Pc Lap Counter work with DS lap counter from DS Racing:

 Pc Lap Counter include a interface to read data coming from the Ds lap counter (ds-030, ds-300, ds-200 and ds-0045).
With Pc Lap Counter your Ds lap counter  will have more functionnality  like sound, rotation, team, gap, lap history, large display,... and more (more than winslot...).
To connect the DS lap counter to the Pc you only need a serial cable of type ‘mouse extension’ male/female (example: serial mouse extension cable HAMA 242155).

If you want to make your own cable,
 here is the schema of the cable

If your computer don’t have a serial port you can use a USB/RS232 adapter.

How to configure Pc Lap Counter for the DS lap counter:

  • Launch Pc Lap Counter normally.
  • In the options screen choose the type of your DS (DS-030,DS-200 or DS-300) and click on the ‘Setup..’ button
  • Change the serial port and baud if necessary (DS-030 work at 4800 bauds, some DS-200 and DS-300 work's at 4800 or 56000 bauds).
  • For DS-300 and DS-200:
       Each time you launch the Pc Lap Counter program it is necessary to synchronize Pc Lap Counter with the DS.
       To synchronize simple push the button start/stop of the DS lap counter or let a car pass the detector.
       Synchronization is successful when the light in the DS interface of Pc Lap Counter is GREEN.
       It is not necessary to make this handling at each race or segment, only after the  launching of the Pc Lap Counter program.
  • After you only need to set drivers on lanes  when you set a race.
pclc5_ds300

When you tick the option “Process the DS box buttons” then Pc Lap Counter will process the DS buttons like this:

  • DS START button start the race in PCLC with countdown , if you don't want the countdown just set
    the race option "Start Countdown" to 0.
  • DS STOP button abort the race in PCLC (will definitively stop the race in PCLC !).
  • DS PAUSE button pause the race in PCLC.
  • DS RESUME button resume the race in PCLC.

Here is the schema of the cable to connect the DS to the serial port of the Pc (Thank to Konrad !!)

Setup the DS for Pc Lap Counter:

As you know Pc Lap Counter is a RMS (Race Management software), it mean that all the race is managed by Pc Lap Counter and not by the DS and therefore all the race setting have to be done in Pc Lap Counter and not in the DS (for Pc Lap Counter the DS is just a detection system).
So the best way to use your DS with Pc Lap Counter is to setup your DS to make 9999 laps and let Pc Lap Counter do all the rest.

DS Stop & Go Box and Pc Lap Counter:

The DS Stop & Go box is not supported by Pc Lap Counter, in fact Stop & Go box can't be controlled by a computer (Stop & Go can't receive commands from the computer).
To manage the power control with Pc Lap Counter you will have to buy a Phidget interface and connect each lane on that interface or use the parallel port to control relays  (see section power control)
if you want to keep your DS Stop & Go the following diagram show you how to switch the power control  to the Phidget interface (when you use your DS with Pc Lap Counter) or to the Stop & Go box (when you use your DS without Pc Lap Counter).

woodsite_picture2

See Also: