I think the time might have arrived to release the source code. That would prevent it from disappearing if I got squashed by a bus. It would also be a good source of giggles for software guys to see code created by a hardware guy.

I'll see what I can arrange.

That would be awesome and give folks like me with a working system the ability to keep it going.

Can I also add my thanks (again) to you for doing this and sharing your designs. I have a little knowledge, enough to build to your design but not enough to figure out how to do it in the first place and it has really helped my little local RC club to get a timing system running and we see remarkably few miscounts or errors.

You are awesome!

Greetings from France!
I'm about to source the differents components for Canno decoder and loop amp. Does anyone of you have extra PCBs to sell?
@ Howard: in your files, what is the "PT..." files for ? Another device?
Thanks for your support!

The files marked "PT" are for the personal transponder design in my other thread: http://www.rctech.net/forum/radio-el...er-design.html

Hello everyone I would like to make this decoder but I am a little lost in all messages. On other answer you give a link (here) but it no longer works.
Would you have the schematic to make this decoder and the amplifier box?
Thank you

I am no longer offering support for the decoder or transponder threads, but all of the documentation is now available on DropBox:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tbl2ostbkv...21_17.zip?dl=0

Thank you very much I send you a private message.
You stopped the project? I am French and I could not read the whole subject but it looked very interesting.
Thank you

Great work
 

Hello to all working on that great project,
the last days I was reading a lot interesting stuff here and decided to try to build the system on my own, following your documentation. Howard, could I please get the latest documentation too?

Thank you and best regards from Germany,
Robert

Send me your email address via a private message.

The documentation is in a large zip file, 16.5M, so make sure your email can handle it!

Hi Howard, thanks for your design, I'm working on my design and I'm facing 'wrong' sequences when I swipe (manually) the transponder across the loop. Fixed transponder causes about 100% good readings. Mostly the error seems to be a missing zero bit (no reverse). To give an idea 1600 of 2000 packets are correct (considering the full length of the frame). Also the errors are located in two 'burst' of wrong packets (maybe wire crossing?). Do you have any number to check if I have to debug further or the values seem 'right'. At the moment I'm spitting out every packet I receive, without any check for repetition. The wrong packets do not repeat in sequence.

Missed bits are unavoidable, and are especially prone to occur during low reception levels (at the edges of the loop, for example). That's the reason to look for three identical data receptions in a row before accepting the transponder as valid. Even then, there will be a few spurious receptions, where three identical but incorrect receptions will occur in a row. At that point it is up to the lap counting software on the PC to determine if the transponder is valid (in other words, one of the participants in the race). If not, then the lap counting software should ignore them.

Avoid bit errors
 

For what I understand in the thread this repetition is valid for oldest transponders, whereas new RC4 transponders always change numbers every time. Also, three in a row is ok from a single transponder in the loop, but does this work with multiple transponders? Anyway I'll investigate further if I have something to optimize in my design in order to minimize this bit misalignment... OR implement CRC check of the packet. By the way...this is my prototype, on top right is your loop amplifier... the rest is in the board, with a USB serial port. It's pretty impressive that I'm reading something since this is my first project with this hardware... Next is a camera shot for the amp waveform (old technology, I know....)

All current documentation for the decoder and transponders is now on DropBox. Use this link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tbl2ostbkv...21_17.zip?dl=0

Please forgive this delayed response, as I am no longer guaranteed to be monitoring this thread or providing support.

The decoder is not compatible with the newest MyLaps transponders, as indicated in the specifications.

Once the decoder sees three repetitions in a row, the transponder is "verified", and will be counted for any other receptions, even those that are not repeated. The three-in-a-row verification is done during the race warm-up, where cars usually pass individually under the loop. Any that don't (as indicated by the PC software) should be requested to drive under the loop before the race is started.

If you can modify your code to recognize the meaning of the transponder data and do a CRC check, that would be a huge improvement. (At least one other reader has accomplished this.) Please share the code on this thread when completed!

Dear Howard

I'm trying to build my own transponders and decoders, but I'm new in this thinks. I saw you built your own transponders.


I'm an electronic enthusiast and I find this trying to find how to make a transmitter with a microcontroller unit to send the beakon with the transponder ID to a raspberry. But when I found you could send in AMB decoders protocol I found this much more nice than do a new incompatible system.

Do they work with AMB TRANX2 Decoder? I also buy one recently to our motocycle association because we are in a kart race track and some race drivers have already theyr one AMB Tranx260 transponders

It is possible for me to create my own transponders?

I saw you use a ATMEL IC microcontroller a cristal and some mode chips to buils the transponder, but than we have the problem of the program to load in IC, I never did that

Can you help-me?

machadofisher

Whenyou have problems with Decoder not detecting a transponder passage, it might be that the Signal/Noice ratio just is not enough. In the original AMB/Mylaps system the difference should be at least 60, (signal 120 and noice 20 is quite good, but if the noice goes up to 80, the transponder just will not be detected).

Hi, I'm new in this forum. I come here looking for a consistent lap timer for my club. I also see IR systems but I think this solution is better.
I've read howard will not continue to offer support and I want to know if there is somebody had boards and pics to start with it.

