Graphics

Has anyone had any luck getting Trackman Baseball Data into Xpression. We are currently looking to incorporate Trackman into our scoreboard that we are running off xpression. I understand that the trackman server computer has a 9 pin serial connector that could be used for data. However our server computer is not in the same building as the Xpression so we would need to do some conversion. Trackman also mentioned that they put out UDP protocol on Port 20999. If this is just a matter of opening ports on our IT side that would be much easier but I have never used UDP protocol so I would need assistance in connecting.

If anyone has been successful or knows of a way to make this work I would be appreciative. If there are any questions on what we have to work with just let me know.

Hi Casey,

I'm not familiar with Trackman so I can't give you a specific answer.

I can, however, give you a few general hints.

If you want to connect to the server obviously you would have to be on the same network and the ports should be open on the switch. Try pinging the server first to see if you have a connection to the server. If you can ping but you can't connect then most likely it's an issue with the port. You can also use a tool like TelNet to try and connect to the port too.

By default all connections used in Datalinq are TCP I believe, but maybe there might some option to use UDP as well. TCP and UDP are quite similar except UDP doesn't allow two-way communication.

 

Another approach would be to use a serial-to-USB convertor and then hook that one up to a USB-extender which can be connected to the XPression. Ofcourse that would mean that there are UTP-tielines between the XPression and the Trackmen-server. Those tielines cannot pass through a switch or it will (probably) not work.

 

Good luck!

#XPression

Hey Casey,

I wanted to know if you had any luck parsing out the UDP data from Trackman into Xpression. I've been able to see the JSON updating using a UDP listener but not sure what's the best Datalinq preset to see it. I've communicated with Trackman various times and found out that if there's no game the 20998 and 20999 ports aren't even open.

Let me know where you're at and we can trade notes.
CHRIS

------------------------------
Chris Cormier
Engineer
WRAL / WRAZ / WILM / Durham Bulls
Durham United States
------------------------------

Hi Chris,
I think you would use the Datalinq ASCII datalinq source set to UDP, and then you would need to configure datalinq to parse the different fields of the data. Do you have the protocol format doc from Trackman?
Original Message:
Sent: 05-15-2021 21:02
From: Chris Cormier
Subject: Trackman Data on Xpression Datalinq

Hey Casey,

I wanted to know if you had any luck parsing out the UDP data from Trackman into Xpression. I've been able to see the JSON updating using a UDP listener but not sure what's the best Datalinq preset to see it. I've communicated with Trackman various times and found out that if there's no game the 20998 and 20999 ports aren't even open.

Let me know where you're at and we can trade notes.
CHRIS

------------------------------
Chris Cormier
Engineer
WRAL / WRAZ / WILM / Durham Bulls
Durham United States
------------------------------

Thanks for the reply, I had already tried the ASCII Datalinq source without luck. I added enough field space to receive messages but nothing showed up in browse. Apparently there's a JSON source in the latest Datalinq beta according to Ross support. While it's not encouraged, the Trackman server can provide serial out. I've added the Trackman paperwork to help anyone who is following this thread.

------------------------------
Chris Cormier
Engineer
WRAL / WRAZ / WILM / Durham Bulls
Durham United States
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-21-2021 11:23
From: Garner Millward
Subject: Trackman Data on Xpression Datalinq

Hi Chris,
I think you would use the Datalinq ASCII datalinq source set to UDP, and then you would need to configure datalinq to parse the different fields of the data. Do you have the protocol format doc from Trackman?

Original Message:
Sent: 05-15-2021 21:02
From: Chris Cormier
Subject: Trackman Data on Xpression Datalinq

Hey Casey,

I wanted to know if you had any luck parsing out the UDP data from Trackman into Xpression. I've been able to see the JSON updating using a UDP listener but not sure what's the best Datalinq preset to see it. I've communicated with Trackman various times and found out that if there's no game the 20998 and 20999 ports aren't even open.

Let me know where you're at and we can trade notes.
CHRIS

------------------------------
Chris Cormier
Engineer
WRAL / WRAZ / WILM / Durham Bulls
Durham United States

JSON was added to XPression Datalinq for XPression version 7 in 2016. 
So trackman is writing to a JSON file or web interface with their UDP data?
Original Message:
Sent: 05-24-2021 19:33
From: Chris Cormier
Subject: Trackman Data on Xpression Datalinq

Thanks for the reply, I had already tried the ASCII Datalinq source without luck. I added enough field space to receive messages but nothing showed up in browse. Apparently there's a JSON source in the latest Datalinq beta according to Ross support. While it's not encouraged, the Trackman server can provide serial out. I've added the Trackman paperwork to help anyone who is following this thread.

------------------------------
Chris Cormier
Engineer
WRAL / WRAZ / WILM / Durham Bulls
Durham United States
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 05-21-2021 11:23
From: Garner Millward
Subject: Trackman Data on Xpression Datalinq

Hi Chris,
I think you would use the Datalinq ASCII datalinq source set to UDP, and then you would need to configure datalinq to parse the different fields of the data. Do you have the protocol format doc from Trackman?

Original Message:
Sent: 05-15-2021 21:02
From: Chris Cormier
Subject: Trackman Data on Xpression Datalinq

Hey Casey,

I wanted to know if you had any luck parsing out the UDP data from Trackman into Xpression. I've been able to see the JSON updating using a UDP listener but not sure what's the best Datalinq preset to see it. I've communicated with Trackman various times and found out that if there's no game the 20998 and 20999 ports aren't even open.

Let me know where you're at and we can trade notes.
CHRIS

------------------------------
Chris Cormier
Engineer
WRAL / WRAZ / WILM / Durham Bulls
Durham United States

Chris,

I have not had any luck with the UDP. 1 of the issues i think that we have with that, is that our xpression is on a different Subnet than the Trackman system. That being said, I have tried to plug locally in on that other subnet with no luck getting anything into datalinq. Trackman can configure the system to send a "test" game I wonder if that would open up the ports so that you would be able to see it. 

Your attachment on the lower thread is also super helpful if we can get the data to come through. Lets keep pushing this, I would love to get it working for next spring.

------------------------------
Casey Woodman
Northwestern University Athletics
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-15-2021 21:02
From: Chris Cormier
Subject: Trackman Data on Xpression Datalinq

Hey Casey,

I wanted to know if you had any luck parsing out the UDP data from Trackman into Xpression. I've been able to see the JSON updating using a UDP listener but not sure what's the best Datalinq preset to see it. I've communicated with Trackman various times and found out that if there's no game the 20998 and 20999 ports aren't even open.

Let me know where you're at and we can trade notes.
CHRIS

------------------------------
Chris Cormier
Engineer
WRAL / WRAZ / WILM / Durham Bulls
Durham United States
------------------------------