will work. That will certainly be my avenue of choice. So now that a USB device has been found that has promise, lets get busy and share some info about this !
I hope to be back at my tech bench soon.
see you at the race. . . . Road Rat :thumbsup:


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## heavyweather (Mar 3, 2015)

I think it does not matter which gamepad you are using.
I bought one for 3.71€ (free shipping) at Aliexpress. Also 12 buttons.
If any button does not work with your software just map it to the right button.

Which sensors are you using? Is the signal long enough to count every time?
how do you wire the optical sensors?


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## Rich Dumas (Sep 3, 2008)

If you are looking for something that works with a computer that only has USB inputs there is a new version of Trackmate available. My own track uses the older serial port version of Trackmate along with a serial to USB adapter. Trackmate software is pretty good, but Ultimate Racer and Race Coordinator software also works with Trackmate hardware.


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