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About Front Line Computers Limited
FRONT LINE COMPUTERS LIMITED 1989
Thanks are due to CAMBRIDGE COMPUTER LIMITED for their assistance and advise also to RACING CAR COMPUTERS (Thomas Nunn) for writing the software and to Stan Sutherland's consultancy HELP FOR MANAGEMENT for devising the original idea and concept of EVENT CONTROLS.
Event Control System for the Z88
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These applications need 32K of either EPROM or Flash space.
Introduction
EVENT CONTROL SYSTEM is a ROM based application package for the Cambridge Computer Z88 portable. It was originally written as a Commentary Control System for commentating on motor rally events and to give the commentator up to the minute information on the positions of the drivers in their various groups and classes.
The EVENT CONTROL SYSTEM can be utilized for many types of events - - indoors and outdoors and can easily accommodate up to 180 entrants. Its uses are varied:-
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The standard INDEX, MENU and HELP facilities are available and the various editing keys can be used when entering competitors' names and details. If you are unfamiliar with the machine then it is recommended that some time is spent studying the relevant sections of the Z88 manual.
The CLOCK and the PANEL
It is important that the realtime real-time clock reads the correct time as EVENT CONTROL SYSTEM has the facility to enter actual START and STOP times to evaluate elapsed time.
If necessary select the CLOCK from the index or with T and set it to the correct time.
The default PANEL settings are suitable for most people but if you are particulary particularly heavy handed when pressing the keys it may help to set the "Auto Repeat Rate" to a higher number than the default setting of 6, say 10 for example. If you are new to using a keyboard then set the "keyclickkey-click" to YES and then an audible tone will be heard everytime every time you press a key.
Selecting ECS
EVENT CONTROL SYSTEM can be started from the INDEX using the cursor bar or can be selected at any time using nW
If necessary select the PANEL from the index or with S and change the values.
Selecting ECS
EVENT CONTROL SYSTEM can be started from the INDEX using the cursor bar or can be selected at any time using W. If EVENT CONTROL SYSTEM has already been used it will appear in the SUSPENDED ACTIVITIES area of the index from which it can be re-selected using the cursor bar. There can be any number of EVENT applications running - the only limit being set by the available memory in the Z88.
Modes
There are two types of MODES used in this program :-
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This mode allows for the viewing of all competitors' information and rankings. No editing is available whilst in this mode. (With the exception of entering START/FINISH TIMES and START/STOP CURRENT CLOCK).
SAMPLE SCREEN LAYOUTS
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Competitor Information Form
| E.C.S. COMPETITOR E.C.S. |
Number : Group Class Name 1 Name 2 Type Model Time : 00:00:00:00 |
NOTE PAD |
SAMPLE OPTIONS PANELS
SAMPLE RANKINGS SCREEN
| EVENT |
Title Dist mls |
| OPTIONS |
| View Mode |
| EVENT |
Title Dist klms |
| OPTIONS |
| Enter Mode |
Comp Name Gp/Cl Time Speed Place T.F.L 0/all T.F.o/a L.
Options Panel
This is the panel on the right-hand side of the screen.
View Mode
Enter Mode
Rankings Screen
Using EVENT CONTROL SYSTEM Program
From the APPLICATIONS MENU select EVENTS by moving cursor to highlight this and press -ENTER-. This .
it will load immediately and the screen will show the software logoes and Events Control System. Next the the software logos and Events Control System.
Restart application
This is where you start when selecting this command,
otherwise the competitor information screen appears and you are requested to -ENTER- TITLE OF EVENT - type in the Event name and press ENTER.
Enter title of event
type in the Event title (2015 RACE) and press .
Change event title
If the event title needs to be changed later, this command is used.
| Info | ||
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The screen then asks
Miles or Kilometres
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move cursor to select unit required (miles), and press ENTER .
The next screen asks you to ENTER DISTANCE - to
Change distance
If the distance needs to be changed later use this command.
otherwise type in the distance in miles/kilometres (26.2) of the stage, course, track or total event and press -ENTER-
Next screen - LOAD COMPETITORS -
Load competitors
Yes No.
If you have already entered and stored a list of competitors, then select Yes -
if you have no list of competitors then select No and after selection press ENTER .
Selecting YES, the screen will request LOAD COMPETITORS - ENTER FILENAME.
Enter filename
Type in your chosen filename, and press ENTER.(2015 FILE) and press .
| Info |
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This is a different name to to the Title of event. |
The screen will now indicate that it either
- No file found or
- is LOADING the file to the selected RAM.
On completion the screen will show the information record on the first competitor and you will be in VIEW MODE View Mode, under the OPTIONS heading - at right hand side of screen.
Selecting NO will immediately place you in the ENTER MODE Enter Mode.To load
Load new competitors
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Blank record entry
From View Mode press the key. This will present you with a blank entry form and automatically place you in the ENTER MODE. Enter Mode.
Enter Mode
Key in your required information and when the screen is completed another blank form will be displayed.
If you have completed all your entries of competitor information - press -ESC- to return to VIEW MODE View Mode.
NOTE:- In some events it is necessary to have competitors with the same number. This has been allowed for and when you are requiring to FIND COMPETITOR tFC COMPETITOR FC then the first competitor with the duplicated number will appear and by pressing the ò
cursor key the next entry will appear on the screen.
Amendments
To make amendments to existing competitor information
The -ESC- The key moves between ENTER MODE and VIEW MODE.CONTROL (<>) OPTIONS Enter Mode and View Mode.
Commands using the codes can only be made entered from VIEW MODE.FIND COMPETITOR - Select tFC View Mode.
Find competitor
Select FC - The screen will request a "Competitor's Number.".
Type the required number and press -ENTER- . The screen will now show the information for competitor number selected. Press -ESC-
to return to ENTER MODE Enter Mode, then correct your entry by pressing -ENTER-
until you are at the section to be amended. When satisfied that the entry is correct, - press ENTER
for each field until last line of note section is reached. You will then see a new conpetitor competitor record on the screen.
Press -ESC- to return to VIEW MODE View Mode.To view
View information on competitors
Select VIEW MODE Select View Mode - the screen will show first record on file. To view last entry press SHIFT ò
and to revert to first entry press SHIFT ñ.
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First competitor
Last competitor
To select any competitor in between first and last, press tFC press FC and enter competitor number, press -ENTER-
. The screen will show selected competitor or alternatively page through the competitors by pressing either the ñ or òthe
or
cursor keys.To enter
Previous competitor
Next competitor
Delete competitor
Save competitors
Enter filename
Enter START/FINISH time and View Rankings
Select VIEW MODE Select View Mode - the screen will show first selected competitor, or the competitor you last viewed.
To enter start/finish time, press tET - ENTER START/FINISH TIME -press ET
Enter start/finish
Enter Start time 00:00:00:00 (hour:min:sec:sec) now enter the time of starting and press -ENTER- . The screen will now ask you to enter finish time 00:00:00:00, enter finishing time and press ENTER
. The elapsed time will now be shown adjacent to the word TIME in the first frame under competitor details.
Repeat this for all competitors or as many as you require. To move between competitor records use ñ or ò
cursor keys or select a number by tFCby
FC.To enter
Enter times using the STOPWATCH facility
The screen will show the selected competitor information form. To start the STOPWATCH press tGOpress GO. The TIME window will now show the clock operating.
To stop the STOPWATCH press tSTpress ST. The TIME window will now show the clock stationary and the lapsed time will remain as a record.
Note:- 
| Note |
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Until you have become more conversant with the operation of the STOPWATCH then we suggest that you |
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press |
ACCURACY OF THE STOPWATCH - This is set by the Z88 internal clock and is accurate to 1/100th of a second - which is more than accurate for most events. However care must be taken when pressing keys to start or stop the STOPWATCH as your action can affect the accuracy of your timings. It is recommended that keys are pressed in a single movement from above the keyboard.
BEWARE:- Do not run your finger horizontally across the keys as you may accidentally trigger the STOPWATCH.To view rankings
Reset all times
View rankings
This can be by1]
- Overall position or
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- Group position or
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- Class position or
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- Class within a Group position.
