Fuel Management for analogic track

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Since version 4.35 Pc Lap Counter have  fuel management for analogic track base on lap time, race average lap time or segment average lap time with pitstop detection and automatic refuel.
Different options are available like quantity of embarked fuel, tank limit, refuel speed, low fuel alert quantity, pit strategy, general and driver's specific sound for: low fuel, maximum fuel reached and empty tank
During a lap Pc Lap counter will calculate the used fuel against lap time and will alert the driver when the fuel tank reach the low limit and will invite the driver to make a pit stop to refuel before his tank is empty (in that case his race is finished and power for the concerned lane will be cut or or you can decide to not count lap until the driver refuel).
During the race Pc Lap Counter will show for each driver the fuel remaining, fuel used for the last lap, average consumption and the total consumption and also some visual alert like:.

Low Fuel

Car in Pit

Refuel ended , Max tank limit reached, go

Fuel tank is empty

pitstop_emptyfuel

Car enter enter pit lane with a empty tank

When a car entering in his pitstop area Pc Lap Counter can detect the PIT IN  for that car and will make a automatic refuel (progress of refueling is displayed) and will alert the driver when the tank is full.
Also when a car leave his pitstop area Pc Lap Counter can detect the PIT OUT for that car and will stop the refueling.

For analogic track , Pc Lap Counter can detect pitstop by using:

  • Using a webcam and a special program who can detect mouvement in different area(s)
    I try Web Zone Trigger , this program is perfect for pitsop detection because Web Zone Trigger have the possibility to execute a program when a mouvement is detected in a specify area (you can specify more than one area).
    So i make a simple program call 'pitstop.exe' that can be used by Web Zone Trigger to send the pitstop detection information to Pc Lap Counter, here is a exemple of how to use Web Zone Trigger with Pc Lap Counter for pitstop detection.
  • Using sensors connected to a Phidget interface kit  to detect PIT IN and PIT OUT, more information here
  • Using sensors connected to the parallel port, more information here
  • You can put manualy a driver in pitstop by cliking the update buton and tick ‘pitstop’ on the driver:
    manualpitstop

Set a race with fuel management in Pc Lap Counter:

  • Start a new race
  • In the race setting window, Check 'fuel management' in the new 'fuel' tabpage like this:
  • In the Driver/team tabpage, specify for each driver the embarked fuel and also the maximum quantity of fuel that the car can have, like this:
  • That’s all

Fuel management options for analogic track:

  • When a driver runs out of fuel:
    Here you decide what happen when a driver runs out of fuel: you can decide that his race is finished or to not count lap until he refuel and since version 5.46 you can also give him a stop & go penalty who will automatically start when he will enter the pitlane to refuel (refuel will start as soon the stop & go penalty is finish).
  • Add a lap after a pit stop:
    If you have pitstop detection normaly that option have to be activated, because during a pitstop the car will not pass the finishing line.
    If you use automatic pitstop you have to deactivate that option.
  • Maximum consumption per lap:
    This will limit the maximum consumption, 0 = no limit
  • Set lane power OFF during pitstop and ON after refueling
    If you activate this option Pc Lap Counter will cut the lane power when the car enter into the pit and will put power ON after refueling is ended.
    This option must be activate when you have only one detector for PIT IN and deactivate when you have a detector for PIT IN and for PIT OUT.
    REM:
    When you ask a pitstop manualy (with “Update” button or with auto pitstop) Pc Lap Counter will automaticaly cut the power at the beginning of the pit call and will put power ON when refueling is ended.

See Also: