Microgate WITTY User Manual
User Manual
Manual version 1.0
Firmware version 1.06.12
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Contents
1 Device Functions and Major Features ......................................................................................................................... 5
1.1 Contents of the Kit ................................................................................................................................ 6
2 Main Functions ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Witty Timer ........................................................................................................................................... 7
2.1.1 Switching On .............................................................................................................................. 8
2.1.2 Switching Off.............................................................................................................................. 8
2.1.3 Reset .......................................................................................................................................... 8
2.2 Photocells ............................................................................................................................................. 9
2.2.1 Mounting Photocells and Reflectors on Tripods ..................................................................... 10
2.2.2 LED Statuses and Colors .......................................................................................................... 11
2.2.3 Paired Photocells ..................................................................................................................... 12
2.3 Radio Transmission ............................................................................................................................. 14
2.4 Elements of the Graphical User Interface .......................................................................................... 15
2.4.1 Virtual Keyboard ...................................................................................................................... 19
2.4.2 The Start (STA) and Stop (STO) Keys ........................................................................................ 20
2.4.3 The Lock Key (LCK) ................................................................................................................... 20
2.4.4 Icons on the Header Bar .......................................................................................................... 21
2.5 Power Supply and Charging ................................................................................................................ 22
3 Quick Setup: how to quickly carry out your first test ........................................................................................ 23
4 Test Types:........................................................................................................................................................................... 28
4.1 Basic .................................................................................................................................................... 28
4.1.1 In Line ...................................................................................................................................... 29
4.1.2 Go & Back ................................................................................................................................ 33
4.1.3 Shuttle with Recovery .............................................................................................................. 34
4.2 Multistart ............................................................................................................................................ 35
4.2.1 Configuring the Photocells ...................................................................................................... 35
4.3 Counter ............................................................................................................................................... 39
5 Functions of the Witty Timer ....................................................................................................................................... 42
5.1 Test ..................................................................................................................................................... 43
5.1.1 Simple Test .............................................................................................................................. 44
5.1.1.1 New .................................................................................................................................. 47
5.1.1.2 Delete Event .................................................................................................................... 47
5.1.1.3 Ranking ............................................................................................................................ 48
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5.1.1.4 Options ............................................................................................................................ 49
5.1.2 Preconfigured Test .................................................................................................................. 55
5.1.2.1 Load ................................................................................................................................. 56
5.1.2.2 Sprint Start-Stop: timing of a BASIC In-Line Test ............................................................. 56
5.1.2.3 Go & Back: timing of a BASIC Go & Back Test ................................................................. 56
5.1.2.4 Shuttle 5x + 30": timing of a BASIC Shuttle Test .............................................................. 56
5.1.2.5 MultiStart Start-Stop: timing of a MULTISTART Test ....................................................... 57
5.1.2.6 Counter 10x: timing of a COUNTER Test ......................................................................... 61
5.1.3 My Tests ................................................................................................................................... 62
5.1.3.1 Load ................................................................................................................................. 62
5.1.3.2 Edit ................................................................................................................................... 62
5.1.3.3 Delete .............................................................................................................................. 62
5.1.3.4 Cancel .............................................................................................................................. 62
5.1.4 Define New Test ...................................................................................................................... 63
5.2 Results ................................................................................................................................................ 66
5.2.1 Show ........................................................................................................................................ 66
5.2.2 Continue .................................................................................................................................. 66
5.2.3 Sort/Filter................................................................................................................................. 66
5.2.3.1 Sort .................................................................................................................................. 66
5.2.3.2 Filter ................................................................................................................................. 67
5.2.3.3 Reset Filter ....................................................................................................................... 68
5.2.4 Delete ...................................................................................................................................... 69
5.3 Athletes .............................................................................................................................................. 70
5.3.1 Show ........................................................................................................................................ 70
5.3.2 Sort .......................................................................................................................................... 71
5.3.3 Delete ...................................................................................................................................... 71
5.3.4 Cancel ...................................................................................................................................... 71
5.4 Settings ............................................................................................................................................... 72
5.4.1 Radio ........................................................................................................................................ 73
5.4.1.1 Verify Signal ..................................................................................................................... 73
5.4.1.2 Frequency ........................................................................................................................ 74
5.4.1.3 Photocell Mode ............................................................................................................... 75
5.4.2 Display ..................................................................................................................................... 77
5.4.2.1 Brightness ........................................................................................................................ 77
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5.4.2.2 Screen Time-Out .............................................................................................................. 78
5.4.3 Sound ....................................................................................................................................... 79
5.4.4 Date & Clock ............................................................................................................................ 80
5.4.4.1 Set Date ........................................................................................................................... 80
5.4.4.2 Set Time ........................................................................................................................... 81
5.4.4.3 Date/Time Format ........................................................................................................... 81
5.4.5 Units ......................................................................................................................................... 83
5.4.5.1 Measurement Unit: ......................................................................................................... 83
5.4.5.2 Precision .......................................................................................................................... 84
5.4.5.3 Speed ............................................................................................................................... 84
5.4.6 Language .................................................................................................................................. 85
6 Connecting to a PC via Witty Manager ..................................................................................................................... 86
7 Technical Data .................................................................................................................................................................... 87
7.1 Witty Timer ......................................................................................................................................... 87
7.2 Photocell ............................................................................................................................................. 88
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1 DEVICE FUNCTIONS AND MAJOR FEATURES
WITTY is a training timing system ideal for all sports where assessing athletic performance through sprint,
speed, endurance, reaction, shuttle tests, etc. is essential.
Thanks to the timer and photocell-integrated radio system (which do not require special official
authorization), the large color display, the modern user interface featuring icons, and the practical padded
backpack, setup and use is extremely easy and fast.
The system is largely expandable with the possibility to add (single or double) photocells for intermediate
times, accessories such as starting pads, time displaying LED boards, direction indicators, etc.
The kit comes with a free Windows software (which can be downloaded from our website) called Witty
Manager for importing data of performed tests and viewing it in numerical tables and graphs, managing a
complete athlete personal data base (transferring the athlete's picture to the timer for fast identification),
creating customized test types and updating the timer and photocell firmware.
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1.1 CONTENTS OF THE KIT
Basic kit (art. £WIT001):
1 Witty timer
2 photocells
2 reflectors
4 tripods
1 backpack
1 wall power supply (with 4 different plugs for all world standards ) + 3 USB cables for charging the
timer and 2 photocells simultaneously
1 USB-PC cable
1 USB memory stick containing Witty manuals and Witty manager software
1 cord
The kit can be expanded purchasing more photocell and reflector pairs with tripod ('Lap Time Kit', art.
£WIT002) for managing more lap times.
Both kits (Basic and Lap Time) are available with a 'Double Photocell' option (see chapter 2.4; the relevant
article codes are £WIT003 and £WIT004)
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2 MAIN FUNCTIONS
2.1 WITTY TIMER
The figure below shows the main parts of the Witty timer, which will be explained hereafter.
Confirmation key
MICROGATE key
LOCK, START and STOP
Numeric keypad
Function keys F1 to F4
Keypad navigator
USB connector for charging and connecting to a PC
3.5mm jack for external inputs
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2.1.1 SWITCHING ON
To switch on the Witty timer press the <Microgate> key. After a few seconds required by the boot loader,
a screen is displayed showing the installed firmware version. Press any key to go to the Main Menu.
2.1.2 SWITCHING OFF
From any screen press the <Microgate> key and hold it for 5 seconds.
Another screen prompts to confirm switching off the timer. Press <F1> to confirm or <F4> to cancel.
2.1.3 RESET
If the timer does not respond to any command, press the <Microgate> key and hold it for at least 10
seconds. When the key is released, the device will be reset and switched off. Press the key again to switch
on.
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2.2 PHOTOCELLS
To switch on the photocell press the ON button for one second; the status LED blinks with a green light (if
the battery status is sufficient) or with an orange light (if the battery status is low). A continuous beeping
sound is produced until the correct alignment with the reflector (or a similar reflecting surface) is found.
To switch off the photocell press the button until the LED turns red, then release it.
ON/OFF button
USB connector for charging
and updating the firmware
3.5mm jack for photocell
pair and external inputs
Status Led
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2.2.1 MOUNTING PHOTOCELLS AND REFLECTORS ON TRIPODS
To mount the photocells and the reflectors on the tripods supplied with the kit, proceed as follows: remove
the little platform from the top of the tripod and screw it onto the photocells and under the reflectors (the
platform is square-shaped and therefore allows 4 mounting directions with respect to the tripod). Mount
the devices onto the top of the tripod inserting the front of the platform, and then the rear until the tab
clicks into place.
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Extend the tripod legs until the required height has been reached (usually the photocell must be
interrupted by the chest of an athlete), and position the photocells and the reflectors at a distance of 1-7
meters (see also chap. 5.4.1.3 on setting 'Normal' or 'Strong' mode depending on the position).
2.2.2 LED STATUSES AND COLORS
PHOTOCELL OFF
STATUS
STATUS LED
Battery charged/empty
Off
External supply
Battery charging
Orange blinking light
External supply
Battery charging
completed
Green steady light
PHOTOCELL ON
STATUS
STATUS LED
NORMAL Mode
Battery charged
Battery empty
Green - Pause
Red - Pause
BOOTLOADER Mode
The photocell has not been switched on pressing the
ON/OFF button but by connecting the USB cable to a PC.
This activates the BootLoader HID and the firmware can be
updated.
