Term-LAB Leaderboard Installation

 

 

Use the Proper Cable

 

The cable used to connect the Leaderboard to the COM port on the computer is a DATA cable (not a phone cable). Although a data cable and a telephone cable look alike, the way they are constructed is different. A DATA cable is a "straight-thru" cable. In other words, pin 1 on one end is attached to pin 1 on the other end. Pin 2 goes to pin 2, pin 3 goes to pin 3 and pin 4 goes to pin 4. In a telephone cable, the conductors are "flipped". In other words, pin 1 goes to pin 4, pin 2 goes to pin 3, pin 3 goes to pin 2 and pin 4 goes to pin 1. You must verify that you are using a "data" cable.

 

The data cable is attached to the computer with an RJ11 to dB9 adapter. The pin out is as follows. Please note that this refers to a 4 conductor data cable. Also please note that the numbers for the RJ11 plug are defined while looking at the plug (with the wire going AWAY from you and the plastic tab facing UP.) Just use the adapter and data cable that comes with the sign and you won’t need to worry about any of this.

 

Pin 2 on the dB9 receptacle is connected to Pin 3 on the RJ11 plug.

Pin 3 on the dB9 receptacle is connected to Pin 2 on the RJ11 plug.

Pin 5 on the dB9 receptacle is connected to Pin 4 on the RJ11 plug.

 

Attach the Leaderboard to the Computer

 

The Leaderboard attaches to the computer’s serial COM port. Simply plug one end of the data cable in to the sign and plug the other end of the data cable (with the dB9 adapter) into one of the COM ports on the computer.

 

In an installation with more than one sign, the units are “daisy chained” together. The order in which the signs are located in the chain is not important. We recommend the wiring method shown below.

 


Figure 1

 

 

Configure Term-LAB

 

Once you have verified the cabling, you must configure Term-LAB.

 

  1. Go to the Hardware panel in Term-LAB.
  2. Find the section entitled, “Leaderboard Configuration”.
  3. Select the Serial Port that the Leaderboard is attached to. Important! You must be careful when selecting the COM port if your computer uses a SERIAL mouse. (You have a serial mouse if your mouse has a 9-pin D-sub connector that plugs in to a serial port. If you have a round mouse plug, then you have a PS2 mouse and this warning doesn’t apply to you.) If you select the wrong COM port, your mouse may stop responding and you may not be able to correct the problem without reinstalling the Term-LAB software.
  4. Term-LAB supports several different Leaderboard configurations. Select the checkbox next to the Leaderboard configuration you wish to use.

 

    • Lanes 1-2 (01) – When a Leaderboard uses this configuration, SPL information for Lanes 1 and 2 will be displayed on the sign. (Lane 1 will appear on the left side of the sign, Lane 2 will appear on the right side of the sign, and the timer will appear in the middle.) To configure a Leaderboard to use this configuration, you must set it’s ID to 01. (See Programming the Leaderboard below.)

 

    • Lanes 1-2 Mirror (02) – This configuration displays the same information as that shown above. However, Lane 1 and Lane 2 are reversed in position. To configure a Leaderboard to use this configuration, you must set it’s ID to 02. (See Programming the Leaderboard below.)

 

    • Lanes 3-4 (03) – When a Leaderboard uses this configuration, SPL information for Lanes 3 and 4 will be displayed on the sign. (Lane 3 will appear on the left side of the sign, Lane 4 will appear on the right side of the sign, and the timer will appear in the middle.) To configure a Leaderboard to use this configuration, you must set it’s ID to 03. (See Programming the Leaderboard below.)

 

    • Lanes 3-4 Mirror (04) – This configuration displays the same information as that shown above. However, Lane 3 and Lane 4 are reversed in position. To configure a Leaderboard to use this configuration, you must set it’s ID to 04. (See Programming the Leaderboard below.)

 

    • Lane 1-2 Tower (05, 06) – Check this box if you are using two Leaderboard displays as light towers. The ID for the Lane 1 tower should be set to 05 and the ID for the Lane 2 tower should be set to 06.

 

    • Lane 3-4 Tower (07, 08) – Check this box if you are using two Leaderboard displays as light towers. The ID for the Lane 3 tower should be set to 07 and the ID for the Lane 4 tower should be set to 08.

 

  1. You can also press the TEST button. Each Leaderboard should identify itself.
  2. If the Leaderboard doesn't respond, you may need to check the configuration of the sign or the BIOS settings on the motherboard.

 

Programming the Leaderboard(s)

 

Normally, you won’t be required to configure the Leaderboard’s settings. However, if the sign is not responding, or if the information being displayed is not correct, you may need to verify that the Leaderboard is configured correctly.

 

  1. Using the IR remote control for the Leaderboard, aim the remote at the Leaderboard and press the ESC key.
  2. Press S for setup.
  3. Press the Enter button on the remote to select each field and move to the next.
  4. Verify that the baud rate is set to 9600.
  5. Verify that the ID is set correctly (see above). Use the up/down arrow keys on the remote to change these settings if necessary.
  6. When you get back to the main menu on the sign, press R for run and then press P for Page. Finally, press A for page A.
  7. Try testing the Leaderboard again. If it doesn't work, you more than likely have a cabling problem. Check your data cable with a cable tester and verify that the adapter is constructed correctly.

 

Configuring the BIOS settings on the Motherboard

 

For the computer’s COM port to operate correctly, it must be enabled on the motherboard. Sometimes, integrated peripherals  (such as COM ports) are disabled so that they do not use system resources. If you have verified that everything else is correct and your sign still does not work, you should verify the COM settings in your motherboard’s BIOS settings.

 

  1. Reboot the computer. You will see a message at startup that tells you how to enter the BIOS setup for the computer. (Normally F1 or ESC or DEL but may be something else.)
  2. Upon entering the BIOS setup, you must search for something like “Integrated Peripherals” or “On-Board Peripherals” or “Serial Ports”.
  3. When you find the area that is used to configure the serial ports, verify that they are enabled.
  4. If you have an option to assign each serial port to a com port, you should assign serial port 1 to COM 1 and serial port 2 to COM 2.
  5. Save and exit the BIOS setup.