NOTES for Planners of E-punching events (version 2.2)

Download the software if necessary

If using the club laptop then the required software is already there.

If you need to download the software onto your own computer you can borrow a CD from Mike Pownall or go to the website http://www.sportsoftware.de and download the following files: -

Borland Database Engine (BDE)

Archive Manager (AM2001) for utilising the BOF database

Layout Manager (LM2002) for editing the entry slip layouts

OE2002 V9.8 for setting up the event, entering competitors and doing results

SIManager 98 for programming the control boxes

After downloading them install them in the above order. Full instructions are on the website in English.

Tip: If you have older versions of the Sportident software on your computer uninstall them first from within Control Panel, then Add/Remove programs .

You will need to get the license number from Mike Pownall and enter this in the OE2002 software by clicking on Options then license then register and entering the number.

To set up a new event (Use OE2002)

1. (set up the event)

Select Event then New

Enter the event name, date and zero time e.g. 10.00

Click the SPORTident button

Tick Use start station for real Time start

Tick Use finish station

Mode should be Time taking

Click OK

2. (Select the event as the current event)

Select Event then Select

Select the event you have just created and click on OK

3. (Set up the Class details)

Select Entries then Classes. You may need to select View and deselect some columns so you are just left with the ones shown.

Enter the Number, Short, Long, Start fee columns, then press Enter.

N.B. Short and Long refer to the proper and nick names of the course, not to the badge class or length of the course.

The Short name appears on the description sheet so use White instead of W etc.

The program will give you the next Number for courses after the first one.

Include any colour coded and junior badge classes you may be using

Tip. Set up the M classes first - the program expects this.

4. (Set up the control descriptions)

Select Courses then Controls.

You will then be told you need Arial Narrow and Orienteering fonts installed on your computer. If you haven't got the Orienteering font then Mike Pownall or Ian McMillan can email it to you. If you have both fonts installed and the pictorial symbols are not being displayed correctly, then exit OE2002, open a word processing package e.g. Wordpad and type something using the font Orienteering (to initialise it) then re-enter OE2002.

Need to enter the Number e.g. 101 and Description e.g. Stream Junction

Press Enter to go on to the next control.

N.B. Don't forget to enter the start control with a number in the range 1 to 30.

5. (Set up the Course details). N.B. For a colour event keep these the same as the classes)

Select Courses then Courses.

After entering the course number, description, length, climb, start control, run in and tapes click on the Ö in the Controls column and the following window will pop up.

Drag the relevant controls from the right hand column to the left hand.

Click on OK.

6. (Assign Classes to Courses)

Select Courses then Classes

For each Class select the Course from the drop down box

Let the pre-entries person know what your class and course combinations are as soon as possible. Do not make any changes unless absolutely vital as this causes problems for the pre-entries person.

Tip: You can do this by sending them a backup of the event and them restoring it.

Colour courses should have the same class name as the course but for badge classes where there may be many classes on the same course use a basic title e.g. course 3.

Programming the Control Boxes (Use SIManager)

Ensure the clock on your PC or laptop is reasonably accurate.

Enter the Sportident Manager software.

Select Event then New and enter the event name and zero time e.g. 10:00

Leave the SI cards with start numbers box ticked.

Select Event then Select and select the event in question from the list.

Select SI Stations, Prepare, Competition Day and the screen below will appear.

Connect the Master Control box to a serial port on your computer (COM1 usually).

Wake up the Master Control box by passing the magnet over it until it beeps. The coloured circle at the bottom left of the screen will be Green if all is ok.

f it is not green, then the Master Control box is not woken up or your Serial port settings may be wrong. (they should be as shown on the left, assuming you are using COM2. It will be COM1 on a laptop).

Once woken up, put the Induction stick into the hole in the Master Control box.

Wake up a Control box that is to be programmed by passing the magnet over it until it beeps.

Place the Control box to be programmed upside down on the induction stick, so the control box is upside down on top of the Master Control box.

On screen the task drop down box contains the following values: -

Clear (keep start no.) and Read SI cards are not used at this stage.

It is easier if you program the Clear, Check, Start and Finish boxes first then do the Control boxes.

It is prudent to program a spare Check, Start and Finish box in case of failure on the day.

The Clear station boxes are dedicated so they can only be Clear stations. They are labelled accordingly. Do not try to program these as any other type of box.

The Batteries section of the screen shows how much battery power has been used. If this is greater than 90% then change the batteries. It is a good idea to check the battery level of all the controls before starting the programming phase.

Set the Power On time and date and the Power Off time and date. The date is the date of the competition. The power on/off times should allow for 30mins at each end of the event to allow for clock error and for early or late starters i.e. EPOC helpers.

Ensure you get these correct.

Choose the correct Control type and Code number. Use codes under 30 for the Clear, Check, Start and Finish boxes. Ensure the code number on screen matches the code number on the label on the control box.

Check the box above the Write button says Master then click on Write and the box should be programmed within seconds. A status bar appears on screen. If the status bar does not increase, then you may have forgotten to wake up the control box. In this case wait for the error message (SI station not ready), remove the control box, wake it up and try again.

Verify the information in the Current Contents part of the screen as well as the status message (Control xyÖÖ) and move on to the next box.

Do not select the Turn off button - this loses your programming and the control will not wake up on the day of the event.

When programming the control boxes the program will increment the control box code number automatically so it saves time if your control boxes are numbered sequentially and you program them in numerical order.

It is a good idea to program a few extra control boxes with numbers over 200 for the planners to use in emergencies.

You may find that if you take a break that the master station goes to sleep and that it will need waking up again. You may realise this because you get the SI station not ready message on screen. Use the magnet to wake up the master station again.

After programming you can print off the log file to check your work. To do this select Protocol then Print.

You may see programming from previous events but the date will indicate the boxes you have just programmed.