Red - Green
CONFIGURATION Mode
When switching on, the ON/OFF button is pressed for at
least 5 seconds and configuration mode is activated.
Red blinking light
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PAIRED PHOTOCELL Mode:
Master photocell (higher serial number)
Battery charged
Battery empty
Slave photocell (lower serial number)
Battery charged
Battery empty
Green - Pause
Red - Pause
Green fast blinking light
Red fast blinking light
2.2.3 PAIRED PHOTOCELLS
To prevent the photocell being interrupted by an athlete's arm swinging forward, in official competitions or
in any case when measurement must be as accurate as possible, the use of paired photocells is necessary.
This setup ensures that time is measured exactly when the athlete's chest crosses the line, as the impulse
(start/stop/lap, depending on the position) is given only when both photocells are interrupted.
To mount the photocells, screw the C bracket onto the tripod platform, the photocells, and the reflectors,
as shown in the figure (the photocells are mounted at 90° with respect to the C bracket).
Then mount the bracket onto the tripod and connect it with the photocells using the jack-jack cable. The
MASTER photocell is the one with the higher serial number (see chap. 5.4.1.1) and blinks more slowly than
the SLAVE. As the Master photocell transmits the signal to the timer, to ensure a wider aerial range, the
latter should always be mounted on top.
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Master:
Higher S/N,
blinking at regular
speed.
Always on TOP!
Slave:
Lower S/N,
blinking fast.
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2.3 RADIO TRANSMISSION
The suggested maximum distance to keep in order to prevent reception problems is 150 meters. It is in any
case advisable to check the signal quality with the procedure described in chapter 5.4.1.1.
MAX
150
mt
.
MAX
150
mt
In case of rainy weather radio transmission can be disturbed by the water drops and therefore the
maximum distance must be reduced.
In order to obtain excellent reception, position the Witty timer at a height of at least 50 cm (without
touching the ground) and do not place it on top of metal objects.
MIN 50 cm
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2.4 ELEMENTS OF THE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE
The Witty timer features an interface with icons and commands similar to those used in modern mobile
phones and smartphones. Let's take a look at the main icons and how to use them.
To browse the menus, use the four keys of the <keypad navigator>. When the icon of the required
command is selected (icon outlined in yellow), press the center <Confirm/OK> key to access the relevant
function.
To go back to the previous screen or in any case when the regular BACK or ESC function is needed, pres
the <Microgate> key.
Battery charge status
Connected to a PC via USB cable
Current menu/section
Current time
Selected icon
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When commands are shown in the lower part of the display (inside the yellow portion), they can be
selected using the corresponding <function key>
If the Data Tables consist of one or more columns, the rows can be scrolled with the <up> and <down>
arrow keys; the selected row is then highlighted in light blue. Press the <OK> key or one of the <Fn> keys to
interact depending on the context. Pressing the <right> and <left> arrow keys has the same effect as the
PgDn and PgUp keys on a PC, i.e. the list is scrolled down by pages.
In order to open a dropdown list, press the relevant function key (in this case F3 labeled 'Test') or the <up
arrow key>; the dropdown menu opens showing all elements, which can be scrolled using the <up> and
<down> arrow keys, and the required item confirmed with <OK>.
On screens having more than one dropdown menu, use the <up> and <down> arrow keys to select the
desired dropdown menu, then press <OK> to open it. Again use the <up> and <down> arrow keys to scroll
the items, and finally confirm the selected item by pressing <OK>.
Selected row
Data table
Dropdown menu
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If you need to type a number, the cursor is automatically positioned inside the field. Use the <numeric
keypad> to enter the required number, and confirm with <F1> (Save) to save the data.
If there are several numeric fields (e.g. date or time input) confirm with <OK> in the various fields to go to
the next one.
As there is no delete (Del/Backspace) key, in case of mistakes just retype the number. Depending on the
context, the fields accept a finite number of digits (e.g. for a date only 2), so the entered data overwrites
the previous one.
e.g. If you want to enter the number 18 in the day field, but you have typed 81, just type 18 again and you
will obtain the following results:
press 1 press 8
For selecting items having exclusive selection buttons (radio buttons), proceed as follows: with the <up>
and <down> arrow keys select the required item, which turns light blue; press <OK> to set the option.
If you want to
change the
language from
Italian (currently
selected option)
to Spanish
Move the cursor
until the item is
highlighted in light
blue and press <OK>.
Remember to SAVE
by pressing <F1>
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In case of various radio button groups on the same screen, follow the same steps.
If there are control items such as sliders (e.g. for setting the display brightness), move the arrow using the
<right> and <left> keys, and save by pressing <F1>
.
As you might have already noticed from these screens, the <F1> and <F4> keys are often the opposite of
each other and in general it is true that the <F1> always corresponds to Confirm, Save, Yes, whereas <F4> is
used for Cancel, Back, No. Mainly in prompts requiring confirmation it is common to use <F1> = YES and
<F4> = NO.
