Rallycross Joker lap

Hi,

is there any way if you are running a rallycross event to get Pclapcounter to monitor the use of a joker lane, so that it is only used once in a race?

I can only think of using SSDC pit pro because that has track sensors, so you could use the pit lane as the joker lane, but not stop for fuel, jsut go straight through. Yu could give penalties for additional times a driver uses it.

I was thinking of using a joker lap the other day, and I even designed a circuit... but I was thinking it couldn't be done with existing Scalextric lane change track, except on a "driver honesty" system... LOL!
It is a shame Hornby didn't decide to allow the powerbase to send and receive data to the lane changers... all sorts of possibilities open up.

Anyway, your idea of using the pit pro sensors is a great idea.

I've looked at various options, and this is the simplest I could come up with...

It is based on a PitPro or PitPro Deluxe being used exclusively for Joker lane detection. If a pitlane is required as well, PCLC should be able to support an additional Pit Pro (if you have lots of money)

Again, to keep the options simple (too much choice makes for a very complex UI) I would suggest that when used in this mode, the lights on the "joker" Pit pro are used to show number of joker laps remaining (3 lights lit for 3 or more joker laps remaining. A stop/go penalty is indicated by all lights flashing.

Here is my UI to go in the C7042 setup screen


Joker Lap Detection
----------------------
[x] Pit Pro connected at:  [COM4]
    Note: this PitPro will show joker lap information

  Number of Joker Laps per Race [  3]

  Penalty for extra joker laps
  (o) Stop-Go penalty
  (O) Reduce power to [  20]% for [ 30] seconds


There would also need to be a column available on the main display, maybe a picture of a joker with a number overlaid on top, and a joker with a cross through him to indicate no jokers left.

I can't imagine this is a trivial piece of work. Is anyone else interested in this?

If it were possible for the Arduino protocol to send information about the PitPro/C7030 PitIn and PitOut sensors, then it would be possible to create a hardware display which shows the number of joker laps remaining for each driver.

For example, my leaderboard gantry...


could have it's software modified so that the numbers 1-6 represent lane number (instead of track position)
The colour indicates the number of joker laps remaining, going from green to orange to red (no joker laps left), flashing red for a stop go penalty, which can be issued by the arduino using the [SGnn] stop/go penalty.

An alternate cheap hardware solution is to use a single "MAX7219 LED 8-Digit Digital Display" (on ebay for under £1 each!), and an Arduino Nano v3.0 (also under £1 on ebay
Use the first 6 digits to represent the number of joker laps remaining. Easy!



The Request...
Is it possible to make an OUTPUT message for Pit In and Pit Out. Similar, or the same, as the [PInn] and [POnn] which is already in the input protocol?

It is these lower level arduino commands which makes PCLC better than the competition. They all assume that all you want to do with an Arduino is control a few fixed colour LEDs, but with PCLC it is possible to do a LOT more.

GregWoods wrote:

The Request...
Is it possible to make an OUTPUT message for Pit In and Pit Out. Similar, or the same, as the [PInn] and [POnn] which is already in the input protocol?

Maybe you can use the actual pit stop lights command , it is the command [PTnn1] and [PTnn0] :
[PT011] mean pit in for car#1
[PT010] mean pit out for car#1

Of course!
I completely forgot about using the lights part of the protocol.
That is exactly what would be needed for this type of project.
Thanks.
Now... if I can just find time to experiment!

Regarding my other (UI) suggestion...
For those without hardware building/arduino skills, the alternate use of the Pit-Pro would be easier for them, but as it seems there are only 2 people in the world who might want the joker lap feature, I suspect it's a "no"?

Are the [PInn] and [POnn] protocol messages simply the raw data from the pit lane sensors, or is there extra programming logic involved?

To give examples...
does the software allow a [POnn] before a [PInn] has occurred?
or, if only a pit out sensor were connected, would I get [POnn] messages as cars cross the sensor, or does the software disallow it because there has been no matching [PInn]

Thanks Guy

yes , for [POnn] and [PInn] there is extra programming logic.
The software not allow a [POnn] before a [PInn] has accured.

Thanks for your help. I may look at the PitPro output directly and skip the PCLC protocol for this project.