Chip Timing

"Chip*" Timing

The FinishLynx Version

* Chip Timing ~ Transponder Timing ~ RFID Timing are terms that apply to similar technologies, and they are used interchangeably here.

Total Integration

If people remember the days when chip timing systems reported faulty information and as a result incorrect winners were reported at National-Level competitions, they might be relieved to hear that "missed chips" are no longer an issue. Lynx System Developers, Inc. have designed a timing system that integrates the best features of FinishLynx Digital Photo Finish, with the best features of transponders.

The result is a system that is fast, accurate, reliable - and trustworthy. By inputting the chip data directly into FinishLynx, the chip positions can be instantly verified against a visual image. This total integration of the two technologies was first demonstrated at the Nike Team Nationals in December of 2004, and as the pictures below indicate, the digital photo finish component was key in ensuring that the final results of this event were accurate.

There were only 140 runners in each race, and the potential for errors in official chip results became vividly clear when the FinishLynx operators began verifying the transponder reports. Imagine how many reversals of position there could be in a tightly-contested race with several hundred runners.

The Problems with Using "Chips" alone to Produce Official Results

These two photos are sections of the official FinishLynx image of the Girls and Boys races at Nike Team Nationals 2004. They clearly indicate situations where the transponder places would not have been an accurate reflection of the correct finishing order.

Girls Race	Boys Race

Chip indicates Green beats Red. Photo shows this is incorrect.	Chip indicates 11(blue) beats 51(orange). Photo shows this is incorrect.

Transponder Strengths

Capacity - The best systems can handle dozens of athletes a second.
Speed - The best systems can produce unofficial results almost instantaneously.

Transponder Weaknesses

Inaccuracy - The time resolution of transponder systems can be as low as +/- 1 second.
Unreliability - Some transponder systems miss up to 4 racers in every 100.
Inadequacy - Some systems can only handle 1 athlete every second in the detection area.
Unrepeatability - There is no means of reviewing the results after the race

FinishLynx/Transponder Integration

By coupling the best features of these two technologies, Lynx have produced a system that is used across a range of sports - from NASCAR to High School. The result is a system that enables an operator to rapidly verify the information being reported by the transponder system against a digital image.

In this way it is possible to do the following:

Assign times to competitors whose transponders failed to register.
Correct placings where foot position does not correspond with torso position.
Verify finishing order as reported by transponders.
Give FAT times that are verifiable for record purposes.
Review results afterwards to an accuracy of 1000 images a second (conventional video recorders can only show 30 images a second)

Girls Race

Boys Race