How do you connect a COMET to a PC?



Originally posted 5 Feb 2001 by Timmy Thompson

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE OF SOFTWARE WITH ALGE COMET

Phoenix Sports Technology DOES NOT SELL OR WARRANT ANY SOFTWARE FOR SKIING

SKI*WARE, NASTAR*WARE BY BRODER’S SKUNKWARE www.nastar.com/software

USES STOPWATCH PROGRAM AND ALL 4 AVAILIBLE CHANNELS. REQUIRES ADAPTER TO ACCESS 2 ADDITIONAL CHANNELS FOR
DUAL RACING. CHANNEL 1 = A BUTTON, CHANNEL 8 = C BUTTON

1) TURN COMET ON

2) PRESS “N” KEY UNTIL STOPWATCH PROGRAM APPEARS

3) PRESS “Y” TO ACCEPT

4) CLEAR TIMES WITH “Y”, PRESS *

5) SELECT PRECISION 1000TH WITH “N” KEY, “Y” TO ACCEPT

6) PRESS “N” UNTIL SPLIT APPEARS,

7) PRESS “Y” FOLLowED BY *

8) AUTOMATIC “Y”

9) MAX TIME 2:00 FOLLOWED BY *

10) ENTER SYNC TIME IN ACCORDANCE WITH FIS TIMING FORM RULES (* FOR NON FIS /USSA RACES)

11) PRESS * TO CONFIRM

12) SYNC WITH START WAND INPUT ON CHANNEL 2, BANANA PLUG INPUTS

13) PRESS “A” TO START FOR TEST OR NON FIS/USSA RACE

CONNECTIONS

CHANNEL 2 /RED START/ BANANA PLUG INPUTS ON SIDE OF COMET, GREEN DOT IS SIGNAL

CHANNEL 1/GREEN(BLUE) START/ BANANA PLUG ON POWER ADAPTER, GREEN IS SIGNAL

CHANNEL 4/ RED FINISH/ BUILT INTO PHOTOCELL CABLE OR LABELED ON ADAPTER BOX/ RED IS SIGNAL

CHANNEL 8/ GREEN (BLUE) FINISH/ BUILT INTO PHOTOCELL CABLE OR LABELED ON ADAPTER BOX/ GREEN IS SIGNAL

THE COMET DOES NOT HAVE ADJUSTABLE DELAY. MAKE SURE YOUR PHOTOCELLS ARE SET FOR A REASONABLE DELAY. YOU MAY GET EXTRA WAND PULSES FROM THE START IF YOU ARE NOT USING ALGE GATES. THIS SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE SOFTWARE AS THERE IS A DELAY BUILT IN. BE AWARE OF IT BEFORE YOU START LOADING TOO MANY RACERS IN THE QUEUE.

THE PC CONNECTION IS LOCATED NEXT TO THE ON/OFF ROCKER SWITCH. IT ONLY GOES IN THAT SOCKET. THE OTHER TWO ARE UNIVERSAL. IDENTIFICATION OF CHANNELS IN SOFTWARE

THE SOFTWARE WILL SHOW YOU THE IMPULSES RECEIVED IN THE TIMER STRING GRID LOCATED IN THE UPPER LEFT. THE FAR LEFT COLUMN SHOWS THE CHANNEL THAT IS COMING IN ATTACHED TO THE PULSE. MAKE SURE THE TIMER IS SELECTED AS A COMET UNDER CONFIGURE I HARDWARE AND THAT THE COM NUMBER CORRESPONDS TO THE CORRECT INPUT. (USUALLY COM 1 DIRECTLY ON THE BACK OF THE NOTEBOOK)

EACH COURSE HAS A CHANNEL IDENTIFIER NEXT TO THE START AND FINISH BOXES. MAKE SURE THESE ALL LINE UP PRIOR TO RACING.

CHANGE THE CHANNEL ID UNDER CONFIGURE I TIMER CHANNELS

USSA SOFTWARE BY SPLIT SECOND TIMING www.splitsecond.com

AFTER VERSION 1.24 1/12/2000

SPLIT SECOND /USSA NOW USES EXACT SETUP AS BRODER’S (STOPWATCH , 1000THS)

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE CHANNEL ID

CHANNEL 1/ START/ EITHER BANANA PLUG ON ADAPTER BOX/ GREEN = SIGNAL OR USE PIN 1 ON DIN CONNECTOR FOR SIGNAL

CHANNEL 2/ FINISH / EITHER DIRECT CONNECTION WITH ALGE PHOTOCELL RED CABLE OR PIN 2 ON DIN CONNECTOR


Originally posted 5 Feb 2001 by Fred Patton

Wow! Fred that sounded complicated!

It isn't, we do it all the time. We use a comet for the backup timer at USSA events. It serves us very well.

Here is the post from splitsecond we use:

There may be more than 1 piece of software installed in the comet. You must select either 'Stopwatch' or 'Memo HP' (if your Comet has both choose Memo HP).

To work with the software the Comet must be started with the following set:

xxx Times Saved, Clear Y/N ? Y then *

Prog: Stop Select Y/N ? Y then *

Write Sync Time : : Key in the time of day (24 hour format) then press *

To start clock give a start impulse or press A

From this point all inputs are sent as time-of-day directly to the computer (& printer)

Start - Start input via din plug Finish - Finish input via din plug Computer - serial via din plug See Fred for all these cables.


Originally posted 6 Feb 2001 by Sam Ganow
samgan@aol.com

The MemoHP program was a special eprom that was made for SST. Very few people have that chip. Normal MEMOTIMER requires the pressing of the *
everytime to make the COMET send the time. STOPWATCH does it normally and that is why we recommend it. More complicated to set up for sure.


Originally posted 6 Feb 2001 by Fred Patton