Chip Timing Assistant (App for iOS)

Chip Timing Assistant provides complete set up options to configure your chip timing tag reader. Currently, only the Ipico/Active Super Elite tag reader is supported. This app works particularly well in an environment where tag reads are stored on the tag reader itself and retrieved at a later date. By directly connecting your mobile device via ethernet (and an appropriate USB->ethernet dongle) you can now set time of day, check the time of day, insert a marker on the device, request a replay of tag reads, view the replay of tag reads, and view the raw stream of tag reads. There's even basic support for using a csv file (same format as that used by the Active timing software) so the tag reads are mapped to a specific participant.

The first time you use the app, you should click Load Files to download the current tag and participant files. These files are used to look up the tags in the Timing Stream view so you can see the names associated with each tag. This process only needs to be done once since the files are saved on the device. If the files are updated, click Load Files to replace the current files.

Connect to a tag reader by plugging a standard ethernet cable from the box to your mobile device. Or, you may also connect to the WiFi device attached to the box. Verify the connection by clicking Connect and waiting a few seconds to see if a connection occurred. It's sometime's necessary to try connecting 2-3 times before the initial connection works. After connection, click the Set Time button to sync the time of the box to the mobile device time. Do this for each timing box so they all have a synchronized time. At this point you can let the timing box run. All tag reads will be stored on the box and are easily retrievable at a later date.

Tag reads are just the time of day so you need to save the time the race starts. Either click the Set Start button when the race starts and immediately click Set (with the current race time at 00:00), or set the race start after the actual race start and enter the current race time. That is, if you race yourself, you can click Set Start when you finish, enter the current race time, and click set. The app will substract the current race time from the current time in order to calculate the race start. The race start will be saved in the app until the Set Start button is clicked again. You can also save the race start on the timing box by clicking Connect, and then Set Mark. Set Mark saves a marker on the box with the start time from the app.

If you want to view the finish times, connect to the finish box and click the Timing button. This looks up all tag reads and tries to display the real name. It also converts the time of day to the actual race time (assuming the start time was correctly set).