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2.4.1 VIRTUAL KEYBOARD
After having defined a customized test type (see chap. 5.1.4) it can be named using the virtual keyboard.
Use the four <arrow> keys to hover over the required letter (highlighted in light blue) and press <OK> to
enter.
Use the shift key () to toggle between capital and small letters. Pressing it once, only the first letter is
capital (e.g. the first letter of the name), whereas by pressing the <OK> key twice, the CAPS-LOCK function
is enabled (all capital letters).
In order to delete a mistyped letter, press BackSpace
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2.4.2 THE START (STA) AND STOP (STO) KEYS
In the top right corner of the timer there are the STA and STO keys simulating
the events recorded by the photocells set as start and stop. These impulses can
be given manually to:
start a test manually giving the first impulse and then manage the
following using the photocells (e.g. a counter test, where only one photocell is used to count
repetitions)
generate a lap time when the athlete passes in a certain point when using 2 photocells (press the
STA key, which is also used as LAP)
end a test manually, if for some reason an athlete has not interrupted the photocell (passing too
close to or below it)
'play' with the timer learning how to use it in manual mode
2.4.3 THE LOCK KEY (LCK)
The Lock key interrupts radio impulse reception by the photocells and the inputs from the 3.5 mm jack. The
keyboard (and therefore also the STA and STO keys) remain enabled.
If, for example, an undesired person is crossing the finish line (a judge, another athlete, etc.), reception can
be interrupted simply by pressing the <LCK> key
A padlock on the header bar indicates that the timer's reception is 'locked'; to reactivate it press the <LCK>
key again.
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2.4.4 ICONS ON THE HEADER BAR
The top part of the timer (Header bar) displays the current time, as well as the a series of icons relevant to
the current screen:
Battery charged 100%
Battery charged 75%
Battery charged 50%
Battery charged 25%
Battery running low
This indicates that the battery has been charged completely and the timer can be
disconnected from the PC or the wall power supply.
When charging, the battery gets very hot. Disconnect from the power supply and wait
until it has cooled down.
The timer battery is being charged via the PC or wall power supply.
The timer is connected to the PC via USB cable.
The LCK key has been pressed and photocell impulse reception, as well as 3.5 mm jack
reception are disabled.
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2.5 POWER SUPPLY AND CHARGING
When the device batteries are low they can be recharged simultaneously for as many as 4 devices.
The Witty Timer battery icon level decreases with the decreasing battery charge and turns red when the
battery is almost empty.
Low battery charge on the photocells is indicated by the RED-PAUSE status LED (see chap. 2.2.2).
To recharge them use the power supply and connect the plug that is compatible with your national grid
format (Europe, UK, USA, Australia). Connect the USB cables to the power supply and the devices to charge.
The plug icon on the Witty Timer next to the battery icon indicates the charging progress.
On the photocells (if switched off), the status LED turns orange and blinks.
Both devices can be charged connecting them both to a PC, but charging takes longer (480 mW instead of
800 mW of the wall power supply).
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3 QUICK SETUP: HOW TO QUICKLY CARRY OUT YOUR FIRST TEST
In a few steps we will show you how to carry out your first test:
Switch the Witty Timer on (chap.
2.1.1).
Mount the photocells onto the
tripods and turn them on (chap.
2.2.1); position the start and
finish photocells at a certain
distance.
START STOP
1
From the main menu select Test
and then Test Base.
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In the top left corner the
athlete's number as well as the
athlete's trial number are
displayed.
The athlete starts and as soon as
he crosses the first photocell
timing begins.
START STOP
1
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When the athlete interrupts the
finish photocell, timing is
stopped and a line is generated
in the table at the bottom of the
screen.
After 3 seconds timing continues,
because as default all photocells
are set as start photocells and do
not receive a stop impulse, but
this does not affect the
performance of a test.
START STOP
1
Press <F1> under 'NEW' for
another athlete (in this case bib
#2).
START STOP
2
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Press <F1> to confirm another
athlete's start.
If the athlete has another bib
number just enter the number
using the numerical keypad and
confirm by pressing <OK>.
The <F3> Rankings button can be
pressed at any time to show the
temporary ranking of the test.
Pressing the <Microgate> key
(which can always be used for
Back/Esc) or <F4> takes you back
to the timing screen.
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When all athletes have finished
their test, press the <Microgate>
key to exit the Test menu
(confirmation required)
Press the <Microgate> key again
to return to the main menu. It is
possible to review the test
(ranking), continue or delete it
from the Result menu (see chap.
5.2)
When the test session has been
completed, switch off the timer
(chap. 2.1.2) and the photocells
(chap. 2.2.1)
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