TP-GPS Software Specifications in 2009

Initially the code checked for pilots if they were in the FAI Sector.
The FAI Sector check has been removed in 2003. And the code now only does Cylinder, beercan, turnpoint checking.

TP is for someone who knows RACE and is familiar with GPS based competition scoring. It is not for someone who never has been involved in scoring a competition and reckons it does everything for him automatic. TP has evolved by input from people who did scoring while on the job. Best to understand and learn how to use TP is by sitting with someone who knows how to install and configure it and operate it under supervision of an experienced person.

In June 2009 TP introduced the GPSDUMP interface. The recommended way of operations is to use GPSDUMP in Competition mode.

Or the TP code supports the following range of GPS devices

•   GARMIN - code is designed to support all GARMIN GPS products. The code has been tested with :
• GPS 12 range
• GPS 38 ,GPS 40, 45
• eTrex range , eMap, GPS 76, GPS 72
• GPS II and III range
Owners of older GPS 12, 38, or 40 should make sure to have their GARMIN GPS on the latest software level to avoid the 13 seconds between UTC and GPS time difference.
 Pilot should ensure their GARMIN shows the correct current date and time.
Competition organizers have to ensure that the round and square plug data cable is at hand.

USB support for GARMIN introduced in TP.4.20 in 2006
 

• Aircotec Top Navigator - has been tested in 2002 with the PWC and TNC direct interface and  in combination with the Aircotec TNCOMM software from the http://www.aircotec.ch/ website
• Data cable has to be provided by the pilot
XC-Trainer was tested in 2004 using TNC data format.

 

• MLR SP24 XC FreeFlight - is supported using NMEA or Rapid waypoint and track  interface protocol.
• Data cable has to be provided by the pilot.
• Renschler SOL is supported via the MLR rapid track download
• Log_It - is supported
• Data cable has to be provided by the pilot.
• Braeuniger Compeo+ Competino  / Flytec 5020+5030 (ex GALILEO) - Is supported from 209 firmware level onwards. Either via direct interface or by GPSVAR from the http://www.brauniger.com/ website
• Data cable has to be provided by the pilot
• Magellan range based on Version 2.11 Data Transmission Protocol P/N 21-00091-000
  • Data cable to be provided by pilot
  • Or use other 3rd party code, like G7toWin or Gartrip
• SportsTrack http://www.sportstrack.net/ 
• Other makes, ..... The code allows to convert from Gardown , GPX or IGC format to the csv format which used to store the track data. Use other products, like Gartrip,  G7toWin, or GPSDUMP, to download the track data, store it in gardown , GPX,or IGC format. Then use the convert option of TP and create a csv file.

The TP program ...

• Checks if a pilot took off in the designated take off area
• Checks if the pilot took off in the defined take off window time period
• Determines the take off time for an elapsed time race
• Checks if a pilot got into the cylinders and in the correct sequence
• Used to determine if a pilot got into FAI sector. FAI Sector will no more be supported from software level 4.12 onwards.
• Uses the FAI  May 2005  Section 7-A, Chapter 8, page 39, Distance Formula 2
• Displays tracks in Mercator projection and in Zoom uses true Distance projection
• In case a Starttarp / Start of Speed (SS) section is used, make sure the pilot was in the correct time window for crossing the start of speed section
• Cater for inside or outside SS crossings
• Handle either first SS crossing of a pilot or last SS crossing
• Interpolate the SS crossing time
• Checks that the pilot crossed a SS Cylinder from the right direction
• Cuts off a pilot track and highlight when a pilot is still airborne after stop flying time
• Determines when a pilot has landed and is stationary and use this as his landing coordinates
• Has an option to use the closest track point to the next turn point in case a pilot decides to turn around ( for safety reasons ..) or score the pilot to where he landed
• Caters for a Goal Line with a defined range ( default 1 km) or  Goal Cylinder (ES)  with a default  400 meters.
• Calculates and interpolates the goal line crossing time
• In case a task gets cancelled, determines how far a pilot got at that moment and score him accordingly
• Point out pilots who still fly after down and safe time and optional give them a 0 score
• Allows for marked waypoints, in case a track point is missing , as an option. Not recommended to be used.
• Provides a platform to test different track tolerance and interpolation algorithms
• Provides a "pin chart" to enable pilots to give a visual feedback where each pilot landed.
• Pin Chart Data can be used  in mapping software, via Ozi interface
• Uploads the turnpoint coordinates into various GPS devices
• Offers a possibility to have the turnpoints sorted in alphabetical order
• Can provide turnpoints in the short 6 character with altitude format or in a long name format
• Feeds RACE with turnpoints or get turnpoints from RACE
• Puts a unique identifier into the GPS that identifies the pilot number that can not be tampered with
• Makes use of a unique competition identifier in the GPS for the competition to avoid reusing old pilot numbers form previous competitions
• Stores any track data with maximum accuracy
• Can cater  for GPS error  margins. Nowadays we use 0 tolerance.
• Enable a batch processing of all downloaded tracks without operator interaction
• Can offer a self-service operation mode, where pilots plug in their GPS at a scoring station and everything else is done automatic
• Convert track data between csv, IGC, OZI, Aircotec and Gardown format
• Can combine a 2D track log with a barogram log file and make a 3D track log
• Predefined Zoom capability for the turnpoint and goal area. With time stamps display option
• Interactive Zoom capability for the track , with time stamp  and altitude and 10 meter grid display option using true distance projection
• Color coded speed display.
• Checks for non movement as an indication that pilot has landed.
• Calculates the distance towards the next turnpoint and the total kms scored by the pilot
• Feeds to RACE either the radial distance towards the next turnpoint or the goal crossing time
• Create a RACE Bulk xml file with the pilot's distance or start and goal crossing time scores
• Or can do a direct update of the RACE database. Direct RACE DB update only works for a single computer setup.
• Allow for individual track logs to be processed in one joint track log, or one by one. Pilots can switch off GPS between turnpoints to reduce their memory usage.
• Caters for pilots who fly with 2 or more GPS and then can combine/append their track logs into one
• Can process in parallel multiple GPS devices using different comports.
• Can operate in a networked clients and one central server setup
• Can check for  GPS that provide altitude info if a pilot went above a defined ceiling
• Cater for a fun hand-tow event , speed over a given distance  and maximum distance
• Scores Open Cross Country, or Open XC along a given direction
• If a pilot is too slow going over the goal crossing the whole score panel goes red . To highlight in case the pilot walks into the cylinder
• In Full Screen Zoom provide a dynamic cursor  distance display relative to a chosen turnpoint
• In Full Screen Zoom allow to rescore a pilot to a cursor position (Shift MB1). (RACE has to be updated manually)
• Produce a csv based score file for fun comps that do not use RACE and  want to use a simple spreadsheet solution
• Has a problem report facility in the score window, in case there is a wrong score, it gets logged
• Keeps a log file for each day of what happened when, in case there is a duplicate score for the same pilot number or something else goes wrong.
• Shows current scored pilot result compared to best scored pilot ( Top pilots want to know how far behind they are)
• Earth Google kml and kmz output.
• NASA World Wind Interface
• RACE 2003 GAP2003 Lc factor calculation
• GPX track file format conversion Option
• Can score direct IGC based tracks
• Can create a simple html website with the track logs in KML/KMZ, IGC and GPX format
• Can check for a re-launch of a pilot after crossing SS

