kyosho LapZ

Descriere:
LapZ is a lap counter and timing system designed specifically for small RC cars, e.g. Mini-Z. It comprises several "transponders" (one for each car) and one "bridge", mounted across the track. The "bridge" is connected to a standard computer (via one COM-port), using the computer as controller and to display results.

Specificatii:
The LapZ system is based on light to register the cars, more precisely IrDA modules (infra-red light) known from portable computers, PDA's etc. Using IrDA, the bridge and the transponder communicates through a digital link, making it a very advanced piece of electronic equipment. Still, this also allows the transponders to be "micro-sized", perfect for 1:24 sized RC cars, like the Mini-Z racer. It also provides advanced features like programmable ID's.

Drawing power from the car batteries (only 10mA, not affecting the "punch" of the motor), the transponder works perfectly for as long as you still have power left in the car. When the batteries are almost empty, the registration might start to fail, indicating that you should change batteries. However, this will not happen until most of the "punch" is drained from the batteries, and you would want to change the batteries anyway. As an example, the system was used for 50 minutes (continous driving) on a set of 600mAH NiMH cells without fail.

Depending on how wide the race track is, several sensors can be connected together on the bridge to accommodate any track width that is desired. Here is a computer generated model of the bridge, showing four receiving modules mounted on a 60cm wide and 30cm high bridge. The colorized cones are indicating the infra-red light spread, illustrating the coverage of the four sensors:

Continutul kit-ului:
easy to use
very accurate hardware-clock for precise timing (0.005 sec accuracy / 0.001 sec resolution)
easy to mount and connects to power from the car
flexible ID solution (store new ID into the transponders, no need to exchange transponders if there is an ID conflict)
connects to standard PC via serial cable
standard track width 600mm, optional width 1000mm
"unlimited" (255) number of cars at the same time
small, lightweight transponders (only 3 g / 0.11 oz)
draws very little power from the car batteries (<10mA)
transponders inactive when not racing
rugged design