LapTime Configuration

For each LapTime device to integrate with FinishLynx, a new LapTime object needs to be created with the correct settings.

• To create a new LapTime object:

1. Click LapTime | Options... from the Menu Bar.
2. Click the New button.
3. (optional) Enter a Name: for this LapTime device.
4. Click the Device: drop-down menu.
5. Choose the LapTime device type.
   1. From image - when the FinishLynx image is used to generate split times.
   2. From photo eye - when photo eye beam breaks are used to generate split times (requires Time Trial (TT) Plug-in).
   3. All other selections - when an a third-party device is used, it must be selected from this list (requires the LapTime (LT) Plug-in).
6. Click the Serial Port: drop-down menu to select the COM or network port used. See Port Settings for details.
7. Optional
   1. Set the device specific options (above the horizontal line).
   2. Set the global options (below the horizontal line).
8. Click Ok.
9. Exit and restart FinishLynx.

The Active Splits setting allows choosing which splits come from which device.

• If you do not expect competitors in a race to go past LapTime devices in the wrong order, leave Active Splits set to the default, All.
• If you need to specify which splits can come from a specific device, you can do this in a variety of ways:

1. Go to LapTime | Options...
2. Click the Selected: radio button and then enter one of the following combinations:

• List the splits individually in a comma separated list (1,2,3).

• Specify bounded ranges (4-99) or unbounded ranges (4-).

• Specify unbounded arithmetic series (1,3,...) or bounded arithmetic series (1,3,...15). The arithmetic series can also go down instead of up (15,13,... or 15,13,...7).

• To specify which splits are not allowed, rather than which splits are allowed, begin the entire string with a carat (^).

• To invert the meaning of a single field, begin the field with a tilde (~).

The table below provides examples of the ways you can specify splits.

You can select the Sync. Source for automatic starts when using LapTime devices.

• External requires an external sensor to be attached to the device.

• Internal causes FinishLynx to manually reset the device when FinishLynx receives a start from a camera.
• None causes FinishLynx to calculate times without being synchronized at the start.

The LapTime Module can be configured with a preset time offset. This offset can be used to adjust the times reported by an external LapTime device to match the official times produced by an EtherLynx camera.

• To use a LapTime offset:

1. Click LapTime | Options... from the Menu Bar.
2. Enter a value in the Time Offset: field (hh:mm:ss.ddd).
3. Click Ok.

• The Time Offset: is added to split times for the selected device.

The LapTime start mask feature helps avoid picking up bogus hits before the signal to start the race. Set by default to 3.0 seconds, all LapTime events before the start and until the mask value after the start are ignored.

• To change the start mask value: 

1. Go to LapTime | Options...

2. Click the Start Mask: field and change the value to any non-negative value. 

3. Click Ok.

The duplicate mask time specifies how far apart LapTime events must be (in time) for the later event to be kept. If the later event is within "duplicate mask" time of an earlier event, then it will be dropped.

This setting allows multiple devices to work at a single point for redundancy without getting multiple events for each competitor that crosses.

• To change the duplicate mask value:

1. Go to LapTime | Options...
2. Click in the Duplicate Mask: field and change the value to any non-negative value. 
3. Click Ok.

LapTime data is linked to information in the Results Zone by using one of the Results fields in the Results: > Key drop-down.

• To use a different key field:

1. Go to LapTime | Options...
2. Click to select the preferred field from the Results: > Key drop-down menu.

TIP:  The results key can also be set from the Event window by selecting the LapTime row in the Information Zone and clicking Event|Get Info... or . This can be useful if the LapTime key was set to an empty field (e.g. Id in a relay race).

When a database is used to import start list, FinishLynx can ignore LapTime data received for a results key that is not in the start list.

• To stop other splits from appearing in the Results Zone:

1. Go to LapTime | Options...
2. Click to uncheck the Create results box.

FinishLynx can be configured to display the place field based on the current intermediate ranking based on LapTime data, even when an official time is not available.

• To populate the place field for every split:

1. Go to LapTime | Options...
2. Click to check the Fill in place box.

FinishLynx allows splits to be sorted in three different ways:

• by the cumulative split time
• by the last split time
• by the best split time

1. Go to LapTime | Options...
2. Click to select the preferred Sort By Split: option.

By default, FinishLynx will override the last split received from a LapTime device with the official time from the EtherLynx for the various split fields in the Results Board, scoreboard output and LIF file.

• To use the LapTime device last split as the Final Split:

1. Go to LapTime | Options...
2. Click to select LapTime for the Final Split:.

The LapTime module allows using a mapping file to identify event competitors in the FinishLynx Results Zone. This file can be used to associate a particular transponder ID with a particular results key, or you can map multiple transponders to the same key.

• To create a mapping file:

1. Open the LapTimeMap.txt, included with the FinishLynx installer folder (default: C:\Lynx), in Notepad.
2. Enter one line for each transponder in the following format:

   1. <Results key>,<LapTime identification string>

   TIP: Additional map files can be created using applications such as MS Excel. The file must be a comma-separated text file with the *.txt extension.

• To associate your mapping file in FinishLynx:

1. Go to LapTime | Options...
2. Click the Browse button near the Map File: text field at the bottom of the dialog. 
3. Navigate to the directory where you saved the mapped file you created earlier and then click Ok.

It is recommended to add some or all of the following fields to the Results Zone when using the LapTime module:

• Cumulative Split
• Last Split
• Best Split
• Laps to go
• Speed
• Pace

To learn how to add LapTime fields, see HOW TO ADD/REMOVE FIELDS?

It is possible to use multiple LapTime devices at once. This is useful, for example, when you have a LapTime device at several locations on a course, and you want to take splits from each location.

• To configure multiple LapTime devices:

1. Go to LapTime | Options...
2. Click New to create multiple devices.

• See HOW TO CREATE A NEW LAPTIME OBJECT? for complete steps.

You can use FinishLynx with a LapTime device when no camera is connected.

1. Click File from the Menu Bar and select Options.

2. Click the General tab.

3. In the Hardware Type:* line, select the None radio button.

4. Click the LapTime tab.

5. Select and configure the LapTime device in use.

6. Exit and restart FinishLynx.

Event Header Field #13 - LapTime Information

• To set the Total Laps - use a simple (unquoted) total laps value (-1 indicates to blank the field and count up).
  • 41,1,1,Men 800 Meter Hurdles,,,,,,,,,2
• To set all LapTime parameters - use a quoted field that contains "total laps,laps per split,too fast time,too slow time".
  • 41,1,1,Men 800 Meter Hurdles,,,,,,,,,"2,4,10.0,15.0"