Overall Ranking
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No restrictions
Select NR - press
to return to VIEW MODE View Mode. Now select tVR - select
VR
View rankings
the Options window shows ***Sorting***. The ranking of the first five competitors will appear on the screen and by pressing the ñ or ò cursor or
cursor key you will move up or down the list. Press -ESC- Press
to return to a competitor information record.
| Info | ||
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T.F.L. = Time from leader and |
Group Ranking
Select tRG - Restrict GROUP to -
Restrict by group
Select RG to enter the group you wish to rank and press -ENTER-
. The screen returns to competitor information record -now select tVR select
VR- Options window shows ***Sorting***. Then rankings of the first five competitors in the selected group appears on the screen and by pressing the ñ or ò cursor
or
cursor key you will move up or down the list. Press -ESC-
to return to a competitor information record. To derestrict derest-rict a Group, select tRG select
RG but leave entry blank or use tNRuse
NR.
Class Ranking
Select tRC - Restrict CLASS to -
Restrict by class
Select RC - enter the class you require to rank and press ENTER
. The screen returns to competitor information record, then select tVR select
VR and the screen will show the first five competitors in the selected class and by pressing the ñ
or ò
cursor key you will move up or down the list. Press -ESC-
to return to a competitor information record.
To derestrict de-restrict a Class, select tRC select RC but leave entry blank or use tNRuse
NR.
Class within a Group
To apply both Group and Class restrictions simultaneously after restricting the Group with tRG with RG and the Class with tRCwith
RC, then by selecting tVR selecting
VR the screen will display ranking information relating to competitors in a specific Class in a specific Group.
To print any competitor information
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Print out competitor
Select PC - print competitor information and the printer will print a copy of the selected record, the screen then returns to a competitor information record.
To print the competitor rankings
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Print out rankings
Select PR - print ranking - and the printer will print a copy of all GROUP/CLASS rankings.
To stop printing at any time, press ESC press key
NOTE: If in doubt about control codes, select -MENU- key whilst in the VIEW NODE View Mode to view control index.
At end of event, press INDEX key to return to APPLICATIONS menu or select tDIE select
DIE if you no longer require the EVENT CONTROL SYSTEM programapplication.
Abandon application
ECS Competitors
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You are then ready to enter new competitor information. Ensure you are in ENTER MODE Enter Mode.
Enter information by typing competitor details in each field, pressing -ENTER- after each field entry. The cursor will then move to each field in turn.
If a mistake is made during the entering of information, after the -ENTER- the key has been pressed, press -ESC- press
key which will exit ENTER MODE exit Enter Mode and return to VIEW MODE View Mode.
Follow the instructions as under the Amendments Heading.
Note:- It is recommended that if you have many competitors to enter, that you periodically save the competitor details.
ECS Commands
COMMANDS
This is a reference list of the COMMANDS which control the program. These can be selected on screen by pressing the -MENU- key and using the curser cursor keys to locate the required command or by typing the required command sequence directly.
The HELP screens for all of these commands can be selected by pressing the HELP key at any time. The HELP screen is menu driven by commands shown on the right hand side of the screen.
t Represents Represents the 'diamond' key
tVRVR- View rankings
tFL FL - Load competitors
tFS FS - Save competitors
tGO GO - Start current clock
tST ST - Stop current clock
tET ET - Enter start/finish time
ESC - Toggle modes (View/Enter)
TAB - Blank record entry
tRG RG - Restrict by group
tRC RC - Restrict by class
tNRNR- No restrictions
tPCPC- Print out competitor
tPR PR - Print out rankings
tCT CT - Change event title
tCD CD - Change distance
tNEW NEW - Restart application
ñ - Previous competitor
ò- Next competitor
SHIFT ñ
- First competitor
SHIFT ò
- Last competitor
tFC FC - Find competitor
tDC DC - Delete competitor
tRAT RAT - Reset all times
tDIE DIE - Abandon application
REFERENCE TO EACH COMMAND
tVR VR - View rankings -
A sorted table of competitors is produced. Dependent upon any group or class restrictions set. Use ESCAPE key at any time to return to VIEW mode.