Minimum Specs for hardware is a Windows 95 PC with 48 MB memory and some graphics card.

The program can process in average 1 pilot in 2 minutes on a Pentium 3 processor.
The GPS track download is the time consuming part. Organizers should provide 1 PC with one operator for 30 entrants to be processed in 1 hour.
But I recommend to not  rely on one PC only at a competition.
PC's tend to die, get hiccups, and it is a good idea to have multiple PC's setup in case one PC goes down.
In Africa to rely on one PC alone to handle all the processing is too risky.
The idea is to spread the code over as many PC's and Laptops as possible and have them all download and score track data.
In case one computer dies one can still carry on with the remaining equipment.
And there are enough pilots nowadays entering a comp who bring along their Laptop.
Which can be made available for track downloads.
Laptops can handle power outages. In case someone drips the main power supply  the usual PCs go dead.
Or if the generator dies while we busy scoring ( with the computers, not with the girls....)
Also have the know-how spread in the pilot community so that many pilots can be used to do the scoring.
A good idea is to have a hub and network cables, assuming the PCs and Laptops can be networked.
Otherwise one has to go the stiffy route to get the results to the RACE scoring program.

Code is written in Visual Basic, due to RACE being based on VB.
Initial idea was to provide an option for some tighter  integration between RACE and TP.
And since VB stores the data best in csv file format,  the code uses csv at the moment to avoid any loss of accuracy.
Other data formats supported are IGC, Ozi,  Gardown, GPX, .

Track Logs from newer GPS devices , which deliver 3D altitude track logs, get stored in csv and IGC format.

If there is a need for 3D and DEM topo data, then you can use the T3D2 code to display 3D track logs over DEM based terrain data and analyze your flight for optimal best speed to fly and thermal activity. But I recommend to rather use Google Earth for this.

TP will  rely on existing interface code, which is available for a specific device and then convert the file from whatever interface is available to the format that TP uses.  If TP can not handle the GPS device direct, then use GPSDump, GPSVar, MaxPunkte, ... or whatever else is at hand to get the track. And then convert and process it in TP.
 

How to process various GPS devices, either direct or via 3rd party code
 

 Use GPSDUMP from http://www.multinett.no/~stein.sorensen/body_gpsdump.htm 

 GARMIN - either direct interface via TP. Or via GARMIN MapSource, save as gdb. Then use GPSBABEL  http://sourceforge.net/projects/gpsbabel and convert the gdb to IGC and then score the IGC in TP. 

 Magellan /  Thales, like Sportrak - either direct Interface by TP or  use G7toWin from http://www.gpsinformation.org/ronh/    or Gartrip.   Via Gartrip Magellan interface, save track as gardown format, and use TP Convert gardown to csv.

  MLR SP24XC - use the direct TP interface for rapid waypoint and track download and NMEA turnpoint uploads. Or use GPSDump or  Maxpunkte

  Aircotec TopNavigator - Either  use the direct interface  of TP. Or use TNCOMM 3.5 exe from Aircotec website  and  in TP Convert to CSV. Or GPSDump.

  Compeo( ex Galileo) - Either use the TP direct interface. Or use the  GPSVAR code from the Braeuniger website  and the use in TP Convert  IGC to csv

   Digifly Graviter - use  GPSDump or CompE, save as IGC then TP/CONVERT/IGC>CSV

   Renschler Solario - treat it like an MLR in direct rapid track download mode

  Log_It http://www.gps-logger.ch/    either direct or via other 3rd party code into IGC

  MaxLogger  http://www.flugplatz-beilrode.de/maxpunkte/    either direct or via MaxPunkte

Reference Info

FAI CIVL SC7  http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/documents/sc7

WGS-84 distances
  http://www.codeguru.com/Cpp/Cpp/algorithms/article.php/c5115

IGC Specs http://www.fai.org/gliding/gnss/tech_spec_gnss.asp

Some more ideas how a future scoring system could look like