ANT — Answer'N'Time Recorder

This is a page of a new testing version intended to replace SI punching on classic courses (Pre-O).

It was successfully tested at Prague Trail Autumn 2019 event. You can download and test it to become familiar with it and potentially suggest some improvements.


(4.9.1)

Installation and configuration

You must have an Android device; it should run on Android versions from API 17 (Jelly Bean, 4.2) to 29 (Oreo, 10.0), ideally with an NFC reader.

After installing and launching ANT, you will see an initial screen with three buttons. You can click to the "Sample" one and list of ANT sample events occurs. In this list, you simply click to the radiobutton with "punching with NFC" sample and the configuration will be downloaded and applied.

Usage

After configuring ANT, you'll see a screen for competitor identification. If your device has an NFC reader, you'll be in a situation similar to the real competition — you can put any NFC chip you have (a door key, a bank card) to the REVERSE side of the device and ANT will consider you to be idenitified. Aparently, ANT will not be able to recognize your mobile and write you a hint where exactly you should put the chip, so you will have to try the whole reverse side of the device to find it. If you want to co-operate, you can then send your testing results to the ant.yq.cz server and write us what was the right place so that we can add your device type to the database of known ones. If you device has no NFC reader, you can write your name and then press the button with an arrow to continue.

After identifying yourself you will see a set of 7 rows for controls 1 to 7. By clicking to any of these rows (anywhere), ANT shows you the answer letter buttons and you can test answering. After pressing the answer button, the result is immediately saved to a file on the device and you will see two buttons, Next and End. The former switches you to the new task selection while the latter one logs you out. Be careful, selecting the task is time limited — if you don't answer within five seconds, you will be logged out.

Competition

At the real competition, there will be several punching stations. At each of them, there will be a few smartphones and a competitor will be allowed to punch any of a given set of controls. The competitors approaches, identifies her/himself by a lent NFC chip, chooses a task and then an answer.

A similar procedure will be also at the start and the finish.

Competitor identification using an NFC chip.
Competitors try to punch before start at PTP 2019.