Configuring Finish-Time

Finish-Time is a flexible autocross timing and publishing application that is easy to configure for your club’s needs. Settings that are independent of any particular event—such as the timer model and the serial port it uses—are managed here.

Windows:: Select Edit > Options.
Mac OSX:: Choose Finish-Time > Preferences.

Choose an item on the left side of the window to display its settings. You do not need to click OK after every change—all changes take effect immediately.

Application Options

General: Finish-Time UI settings and time display format.
Timer: Select and configure your timer model and serial port.
Barcode Scanner: Select and configure a barcode scanner serial port for barcoded staging.
Remote Access: Pair your PC to your finish-time.com account for Finish-Time Remote Access. (Requires a subscription.)
MSR Import: Configure driver import from Motorsports.Reg.
Updates: Enable or disable application updates and checks for new PAX Indexes.

General

Large UI Fonts

By default Finish-Time uses the host operating system’s font size. Select the check box to use a larger font.

Displayed Time Format

Choose how Finish-Time displays each timed run:

Seconds (65.123)
Minutes and Seconds (1:05.123)

Timer

Timer configuration is in the Preferences / Options window.

Finish-Time supports the JACircuits, RaceAmerica AC4, RaceAmerica T-Link, Chronomix CC737, and Farmtek Polaris timers.

Your timing hardware communicates with the computer through an RS-232 serial port (often called a COM port on Windows).

Most modern notebook computers no longer include a built-in RS-232 port. Finish-Time has been thoroughly tested with Keyspan and IOGEAR USB-to-RS-232 adapters on both Windows and Macintosh. Other USB converters may work, but testing has shown that some low-cost units do not reliably emulate the RS-232 protocol.

When installing the USB driver for any RS-232 converter, follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly for your operating system.

Always use quality cables to maintain a tight, noise-free connection.

Select the serial port the timer is Connected To and the Timer Model you are using.

Test the configuration by turning on the timer and pressing its Start and Stop buttons. If the port is active, the time appears in the Finish panel.

Barcode Scanner

Barcode Scanner configuration is in the Preferences / Options window.

Barcoded staging requires a handheld barcode scanner with an RS-232 serial port or a Wi-Fi (TCP/IP) interface. Many inexpensive scanners use a USB interface and present themselves as a second keyboard. They simply type the barcode wherever the text cursor happens to be. That works for a spreadsheet, but it will interfere with Finish-Time (or any other application that has focus).

During development we used a Symbol RS2208 handheld scanner with a 9-pin RS-232 connector. The same model also supports USB (with the appropriate driver). Symbol also offers Bluetooth versions that connect in the same way; wireless or Bluetooth is more convenient, though more expensive, with a practical range of about 20 feet.

In field testing we used the LPRS (Low Power Radio Solutions) LoRaSCAN-HH 2D Wireless Handheld Barcode Scanner This scanner uses an RS-232 dongle that attaches to your Timing computer and has an extremely long-range wireless transmission of 3km+ indoors.

Most notebook computers no longer include a built-in RS-232 port. Finish-Time has been tested with Keyspan USB-to-RS-232 adapters on both Windows and macOS. Other converters may work, but low-cost units are often unreliable.

Note: Consult your barcode scanner manual for RS-232 configuration and connection instructions. You typically scan special barcodes from the manual to set the parameters listed below.

Note: Finish-Time expects a CR/LF (Carriage Return + Line Feed) suffix at the end of each scanned barcode. Some scanners include this by default; others do not. Check the manual and configure the scanner accordingly.

RS-232 Scanner Configuration

Baud Rate: 9600
Parity Type: None
Stop Bit: 1
Data Bits: 8
Hardware Handshake: None
Software Handshake: None
Beep on BEL: Enabled *
Barcode Type: Code 39
Suffix: CR/LF

WIFI Scanner Configuration

Operation Mode: Socket
Connection Type: TCP
Mode: Server
Port: Between 1024-65535
Beep on BEL: Enabled *
Barcode Type: Code 39
Suffix: CR/LF

* Beep on BEL is optional. When enabled, the scanner issues a distinct double beep if it reads a barcode for an unregistered driver or an unrecognized code.

Remote Access

Finish-Time Remote Access pairing is configured in the Preferences / Options window.

Remote Access is a subscription service that provides on-site remote registration and results editing from any internet-connected device. You can assign one or more people to log in to your club’s finish-time.com account for registration and related tasks, but you must first pair Finish-Time itself to the account. Only one licensed installation of Finish-Time can be active at a time. Pairing simplifies the connection on race day.

First-Time Use

Log into your account, click the your email at the top of the page, and choose Tool Box, scroll down to Club Management and click your Club Account. Then click the Remote Access button on the left side of the page.

