upload favorites to PM4

[tbartman]

We use a PM4, and want to be able to have more than 5 favorites per person (various types of intervals with different speed paceboats, etc.) There's no good way to "edit" programs either. I know with RowPro you can enter programs on the PC much easier than you can type them into the PM4, and then "send" the program to the PM4. Is there any other program (or easy way) to create all sorts of programs on the PC and upload them to the PM4 (or can anyone design an easy interface for this?) Any utilities out there?

[Citroen]

You can copy the favourites from a logcard to the custom list.

So you set-up a logcard with five favourite workouts, insert that into each erg in turn and move all the favourites to the custom list. Then reprogram each of the favourites for another five workouts.

Each logcard can hold 25 favourite workouts. Five favourites for each of the five users. Logcards are "a dime a dozen" at the Concept2 shop.

That gives you pre-sets 1 through 5, custom list 6 through 10 and favourites 11 through 15 (times five).

You could also wire one PM4 to your laptop with a USB cable and wire the other PM4s on the ergs with ethernet CAT5 patch cables and run the venue racing software. http://www.concept2.com/us/support/software/venue_race/
(If you don't have the 120ohm resitive terminator, wire the last erg back to the first with a long patch cable. You need at least two ergs to run venue racing.)

The other way for a single erg with a USB cable - instead of RowPro or Venue racing - is the PMI ActiveX control as published this week. http://c2forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=6132
Build an Excel spreadsheet for each workout, that includes the PMI controls and Visual BASIC stuff to set the PM4 to run that workout.

[c2scott]

I would say that although the "wire it back together" forming a circle probably won't hurt anything, I'd just leave it alone. Terminators for Venue racing are important mainly for long runs of wire. If you had 10 ergs with 15' cables and that was it, I'd say "you're fine" without one. If you had a BIRC setup with 40 ergs and long wire to the race computer table, I'd say it's a "must". Everything inbetween: up for debate. Will a few errors on the line occasionally hurt you? only in race setup and starting. After that it's pretty forgiving.

[Citroen]

I would say that although the "wire it back together" forming a circle probably won't hurt anything, I'd just leave it alone.

Thanks for that Scott (I'll note that for future).

I wired the ergs in a loop for the Oxford, Street Olympix 2 minute competition - someone forgot to ask for the box of cables from Nottingham when they collected the ergs. We had nine ergs running that way - no problems.

I didn't have the terminators but after we raided Wolfson College for ethernet patch cables; I did have a long enough cable to wire the last erg to the first.

I'll have to study the spec for RS485, some time.

[minorwork]

Jan Axelson has a very good section on RS485 in her book SERIAL PORT COMPLETE. Her clear explanations and in particular her 7 rules for a robust RS485 system enabled me to get a carbon monoxide belt fire monitor system working at the coal mine I worked. Factory reps and the electrical specialist knowledge of the RS485 specs paled to Axelson's knowledge. I had to learn the stuff on my own. 56 separate stations monitoring an enabling alarms at belt tails with different power supplies kept me busy and was job security. The 5 to 6 miles of distance required the use of a 1200 baud communication rate, covering data from all stations in 35 seconds. Speed could have increased but at the sacrifice of increased error rates in communications.

Very helpful in determining the need for terminators was the use of a solid state FLUKE oscilloscope. Jan's book remains the best demonstrated clear explanation of a terminators function as shown by the scope.