User’s Manual

ARES 21
CONNECTION BETWEEN ARES 21 AND
MEET-MANAGER FROM HY-TEK

3330.504.02
Version 2.16
Edition November 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 GENERAL ................................................................................................ 1
2 THE OSM6 / ARES 21 TIMER PROTOCOL ............................................ 1
2.1 Configuration on ARES ......................................................................................... 1
2.2 Configuration on Meet Manager ............................................................................ 1
2.3 Operation ............................................................................................................... 1
3 THE ARES 21 BI-DIRECTIONAL PROTOCOL THROUGH GP PORT ... 2
3.1 Configuration on ARES ......................................................................................... 2
3.2 Configuration on Meet Manager ............................................................................ 2
4 THE ARES 21 BI-DIRECTIONAL PROTOCOL PC TO PC ..................... 2
4.1 Configuration on ARES ......................................................................................... 2
4.2 Configuration on Meet Manager ............................................................................ 3
5 OPERATION IN BI-DIRECTIONAL MODE .............................................. 3
5.1 Connecting Meet Manager to ARES 21................................................................. 3
5.2 Linking and sending Event Order .......................................................................... 3
5.3 Import start lists (scoreboard option on MMgr) ...................................................... 3
5.4 Retrieve results after the race................................................................................ 4
6 CABLES AND CONVERTER ................................................................... 4
6.1 Connection to the IF-ARES GP port ...................................................................... 4
6.2 Connection PC to PC ............................................................................................ 4

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SWISS TIMING LTD P.O. Box 138, rue de l'Envers 1 Phone +41 32 488 36 11
2606 Corgémont, Switzerland Fax +41 32 488 36 09
www.swisstiming.com [email protected]
 Connection between ARES 21 and Meet-Manager from Hy-Tek

1 GENERAL
There are three ways of connecting ARES to MeetManager.
OSM6 Mode: from IF-ARES GP port to MeetManager PC com port.
Bi-directional mode: from IF-ARES GP port to MeetManager PC com port.
Bi-directional mode: from PC-ARES com port to MeetManager PC com port.

ARES Swimming version must be equal or higher than 2.15. Please have a look on
section Download in our Web Site (www.swisstiming.com) to know the last version.

2 THE OSM6 / ARES 21 TIMER PROTOCOL

To connect the IF-ARES GP port to a Data Handling PC, a RS485 - RS232 Converter is
required.
RS232 / RS485 GP PC
converter

Data Handling PC ARES PC

2.1 Configuration on ARES

Menu "Configuration -- DH"

[The serial port settings is preset by the software: 9600 8 none 1 (See also configuration->serial port-
>DH)]

The DH must be switch ON (Menu « DH – On »).

2.2 Configuration on Meet Manager

Menu "Set-up -- Timing Console Interface"

Check the "OMEGA OSM6 / ARES 21"

2.3 Operation

In this mode, the results are sent on-line, during the race. Meet Manager picks the times
as they arrive, but does not validate them until "Ready to start" for the next race. The
"Send Result" command on the ARES is currently not supported by MeetManager.

3330.504.02 Version 2.16 Page 1

3 THE ARES 21 BI-DIRECTIONAL PROTOCOL THROUGH GP PORT
To connect the IF-ARES GP port to a Data Handling PC, a RS485 - RS232 Converter is
required.
RS232 / RS485 GP PC
converter

Data Handling PC ARES PC

3.1 Configuration on ARES

Menu "Configuration -- DH"

[The serial port settings is preset by the software: 9600 8 none 1 (See also configuration->serial port-
>DH)]

3.2 Configuration on Meet Manager

Menu "Set-up -- Timing Console Interface"

Check the "OMEGA ARES 21 bi-directional"
Menu "Set-up – Alpha Scoreboard Interface" (only if the start list are needed)
Check the "Daktronics" entry.
(ARES 21 uses this protocol because just one serial line is needed for both the
times and the names).

