Cable to connect my PC to an ALGE display

I believe that you are currently timing with your ALGE Tdc 4000 and the scoreboard is connected to the timer. We can make a "splitter" cable that will let you transmit to scoreboard and send data to the USSA software at the same time. There is a selection in the software to accept times from the Tdc 4000 (or TDc 8000) automatically. You still do all the timing on the Tdc 4000.

You can attempt to use a USB adapter and so forth to drive the display from the PC but you have to determine the age of the display. I am assuming that you wish to use a S4 or S3 as the time base and run the race live on the PC. There are various schools of thought on this and the leading one right now seems to be to use the
TDC 8000 timer for this. The TDC 8000 is the only timer made that allows you to use software and the timer together in all modes. The TDc 8000 sends out the same data regardless of what type of race you are doing. That way you are protected against software or PC hardware slowdowns or lockups and the races can continue on schedule. The Tdc 8000 is also the easiest timer ever made and all common functions like false starts and false finishes have their own task button.

Split Second USSA or Club software will not currently work with older ALGE GA 82 displays. The only software that will work is the various types; skiware, fiddleware, tt*ware made by James Broder of Skunkware. You can ownload "fiddleware" free from our website.

You can also trade in your existing display for a newer one. We have reconditioned ALGE GAZc displays for $1000.> $1250.00.

The ALGE displays are:

GA 82

Made between 1981 > 1987. These displays have a welded aluminum cabinet with a glass face. The access to the digits is thru a hinged cover on the back held on by machine screws. The personality toggle switches and the rotary programing dial are located on the underside of the case. Split Second software does not
currently drive these. You can send a blank or a 111111 message using "setup and test" but that is all

GAZc

Made between 1987 > 1994. These displays have a formed aluminum case with a slide out plexiglas face. The access to the digits is by removing the plexiglas and removing the digits. The personality toggle switches and the programming dial are located on the upper right hand end panel. Split Second works with these. Just
select the appropriate dial number, 0 for simple timing, 2 & 4 for dual.

GAZ4 and PST designs

Made between 1994 > present. The PST displays are made with the same circuit board. All features are just improvements upon the GAZc design.

I hope that this has been helpful. You are facing the same issues as a great number of our clients. We can certainly guide you along, but you need to be prepared to make the investments needed to upgrade.


Originally posted 22 Jan 2002 by Fred Patton

Hi, I have been using Splitsecond software for 4 years, DOS and Windows and also an Alge S3 and now an Alge 8000. I have an Alge GAz4 scoreboard. I have one serial port on the PC. I have 2 sets of cables (One for the S3 and another for the 8000, since they different connecters for the timers)with a serial port at one end and two pairs of wires coming out. One wire goes from the S3 (or 8000) to the input pins of the serial port connector. The second wire goes from the serial port output pins to a pair of banana plugs to connect to the scoreboard. The cable set for the S3 has an extra pair of wires from the S3 output. They go to the serial printer (Seiko DPU) for printing the times as they occur. Splitsecond drives the scoreboard and takes the timing events from the timer. You can even add a second
scoreboard. (They are connected in parallel with banana plugs) The second scoreboard shows bib number and rank when he finishes. Just set the switch on the GAz display board to the rank/bib setting.) Make sure you set timer, scoreboard and comm port to the same baud rate (2400 or 9600) I do not have the pin out arrangement, but I am sure the guys at Pheonix can figure it out. Good luck


Originally posted 22 mar 2002 by Don Halme dhalme@cbautomation.com

You guys are fast. We are running Windows 98 SE and seems to work fine. I will look for a usb to serial adapter and let you know. Thanks again

Same type problem we are using a S3, new software SS ver 3.01 and have a GAZc but only one serial port on the PC. What to do about a scoreboard cable??

From Mission Ridge Ski Team . thanks


Originally posted 23 Jan by Randy Brawley
rsbrawley@aol.com

RwB, When using an S3 as a timebase (simple timer) you MUST drive the displays via the software which will require you to buy some sort of USB to Serial converter to add another 9pin to your computer. See discussion below on some exact details. Note: Do you use MS XP, if so be careful as not all devices will work. Your best bet, but more costly is a PCMCIA slot card that will give you another port(or 2-4). We use a dual card to give us 3 9pin outputs(1 for timer, 1 for
displays, 1 for serial logging printer). Currently in XP we are able to only get 1 of the 2 ports on the serial card to work; but that should be enough for you.

The timer to display option would not work because you are using the S3 in Time of Day Mode and would only show you the TOD of each impulse.



Originally posted 24 Jan by Jim Karnes

I must be missing something. The laptop we are using has one 9 pin serial port and the S3 plugs in there. Works great. So the scoreboard can't. The laptop is new and has a USB port can it be used? and what would the pins be on that. Also we are at ver 3.05 now but will get up to 3.07 soon. RwB and Thanks


Originally posted 24 Jan 2002 by rsbrawley rsbrawley@aol.com

First off you need to download V3.07 from Split Second. Please try to check the SST website every week. You are a few versions behind. Do not blow away the previous versions though in case you need to go back to them.

The display cable is very simple. A DB9 female with PIN 5 as ground and PIN 3 as signal. That connects to the display with banana plugs, Yellow=signal, Black=ground. Toggle switch in the center, rotary dial on 0.

You need to make sure that your USB or PCMCIA card serial port is recognized by Windows Device Manager. If it does not show up there you can't go any further.

There are lots of postings here about these various topics.



Originally posted 24 Jan 2002 by Fred Patton