PortaTree Silver Box Professional User Manual

PORTATREE PROFESSIONAL MANUAL

The Portatree Professional Drag Racing Timing System can be used “Stand Alone”
(without the use of a Personal Computer) or with an IBM Compatible Personal Computer
connected through Com Port 1 or 2 to the Portatree Professional. We recommend using a
Personal Computer if you intend to have over 100 entries. See the Specifications that we
recommend for your computer before your buy one and make sure that you run the viewing
screen in 800 x 600 resolution.

SETTING UP THE PERSONAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE:

The software for the Portatree Professional is available in 3 different combinations; 1.)
Database only, 2.) Database and Scoreboard Drivers 3.) Database, Scoreboard Drivers, and
Qualifying / Ladders. Another option that can be purchased separately is Auto Start, which is
available in options 2 & 3. The software is sent in CD Rom only and the disk containing the
Registration Key (Ptspro.ini File) which must be loaded manually into the C:\Windows
directory. This file is necessary to create the link between the Personal Computer and the
Portatree Professional Drag Race Computer.

You should first load the CD Rom that comprise Paradox Runtime. This contains the
Post Process Program and the Drag Race Program (“Ptree.exe”). See the Post Process
Program Installation Instructions on Page 8 of this manual. The Post Process Program is run in
conjunction with Paradox Runtime while the Drag Race Program runs without the need to start
Paradox Runtime.

You can Drag and Drop Shortcut Icons onto your main screen in Windows ’95 or ’98 by
opening up the Windows Explorer. Find the ptree.exe file (should be in C:\portatree\) and the
Pdxrwn32.exe file (should be in C:\Program Files\Borland\Paradox9 Runtime). Left Click (Hold
Left Mouse Button Down) and drag the file name onto the Main Screen. You can rename the
Icon Drag Race Program (ptree.exe) and Post Process Program (Pdxrwn32.exe).

CONNECTING THE PORTATREE PROFESSIONAL COMPUTER TO THE P.C.

After all disks are loaded into your Personal Computer, you should concentrate on
getting the Drag Race Program operational first. Power up your Track Interface Box with 12
volts D.C.and make sure the Toggle Switch is “ON” to power up your Portatree Professional
Computer. You will see Competition, Diagnostics, and System Setup on the Portatree
Professional Display. Now you must double click on the Drag Race Program Icon on your
Personal Computer, you will see the Main Portatree Professional Drag Race System screen
open up. If you are connected to the Portatree Professional Computer, you will see under the
“Portatree Pro Status” the Serial, Version, Config, and Mfg Date appear. If you see “labs” ,
“labv”, “labc” , “labm” -- you are NOT connected. This means that either your serial port on
the P.C. is BAD, you are not using the special Null Modem Cable provided with your software,
or you are on a different com port and must go into the C:\ Windows\ptspro.ini file and edit the
[communications] section where it says port=1 ( this means com 1 or set it to a 2 for com 2 ).
You must be linked to the Personal Computer before you can go to the next step.

SETTING UP THE PRO BOX

Click on “Setup” and then “ProBox” and you will see the screen on the next page (this is
the Switch Setting Screen) with 4 tabs labeled Switches, Race, Lights, and Test Lights. The
Switch settings shown are for a _ mile Asphalt track. Note that all down track locations (60 Ft
330 ft, 594 ft, 660 ft, 990 ft, 1254 ft, 1320 ft ) the polarity is set to HIGH. This is true on an
asphalt track only using Banner SBL1 (Yellow) Infrared Sensors. If you are running a Sand,

Dirt, or Mud Track you would set the polarity to LOW because you are using the Silver Light
Source Photo Cells. On the side marked “Present” you should have check marks next to the
sensor locations are at your track. NOTE: The 1320 is always the FINISH LINE even if your
track is only 60 feet long !! the 1254 is the MPH trap for the 1320 and the 594 is the MPH trap
for the 660 foot. If you were running an 1/8 mile track the finish would be the “1320” sensor
and the MPH trap would be the “1254”. A 330 foot on an 1/8 mile trap would be the “660”. On

a 300 foot Dirt Track the “1320” would be the FINISH and the “1254” would be the MPH trap
even if the trap was only 10 feet long !! These numbers are only labels as to which sensor that
we are referring. The Trap Distance can be changed to the distance used on your track from
10 to 132 feet. If you are using Kilometers, it can go from 3 to 40 meters (Kilometers Per Hour
can be selected set on the “Race” Tab). The other 3 pages are self explanatory.

SETTING UP THE PRINT STRINGS

This section is used only if you are using the level shifter and printing time slips directly
out of the Portatree Professional Computer. If you are using an RS-485 Network Card and
Smart Switch, you will not need this section.

The Level Shifter (RS-485 to RS-232 converter) is off white in color and has a power
light and 3 switches on the face of it. The switches should be set to DTE, SIMU, RS=on /
TS=on. You must have the converter powered with the adapter provided. This unit is driven
directly from the Pro Box and is a great backup system if your RS-485 Network should fail.

Click on “Setup” and then click on “Print Strings”. The next page shows the Results
Printout – String Setup Screen which will appear. This is where you would setup printer lines
for your Time Slips. You can type in up to 13 different lines and they must be only 40
characters long and you must center them manually. When you have the lines completed,
you can type in a print sequence exactly as you would on the “STAND ALONE” Portatree

Professional Computer. The print sequence must use a Capital “P” in the sequence to print
the race information. You should also leave an empty line and put 4 of them at the end to

push the time slip out of the printer. See the Portatree Pro Box Video on how to setup your
print strings.

