Cal Club Autocross Forums

I think its time to upgrade my timing system to some sort of network. I'm pretty computer literate, but don't know networking well and am not much for cutting edge technology.

So I'm looking for some suggestions on how to set this up.

I'm currently using a netbook with some custom softwear that reads the timer (serial) and outputs to a large format display (serial). I use USB to serial adapters for the timer and display. The netbook is always plugged in, but will fall back on the battery if the generator quits. Before the netbook I had a printer hooked up via USB. Use another lap top as a back up computer that can do everything and more than what the netbook does.

Here's my desires for a new system
Less parts the better (no router would be nice)
less wires the better
everything should have a battery backup
Printer connected wirelessly
"Primary" computer that will only run timing
"Secondary" computer/notebook/tablet that can remotely display and control the program running on the primary computer, run scoring programs (excel), send files to printer and be carried around.
No internet access avail.

Ideas on where to start?

Jay W

Printers with WiFi are readily available.

You wouldn't need a router, just a wireless access point (WAP), but you may be able to get one of the computers to manage the network.

In theory one of the computers can manage the WiFi network, advertising the network ID and assigning network addresses automatically to all the other devices using DHCP. If your computers are running windows, one way to do it is to create a "peer network". You could also try "internet connection sharing" even though you don't have an internet connection, because part of that system sets up a local network which can be over your WiFi card. I am not sure if you can have DHCP assign fixed addresses to each device using either of the above setups, but fixed addresses would probably make your life easier as a programmer.

You could also skip DHCP and assign the IP addresses manually, but the printer may not allow that -- or it could be a pain in the butt to do, although you will only have to do it once.

I bet you can find a USB-powered wireless access point made for travelling, to share your PC's internet connection with other devices. Range may be limited compared to a wall-powered WAP.

There may be software available to make it easy to set up your computer as the WAP.

I don't know of a printer that runs on battery or USB power. They might exist, they might be smaller than full-page. If you can't find one, you will need a UPS with enough capacity to run you printer and WAP for as long as the generator is out. The laptops can be plugged into non-UPS-protected outlets so that they use their own batteries and don't draw from the UPS.