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ALGE-Timing OPTIc2 Manual

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  • Page 1 Version-E130410 Manual...
  • Page 2 Important Information General Before using your ALGE-TIMING device read the complete manual carefully. It is part of the device and contains important information about installation, safety and its intended use. This manual cannot cov- er all conceivable applications. For further information or in case of problems that are mentioned not at all or not sufficiently detailed, please contact your ALGE-TIMING representative.
  • Page 3 Photo Finish OPTIc2 Model OPTIc2 Model OPTIc2o Model OPTIc2n 1 ..IEEE 1394b 9-pol bilingual (2 x) 2 ..IEEE 1394a 6-pol 3 ..GOF (LC duplex glass optical fiber connecter) 4 ..Socket for motor zoom 5 ..Socket for photocell (2 x) 6 ..

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    7.3.2 Lane Evaluation ..........................36 7.3.3 Start Number Evaluation ........................37 How to keep the OPTIc2 updated ................38 Direct links to download the updates ..................39 Update of the OPTIc2 PC-Software ..................39 Update of the Camera ......................39 Technical Data of the OPTIc2n ...................40...
  • Page 5 IEEE 1394 Cable and Connections ..................43 10.3 Network Cable with RJ45 Plug ....................44 10.4 Optical Cable and Fiber Optic Adapter .................. 44 10.5 Lenses for the OPTIc2 ......................45 10.6 Tripod and Gear Head ......................45 10.7 Distribution Box OCD2: ......................46 10.7.1 Connections of the Distribution Box OCD2:.................

  • Page 6: Introduction

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Introduction The ALGE OPTIc2 system is an electronic photo finish system with integrated evaluation soft- ware. The Line Scan Camera (CCD image sensor) scans every movement on the finish line, records it on the hard disk of the PC and displays it on the PC screen. It is always possible to print the picture.

  • Page 7: System Requirements

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 System Requirements PC Requirements: • Intel Pentium 4 or Athlon or faster Attention: The system does not run with a Celeron processor! • Windows XP with service pack 3, Windows Vista (Servicepack 2) or Windows 7 (32 or 64 Bit version) •...

  • Page 8: Function

    Of course, the object is scanned less often under such circumstances. Part of the OPTIc2 is an electronic image processing system. The recorded picture is stored on the hard disk of the PC (bitmap format) and can be printed anytime with a printer that supports Windows.

  • Page 9: Camera Position

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Camera Position The camera of the photo finish system must be set exactly on a straight line with the finish line. Depending on the sport discipline it needs a different angle to the finish line (2.1 Lens Angle).

  • Page 10: Lens Angle

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Lens Angle The lens angle is the recording angle of the camera lens in vertical direction. To select the right lens for the camera the lens angle is most important. A zoom lens has a variable lens angle, a fix lens has not.

  • Page 11: Focusing The Camera

    Adjustment of Focus (Aperture) Adjust the aperture through the first (front) ring of the lens (for manual lenses). If you have a motorized zoom execute the adjustment from the OPTIc2 software on the PC (see chapter “Motorzoom and Electronic Gear head).

  • Page 12: Sports With Individual Starts

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Sports with Individual Starts The camera can be directed straight to the finish line, as the athletes cannot be occluded by others. Track and Field (Athletics) For track and field you should have an angle of the camera to the outside lane of a minimum of 20°.
  • Page 13 Photo Finish OPTIc2 The easiest way to adjust the camera to the finish line is with the help of the mass start line. For the example below the camera is situat- ed outside the track. The camera is moved slowly from behind the finish line towards the finish line.
  • Page 14 Photo Finish OPTIc2 You can learn from the following table the necessary distance of the camera to the nearest lane as well as the necessary camera height for a track with 6 or 8 lanes. The upper number in each box of the table is the camera angle (see sketch two pages back).
  • Page 15 Photo Finish OPTIc2 If you use the OPTIc2 with a Tripod F-STATIV6 with a height of 3.66 m for the camera, you should use a wide angle lens for a track with 8 lanes. Otherwise you do not cover all 8 lanes or you are too far away and have a very flat angle with the runners not being captured completely.

  • Page 16: Zero Control For Athletics (Start Control)

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 2.4.1 Zero Control for Athletics (Start Control): There is the possibility to record the flame of the start gun fired on the start line. With this test the referee can see, that the time in the picture is correct without any delay. If you select this mode the start sequence is also recorded.

  • Page 17: Horse Races

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Horse Races Please read the description for track and field. For horse races no painted finish line exists, but there might be a mirror that should be focused on. As the picture of a photo finish camera always shows the same pixels it is often difficult to focus correctly on the finish line.

  • Page 18: Connection Of The Camera

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Connection of the Camera Camera connected to IEEE1394 The OPTIc2 camera can be connected directly with the IEEE1394 cable at the PC. The max- imum cable length of the IEEE1394 cable is 10 m. Attention: There are different types of IEEE1394 cables. Depending on the PC connection and the camera model you have to use a certain IEEE1394 cable (see point 5.2 IEEE1394 cables...

