Timing System Thoughts?

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Wed Dec 03, 2003 4:45 pm

Hey all.

I have been sitting aroud lately contemplating my task next year as the new head of Timing and Scoring. One of the things that keeps creeping into my conversations (these "conversations" are not with another person, just random thoughts while I am bored at work), is that people have suggested using a bar code system at the events. So that got me thinking, are there any "out-of-the-box" scoring systems that support bar coding? Turns out there are.

The input I am looking for is from those that are familiar with our current system (TS98) as well as those who have autoxed elseware and are familiar with other systems. What are the pros and cons of each system? Are they easy to use? Are they customizable? Can they support a team type set up? And anything else you can think of.

I am not saying that we will deffinately go with another system. I just want to see what people thought about other setups.

Thanks everybody.

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Wed Dec 03, 2003 5:36 pm

Pardon my naivete but exactly what problem is solved by barcodes?

Scanning a barcode on the line I guess would reduce the data entry load at the timer but it wouldn't make any difference for people calling cones/dnf's in on course. With the timing systems that I've used _that_ is the hard part. Good calls on course depend on good, clear numbers and class letters that are properly switched for co-drivers and course workers who are vigilant and consistent in their calls...

--Kevin H.

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Wed Dec 03, 2003 8:11 pm

Axware has barcode capabilitiy built in. I havent used it YET, but here is the blurb from the help file:

Barcoding Support

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barcode support is provided for both the Membership and Event Files and provide additional control for printing the barcode labels on normal printers as well as dedicated label printers. Details are provided below.

Barcode printing generates Code39 style barcodes which can be scanned by any FuzzyLogic scanner that connects to the computer via a RS232 Serial port (which includes connecting via a USB-Serial port adapter).

A FuzzyLogic scanner is required to provide flexibility in software design and control of the data. Non-fuzzylogic scanners provided a wide arrange of compromises and complexities that were not feasible for a flexible and practical solution. This included very strict software licensing and a more complex environment to setup.

To use a barcode scanner, first setup the communication parameters for the scanner via Setup/Scanner Setup. Note: The setup option is presented once a Membership or Event file are active.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PS- I have the AXWare software loaded onto my laptop if you want me to bring it to the night event (just to look at). And yes its a FULL working version.

Ryan

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Wed Dec 03, 2003 10:06 pm

My understanding about the barcoding is, and PLEASE correct me if I am wrong, it would eliminate the possibility of entering times under the wrong driver. The only problems I see are 2 driver cars and making sure you scan the correct bar code and how do you connect the scanner at the starter's position to the computer in the bus?

JeremyBowers · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2003 1:32 am

simple, put the barcode on the drivers wristband.
this way the starter "always" checks for the wristband.

as for setting up barcode printers and scanners...it's so simple that even I can do it

Jeremy Bowers - Retail Systems Support

JeremyBowers · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2003 1:35 am

oh and as for starter with a scanner...
either have it so the starter can be on the bus-side or the better solution is that Symbol sells wireless scanners (but it's about $500 for a wireless scanner and for that much you could pick up a cheap laptop, wired scanner, and wireless card...)

Diane Hall · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2003 11:51 am

The barcode idea has been kicked around since we first started with a computer in the 1999 season (I believe my memory is clear on that, I'm pretty sure it was my second registrar season).

We wouldn't be able to use it with our current TS98 system I don't think because you'd somehow have to scan the car just before it finished, since in TS98 you enter times as the car finishes, and there is no way to "que" cars up, as they start, to automatically catch the times at the end.

I've seen a little of the timing stuff used up here, and the thing that seemed nicest to me with one of the club's software has the ability to que up cars in the order they are starting. Then the operator just has to pull the time over from something like TimeQue. (I don't know how exactly it's set up since I was doing raw sheets.)