tFL FL - Load competitors -
Reads the competitors' names from a file which has previously been created using the SAVE COMPETITORS command tFScommand FS. Enter a filename after a prompt.
tFS FS - Save competitors -
Creates a file (in current filing device and directory) of the competitors' names. The file is "packed" to minimise minimize memory usage so no attempts should be made to edit the file directly. Enter a filename after the prompt.
tGO GO - Start current clock -
tST ST - Stop current clock
tET ET - Enter start/finish times
These are the three ways of entering a competitors' time - the Z88 can time a competitor using the START/STOP CURRENT CLOCK commands tGOtSTcommands GO
ST
The second option allows the competitor's time to be entered directly when in the EDIT MODE.
The third method is to use the ENTER START/FINISH option.
ESC - Toggle modes -
The ESCAPE key is used to toggle between the VIEW mode and the ENTER mode. It is also used to return to VIEW mode from RANKINGS window. To abort printing use ESC .
TAB - Blank record entry -
The TAB key will also move from VIEW mode to ENTER mode but will provide a blank record sheet ready for entries to be made.
tRG RG - Restrict by group -
The prompt will ask for a group identifier to be entered. The restriction only applies to the RANKINGS table, details for a competitor in any group can still be viewed or altered etc.
tRC RC - Restrict by class -
The prompt will ask for a class identifier to be entered. the restriction only applies to the RANKINGS table, details for a competitor in any class can still be viewed or altered etc.
tNR NR - No restrictions -
This removes any group/class restrictions. The RANKINGS table will then show all competitors.
tPC PC - Print out competitors -
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To abort printing use ESCAPE.
tCT CT - Change event title -
The title appears in the top right hand window of the screen and also in the suspended application area of the INDEX.
tCD CD - Change distance -
This is used to calculate average speeds for the competitors.
tNEW NEW - Restart application -
When NEW is used the application is restarted as though it had been selected from the INDEX page. AS THIS OPTION ERASES ALL CURRENT DATA IT MUST BE ENTERED DIRECTLY FROM THE KEYBOARD - IT CANNOT BE SELECTED FROM THE MENU USING THE CURSOR.
ñ cursor cursor
- previous competitor
òcursorcursor
- next competitor
SHIFT ñ
- first competitor -
will show competitor with lowest No.
SHIFT ò
- last competitor -
will show competitor with highest No.
tFC FC - Find competitor -
The prompt will ask for a competitor's number to be entered. Provided a competitor with this number exists then the display will be updated with the competitor's details. If duplicate numbers exist then the first competitor with the duplicated number will be shown.
tDC DC - Delete competitor -
The prompt will ask for a number to be entered. Provided a competitor with this number exists then the display will be updated with the competitor's details and you will be requested to confirm deletion.
To delete a competitor which has a duplicated number, you first change the nunber to a unique number before proceeding with the deletion.
tRAT RAT - Reset all times. -
This sets the times for ALL the competitors to 00:00:00:00. The command is IRREVERSIBLE so if the times are important it is suggested that the SAVE COMPETITORS is used first.
The SAVE COMPETITORS command tFS command FS saves times as well as other competitor details.
tDIE DIE - Abandon application -
This command KILLS the application - it is IRREVERSIBLE. The command has to be entered from the keyboard - it cannot be selected from the MENU. The tDIE The DIE command is equivalent to the tKILL the
KILL command from the suspended activities area.
ECS Errors
- ERROR MESSAGES
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- - Errors which occur when reading or saving files are fatal and result in the application being KILLED by the operating system - though it may always be re-selected from the INDEX.
- BAD FILENAME
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- - Filename should be alphanumeric characters only as described in the Z88 manual.
- FILE NOT FOUND
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- - The file specified does not exist.
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- If in doubt refer to the FILER for the correct filename.
- FILE IN USE
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- - This error will be generated if the file selected is already being used by another application.
- NO ROOM
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- - No memory is available to open a new file. Delete files which are no longer required
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- or