Multiple computer network

FinishLynx has info on web site and in manual about setting up the camera with a network. If you understand setting up networks it should be fairly easy. I generally run my network with only two computers. One is for FinishLynx and the other I use for the event database. It is easy to get the camera and Lynx computer communicating. You will also need to get FinishLynx computer and your database computer communicating over the network. If you are using multiple computers to register and for results you should have one that is the primary database computer that communicates with the Lynx computer. I know that this really does not answer your question but networking between camera and computer is explained in the FinishLynx manual. You will probably have to check your database manual for communication settings between it and Lynx. What program are you using for registration and results?

Are you asking how to setup the camera for network use? Or are you asking how to setup the network? Or Both? Either way, we have used the camera's on our network several times and had issues in the beginning. We have discovered that setting up static ip addresses for each device on the network reduces the connection errors. As for being able to "see" the cameras, each device on the network is able to "see" it if you want it to, unless you use an IP based firewall and then you are getting into more difficult areas. This is just the nature of the network. Our networks at the events generally consist of a "master" router connected to a "master" access point and a gigabit switch. We have two servers, one database and one web, several registration clients and results clients as well as our chip decoders and results computers, printers... We spread a wifi network via WDS over an area around the finish line and can be extended.

Mike, keep it simple. all computers need to have a fixed ip address. Lynx recommends the standard 192.168.0.x range. start with your main Lynx computer at 192.168.0.5 and then go in increments of 5 (i.e 192.168.0.10, 192.168.0.15, etc.) that way you will not have conflicts when your camera or cameras boot since they sequentially will automatically get assigned .6, .7, etc. once the Lynx software is started.
Then share whatever directories you will be accessing over the network --also enabling full read/write privileges. Once that is done i like to map those network drives (with a drive letter) so that they are easier to find. Finally, you will want to initially disable all firewalls or set them up to allow your network ip address range...Remember, on the Lynx computer you must disable all firewalls as well as disable your built in wifi.

Hi, I'm interested in this conversation too!
I think i undertstood Mike's question and Sseanl you gave a clear answer but i have a more specific question:
I would like to know if it is possible to save the captured image on a different PC (let call this pc B and the master pc, the one where the main SW run let's call it A) and in the same time, while A is capturing use B analize the picture! The reason is that we use to have very long races and meanwhile the runners are arriving we would like to start analizing the picture.
Thanks for any answer and forgive me for my english, but I'm italian and I'm not used to write in english!

Davide

It is possible to have the capture and the evaluation happen at the same time(almost, there is a slight delay) on different computers.

On the capture computer share the folder that you are saving the races to. (The last time I did this the capture computer was also the computer that stored the files)

On the read computer, make sure that the Finish Lynx software is set to not look for any hard ware. You need to do this so that that copy of te program does not try to operate the camera.

When you start a race on the capture computer save the file at the start of the race, and then operate the program as you would normally.

Then on the read computer open the race,( I use to tell the reader to wait 15 seconds after the firt runner but you don't need to). Have the read computer save the .LIF files to the meet management folder, and have the computer save the race back to the original folder. You can also have the computer save to a different "back up" folder that can be used to print out pictures of the races

Just tossing out an idea for storing and sharing registration files and results if you don't use a file server. We tried a network storage unit. You can share information between computers such as files and data bases. You map the device on your computers as a network drive. You can set up access levels depending on the folders, if you need. The unit will also back up PC's if you need that. One other plus, on the one we purchased, is there is a print server built in so you can share a printer between network users a bit easier without tying up a PC. The price has come down too. The first one we bought was just under $200 for 500GB and I just bought another unit, like the first, for $95. They also had larger units too. I believe they had a 1.5TB for just under $200.

Another option to add to your 'toolbox'!

Let me just ad my 2 cents here...

We are using finishlynx now for about a year at the indoor T&F facility at Frankfurt-Kalbach.
We do use on laptop for capturing and another one for reading and judging the races.
The data is stored at a shared folder on the cature-laptop.

