Motec Lap Beacon User manual

M oTe C Lap Beacon Manual
Contents
Introduction ..............................................................1
Overview ...................................................................2
Operation ............................................................................................................2
ID Number ..........................................................................................................3
Lap Beacon Use .................................................................................................4
Split Beacon Use ................................................................................................4
Verifying Operation .............................................................................................5
Beacon Transmitter ...................................................7
Position ............................................................................................................... 7
Spacing between Transmitters............................................................................ 7
Mounting .............................................................................................................7
Aiming / Range ...................................................................................................7
ID Number Adjustment........................................................................................ 8
LED..................................................................................................................... 8
Power..................................................................................................................9
Specifications...................................................................................................... 9
Beacon Receiver ......................................................11
Mounting ........................................................................................................... 11
Range / Aiming ................................................................................................. 11
Glass................................................................................................................. 11
Sun Light...........................................................................................................11
ID Number ........................................................................................................11
LED................................................................................................................... 12
Wiring................................................................................................................ 13
Output Signal .................................................................................................... 13
ECU / Dash Setup............................................................................................. 13
Specifications.................................................................................................... 14
Trouble Shooting .....................................................15
Check List : Basic Operation............................................................................. 15
Check List: Operational Problems..................................................................... 16

Copyright - Electronic Performance Systems Pty Ltd - 1998
The information in this document is subject to change without notice.
No responsibility will be taken for the consequences of any inaccuracies occurring in this manual.
19 February, 2003

M oTe C Introduction 1
Introduction
This manual covers the operation of the MoTeC Lap Beacon.

2 Overview
Overview
The MoTeC Lap Beacon consists of a Beacon Transmitter and a Beacon
Receiver.
The Beacon Transmitter is mounted beside the track and the Beacon
Receiver is mounted in the vehicle and connected to a Display or Data
Logging system or to an Engine Management System.
The Lap Beacon system is used to mark the start of a Lap. This can be used
by a display system to show the driver lap times and lap number and can be
used by a data logging system for lap time and start of lap information. The
Lap Beacon may also be used to generate split times by placing multiple
transmitters around the race circuit.
Operation
The Beacon transmitter emits a narrow infrared beam, which is encoded with
a number that will only be detected by a receiver with the same number.
When the receiver detects a transmitter with a matching number a signal is
sent to the connected device in the vehicle, typically a MoTeC ADL
Dash/Logger or a MoTeC ECU.

M oTe C Overview 3
Orientation
The transmitter and receiver must be oriented as shown below:
Infrared Beam
Transmitter Receiver
Direction of Travel
( Mounted Track Side )
( Mounted in Vehicle )
Black lens this side
20 to 25m Maximum
Orientation
Range
The MoTeC Lap Beacon has a range of up to 25m (80ft). The range depends
on the alignment of the transmitter and receiver.
For operation up to 25m (80ft) both the transmitter and receiver must be
aligned within 2°of optimum.
For operation up to 20m (65ft) both the transmitter and receiver must be
aligned within 5°of optimum.
• Note: Do not place the receiver behind window glass as this can reduce
the range substantially.
ID Number
The MoTeC Lap Beacon has 1000 different ID numbers. The ID number
allows the beacon receiver to ignore all transmitters other than one with the
same ID number.
The ID number is selected by setting the Mode, Tens & Units switches in the
transmitter and receiver to the same numbers.

4 Overview
• Note that the power to the Beacon Receiver and Beacon Transmitter must
be cycled before a number change will take effect.
• To avoid damage to the units and to ensure that the power is cycled,
disconnect the power from the units before changing the number.
Recommended ID Number Settings
The following ID numbers are recommended for normal operation:
Mode Switch Set to suit race category (MoTeC will advise)
Tens & Units Switches Set to vehicle number ( Don’t use 00 )
The mode switch is used to avoid two teams in different race categories from
using the same beacon ID.
• Beacon ID 999 is reserved for a master beacon that can be setup for the
use of anyone at a race meeting.
Two Vehicle Teams
Set the Tens and Units of both vehicle receivers to the lowest number of the
two vehicles so that only one beacon transmitter is required.
Lap Beacon Use
Normally the MoTeC Lap Beacon is used as a standard Lap beacon, ie. one
beacon transmitter placed at the start of the lap.
The beacon ID should be set as recommended above to ensure that no two
teams use the same number.
Split Beacon Use
The MoTeC Lap Beacon may also be used to generate split times by placing
multiple transmitters around the race circuit. All beacon transmitters must
have the same Mode setting, but different Tens and Units settings. The
beacon receiver must have the same Mode setting as the transmitter,
however both the Tens and Units must be set to zero. Setting the Tens and
Units to zero instructs the receiver to recognise all transmitters with the same
Mode. The Tens and Units value of each transmitter will be reported to the

M oTe C Overview 5
connected device, typically a MoTeC ADL or MoTeC ECU. The value is
encoded in the pulse width sent to the connected device.
Split beacons are generally only suitable for private practice, however beacon
mode 9 has been allocated specifically for split beacon use. It is important to
ensure that only the beacons for split usage are operating on mode 9
otherwise unexpected beacon signals may be received. Beacon number 999
has been reserved as a master beacon, therefore this ID should generally be
used as the lap beacon. The software for the connected device will normally
need to know the number of the transmitter that marks the start of the lap.
The use of the master beacon ID should ease the setup of a split beacon
system.
Verifying Operation
To test if the lap beacon is working correctly, aim the transmitter at the
receiver, the Red LED on the receiver should glow brightly. If the LED glows
very dimly then the receiver and transmitter numbers probably do not match.
Note that the LED brightness is effected by the ambient lighting conditions
and full brightness will appear very dim in bright sunlight.
To test that the connected device is working correctly, wave the transmitter
past the receiver and check for correct operation of the device (eg. Lap Time
display).
• Note that it is important to ensure that the lap time reset condition is not
met, otherwise a lap time will not be displayed even if the beacon is
operating correctly. This may require that the engine is running depending
on the setup of the connected device.
• Note that for correct Lap Time display the transmitter will need to be
waved passed the receiver twice and at least 5 seconds is required
between each pass (possibly more depending on the software setup)

M oTe C Beacon Transmitter 7
Beacon Transmitter
Position
The beacon transmitter may be placed at any point around the track.
• It is recommended that the beacon transmitter is always placed in the
same position at a particular track, this avoids offsets when data from a
previous session needs to be compared with the current data. If the same
position cannot be used then the MoTeC Interpreter software can
compensate for the offset in the beacon position.
• To ensure that the lap time recorded is the same as the official lap time,
the beacon transmitter should be placed close to the official timing point –
normally located at the start/finish line.
Spacing between Transmitters
The spacing between adjacent transmitters must be at least 6m (20ft) to avoid
the signals from each transmitter conflicting with each other. This also
includes other manufacturers’ beacons that emit an infrared beam.
Mounting
The beacon transmitter has 4 holes outside the sealing ring of the case, these
may be used to mount the unit to a backing plate. Note that the backing plate
should include a hole so that the LED is visible.
Aiming / Range
The Beacon Transmitter must be aimed so that the beam is parallel to the
road and at the same height above the road as the vehicle receiver, therefore
the mounting system must be capable of height and tilt adjustment.
• For operation up to 25m (80ft) the beam must within 2°of parallel to the
road surface.

8 Beacon Transmitter
• For operation up to 20m (65ft) the beam must within 5°of parallel to the
road surface.
Beam Pattern
The approximate beam pattern is shown below.
The pattern shows the limits of operation, when the beacon receiver is within
2°of axial to the beam.
Notice that at distances greater than about 20 m (65 ft) the beam becomes
narrower which is why the angle of the transmitter becomes more critical at
longer distances.
> 25 m
Transmitter
5m (approx)
ID Number Adjustment
Turn the power off before adjusting the ID number to avoid accidental
damage to the electronics.
The ID number is set using the rotary switches inside the unit. To access the
switches remove the 4 screws from the front cover of the unit.
LED
The LED has three colours that have the following meanings:
Green OK
Orange Low battery voltage ( Less than 10.5V )
Red Fault or very low battery voltage

M oTe C Beacon Transmitter 9
• The beacon transmitter will operate when the LED is orange, however the
transmitted power is reduced which reduces the operating range.
Power
The unit should be powered from a 12V rechargeable battery. A small car
battery is recommended as it is easily charged and will operate the
transmitter continuously for up to 20 days. The battery may also be used as a
weight at the base of the mounting system for stability.
Connect the Red Wire to Battery Positive, and the Black wire to Battery
Negative.
Note that the unit requires at least 10 V for proper operation.
It is recommended that the battery be charged regularly to ensure good
battery life.
Specifications
Electrical
Operating Voltage Range: 10V to 16V
Operating Current: 70 mA typical
Mating Connector
Connector: Hirschman CM06EA14S-7S
Pin Number Wire Colour Function
A Black Battery -
B Not Used
C Red Battery +

M oTe C Beacon Receiver 11
Beacon Receiver
Mounting
Mount using the plastic mounting plate attached to the base of the beacon
receiver. Do not earth the Case. The receiver mounting should be designed to
allow the receiver to be mounted at either side of the vehicle, depending on
which side of the track the transmitter will be located.
• Do not mount near a radio transmitter or radio transmitter antenna.
• Do not mount near the engine ignition system.
Range / Aiming
Aim the unit parallel to the road and square to the direction of travel
• For operation up to 25 m (80 ft) the unit must be within 2°of parallel to the
road and 2°of square to the direction of travel.
• For operation up to 20 m (65 ft) the unit must be within 5°of parallel to the
road and 5°of square to the direction of travel.
Glass
Do not aim through glass, as it will typically halve the range.
Sun Light
Unlike many other systems, the receiver will operate with the sun pointing
directly into the receiving lens without affecting the range.
ID Number
The beacon receiver will only report a beacon transmitter with matching
Mode, Tens and Units, unless the receiver Tens and Units are both set to