  • Page 19: Camera Connected With Network Cable

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Camera connected with Network cable If you connect an OPTIc2 camera with a network cable, you need an adapter RJ45-1394 or a Distribution Box OCD2. The camera model OPTIc2n and Distribution Box OCD2 can be con- nected directly with the network cable without additional adapter RJ45-1394. The network cable is used for distances from 10 to 80 m.

  • Page 20: Setting Of The Camera

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Setting of the Camera Possible Camera Settings: Scan rate (1/s): The photo finish scans the finish line. Set how many lines per second you want scanned (set- tings between 1/100 and 1/3000 seconds). Line frequency: This value is not adjusta- ble but depends on the scan rate value.
  • Page 21 Recommendation for most sports: 140 pixels Attention: The new adjusted value is only applied after you restart the OPTIc2 software Lines after: It is possible to adjust the recorded lines after triggering (e. g. by the photocell). This ad- justment is very important for many sports to obtain a picture of the whole competitor.
  • Page 22 Photo Finish OPTIc2 B/W – Switching picture to black/white: You can switch the preview picture from color to black and white. In the b/w mode it us- es only the middle sensor (green). This is a simple way to check if you set the camera correctly on the finish line.

  • Page 23: Image Adjustments

    Connect external devices for start and finish. Connect power supply for OPTIc2 camera (green LED „ready“ of the cam- era must be on). Start OPTIc2 software on The PC monitor must display „Camera ready“ after a few sec- onds. Press button...

  • Page 24: Motorzoom And Electronic Gear Head

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Motorzoom and Electronic Gear Head You can switch with a flyer (Z) between <Camera> and <Motorzoom/Gear head> 4.3.1 Motorzoom: When using a motorzoom you can adjust the zoom lens via the PC. This means you adjust the iris (brightness), focus and zoom directly via your PC. The control electronics for the mo- tor zoom is built in the photo finish system and ready to go.

  • Page 25: Pc-Software For Optic2

    OPTIc2 system. If the OPTIc2 PC is not operated in a network we also recommend closing the antivirus soft- ware. Make sure that at least such software should not start an automatic check of the hard disk during the photo finish operation.

  • Page 26: Menus Of The Software

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Menus of the Software The OPTIc2- software has sub menus as is usual for Windows software. 5.1.1 Menu <File> The menu <File> includes as in most Windows programs tools to open, save, print, etc. NEW: create a new file (race)

  • Page 27: Menu

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 5.1.2 Menu <Race> TEST IMAGE: for adjusting the camera START ONE RACE: start the „Start dialog” for a race. Now you can start a race and record the finish. TEST START: for checking the start trigger (control for the referee to see if the system starts from zero) 5.1.3...

  • Page 28: Menu

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 5.1.5 Menu <Image> BRIGHTNESS / CONTRAST / GAMMA: After the race you can modify the picture in order to obtain a better picture quality. You can adjust the brightness, contrast and gamma curve. With these functions you should be able to essentially improve a picture.

  • Page 29: Menu

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 CONVERT TO B/W: you can switch between color and black/white picture. Especial- ly if you need more sharpness in your picture you can switch to the b/w picture. This function is very handy if you have a wrong pixel lag adjusted. In the b/w picture it always takes the green (middle) sensor as reference.
  • Page 30 Photo Finish OPTIc2 With the marker in the fields you activate the column. The text that you write in the field is the text shown in the printed list of the column. Rank: always active Time: always active Bib: always active...
  • Page 31 Photo Finish OPTIc2 Horse units: you can turn it on or off. It states the distance of each horse in horse units compared to the horse before. Attention: you have to select the horse units! Missing laps: you can turn it on or off. To input the number of missing laps compared to the winner.

  • Page 32: Menu

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 5.1.7 Menu <Show> TIME WINDOW: the marker shows that the time window is active START DIALOG: the marker shows that the race is active (ready for start or recording) ZOOM WINDOW: the marker shows that the zoom window is active TIMY DIALOG: to control and check the Terminal Timy for the anemometer in athletics.

  • Page 33: Menu

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 5.1.8 Menu <Window> Adjustment of the menu <WINDOW> like for every standard Windows program. Additionally, it shows all open races. In order to have a stable PC (enough available RAM) you should close the races that are evaluated.

  • Page 34: Executing A Race

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Executing a race To start a race you have to click on the start icon on the toolbars. You have to fill in the name of the file (name of the race). • The timing is ready now. After the start is triggered the time begins to run.

  • Page 35: Evaluation

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Evaluation The first picture of the photo finish appears automatically on your screen. With the picture number you can move forward or backward picture by picture. Showing the Time Line on the Screen If a finish picture is shown on the monitor you press the left mouse button and move the mouse over the screen.

