Yellow Flag System

Guides & Projects

During all of our slot car races we have used the build in yellow flag feature in the race coordinator software. This works very well but lacks the ability to display how many flags each driver has deployed during the race. As we usually use the disqualification feature where a driver is disqualified after using a specific number of flags, it would be really great to know excatly how many flags you have used and how many you have left during the race. So I decided to make a yellow flag system that could display the number of used flags and available flags. First I thought lets make a system with LED's to display the flag use. But I ended up with an LCD solution instead. In this guide I will show how I made this system work. I have shared some videos, a gallery, a material list and a download section.

Materials Needed

Downloads

Arduino Board

Arduino relay, 2 relays

6 Pushbuttons (Push-to-break, SPST Momentary)

2 Pushbuttons (Push-to-make, SPST Momentary)

2 LCD displays with LCM 1602 IIC

Wires

Arduino Sketch

3D Sketchup Model - LCD Mount

Liquid Crystal Library for Arduino

Schematics for Wirering

Guide

This yellow flag system is based upon an arduino board a couple of LCD displays and a relay. I created the system to assist the race coordinator softwares yellow flag feature but it can also be used as a stand alone system. I bought most of the required stuff from the material list on ebay for a total price of around 100DKK for the entire system.

In this guide I will focuse on how to make all the eletronics to work and setting up the arduino sketch. I will cover how I mounted this system in a large racetrack control panel in another guide.

You are free to use any of the material on this page but please credit me and recommend my page and youtube channel to your friends :)

Current Functions

Can be used with and without the Race Coordinator Software

Counts the use of yellow flag

Display the available flags and used flags on a LCD display

Reset button

Increase and decrease button for number of yellow flags

Disqualifying feature when all are flags used

Automatic disable the drivers Controller when DSQ

Videos

 

 

EP01 - First Setup and Testing

In this video I will give a quick walkthrough of the initial process of getting the LCD display to work and count the use of flags.

 

EP02 - Adding a couple of features

The system has been upgraded with a relay and several other features. Take a look at the video for an overview.

 

EP03 - Walkthrough, Wiring and Software

A complete walkthrough of the wireing and software part of the project.

 

 

 

 

 

The Finished Race Control Panel

In this video I give a short walkthrough of the Nightlund Race Circuit Control Panel and the improved yellow flag system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gallery

 

   

The systems LCD and relay

  

The entire system mounted on a breadboard for testing

  

The schmatics for the wirering.

 

   

The finished control panel with the yellow flag upgrade included

  

The finished control panel with the yellow flag upgrade included

  

The finished control panel with the yellow flag upgrade included

 

       

The finished control panel with the yellow flag upgrade included