12 Beacon Receiver
zero, this special case allows the receiver to report all beacons with the same
Mode setting for split beacon use. The output of the beacon receiver is
encoded with the beacon number to allow the beacon transmitter number to
be identified, this is normally only required for split beacon use so that the Lap
Beacon may be identified.
• Turn the power off before adjusting the number, to avoid accidental
damage to the electronics and to ensure that the power is cycled before
use. Changing the ID switches while the power is on will have no affect
until the power is cycled.
• Be careful to read the labels for the switches, located on the inside of the
lid, so as to set the switches correctly.
LED
The Red LED will be ON when it is receiving a valid number.
The LED will glow dimly when receiving a signal that is the incorrect number
or an infrared signal is being received from some other source.
The LED will also glow dimly if the receiver is picking up interference from the
car ignition or a radio transmitter. This is undesirable and must be rectified
before the receiver will operate reliably, as the interference signal can mask
out the real signal which will result in missed beacons.

M oTe C Beacon Receiver 13
Wiring
The beacon receiver signal wire should be connected to a Digital Input on a
MoTeC ADL Dash/Logger or MoTeC ECU
Do not run the wiring near the engine ignition system.
The receiver must be powered by 8V from an ADL or ECU. The receiver may
be damaged if connected directly to battery voltage.
Wire Colour Function
Red 8V Power from Dash or ECU
White Signal to Dash or ECU
Black 0V Power from Dash or ECU
Output Signal
The output is an “Active Low”, open collector type, ie. it is normally off and
switches to ground when a valid transmitter is detected.
Note that the output only stays low for a short period, even if the transmitter is
still present.
The width of the output pulse represents the beacon transmitter number (units
and tens only), and varies between 0.2 sec and 1.7 sec depending on the
number.
The output is current limited to protect the beacon receiver against incorrect
wiring.
ECU / Dash Setup
Setup the input pin as the beacon channel and set the logic polarity to “Low
Volts = Active”.

14 Beacon Receiver
Specifications
Electrical
Operating Voltage Range: 6V to 9V
Current Consumption: 20 mA typical

M oTe C Trouble Shooting 15
Trouble Shooting
Check List : Basic Operation
To confirm basic operation of the beacon, check the following :
1. Check the Transmitter LED
Green
OK
Orange
The battery voltage is less than 10.5 Volts, the battery requires
charging.
Red
• If the battery voltage is less than 10.5 Volts charge the battery.
• If the battery voltage is greater than 10.5 Volts, return the unit to
MoTeC for servicing.
LED Off
Check that the battery is connected correctly, Red to Positive, Black to
Negative and that the battery is supplying at least 10.5 volts.
2. Check the Receiver LED
Aim the Transmitter at the Receiver and check the LED:
LED Bright
OK
Dim LED
If the LED glows dimly then check that the ID number is set correctly in
both the Transmitter and the Receiver and that the power has been
switched off and on since the numbers were changed. Be careful that

16 Trouble Shooting
the switches are set correctly, particularly on the Receiver where the
switch identifications are marked under the Lid.
LED Off
Check that the receiver has 8 volts between the red and black wires.
Note that the connected device (ECU or ADL) must have its power
turned on.
3. Check the Connected Device (ECU or ADL)
If the connected device does not register the beacon
• Check that the wiring is OK.
• Check the software setup on the connected device.
• Ensure that the reset condition for Lap Time is not met (eg. RPM = 0)
Check List: Operational Problems
If any operational problems occur such as missed beacons, check the
following:
1. Check Wiring
Check the wiring for intermittent connections or damaged wires.
2. Check Aiming
Check that the Transmitter and Receiver are aligned correctly, both must be
within 2°for 25m operation or 5°for 20m operation.
3. Check Transmitter Spacing
Check that the Transmitter is at least 6m (20ft) from any adjacent
transmitters.
4. Check Operating Range
Check that the unit operates at the required distance.
If the range is short:

M oTe C Trouble Shooting 17
• Check that the Receiver is not aimed through glass, as this can
significantly reduce the range.
• Check that the Transmitter and Receiver are aligned correctly, both must
be within 2°for 25m operation or 5°for 20m operation.
• Check that the Receiver lens is clean
5. Check Receiver for Interference Signals
Turn the Beacon Transmitter power off and check that the Receiver LED does
not glow dimly under any of the following circumstances.
Note that to see the LED glowing dimly the LED must be shielded from bright
light.
LED glows dimly when a radio is operating
Move the offending radio or radio antenna, or move the beacon
receiver.
LED glows dimly when the engine is running
• Check that the Receiver is mounted using the plastic mounting base
and that the case is not touching any grounded parts.
• Check that the receiver and its wiring are not near the engine
ignition system.

18 Notes