Introduction
Because ChronoTrack equipment and software use time of day for tag reads you must first sync the time on the controller as accurately as possible in order to collect accurate reads with your Controller.
To avoid disparity between individual controllers, we recommend you "daisy-chain" controllers together with ethernet cables before syncing times. When you sync the time on one controller, the time sync will be passed to all networked controllers. This not only speeds up the process of syncing, but ensures that all controllers are on exactly the same time. Below is an example of "daisy-chained" controllers.
Important: When controllers are powered off, their internal time is kept by what is called a CMOS battery. The CMOS clock is not hyper accurate, and controllers may experience 'drift' when powered off. Because of this, we recommend that Controllers be synced on race day immediately prior to being distributed to their respective points on the course without turning them off.
There are several ways to sync the time on your Controller. These are listed below from most to least accurate.
NTP stands for Network Time Protocol, and is (generally-speaking) what most laptops draw their time from. Because the clock on a laptop connected to the internet is very accurate, syncing your Controller from your computer is the best way to ensure the time is set correctly.
To Sync Your Controller from your Computer with SimpleClient:
- Power on your Pro2 and your computer.
- Connect the controller to the computer with an ethernet cable.
- On the computer, open the CCS Lite application. (No special configuration is necessary to sync times)
- Click Manage Controllers > Time Sync. You will see a running clock that shows your computer's current system time.
- Click Sync Controllers and click Yes on the confirmation dialogue.
- You should see the LED marquee display alternating between red and green and the status bar along the top of the screen flashing red to confirm a successful sync.
ChronoTrack has created a device with an ultra-accurate internal clock that is accurate to a tenth of a second for 3 days after syncing.
Please note that a ChronoSync is only compatible with ChronOS, BoxScore 3, and MiniTracks running firmware version 5.3.8 or higher.
For instructions on how to sync your Pro2 Controller with a ChronoSync, see our guide HERE.
Note: GPS Time Sync was added in ChronOS version 1.0.1.1. If your controller is running a version earlier than this, please update the controller. For instructions on updating ChronOS, click HERE. You must also have a GPS antenna. If you did not receive a GPS antenna with your Pro2, please contact esupport@chronotrack.com
Syncing your Pro2 from GPS is a convenient and accurate way to do a time sync, but it isn't always reliable depending on environment and location. For example, heavy cloud cover, tall buildings, or being under a roof or inside a building may prevent the controller from communicating with enough satellites to be accurate. Due to these possible restrictions, we recommend that you test GPS signal at each location where it will be used prior to race day.
To set the time on your controller with GPS:
- On the main screen of ChronOS, tap the time display. This will take you to the Race Ops > Time screen.
- Tap the GPS Time option. On the next screen, the controller should already be scanning for satellites. The controller requires at least 5 satellites to ensure accuracy, so depending on environmental conditions, locating the satellites may take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, so please be patient. You can see the number of Satellites the controller is seeing, the Signal Quality, and the current GPS time being sent from connected Satellites in the panel on the right side of the screen.
- While the controller is scanning for Satellites, you can set your GPS Time offset. Satellites provide time based on GMT (Greewich Mean Time), so unless you are in a time zone that coincides with GMT, you will need to apply either a positive or negative offset. To do this, tap the text field next to the GPS TIME heading and use the + or - and the arrows above the hour and minute fields to adjust the offset to your time zone. Once you've selected the correct offset, tap Update.
The offset will be saved for future use, so if you are timing a race in a different time zone, be sure to adjust the offset accordingly.
- Once the controller has detected 5 or more satellites, the USE GPS button will turn a darker blue. When you press the button, the time on the controller will be synced to GPS time +/- the offset.
In the absence of a laptop, ChronoSync, or GPS signal from which to sync, you can perform a manual time sync on the controller.
To Perform a Manual Time Sync
- On the main screen of ChronOS, tap the time display. This will take you to the Race Ops > Time screen.
- Tap the Manual Time option, then tap Config Time on the next screen.
- Use the arrows to adjust the Day, Month, and Year values to the correct date, then click Next.
- On the next screen, use the arrows to set the hour, minute, and second values. Select AM or PM as well, then click Update.
- Now, to finalize the manual time sync, press the Set Time button. The LED marquee should flash between red and green and the status bar along the top of the screen should flash red to indicate a successful sync.