One thing to think about is the "effort" of switching softwares... We now have a pretty big group of people able to run the computer during events. This was not always so. It's probably partly because we were somewhat control freeks to begin with on the TS98 system, but for the better part of the first season we had it, Carl Fisher and I were the ones who worked computer in timing 99% of the time. In my mind, we had to get it figured out, with all it's glitches and such, before we could effectively train others to run the thing in "real time". It took probably 2 more seasons before we had a comfortably large pool of people from which to pull for that task. (Mary E. could probably speak better to that.)

I'm kinda with Kevin on this in the "What problem are we trying to solve?" and further asking "Will you be creating more problems for yourself by messing with a system that seems to work well now?" I've been gone 3 months now, so I don't know how the end of the season went in the bus, so maybe there's a problem I didn't witness. Maybe it's worth the time and effort to retrain all the bus workers to new software.

One "middle ground" I can see that might help and couldn't be *too* much trouble to implement and would still work with TS98 is to have a 3rd window along with TS98 and TimeQue where the scanned number appears and is stored. Then, when the starter scans all cars or wristbands or whatever, there is a complete list of all cars that have run that day stored in a file and displayed on the monitor. The biggest issue I remember is that if both the RAW and COMPUTER people missed the car that just started, that buggered us all up until we found out who had launched. This would give us a definitive list, in the bus, of the starting order of cars so we could more easily get synced back up.

Just some thoughts... perhaps only worth what you paid for them. $0.00

Diane

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2003 4:45 pm

I'm not trying to fix any problem. Just made the "fatal" error of looking at AXWare's web site. You know how it is...You see the cool, new, shiny, thing and you think "I HAVE to have that!!!" Then you realize that it can't do half of what your old stuff did.

I just wanted to gt everybody's thoughts on other timing systems as compared to ours.

I think that Diane's idea of being able to queue cars in the comp would be nice. I wish I was computer literate to help with the programming.

Carl Fisher · **Posted:** Thu Dec 04, 2003 11:19 pm

Well, we did introduce a lo-tech version of the "driver queue" idea partway through this season- having the starter keep a list of the cars that started, so on the relatively rare occasion of the raw sheet person missing a car, we could get it pretty quick over the radio.

Still, it would be a lot nicer if we had that car list coming into the computer automatically, since that's 1 of the 3 simultaneous activities the raw sheeter currently has to keep up with, and would surely make their lives quite a bit easier. It could also make the computer operator task so much easier and more reliable that it could take over the "main system" role, leaving the raw sheet as a simple backup. For those that don't know, currently the raw sheet is the "official record", and the computer is basically there for the pretty reports.

Diane, if you get a chance, could you try to learn more about the system NER uses, what they like and dislike about it, and maybe any "lessons learned"? We are definitely in the market for an improved system, but despite checking out a lot of different systems, we haven't found the perfect fit yet...

Diane Hall · **Posted:** Fri Dec 05, 2003 11:52 am

From the little I've seen of the 2 systems... NER uses one, NESCC uses a different one... the only advantage is the queing of cars...

The NER system still passes the "raw" sheets to a guy in the back of the truck that hand enters it into the computer. They do use the JA Circuts box.

NESCC has the computer do the timing (and before anyone says how that's not accurate, it's the old BIOS or whatever so it's not messed up). This is the one that can que the cars, as well as writing the times directly in. The raw sheet person here effectively becomes the "radio call person" like at a ProSolo in the tall chairs. You record the times too, but it's far less important than our raw sheet job is. I *think* this system is homegrown.

Now, don't ask me the obvious of why the heck they use 2 different systems when the same 10 people run both clubs...

Someone's coming to the X-mas Party and to NYE with me that works both systems. I bet he wouldn't mind you picking his brain a bit about them. Then you can get whatever questions you want answered without an intermediary.

Diane

Diane Hall · **Posted:** Sat Dec 06, 2003 3:58 pm

Asked a few questions last night and it looks like NESCC uses the DOS version of AXWare.

THSCC Forums

Timing System Thoughts?

Who is online