Install and set up a computer

The installer puts in place FINISH and its local database (PostgreSQL reserved for ChronoFEED, password created and kept encrypted) and opens the Windows firewall for FINISH. Nothing to enter.

HelpLicence…: the trial period or the key.

If EVENT or other FINISH computers work with you, connect all the computers to the same server: SettingsDatabase, A network server, address, port, database, account, password, Test the connection then Use this server.

The status bar reads “Database: server 192.168.1.10”.

HelpUpdate shared data…: countries, sports, venues, tracks, clubs, annotation types.

ToolsDatabase backup…: choose a Backup folder on an external drive or a synchronized folder, keep One backup a day, then Back up now.

At launch (or SessionSession configuration…): Competition, Regional, Speed skating › Long track (400), Famousie › Hollywood, Edit: “Starford” → Anneau de Starford. Confirm.

The SKF and HSK logos are displayed: these are the federations that athlete import and affiliations will suggest.

Leave Open the session configuration at startup checked: the window confirms itself after 10 s, or you change the activity (training in the evening, competition on the weekend).

Configuration module → Timing mode…: Decoder (or Hybrid to keep the numeric keypad), then the device:

Settings: the address (192.168.1.50) and port 0, or the serial port. Check Set the decoder clock to this computer's clock on connection for a decoder without GPS (indoors). Confirm.

Equipment settings…: the loop power (RACE RESULT: Read, then a value and Set), push or pull mode, the Pulse code of the start gun plugged into the jack socket.

Decoder switch to ON.

“Decoder: Connected” in the status bar; in the module, the status and the passings received. Decoder status (Equipment settings) shows batteries, GPS, antennas.

In long track competition, the chips belong to the lanes: History › Transponders, Import from Excel… your list, with their usual code (“1_BLANC”, “1_ROUGE”…) and, for assignment by position, their Start position. The athletes' transponders come from their records (Manage athletes).

Configuration module → Track dimensions…: length 400 m, turn radius or length of a straight, width of a lane. These are used by every drawing.

Track and loops… → Add a finish line: name STA, identifier “Channel=1 LoopID=1” (what the decoder sends for this loop; read it in the detailed log if you do not know it), position 56.

Generate 3 loops, the 1^st at 156 m from zero then every 100 m; name “L”, identifier “Channel=1 LoopID=” numbered from 2; Generate.

The drawing shows the STA line (black line) and three blue markers. “What a race on this line will see” for STA: L1 at 100 m, L2 at 200 m, L3 at 300 m. At the bottom, nothing is wrong.

For races that finish elsewhere (a mass start on another line), Add a finish line gives STA2. Each race chooses its own (Loop column of the list, the race's Change… button).

Confirm. Pass a chip over each loop.

On the module's drawing, the line indicator lights up and the light of each loop blinks; Latest passings shows the loop (STA, L1…). A silent loop: see A decoder with no passings.

Timing mode…: Photocells, FDS TBox (USB) or Microgate REI2 (serial); Settings: the serial port, then the channels: Start (Microgate: 000), Photocell 1 (lane 1, inner), Photocell 2 (lane 2, outer).

Equipment settings…: the Wait before clock synchronization, then Set the clock (a countdown, then “Synchronizing…”); the Mapping gives a channel to each wired or radio input.

Photocells switch to ON. The Lanes panel appears on the right and the Photocells tab in timing. In the panel, set the finish line after zero (50 m for 500, 1000, 1500 m) and the lane changeover zone. See Photocells and lanes.

SettingsFinishLynx: the port (21 by default), FinishLynx server active (FINISH listens). Note one of the Addresses of this computer.

The status turns green: “listening”.

In FinishLynx, a network results output to this address and port. Give it the same race names: FileEVT outputExport to .EVT… writes the lynx.evt it loads (accents: Windows-1252, see Character encoding).

The status reads “1 FinishLynx connected”.

FinishLynx sends its results: the photo finish time becomes the final time (a camera on the row), the transponder time stays next to it; a red badge flags a gap beyond the threshold. Nothing applied? Check Debug and read the log (race field position, licence in the 7^th field).

Manual: no device. The switch is called Gun.

Numeric keypad switch to ON, and next to it Lap time (or Final time only for finish timing). Each athlete has a start position: key 1 to 9 (0 = 10) at the passing; beyond that, Shift + digits, released at the passing.

Manual start or Ctrl+keypad 0; turn on the Beep in the status bar to hear it.