ton-ton99
Newbie level 1
Firstly I would like to say "Hi" to everybody, and thank you for making this a very interesting Forum.
I am very interested in electronics, and I like repairing circuits etc., but I am going to try and create a light box and I need help to be able to create it.
I help run a local Radio controlled racing club and we have some deaf drivers. The timing software that we use is based purely on sound, which makes it difficult to make it completely fair for them, but we try as best we can. I would like to remove the delays by going completely to a visual system. As far as I am aware, there is no commercially available light system.
The software has a very basic serial output control that can control lights. It uses the RTS (Pin 7) and DTR (Pin 4) of the port as follows:
RTS DTR Result
On On Green lights on
Off On Red lights on
Off Off Lights off
I need a circuit that will allow me to drive red lights and green lights using this software. That's probably the easy bit.
Each driver gets a car number and has 3 qualifying races to try and get their fastest time to place them on a starting grid in the final. During this qualifying, there is a staggered start with 2 seconds between each driver. Race 1 starts 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. but race 2 starts with the fastest car first, then the second fastest which means that the order will probably be different than 1, 2, 3, 4.....
The software flashes a green light for each of the drivers to start, which means they need to count the number of flashes and wait for their turn. I would like to have the driver number on a LED board just prior to the green light flashing. Once the green light flashes, then it will bring up the next driver to go before flashing the light again. These numbers will have to be inputted manually not through the timing software, maybe through a separate keypad? I assume these could go into a queue waiting for the trigger point of the green light flashing (RTS & DTR on)?
The start of the final is ok since it just gives ten flashes for a countdown, and a random pause before switching on the green lights. We don't need numbers displayed for the final. It would be good though to be able to have Formula 1 style lights. Do you think that it would be possible to create a circuit to do that instead of the flashing lights?
Does anybody know of any electronics that we could build that would make the above workable?
I think that this is a very interesting project, but it is out of my league. I'm hoping that somebody is keen for a bit of a challenge?
If you are interested in aiding me, and need any more information then please get back to me.
Thanks
I am very interested in electronics, and I like repairing circuits etc., but I am going to try and create a light box and I need help to be able to create it.
I help run a local Radio controlled racing club and we have some deaf drivers. The timing software that we use is based purely on sound, which makes it difficult to make it completely fair for them, but we try as best we can. I would like to remove the delays by going completely to a visual system. As far as I am aware, there is no commercially available light system.
The software has a very basic serial output control that can control lights. It uses the RTS (Pin 7) and DTR (Pin 4) of the port as follows:
RTS DTR Result
On On Green lights on
Off On Red lights on
Off Off Lights off
I need a circuit that will allow me to drive red lights and green lights using this software. That's probably the easy bit.
Each driver gets a car number and has 3 qualifying races to try and get their fastest time to place them on a starting grid in the final. During this qualifying, there is a staggered start with 2 seconds between each driver. Race 1 starts 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. but race 2 starts with the fastest car first, then the second fastest which means that the order will probably be different than 1, 2, 3, 4.....
The software flashes a green light for each of the drivers to start, which means they need to count the number of flashes and wait for their turn. I would like to have the driver number on a LED board just prior to the green light flashing. Once the green light flashes, then it will bring up the next driver to go before flashing the light again. These numbers will have to be inputted manually not through the timing software, maybe through a separate keypad? I assume these could go into a queue waiting for the trigger point of the green light flashing (RTS & DTR on)?
The start of the final is ok since it just gives ten flashes for a countdown, and a random pause before switching on the green lights. We don't need numbers displayed for the final. It would be good though to be able to have Formula 1 style lights. Do you think that it would be possible to create a circuit to do that instead of the flashing lights?
Does anybody know of any electronics that we could build that would make the above workable?
I think that this is a very interesting project, but it is out of my league. I'm hoping that somebody is keen for a bit of a challenge?
If you are interested in aiding me, and need any more information then please get back to me.
Thanks