Wireless PC driven ghost cars for analog

[injectorman]

Hi Guys,
Scorpius has the first and only PC driven ghost car for analog using the Scorpius Race Management System or the Scorpius Car Driver program using the Scorpius Wireless Analog Module (per lane) and one Scorpius dongle (connected to your PC). Why not give it a try?


How to do?
Plug the Wireless Analogue Module into your analogue track driver station.
Connect dongle to PC.
Download the Scorpius Digital Race Management System or Scorpius "Car Driver" program. Set it up, place car on lane. Click start.

Have fun.



Rick

[Scaleracing]

More information please.

Hey Rick are these Ghost cars running around at a set speed, or actually racing the track. Can you elaborate a little then we can have fun!!

[csxgrafix]

So too am I interested in the answer to Alan's question. Being on the edge of purchasing the wireless setup, just for analog, this may be the "push" that seals the deal.
Cheers,
Chris

[dangermouse]

Chris
I really like my controller WAM setup

This will be interesting to see how it works

DM

[injectorman]

Hey Rick are these Ghost cars running around at a set speed, or actually racing the track. Can you elaborate a little then we can have fun!!

Constant speed, but recorded laps are in the pipeline.

To elaborate Ill do a video soon. Its actually very simple.

Rick

Edit: Record/playback Smart Car program incorporated into Scorpius Race Management System January 2016.

[injectorman]

PC driven analogue ghost car.

Hi Guys,

Enjoy.....

[youtube]-tCLUDo9Q1Q[/youtube]

Calibrated recorded/playback cars soon.



Rick

[ModelTrainGuy]

H'mmmm ...

"Calibrated /Recorded " ghost cars ...Does this mean ghost cars that run modulated laps ? (fast on straights, slow in corners) as a copy of a lap recorded by prior driver ?

Apparently no ghost system does this yet ...

[MrFlippant]

MTG? SSD has had recorded pace cars for years now.

[cloaked]

Calibrated recorded/playback cars soon.

I've seen some videos of this on digital tracks.

Can you record/playback a ghost car on an analog track too now? (ie: going fast in the straights and slowing down in the corners)

If so, is this what's required?
1. Scorpius RMS software
2. USB Dongle
3. Wireless Analogue Module
(Hoping I don't need a Scorpius controller too)

Ive currently got a trackmate lightbridge for timing and scoring. Track is analog with standard 3 post drivers stations.

[MrFlippant]

You will need the Scorpius controller, too. That's pretty much the foundation of anything Scorpius.

I also suspect you'll need to retrofit some kind of electronics into your track to detect the car as it travels around the track. My guess is that Rick will re-purpose his car chips again into remote detectors with IR gate guide blade detectors for you to install around your track. The only way to "calibrate" the car as it travels is to have multiple detection points. Only way to do that is with electronics.

You'll be most of the way to a digital track by the time you have a variable speed, calibrated, ghost car running laps on your track. Only thing missing will be the lane changers. Eventually, if/when this is ever developed and released, you'll probably need all this:

1) Scorpius controller
2) Scorpius dongle
3) Scorpius RMS
4) Scorpius WAM
5) Scorpius Locator Pro (or whatever the new name may be) chips for your calibration points. The more you install, the more accurate the calibration and the more reliable the ghost car will be. So.. x5? Oh, and that's PER LANE, most likely. Might be per 2 lanes. If you're lucky, it will be across multiple lanes.

Effectively, the only difference between this and a fully digital Scorpius track is that you're "chipping the lane" with the WAM, rather than all your cars, and you're not installing flippers for all the electronics that could otherwise also control flippers.

[injectorman]

Me Flippant had it mostly nailed.
Except there is no need to use the WAM.
You will need 2 Lane Brains, one to count laps and calibrate, the other purely to help calibrate, one car chip installed in car, controller to operate car, dongle, a bridging plug ( or alligator clips ) and race management system.
The record playback lane will essentially powered all the time while the other lanes remain analogue.

And yes it is possible to detect analogue guides using a reprogrammed car chip to be used in conjunction with WAM but this is another project for another day.

Rick

[injectorman]

Eventually, if/when this is ever developed and released, .........

Greg I'm assuming you're talking about the Smart Car record/playback feature on the RMS.

The Smart Car program was 100% completed and tested January this year.
On a digital track with lane changers it can analyse the traffic ahead and plan it's overtaking moves, and has rear end anti collision so as to not run into the rear of any car on the track should they slow it stop. That's why we call it the "Smart Car" .

Rick

[MrFlippant]

The Smart Car system was never a part of this conversation, as it is 100% digital, and this thread is about analog ghost cars.

Can you devise a system that will enable calibrated, variable speed, ghost car (recorded lap playback) of analog cars, where it is not required to chip the car the user wants to act as the ghost? I think that's what most readers of this thread are looking for.

If they have to retrofit an almost complete digital system to their track, and chip every car they want to act as the ghost, they might lose interest in the solution.

[injectorman]

Understand it would be handy to control an analogue car and this is on the list of things to do.
In Cloaks original post he enquires about ghost cars on an analog track. Currently I can only offer what we have ( that involves and let's face it for the price of 1 WAM you can get 2 car decoders. How many ghost cars you want is of course different for everyone. This is a Scorpius ghost car on an analog track.

We already have the Mini Lane Brain which can drive 32 Location IDs so you can have up to 32 calibration points, and these are just $34.95 plus tax AUD, that's currently about $28USD.
You also need controller, dongle, and the race management program.

If you did this you could get to use the wireless controller by purchasing the Wireless Analogue Module which will allow you to use your Scorpius controller to control analogue cars on a standard analog track.


Rick

[DVD3500]

You can use Scalextric's ARC AIR for Pace Car at constant speed laps... it is also wireless...