We do have an additional computer (called Timing Client), which provides connection between our meeting-software ( Seltec Track and Field ) and the lynx software.

We do have both systems on independent networks (192.168.168.0/24 for the lynx stuff and 192.168.192.0/24 for the Seltec stuff) so the Timing Client has to be equiped with 2 NICs.
So if something goes one in the meeting-network, timing will still work.

@Field events:
You say, you are saving the race right at the start, so the reading computer will have instant access to the race after some runners were comming into the finish.

Do you need to save the race again after the race is finished?

Thanks

dirk

Every time the file has changes made the changes need to be saved. The newest .LIF file that contains the race results replaces any older file in the folder ( target drive)of the meet management software. So which ever computer is finished with the file should save the files. That usually means the capture computer saves when it is closing the race and the read computer saves again when it has finished reading.

OK - my basic question was:
Is it possible to judge a race (on a second computer) while the race is still in progress and not finished captured?

This would save some time in long distance races - but doesn't it add some kind of risk?

Thanks

dirk

yes. you can simultaneously capture and evaluate on one machine or have one capture machine and one reader machine.
set your network up as some of the previous responses have outlined then, once a race starts, save it and then open it from the reader machine. from then on when the capture machine captures, the image will appear on the reader machine as well.
once the race is over and the image has been read save on both machines.

Thanks.
I will try that. First in a sandbox to be shure, how it works ;-)

Dirk

Hi! I've tried to do what it is written in the previuos answers but I think it is not what I really want!
But let me explain better:
I'd like to see on the second PC the exact picture I see on the first one without saving every time! Plus, the second PC doesn't works on its own copy but directly on the acquisition file. Perhaps I do something wrong. Do you have the same behaviour?

Davide

On the capture machine open the event and save it prior to the start of the race. On the second machine open the saved event and wait for the capture machine to start and capture the event. The image will appear on the second machine a second or two after it is captured. Read the image as if you are reading a normal race. The LIF file should be set to go to the correct folder. This works well with Identilynx as you can read the bib numbers at the same time and not have to wait on a pick list from the finnish line.

We tried this today at the first indoor-meeting for this season.
But it works only half way.

We were able to see the picture growing on the second PC - but as we start to judge the race, we went in trouble, because there was no starting time set.

So we got times like 11:20:21,21 for an 800m...

No problem today, since you can mostly wait for all the runners at an 800 or 1000m run - but at our next events, we do have longer races - including race walk. And it would be nice, if this would work...

Ciao

dirk

Dirk -

Maybe I do not see the benefit, but its my feeling that one is better off using a single computer to capture and read the image.

As the finishlynx operator gets more experience, they will be able to read very fast

If you are worried about holding the next heat up- simply save the image and finish reading it during the next heat. If its a distance event say a 3K or 5K, that will give you plenty of time. In addition, start reading the images while capturing, having someone else write down hip numbers. This will give you a head start.

Again, my opinion is to keep it as simple as possible.

From the time shown in the first posting the race did not have a start associated with the file.( The time seems to be a time of day) Save the race after the start of the race on the capture computer,that should only take 20 secs or so. Then the file will have the time associated with it and the read computer will have the the running times when it opens the file. In the past I have told the read people not to open the race untill afer the capture computer had already read the first person.

Having set up computers to work with two computers I must admit that I agree with vjg, an experienced reader can usually read 10 to 15 people in a minute if they have the Bib, or hip numbers of the athletes. I've even found that a good finishline person recording bibs #and dictating them to the camera operator can make the reading faster than just an operator running a regular camera and a Identi-lynx lynx camera

10-15 per minute? Thats very slow. If I have a list of hip #'s, i can do about 1 athlete per second (although i have 18 years of experience). I never use a separate read computer just because of the potential for network problems. Etherlynx cameras produce a ton of network traffic when capturing, you double that if you're feeding it to a 2nd pc.