[dazee]

Finished for now - at least to a level where I can kick back and just enjoy it for a while.


Landscaping will continue to progress and get more details filled in, but mainly now will just continue to run the track to wear it in.


Main items left to do as improvements...  The track sensor can be a pain in the ar$e.  It is currently a photo gate and generally very good and reliable.  But if you have lifted the track or transported it and it needs adjustment, well my adjustment screws are on the underside of the track, so a pain to get to and adjust.  I plan to fit a plate under the sensor to raise and lower it using screws from the track surface on the start/finish line.  These will get covered with some scale cones.



The final item I want to change is the main display and behind it, the logic used on racing.  Currently, it is just a 2 line LCD and the only control on the whole setup is my big yellow reset button which just cuts the power for a restart.  I have a nice little TFT touch screen display to fit in there that not only will display more information but open up the possibility for setting the number of laps, or time limit, save and keep record times, etc

A short video of it over at https://dazee-projects.blogspot.com/2020...nning.html running the cars slowly just to check for any inconsistent power pick ups.

Having the second arduino there to do the tones and lights for marking laps and best laps is great.  Not only does it allow you to keep focus on the actual driving of the slot car, but it removes any possible impact that has on the timing of the laps.  The timing circuit now just sends a short pulse to one of two pins for each and every lap.  

Overall very happy with how well this has turned out and runs.