2021 ProSolo Finale

The ProSolo Reset team worked on lots of improvements to the ProSolo Software that were contributing to inefficiency and operator error. Those changes were completed in mid-August and lab testing was used to verify. Lab testing was able to identify and correct edge case issues and a small number of items. These were corrected before the finale and were tested during practice starts. The improvements were significant and it was decided to move the newest software version to “Primary” and “Backup” for the event.  

Two issues were identified during the event. 

1. The SCCA barcode system uses the membership number as the unique identifier. When the scanners read barcodes that were not created by the SCCA, the system would store that “read” and wait for the barcode format it was anticipating. (The rules require competitors to cover barcodes from other sources). This would cascade into a barcode failure and the system would stop accepting. The timing and scoring team was able to work around the issue. 
2. Depending on when a penalty was added to a competitor's run (during or after completion) the system would round that time. We investigated and it only occurred on runs that had a penalty. This was corrected for Sunday competition. 

The remaining operational issue is missed right finish trips. We experienced missed trips that were usually caught by the backup system. Occasionally, both systems missed right finishes.  

We planned a more comprehensive logging system for the South Texas Pro in November hoping to catch the root cause that causes this random error.

2021 South Texas ProSolo (November 5-7) 

The ProSolo Reset team tested the scanner software change to correct the errors caused by non-SCCA barcodes prior to the event and expected that issue would be solved. This proved to be the case.  

We also tested a new method for handling the data that comes from the timing system and the barcode scanners. It was implemented for practice starts and was successful. Again, we implemented a Primary and Backup system for the event. The Primary system now included sophisticated logging that created a chronologic log of our timing data, our scanner data, and anything sent to our displays. During practice starts, we captured a missed right finish trip. That was enough information to pinpoint the section of code that is suspect. We made a change that should switch the missed right trips to missed left trips. That new code was operating on the backup system for Saturday competition. We experienced missed left trips on the backup system on Saturday morning. We are attempting to recreate the issue in the lab and expect to solve the issue shortly.  

From Charlotte to Beeville the ProSolo Reset Team made tremendous progress. Competitors have taken notice and shared their personal experiences and feelings on the changes. The offseason will give us a chance to ruggedize the tree for its life on the road. We also plan further improvements to streamline operations and reduce the technical knowledge needed to set up and operate a ProSolo. We are looking forward to the 2022 season!