4 THE ARES 21 BI-DIRECTIONAL PROTOCOL PC TO PC

P
C

Data Handling PC
ARES PC

4.1 Configuration on ARES

Menu "Configuration -- DH"

[The serial port settings is preset by the software: 9600 8 none 1. (See also configuration->serial port->DH)]

Note: the GP port output can also be set on "OSM6" at the same time.

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 Connection between ARES 21 and Meet-Manager from Hy-Tek

4.2 Configuration on Meet Manager

Same as above

5 OPERATION IN BI-DIRECTIONAL MODE

In this mode, Meet Manager makes all the requests to ARES 21, and the ARES operator
has nothing to do. Please note that the Event-heat numbering must be the same on both
systems.

Note: The Meet Manager Scoreboard Interface option is required to allow the transfer of
the start lists from Meet Manager to ARES 21.

5.1 Connecting Meet Manager to ARES 21

From the "Run the Meet" windows in Meet Manager, Select menu "Timer – Open serial
port ", and enter the port number (1 for COM1, 2 for COM2 etc...).
At this stage, a communication test is performed. If it is not successful, check the setting
(see above).

5.2 Linking and sending Event Order

From the "Run the Meet" windows in Meet Manager, Select menu "Timer – Download
Events to ARES"

After that, ARES software displays a window with competitions it just received.

We can see that ARES does not recognize some information

sent by Meet-Manager.
In case of competition 6 (for example), the distance isn't
available in default distance table of ARES database.
In this case it was 500m Freestyle Women. The ARES online
help (chapter "Advanced") gives details about the ARES
tables files.
Choose Accept to import data that ARES "understands" or
Cancel to first modify ARES tables, and then restart import.

5.3 Import start lists (scoreboard option on MMgr)

From ARES Swimming, in the Timetable window, select the competition and the heat.
Then, in Actions menu choose Import start list from Meet Manager. When the list is
available, after a few seconds, the number of swimmers is displayed next to the heat
number. (Try also with a right mouse click on the selected heat).

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5.4 Retrieve results after the race

In race window of Meet-Manager, press F3 "Get Times".

ARES-21 Swimming software then sends the results and splits for the requested heat.

Alternatively, the F2 function allows to request the times with a race number. On ARES, a
new race number given to a heat every time a print (F12) is done.
On ARES, the race number list is saved in the "lstrnum.txt" file. It is possible to delete that
file in order to restart the race number at 1.

6 CABLES AND CONVERTER

6.1 Connection to the IF-ARES GP port

The cabling to the RS485/RS232 converter is described in the table bellow:

Cable plug CONVERTER Cable socket

IF-ARES end PC end
DB9 Male RS485 RS232 DB9 Female
pin 2 * (RX+) TX + RX pin 3 * (TX)
pin 3 (TX+) RX + TX pin 2 (RX)
pin 6 *(RX-) TX - GND pin 5 (GND)
pin 7 (TX-) RX -

* can be omitted in OSM6 mode

Alternatively, if the distance between the IF-ARES and the MMgr PC is short (<5m) a simple cable
can be used instead of a RS485/RS232 converter.

Cable plug on IF-ARES GP end Cable socket on MMgr PC end

(DB9 Male) (DB9 Female)
pin 7 (TX neg) pin 2 (RX)
pin 6 (RX neg) pin 3 (TX)
pin 8 (GND) pin 5 (GND)

6.2 Connection PC to PC

The serial port settings is preset by the software (see also configuration->serial port->DH)
OSM6 types: 9600 7 even 1
Bi-directional type: 9600 8 none 1.

For a communication PC to PC use a "null modem" cable:

Cable socket on ARES PC end Cable socket on MMgr PC end
(DB9 Female) (DB9 Female)
pin 3 (TX) pin 2 (RX)
pin 2 (RX) pin 3 (TX)
pin 5 (GND) pin 5 (GND)

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SWISS TIMING LTD P.O. Box 138, rue de l'Envers 1 Phone +41 32 488 36 11
2606 Corgémont, Switzerland Fax +41 32 488 36 09
www.swisstiming.com [email protected]