With Finish-Time running on the same PC you will use at the event, click the Pairing button and enter your account user name and password. The PC is now paired to your account. If pairing fails, verify the password. You will not need to repeat this step unless you change your password or switch to a different PC.

Note: All new licenses include a 30-day subscription. Extended subscriptions are available at https://finish-time.com/store

Digital Display

Finish-Time supports the SuperLive Timer Display project by Matt Simmons and Kurt Emigh. It is a custom multi- color digital display unit that display the finishing drivers Time, Penalty, and FTD status if applicable, and supports custom animations. There is also a personal display unit that driver's can view their run result in real time.

The SuperLive Timer Display uses LoRa (Long Range) wireless technology, which is a low power long range wireless modulation technology based on chirp spread spectrum (CSS), designed by Semtech to connect IoT devices over several kilometers using unlicensed sub-GHz radio bands. The transceiver connects to the PC Serial Port and is configurable for use in Finish-Time.

For more information on how to build this system, go to Super Digital Display.

MSR Import

You can import drivers from MotorsportReg in two ways:

A CSV or tab-delimited file you download from MotorsportReg
A direct import in Finish-Time, if your MotorsportReg organizer account is Premium

Choose how Finish-Time verifies membership and whether imported drivers are registered for the event. Membership Validation by Status treats a driver as a member when the MotorsportReg record contains “Approved.” Membership Status by Date uses each driver’s membership expiration date from MotorsportReg.

For registration on import, you can register every imported driver, or register only those whose MotorsportReg record shows paid in full (no remaining balance).

For a Premium organizer account, enter your Organization ID, click Credentials, and enter the user name and password for an administrative MotorsportReg account.

Updates

Updates configuration is in the Preferences / Options window.

Finish-Time can check for new PAX Indexes and application updates weekly or monthly. By default this feature is turned off.

Finish-Time logs application errors to disk. Enabling Push error logs to finish-time.com sends those logs to our server so we can diagnose issues that were not caught during development. We do not collect personal information from your computer.

Supported Timers

JA-Circuits Timer (Second Generation)

Use a standard 9-pin male-to-female straight-through serial cable. Connect the male end to the port on the back of the timer labeled “COMPUTER” and the female end to a serial port on your computer.

Special Functions

If a false finish occurs, press the RESET FINISH button on the front of the timer. Finish-Time ignores the last finish and moves that driver back to the top of the Stage/Start list.

RaceAmerica AC4

Using the serial cable supplied with the timer, connect the telephone-style connector to the port labeled “RS-232 Serial Printer” on the back of the timer and the 9-pin female end to a serial port on your computer.

The AC4 can display times in Seconds (999.999) or Minutes/Seconds (9:59.999). Finish-Time can show either format, but it only accepts Seconds from the timer.

Special Functions

Finish-Time tracks both Start and Finish signals and highlights each car in yellow in the Stage/Start list as it passes through the Start.

If a false finish occurs, press Continue Timer (keypad [7]). Finish-Time ignores the last finish and moves that driver back to the top of the Stage/Start list.

Race-America T-Link

Connect the T-Link unit identified as ID-Z to the host PC serial port using the 06-TL02 data communications cable supplied with the timer. Position the ID-A and ID-B units according to the T-Link user manual. The T-Link hardware uses a data-string protocol that Finish-Time parses as data arrives.

You can monitor battery condition and radio signal strength of the T-Link units in the Accessory Panel on the right side of the main window. Choose View > Accessory Panel > T-Link Radio and Battery Integrity. If the option is disabled, first configure your timer.

Chronomix CC-737

You need a special serial cable to connect the CC-737 to a computer. One end is a metal stereo phono plug (for the CC-737); the other is a 9- or 25-pin D-connector. This cable is no longer sold, but build instructions are available online. Finish-Time requires the CC-737 to be in CC Mode only; SP Mode is not supported.

Configuration

When you select the Chronomix CC737 as the Timer Model, additional settings appear. You must assign which channel is used for Start and which for Finish. Typically Start is Channel 01 and Finish is Channel 02. The Start and Finish Dwell Time settings add a short delay (in seconds) that helps prevent false trips. The default is 1 second.

Special Functions

Finish-Time tracks both Start and Finish signals and highlights each car in yellow in the Stage/Start list as it passes through the Start.

Note: Pressing Reset on the CC-737 resets the timer’s internal clock. Finish-Time does not detect this action and will assign an incorrect time to the next driver on course.

Farmtek Polaris

Supports Farmtek’s JAC Normal, JAC Chrono, and RA T-Link computer interfaces as described above.