I have electronics skills and pcb fab but I read somewhere pcbs are 4 layers that will be impossible to make at home. I also see some guy that have smd version that looks awesome but not source for it.

Do you guys can help me to guide me where to start? 44 pages of forum it is a heavy start :). Some blog, wiki, etc?
Info from dropbox is great but I think a lot of info is assumed from forum posts and I'm a bit lost.

Thanks

It is all here. I did it the same way as you want to. You will need to get a pcb fab company like dirtypcbs.com to make the main board for you the amp board is easy either home etch or bug build, all the files you need are on dropbox, the bom is good for amp, decoder and you should be all set. The only difference now is you need to program the chips yourself as Howard is no longer providing this service. Again all the files are available, you will need to get access to a programmer.

Hi, thanks for the reply. I have a pickit3 programmer for pics And usbasp, tinyAsp and arduinos for atmels.
Is there something I have to keep in mind before I begin? Any advice?
Thank you very much

New design alpha tester
 

As you can see in post 653 I'm working on a way to simplify a lot the digital part by using a ready-made board. The analog front end is the original. Right now I think the project status is not ready for public access, but if you have some electronic experience and would like to give it a try send me a message.

Sure! I'll give it a try. It could be exiciting to work on it.

New design coming
 

I'm still fighting some sync issues. Tonight I'll do more test and when solved I'll give something to try. Also I received a suggestion by Howard Cano to start a new thread just to avoid confusion by mixing projects.

Here's a very interesting development on the decoder:
http://www.rctech.net/forum/radio-el...o-revised.html

Decoder problem
 

Hello, i got a problem with ftdi and decoder, the hyperterminal dont show anything, i try changing the COMPORT but nothing happend, i have ftdi connected with RX signal to U62 pin2. Maybe someone could helpme.. :(

thanks

I reprogram the pic16F886, and now the decoder connect to Zround, but cant read transponders. In putty i dont have the power-up message. Do you know whats happening? some help pls.

Use an oscilloscope to check that the power-up message appears at pin 17 of the microprocessor, and (inverted) at U62A pin3 and J65 pin 1. If it's not there, check for a 20MHz clock at pin 9 of the microprocessor.

If the power-up message is at J65 pin1, then you'll need to determine what's wrong with the RS232-to-USB converter you have chosen.

Decoder working
 

Thanks Howard, i got the decoder working, i miss the errata.txt and didnt connect U20A pin 3 and U21 pin 4.
whit this jumper the decoder work really good, thanks to you our club now got thelemetry.

I know you've been working hard on the decoder, so this is great news. I think the guys in your club owe you a big "Thank You"!

Test of other transponders
 

Love this hread. So much knowledge in this community. I'm toying with the idea of a system for enduro training – and therefor using AMB MX transponders. Anyone tested any other transponders for frequency and compatibility within this decoder project? (Except the ones mentioned in the Specs file.)

I will build the new decoder and try to test with the Tag Heuerer transponder for MX / Formula1

Thor

buy a decoder
 

Ola would like to buy a laptime decoder. Where can I buy one?


[QUOTE = howardcano; 11585837] Eu não vi nenhuma documentação para a AMB (que provavelmente é a marca que você deseja usar) e não sei os detalhes. Pode ser que essas informações sejam fornecidas àqueles que desejam gravar softwares de contagem de colo de PC somente depois de assinarem um Acordo de Não Divulgação (NDA). Mas deve ser possível determinar os dados fornecidos pelo decodificador com alguns testes. Infelizmente, não tenho um decodificador para testar.

Se eu chegar longe o suficiente, uma rota possível para este projeto seria entrar em contato com uma das fontes de software existentes e perguntar se elas podem fornecer informações sobre qualquer um dos decodificadores que o software suporta. Eu acho que a informação não é "protegida" para todas as marcas de decodificadores, especialmente aquelas que foram descontinuadas. Dada essa informação, eu faria este design de decodificador "parecer" como um desses decodificadores para o PC.

Por favor, compartilhe qualquer informação que você encontrar. Ele pode ser bastante útil! [/ QUOTE]
*

I know this is a somewhat old thread but I am having some problems with the Cano Decoder system I built for my local club.

It has worked very well for a couple of years but recently has stopped counting reliably. It will still count occasionally but not enough to be able to use it for racing. It does read sometimes so the logical connections RS232 etc seem ok and the software is configured correctly and we have checked connectors and cables for poor connections.

It seems to me that the digital aspects have to be working OK and it could be a failure of an analogue part of the circuit. Can anyone give me some tips as to what might be the area to look at?

coaxial amb my laps
 

Dear, good afternoon, you can tell me what type of coaxial is used in my laps equipment. I am from Argentina and it is impossible for me to buy the original. I await your comments. Cheers!!

Any 75ohm coaxial (tv cable) would work I also tried with 50ohm ham radio cable and work also.

Thanks!! what I would like to know is what type of coaxial (rg?) the original yellow cable amb, it works fantastic with 0 noise.