Event Timer Pro

Computerized Event Timer with Laser Light Sensors

Revised 8-15-07

Does your school have a need to time different events?

Do you need to record time measurements on a computer?

Would you like to use Excel to analyze your measurement data?

Event Timer Pro can do all this and more…

DESCRIPTION

We took some ideas from out Pinewood Derby stopwatch timer and combined them with laser technology to create Event Timer Pro (ETP). The ETP system uses the same tried and proven circuitry as the Pinewood Pro Timer system. The big difference with ETP is in the sensors. The ETP sensors make use of laser technology. Readily available laser pointers provide the laser light.

In both systems we use the Excel spreadsheet program to store information. You must have a copy of Microsoft Excel to make full use of this product. The use of Excel provides a real advantage because many people already know how to use this powerful program. Excel has sophisticated data analysis and charting capabilities that will allow you to easily save, print and analyze your time measurement data.

Here is the block diagram of the Event Timer Pro (ETP) system:

LASER POINTER

The laser pointer creates a laser light beam that is detected by the Electronics Detection Circuitry. This visible light beam can easily travel twenty or thirty meters (100 feet). In operation whenever an object comes between the laser pointer’s light beam and the electronics detection circuitry, the laser light beam gets broken and the electronics detection circuitry notifies the computer. This action could start or stop a timer running on the PC.

Each laser pointer comes mounted on its own adjustable bracket. The laser beam is narrow and focused and must be adjusted so that it shines precisely on a photo-sensor in the Electronics Detection Circuitry (EDC). This adjustment becomes increasingly more difficult as the distance between the laser and photo-sensor increases. To aid in making this adjustment, there is a led indicator on the EDC board (for each laser pointer). The respective EDC led is normally on and goes out when the associated laser beam is correctly positioned and shining on its photo-sensor.

Shown below are pictures of the laser pointer mounted on its bracket. Loosening the wing nuts makes positioning adjustments possible. You can see the battery pack. Pictured below that is the photo-sensor mounted on its adjustable bracket. The same type of adjustable bracket is used for both.

Laser with battery pack attached

In the bright sunlight we found that it was difficult to see the red laser beam so we added a reflector to our photo-sensor unit (see below). We also drilled a hole in the center of the reflector. This allows the laser beam not only to be easily seen but exactly positioned too.

Photo-sensor with reflector attached.

The reflector can easily be removed.

Since the laser pointers are all powered by a low-voltage 4.5-volt power supply this would make an ideal system for many different indoor/outdoor events (like swimming) since there is no danger of electric shock. The needed 4.5-volts comes from a battery pack (3 AAA cells). Each photo-sensor is also battery powered using a 9-volt battery. The photo-sensor(s) are optically connected to the PC. This completely eliminates any danger of electric shock since there is no direct electrical connection to the PC. There can be up to six laser pointers working at once with the ETP system.

NEW PACKAGE

A number of our customers are using this product indoors, so we decided to re-package it in a better looking housing. We have mounted the laser pointer and photo sensor on camera type brackets. We also added a lens to the photo sensor and an indicator LED. Please see the pictures below.


Photo Sensor	Laser Pointer

The ETP system connects to the PC through the serial port. This port is known as the Com port and has 9 pins in a ‘D’ shaped connector shell.

The Event Timer Pro unit pictured to the left. This particular unit can connect to three photo-sensors using RCA phono jacks and plugs.

OPERATION

You must have Excel running on the PC along with a suitable spreadsheet loaded. (Several sample spreadsheets are included with the software.) You can easily modify the design of the spreadsheet to suit your particular needs. The ETP software is then loaded and communications established with Excel and the external Electronics Detection Circuitry.

The ETP timer software communicates with the Electronics Detection Circuitry via the serial port on the PC. (You can purchase a USB adaptor and use your USB port instead if you like.) The ETP timer software can also read from and write to your Excel spreadsheet.

The ETP timer is started at the start of the race/event. The timer is accurate to 1 millisecond. The timer will advance until all the laser beams have been broken. If a laser beam is located at the finish line then a person crossing the finish line will break the light beam and cause his time to be recorded.

When everyone has crossed the finish line the time(s) can be transferred to the Excel spreadsheet.

You can also monitor two events with two laser pointers and measure the speed of an object, such as the car pictured to the right. In the diagram, a distance of 10 feet separates two laser beams.

The time it takes for the car to travel between the two laser beams can be divided into the 10-foot distance. This would give the velocity in feet / second.

APPLICATIONS

This product has been used in a variety of settings. For example:

A mud bog - to measure the speed of 4-wheel drive vehicles traveling through a pit of mud.
A warehouse - to measure how fast a fork lift can raise and lower different loads.
Sporting Events – to measure and analyze timed activities.

COSTS

The Event Timer Pro unit can support six laser/photo-sensor pairs. It does not come with any lasers or photo-sensors. These must be ordered separately.

Item	Description	Price
ETP-01	Event Timer Pro 01 system includes PC timer software, electronics interface box, power supply plus sample spreadsheets. Each laser and photo-sensor pair must be purchased separately. (See below)	$269
LPS-01	Laser and photo-sensor pair. Order one LPS-01 unit for each event you plan to time. Both the laser and the photo-sensor (with reflector) are mounted on adjustable brackets.	$50
USB-01	USB adaptor	$39

Shipping and handling is 10% of order total. We only collect sales tax for Pennsylvania. If your state requires you to pay sales tax then you must pay it yourself.

NOTE: You must provide your own copy of MS Excel to make full use of this product.

We welcome any questions that you may have concerning this product.

E-mail: info@cp4e.com

OUR QUALITY POLICY

It is our policy to continuously improve our products to better satisfy the needs of our customers and to deliver quality products, every time and on time. Computer Products for Education reserves the right to make changes in product specifications and appearance.

COMPUTER PRODUCTS FOR EDUCATION

PO Box 1694, Kingston, PA 18704 USA