The Local Printer Enable box must be checked when using a level shifter. You can also
save files and load files in the bottom of this screen. Just type in a new file name with a *.txt
extension and it will save file or load file with the time slip you created.

RACE SETUP SCREEN

Click on “Race” and then click on “Race Screen” to start into the Race Program. You
will see the “Race Setup” Screen appear (See Below). The Race Setup Screen is where you
will make changes to the RACE ROUND, RACE CATEGORY, and RACE TYPE. It is also
where you will setup the Results Database (Race Day File) and select the Racers.db and the
category.db files. There is also a check box where you can turn “on” or “off” rerun checks
during time trials. This is a useful feature if you want to make sure each vehicle is only getting
one time trial per round.

The Results Database must be created every Race Day. It is your record of runs made
down your race track. The results file must take the format Year, Month, & Day. An example
would be a race on May 29, 1999. The file should be typed in as 990529.db. If you get
partially rained out and want to finish racing on another day, you can always reopen this file
and add more results to it. It just makes sense to label your results this way so that if you want
to retrieve data at a later date about a specific race, you can easily find the data.

You must also make sure that you put this file into a separate directory. This is
important because you will be making a tremendous amount of result files and they would be
best kept in separate directories and a new one setup each year. The format that we use is to

create a new directory called C:\RESUL99 (open the Windows Explorer and create a new
folder). A C:\RESUL96, C:\RESUL97, and a C:\RESUL98 have been created for each race
year. Next year we will create a C:\RES2000 directory. On the Right Side of the Race Setup
Screen, click on the C:\ under the Directory heading next to File Name under Results
Database and then click on the new directory, C:\RESUL99, that you have just created. Then

enter the Race Day File for the new Race Day.

Under Racers Database and Category Database, you must click on the C:\ under
Directory and then click on Portatre and Portatre again ( C:\portatree\portatree directory –
some windows ’98 computers only show C:\portatre ) and then select the Racers.db and the
category.db files (racers1.db is the second racer database and racers2.db is the third).

Setup the Round, Race Type, and Race Category that you would like to run. We have
made several sample categories for you, but in order to change these categories, you will have
to go into the Post Process Program. When all of your data is entered, Click on “OK” and the
Main Race Screen will appear.

MAIN RACE SCREEN

The main screen is a typical Windows ’95 and ’98 Program which uses all of the
standard “HOT” keys. The screen is very user friendly and very easy to use. Racers and
entered on the Right Side of the screen by positioning the cursor with your Mouse or by
Keystroke. The F5, F6, F7, and F8 keys position the cursor into the four data entry slots on
the right of the screen. Que 1 Left is where you usually begin (depress F5) and the entry
number would be typed into the edit box. Single runs are entered into the Que 1 Left or Right
and the empty lane should be typed in as “BYE”. The computer recognizes “BYE” as an empty
lane and automatically disqualifies the run. If you have already set up the category, then the
Dial-In, Tree Speed, and Tree Type would be entered automatically. The category editor in the
Post Process Program handles this feature. After you have entered Que 1 Left and Que 1
Right you would Click on the “BUMP QUE” button or depress “F12” to advance them onto the
main screen. At this point you can edit the Dial-In, Tree Type, and Tree Speed only. You can
not change the Entry Number on the main race screen. When you are confident that the
information on the main screen is correct, then you can click on “Tower Ready” or depress “F9”

to send the information to the Pro Box. The tower ready light on the track will illuminate and
the starter can start the race.

The lower right corner of the race screen has 4 panels which activate (lighted) and
deactivate when left Mouse Clicked. They also activate from data entry provided in the
category editor in the Post Process Program. They can be deactivated or activated at any time
when in the Race Screen. These 4 panels are for Top Bulb Oscillate (Renders Delay Boxes
Useless), Breakout (Bracket Racing), Dual Red Lights (Usually Used during Time Trials), and
Super Start (Blue Light on Christmas Tree – Deep Staging Not Allowed).

VERSION 100 RACE SCREEN

There is a small panel labeled “AS” above the 4 panels above which is for “Automatic
Storing” of results. Sometimes during a track testing session, it is best to turn this box off so
that tests are not stored. This panel can be activated and deactivated by a Left Button Mouse
Click. The Box above “AS” is labeled “Finish” and this represents the location of the Finish
Line. This can be changed automatically by going to the Category editor and entering a –1, 0,
or 1 in the Finish Line location field. A 0 means that the finish is at the 1320 foot location and a
1 means that the finish is at the 660 foot location (Mid Track), and a -1 means that the finish
location has been selected in the Pro Box Setup Screen (Look above under Pro Box Setup)
under the switches page and “Trap End”.

The rest of the Race Screen has various buttons to Reset the Race in case one vehicle
does not finish or Reset the Tower Ready if the race has not started yet (This would allow you
to change incorrect data and send a Tower Ready again). The Breakout Boxes illuminate if a
vehicle goes below their Dial-In) and the Prestage and Stage Panels illuminate when the
vehicles break the starting line beams. The Clear Buttons clear information off of the race
screen or out the of the que. The “Xwin” button exhanges the winner if the Centerline is
crossed or another Disqualification has occurred. The 200 and 300 versions have
“Disqualification” Buttons at the top of the screen which turn red when depressed and
automatically disqualify an entry and change the winner of the race if necessary. These
versions also have a MOV box for seconds as well as feet (or Meters if running Kilometers per
Hour). The Panic Button turns the Panic Lights “ON” and “OFF” and the Setup Button brings