FINISHLYNX PLUG INS

There are a number of software plug ins available for the Finishlynx software.

Automatic Capture Module (ACM)

With this plugin, the camera can be configured to take pictures AUTOMATICALLY - without the need for the capture button. Unbelievable as this may sound, the camera now KNOWS when there is activity at the finish line - without the use of chunky photo beams or other optical/mechanical triggering devices - and takes the picture of the finishers. The feature also has the ability to use the camera as a surrogate photobeam to drive running-time clocks. All in all, it is possibly the most revolutionary advance in digital photo-finish technology since the first FinishLynx® system.

Multiple Region Enhancement (MRE)

In some lighting conditions, the view of the finish line seen by the camera may be divided into well lit areas and significantly darker areas. This most often occurs when a shadow falls across a portion of the finish line.
With the MRE plugin the Lynx operator can define specific areas of the field of view for electronic enhancement. With this plugin, the operator can set the image exposure for the brighter areas of the track and use the MRE feature to pull viable image from the darker areas. These settings are “sticky” and will stay from one event to the next. Like the standard enhancement feature, the enhancement can easily be undone – even after the image is saved.

Multiple Split Interface LPMSI

This plugin will allow the operator to capture multiple ‘finishes’ within a single race. This can either be configured so that a single camera takes multiple pictures at different times (i.e. every lap of a 4 x 400 relay in athletics applications), or so that multiple cameras take pictures at different positions and times during a race (i.e. ¼, ½ , ¾ mile splits in a thoroughbred mile race).

Camera information can be configured for each ‘split’ and the capture capability can be automatically configured – to capture for a given time at a given moment, or manually switched by the FinishLynx® operator from within the software.

Note that MSI does not work with SCSI hardware. FinishLynx® will act as if the plug-in is not present if using SCSI hardware.



Lap Time (LT)

With FinishLynx 4.0 this plugin can generate lap times using evaluated times taken from the FinishLynx image, or when connected to an appropriate external signal generator, it will enable the FinishLynx operator to store lap times for every competitor. The Lap Time plugin stores times for every lap of a multi-lap race and outputs these split times with the results. In this way an accurate lap-count is also maintained. This information updates in real time and can be fed to a scoreboard or a computer running ResulTV directly from FinishLynx.

This plugin will enables FinishLynx to store every lap time for every competitor of a multi-lap race. In this way an accurate lap-count is also maintained. This information updates in real time and can be fed to a scoreboard or a computer running ResulTV directly from FinishLynx.

These Lap Time signals are generated by a compatible external device and provided to FinishLynx over a serial data connection. The software has the capability of verifying that the elapsed lap times fall within a preset time spectrum. If desired the splits can be printed with the results and there is an option for split times to be saved with the FinishLynx *.LIF file.

Serial Wireless (SW)

The serial wireless plug-in allows a FinishLynx user to connect any number of start sensors and photocells to their FinishLynx system wirelessly. For example, a track customer can have a Start Sensor connected to a wireless signal transmitter , and photocells at each corner of the track for the ultimate in flexibility in obtaining splits.

The photocells can be activated and deactivated fairly easily so the FinishLynx Operator can set up a 1500m race where they take 400, 800, and 1200 splits from one photoeye, and then take the 1500 split from a different photoeye.

An added advantage of these devices is that any signal they receive can be automatically retransmitted up to 16 times until the receiver acknowledges receipt. FinishLynx will then retroactively start the clock, or take a split, based on the signal timestamp and not on when the signal was received. This is a significant improvement over previous technologies where the impulse was transmitted once and if it was missed (because of radio interference or the like), it was gone for good.

New NCP (Network COM Port) Plug-in available

The FinishLynx NCP (Network COM Port) Plug-in allows you to use a single FinishLynx computer to communicate with multiple serial devices directly through TCP sockets instead of serial ports.

With the help of SeriaLynx, you can put serial devices such as scoreboards, wind gauges, and lap timers on a wired or wireless Ethernet network and then use the NCP Plug-in to enable FinishLynx to communicate with those devices.

Other plugins available are:

Remote Control

Time Trial