Chapter 2: Timing hardware

Connect your decoder

Connect an I-Lap, EasyLAP, LapMonitor, LapWiz or OpenStint SDR decoder, check it is talking, and watch the first passings arrive.

For race directors about 1 min 6 steps
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RaceLyx reads laps from your decoder. Connect it once on Timing Hardware and RaceLyx remembers it for next time. The header's decoder chip shows whether it is connected and how many passings it has seen.

Before you start

  • The decoder plugged in and powered on.
  • For a USB-serial cable, its driver installed (see the USB Driver Setup Guide on the same page).

Step by step

  1. 1

    Open Timing Hardware

    The page is titled Timing Hardware: connect and manage your decoders. With nothing connected, the Connect Decoder panel opens by itself.

  2. 2

    Choose your decoder

    The cards are I-Lap, EasyLAP, LyxBridge, LapMonitor, LapWiz and OpenStint SDR. Each asks only for what it needs.

  3. 3

    Pick the serial port

    Ports look like COM3. If you are not sure which, unplug the decoder, refresh, plug it in, refresh again, and pick the one that appears.

  4. 4

    Connect

    If it fails, RaceLyx shows why with a Retry button. Check the port and that nothing else, like another timing program, is using it.

  5. 5

    Check it is talking

    Messages include "No data from the decoder yet.", "The decoder is talking (heartbeats OK). No cars have crossed yet." and "The decoder is talking. Last car crossed Ns ago."

  6. 6

    Watch the passings

    Each passing shows the transponder and time. A transponder that no driver owns shows as unregistered; add it to a driver on Drivers.

Tips

  • Saved Devices at the top reconnects a decoder you have used before in one click.
  • Press F5 anywhere to refresh decoders.
  • I-Lap and LyxBridge use a serial port. EasyLAP needs no port. LapMonitor and LapWiz connect over Bluetooth with Scan for Devices. OpenStint SDR connects to its host and port, 127.0.0.1 and 5556 by default.

Troubleshooting

No serial port is listed.
The cable driver is missing. Open "Device not showing up?" on this page and install the driver for your chip (CP2102, CH340, FTDI or Prolific).
Connected, but nothing comes through.
Read the line under the decoder card. It tells you whether the decoder is silent, sending heartbeats only, or sending data RaceLyx cannot read.

Related guides

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