Time Machine

The Time Machine, by Flying Feet Computer Services, is an external race clock. LightBox Timing Clock (LIGHTBOX) uses the exact same protocol — RunScore remaps it internally to Time Machine's handling, so pick whichever Device name matches your hardware's label; behavior is identical.

Setup

Open the Initialize External Timers dialog, then on an empty slot:

1. Set Device to Time Machine (or LightBox Timing Clock).
2. Set Port to the COM port, and Baud to 9600 — RunScore's default already matches the Time Machine's factory setting.

Time Machine can also connect over TCP/IP instead of serial: check TCP and set Port to whatever port the unit is configured to use (RunScore accepts 1024–65535). RunScore connects out as the TCP client, same as most other devices — see Port numbers: TCP vs. serial.

Handshake — configure on the Time Machine itself

RunScore and the Time Machine handshake over a hardware RS-232 control line, not XON/XOFF software flow control. There's no RunScore-side setting for this; it's configured once on the Time Machine unit:

1. Press SET UP until the display reads [RS232 PORT], then ENTER.
2. Press SET UP twice more until [CHG LINE SETUP], then ENTER.
3. [SHOW SETTINGS] should read BAUD 9600 / PRTY none / BIT 8 / HS on. If any value is wrong, press SET UP until you reach it and correct it.
4. Press SET UP 4 times to reach [HANDSHAKE LINE], ENTER, then ENTER again at [ENABLE].
5. Press CLEAR twice to return to timing mode.

Live vs. capture-and-transmit-later

The Time Machine can stream times over the cable live during the race, or run disconnected and capture everything internally, then transmit afterward.

To switch modes on the unit: SET UP until [RS232 PORT] → ENTER → [RE-XMIT DATA] → ENTER.

For select timing and multi-chute/multi-finish-line races with the Time Machine, see Using Select Times for accuracy and Merge Events.

Event / lane assignment

In addition to the generic * wildcard and fixed event-number choices in the Event column, Time Machine has its own dropdown option:

• Event(TM) — the Time Machine box tells RunScore which lane/event to use via its own EVENT n line on the wire, instead of a lane fixed in RunScore's slot configuration.

Incoming data

Each line from the Time Machine starts with a command byte that tells RunScore how to parse the rest of the line:

Byte	Meaning
0x17	Timing data — chute/lane, place-in-chute, overall place, and a time. Overall place 0 means ENTER was pressed with no bib selected (see note below).
0x15	Select time — bib number and time, recorded immediately.
0x14	Select time with chute/place — bib and time recorded together on ENTER (unlike the Chronomix 737X, which waits for the next button push).
0x13	Bib number only, no time.
0x1A / 0x20 / 0x00	EVENT n line — only acted on when the slot's Event is set to Event(TM) (above).

Empty ENTER presses

Pressing ENTER on the Time Machine with no select bib number (a 0x17 line with overall place 0) is discarded by default — RunScore does not record a bare time. Enable Time from Enter key on Time Machine in Preferences to record it instead, as a bandit entry (bib -1), rather than dropping it.

Reference

For cabling and Time Machine menu options beyond what RunScore needs, see Flying Feet Computers' manuals.