The Loop Box is an additional stand-alone device which activates the active transponder, but does not process the data of the transponders. Instead, the passing data will either be repeated to another box or be stored in the transponder.
In this section, the USB Timing Box and Active Extension will be referred to as the main loop.
Loop Box Modes
The Loop Box supports two modes that represent two different use cases:
Repeat Mode
In this mode, the Loop Box activates the transponder, receives its data and sends (repeats) it to the main loop.
This is an easy way to connect several timing points within an area, e.g. a triathlon finish, transition in and transition out. The maximum distance between LoopBox and Active Extension can be up to 900m depending on conditions.
Note that the Loop Box has an internal buffer for 1000 detections. Even if the connection between Loop Box and the main loop is interrupted, the detections will not be lost: once the connection is recovered, the Loop Box will transmit the buffered detections. Thanks to the precise internal clock of the Loop Box, the detection time will still be correct and precise.
For the communication between Loop Box and the main loop please note:
- Loop Box and the main loop need to run on the same channel (see Channel ID Setup). It is recommended that you select a fixed channel on the main decoder instead of using the auto mode.
- The main loop that will receive the detections from the Loop Box(es) must have Loop ID 1. This way the Loop Boxes know where to send the data even if several systems are present.
Impulse Mode
The Impulse Mode is the same as Repeat Mode, but the audio output will be used as impulse input that creates a fake detection.
Store Mode
This mode only works with the ActivePro and MotorKart transponders!
In this mode, the transponder will be activated by the Loop Box, but instead of transmitting the detection data, it will start its internal clock and thus know the time since it had been activated. This internal clock runs for a maximum of 24 hours (detections will be deleted afterwards) and a maximum of 64 detections can be saved.
When being activated by another Active device which is not in Store Mode, the transponder will transmit not only the new detection but also all stored detections. For example for a MTB downhill race, a Loop Box at the start could activate the transponder, and at the finish two detections will be received: start time and finish time.
The Loop Box is a very easy way to make sure athletes have passed several check points: Simply put a Loop Box at every check point and at the finish the transponder will transmit the detections from all the check points.
Note that the internal clock of the transponder is only as precise as the clock on your wrist. It can have deviations of up to 5 seconds per day. High deviations between different chips may occur when they are being used with very different environmental temperatures.
At the same time note that a deviation of 5 seconds per day, equals a deviation of only 0.03 seconds in 10 minutes.
Loop Box Time
Note that the Loop Box and the ActivePro/MotorKart transponder do have an internal clock, but do not need to have the current time of day. They simply tell the main loop how much time has elapsed since the detection occurred. The main loop will then calculate the detection time by subtracting this offset from its current time.
Turning Loop Box on/off
To turn the box on, press and hold the button until the center red LED turns off and a boot screen is displayed. An example of this is below:
| rr Active System |
| 4039 HW2.3 FW2.5 |
The system will then proceed into operation.
The box will also switch on when it is connected to power. The box cannot be switched off if it is plugged into power.
To turn off, press the button once. The screen will display the following:
| press again: OFF |
| hold for config |
Press the button again to turn off.
Note: If you have no loop connected and no passing in the buffer, the box will automatically shut off when disconnected from mains power.
Loop Box Configuration
The Loop Box has the same settings as the Active Extension: Loop Power, Channel ID, Loop ID. Additionally, the Mode can be set.
The box can be configured by pressing the button for 2 seconds. The first of the four settings will start blinking and can be changed by pressing the button again. By pressing the button again for 2 seconds, the setting will be confirmed and the next setting can be changed. To exit navigating menus, continue holding down the button until no setting blinks anymore.
In this example, the Loop ID is being changed:
| Loop█ 1 020% < |
| CH# 8 Repeat |
Receiving Loop Box Data and monitoring the connection using RACE RESULT 12
When using one or more Loop Boxes in Repeat Mode, the detections from several timing points will be received through the base (Loop ID 1) Ubidium or RACE RESULT System with Active Extension or USB Timing Box, and be read in the Timing tab through one single connection.
To assign detections from a certain loop to a certain Timing Point in the software, go to the Timing points settings in the Timing tab in your event file, and define the Automatic Timing Point Selection settings. The below screenshots show a typical setup of a triathlon event, the main system at the finish line is set to loop 1 (base), the two Loop Boxes at the entrance and exit of the transition area are set to loop 2 and loop 3 respectively.
In the Chip Timing and Systems section of the Timing tab, the Loop Boxes are listed under the main system they are connected to, with an indication of the signal strength and of the battery status. On the far right, the software displays which timing point the data of the Loop Box will be written in, if an automatic timing point selection rule applies. For the main system, note that you do not necessarily need to select a timing point in the drop down selection menu if you have set up a rule that applies to that channel and loop ID combination. The automatic timing point selection rules have priority over the dropdown selection.
Here is a table indicating the estimated quality of the signal based on the value displayed:
| Quality | Value |
| Perfect (could not be better) | above -65 dBm |
| OK (nothing to worry about) | -75 dBm, ... , -65 dBm |
| Not Great (still working, but could be better) | -85 dBm, ... , -75 dBm |
| Barely Detected (setup should be checked) | below -85 dBm |