Motorsports

Motorsport Setup: Important Notes

Loop setup

  • The loop must not be laid out directly on metal.
  • Do not run electrical sources / cables over the loop cable.
  • When embedding the loop in the surface, please use empty plastic pipes, which allow you to change cables easily. Otherwise, cut a groove for the loop in the surface, place the loop in the groove and fill with silicone.
  • You can easily build your own loop cable. We use a 18AWG loop cable, yours shouldn't be thinner. Simply add banana plugs on both ends of the loop cable.

Loop width mainly depends on maximum speed and transponder location, use the following decision tree to evaluate the required loop width:

HINT: the loop should be placed before the finish line, so the transponder is in the middle of the two loop wires 
      when the front of the car crosses the finish line.

RECOMMENDATION: test the loop and identify the ideal loop width before cutting the grooves.

Hardware setup

  • The antenna needs to be connected and pointing to the sky, at a safe distance from metal (>10 cm).
  • Loop width and loop power correlate, don’t apply a low loop power on a wide loop.
  • Don’t obstruct the line of sight of the black antenna to the loop. If not possible, use the Range Extender.

HINT: wide loop and high loop power at low speed cause less precision. Most precise results with narrow loop 
      and low loop power.

RECOMMENDATION: set loop width and loop power to allow detection height of 2x mounting height. 
                If transponder is mounted to 20 cm height, it should detect in 40 cm height.
WARNING: The antenna is crucial for the communication of the timing device with the transponder!

Transponder setup

  • Use our ChipHolders to mount the transponder. If not possible, don’t mount the transponder directly on metal/carbon and ensure at least 10mm spacing between the transponder and metal/carbon.
  • Transponder should have a clear line of sight to both black antenna and loop. If not possible, minimize the amount of metal obstructing the line of sight.
  • Always mount the transponder to the side where the antenna is, hence when the timing device and antenna are on the left side of the track, the transponder should be mounted to the left.
  • Be aware that engine ignition/control can cause interferences and stay away from these points.

Transponder Location: Karting

We have tested different locations for the transponder on karts. Some basic rules apply:

  • don't mount the transponder directly on metal/carbon
  • mount the transponder on the side, where the antenna is (if antenna is on the left side of the track, mount the transponder to the left side)
  • Transponder should have a clear line of sight to both, the antenna and the loop
  • Motor ignition/ignition control can interfere! Stay away from it!

For E-Karts we found a good location to be under the front spoiler (behind brake/throttle pedal). It is covered against crashes with other karts/track boundary, has a relatively clear line of sight to the antenna/loop.

Position 1 and 2 would be ideal for the line of sight, but are likely to get lost if the karts crash (the O-ring around the pole might get ripped off, which leads to a loss of the transponder. Position 3 is way better. You can fix the ChipHolder with screws, so you won't lose the transponder. You can even add the O-ring, just to be on the safe side. When you know how to change the transponder, you can easily change it within a couple of seconds (if necessary for 24h-races).