  • Page 36: Lane Evaluation

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 7.3.2 Lane Evaluation If each competitor runs in fixed lanes (e. g. sprint races in athletics) it is the easiest way to use the track identification for the evaluation. The finish line has to be white and the borders have to be black.

  • Page 37: Start Number Evaluation

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 7.3.3 Start Number Evaluation Use the start number identification, if every competitor has a start number that you can read in the picture or if you have recorded the start numbers in order of finish (e. g. for cycling races, horse races, long distance races in athletics).

  • Page 38: How To Keep The Optic2 Updated

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 How to keep the OPTIc2 updated In order to keep your photo finish system OPTIc2 updated, regularly check the homepage of ALGE-TIMING for updates (www.alge-timing.com). You find all the software that you need to download in the section <Download>.

  • Page 39: Direct Links To Download The Updates

    PC software by double clicking on the file OP- TIc2Setup.exe. Please follow the instructions of the install program. Update of the Camera To update the camera start the OPTIc2 software with a connected camera. For the update the camera must not be in test nor record mode. •...

  • Page 40: Technical Data Of The Optic2N

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 Technical Data of the OPTIc2n All technical data is the same for the camera OPTIc2 and OPTIc2o, but the OPTIc2n has different connections: Measuring Range: 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59.9999 seconds Quartz Frequency: TCXO 20,000 MHz (temperature compensated quartz oscillator) Frequency Deviation: Temperature: +/-2.5 ppm at -10 to 70°C (+/-0.009 sec.
  • Page 41 Photo Finish OPTIc2 Requirements for IEEE 1394 interface for PC: Compatibility: IEEE 1394A or 1394B, OHCI compatible Transfer Rate: min. 400 MBit per second Minimum Requirements for the PC (Desktop or Notebook) Operating system: Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7...

  • Page 42: Accessories For Photo Finish

    Alternatively, it is possible to plug a PC-card (also called PCMIC or CardBus) or Express- card for the Notebooks. ALGE-TIMING sells tested cards for IEEE1394 to use with different PC types: PCI Card with IEEE 1394 sockets - Desktop PC...

  • Page 43: Ieee 1394 Cable And Connections

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 10.2 IEEE 1394 Cable and Connections As many possible combinations of different plugs for IEEE1394 exist, the cable is not includ- ed in the normal scope of supply. Check the connection on your PC and camera, decide what length you require and then specifically order the correct cable for your demands.

  • Page 44: Network Cable With Rj45 Plug

    From ALGE-TIMING you can obtain the following optical adapter and fiber optic cables: Adapter IEEE1394 to glass fiber including power supply (with cable, 1 piece) GLAS1394...

  • Page 45: Lenses For The Optic2

    Electrical gear head to adjust the camera easily to the finish line. The gear head allows a three-dimensional adjustment of the camera from the software of the OPTIc2. It is ideal for a camera that is mounted out of reach of the operator (e. g. on a high tripod, ceiling).

  • Page 46: Distribution Box Ocd2

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 10.7 Distribution Box OCD2: The Distribution Box OCD2 is a professional accessory for your photo finish system. It is of major advantage, if the camera is far from the operator. You can connect all cables from ex- ternal devices to the OCD2.

  • Page 47: Connections Of The Distribution Box Ocd2

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 10.7.1 Connections of the Distribution Box OCD2: 1 ..Socket for RS232 interface 2 ..Socket for protocol printer P5-8 3 ..Socket for photocell A 4 ..Socket for photocell B 5 ..Socket for photocell C 6 ..

  • Page 48: Examples For The Connection Of The Camera

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 10.7.2 Examples for the Connection of the Camera 10.7.2.1 Indoor Track and Field: In indoor arenas it is standard to have two different finishes. One is for the sprints of up to 60 m and the other one is for the oval. Therefore, it is necessary to have two different selectable photo finish cameras.
  • Page 49 Photo Finish OPTIc2 10.7.2.2 Horse Racing with Several Tracks Horse race tracks often have more than one track next to each other (e. g. sand track and grass track). For such an installation a Distribution Box makes the cable installation for the cameras and external devices much simpler.

  • Page 50: Technical Data Of The Distribution Box Ocd2

    Photo Finish OPTIc2 10.7.3 Technical Data of the Distribution Box OCD2 Quartz Frequency: TCXO 20.000 MHz (temperature compensated quartz oscillator) Measuring Range: 23 hours, 59 min., 59.999 sec. Frequency Deviation: Temperature: +/- 2.5 ppm at -10 to 70°C (+/- 0.009 sec. per hour) Ageing: +/- 1 ppm per year Frequency Adjustment : +/- 0.1 ppm at 25°C...
  • Page 51 Photo Finish OPTIc2 Page 51...
  • Page 52 Photo Finish OPTIc2 ALGE-TIMIING GmbH Rotkreuzstrasse 39 A-6890 Lustenau Austria Tel: +43-5577-85966 Fax: +43-5577-85966-4 office@alge-timing.com www.alge-timing.com Page 52...

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