Colorado Time Systems System 6

The System 6 (part number SYS6) is a swimming timing and scoring console made by Colorado Time Systems (CTS). Unlike the Gen7 timers that replaced it, the System 6 is a self-contained unit: it carries its own backlit LCD, keypad, and timing software, and is operated directly from the console rather than from a separate computer. It collects the finish signals from each lane’s touchpad and backup pushbuttons, runs the race clock, receives the start pulse from the start system, and drives the scoreboard. It has been discontinued in favour of the Gen7 platform, though CTS still sells refurbished units.¹²³

Role in the timing system¶

The System 6 is the head end that the on-deck equipment connects back to. The start system, the lane touchpads and their backup buttons, the relay-judging platforms, the scoreboard, a printer, and a meet-management computer all connect to the console, which measures the elapsed time for each lane and sends the results to the scoreboard.¹ The console does the timing itself; a meet-management program supplies the event sequence and records the results the console returns, but does not do the timing.¹

Under World Aquatics rules, competition times are recorded to a hundredth of a second, and championship swimming is timed by automatic officiating equipment, touchpads at both ends of each lane, backed up by pushbuttons, reporting to a console of this kind.⁴ A System 6 runs one course at a time. For redundancy a second System 6 can be attached as a backup timer: the back panel carries duplicate near-end and far-end inputs that pass the lane signals through to a second console.¹ CTS states that the System 6 has been used at World Aquatics and NCAA championship meets.³

Design and hardware¶

The front of the console carries a liquid-crystal display that shows the running time, race status, event and heat numbers, and lane results. CTS described the screen, 8.4 by 6.3 inches, as the largest on the market for a timing console, and it is backlit and in colour.³¹ A column of softkeys to the right of the screen selects printing formats, detailed race and relay-judging information, scoreboard controls, and the setup menus, and lets the operator store setup configurations for later meets.¹

Below the screen a keyboard insert carries the keys used during a race. A row of per-lane keys turns each lane on or off, arms a lane for a finish, or arms it for a split; other keys start the race, store and print results, advance to the next heat or event, edit an event’s length, and enter disqualification information.¹ An internal lithium-ion battery provides backup power in case of a power outage. CTS gives the charge time as three hours and the backup runtime as about 45 minutes, rising to roughly an hour after the battery has been through four or five full charge-and-discharge cycles, with a life expectancy of three to five years.¹³

Connectivity¶

Connectors on the back panel carry the console’s inputs and outputs.¹ The inputs are an external DC power connector, near-end and far-end cable harnesses for the lane signals, a duplicate set of near-end and far-end connectors for attaching a second console as a backup, a Judges I/O port, and keyboard and mouse connectors. The near-end and far-end harnesses each carry lanes 1 through 10, with a second connector on each side for lanes 11 and 12.¹

The power input is a DIN connector fed by an approved 15-volt supply (part R-920-004); CTS warns that a System 5 power supply, though it fits, can damage the console.¹ The Judges I/O connector accepts the judging expansion hardware and other CTS expansion devices.¹ The scoreboard connects through a quarter-inch jack to CTS fixed-digit (LED or light-reflective) and full-matrix LED displays, with each display line set by channel switches to the data it shows.¹ Two nine-pin serial ports are provided: COM1 connects a meet-management computer, and COM2 is reserved. A monitor output is a standard VGA port that mirrors the console screen, and the keyboard and mouse ports are standard PS-2 connectors.¹ An Ethernet port is used for online software updates.¹

The console’s storage and printer interfaces changed over its production run, and the sources describe two different arrangements. The 2010 Swimming software manual documents a standard IBM PC parallel printer port and, on older consoles, a 3.5-inch disk drive for saving older files.¹ Current CTS materials instead describe USB support: a PCL printer connected by USB (or parallel), a USB memory stick for transferring data, and USB keyboard and mouse support.³ The manual notes the USB port on newer consoles and refers to the Sport Loader manual for its use, which indicates the hardware was revised across the model’s life rather than the accounts being in conflict.¹

Software and operation¶

This article describes the console; the operating detail here follows the System 6 Swimming software user guide.¹

Swimming and diving software come standard with each console; water polo and pace-clock software are available separately.³ The pace-clock program turns the console into a programmable training clock: it holds separate workouts for up to 12 lanes, up to 100 sets per lane, and runs them on the connected scoreboard.⁵ Each sport uses its own software and a matching printed keyboard insert that labels the lower keys for that sport, so changing sports means swapping the insert and loading the corresponding program. CTS’s Sport Loader utility handles loading and updating the sport software on the console.¹ The console is shut down through its menus (Misc, then Change Sport, then Shut Down) before its power switch is used, rather than by cutting power while a sport program is running.¹

The System 6 supports up to 12 lanes, which CTS described as the largest lane count of any console on the market, and records an unlimited number of splits at both the near and far ends of the pool.²³ The race course can be shifted to the centre lanes of a pool while the lane numbering stays standard, and lanes can be reversed. The operator can declare where odd- and even-length races start, which determines the end at which they finish.²

Several features handle the mechanics of scoring a race. When enabled, the console measures the time between the start signal and the impulse from a relay-judging platform or, for backstroke starts, a touchpad, and posts that start-reaction time to the scoreboard.² For lanes where a backup button rather than a touchpad records the finish, the console applies the governing body’s rules to decide the backup time from the number of buttons received, and can automatically adjust a lane’s backup time using the average differential measured across the good lanes.² A relay-judging window constrains how long the console looks for a takeoff impulse, so that swimmers standing on or stretching against the blocks do not affect the exchange time.² After a reset, the console re-arms every lane listed as in use, so no lane is left off for the next heat.²

On the display side the console can post subtracted splits to LED video boards, cycle through all lane times when the scoreboard has fewer lines than the pool has lanes, and adjust the intensity of LED numeric boards and pace clocks for day or night and indoor or outdoor use.²

Meet-management software¶

A meet-management program connects to COM1 and exchanges the event sequence and race results with the console. CTS specifies a male-to-female nine-pin DB-9 straight-through RS-232 cable for the link.¹ The console is compatible with Hy-Tek Meet Manager and other meet-management programs.³ SwimTopia’s Meet Maestro also lists the System 5 and System 6 among the CTS consoles it supports.⁶

Compared with the Gen7 timers¶

CTS’s Gen7 platform replaced the earlier System 5 and System 6 consoles; the company first announced Gen7 in 2017.² Where the System 6 is a self-contained console operated from its own keypad, runs one course at a time, and needs a second console attached for redundancy, the Gen7 timers move the operator interface to a Windows laptop or tablet over Ethernet, let one timer run several courses at once, and keep all timing data on the console so a race finishes even if the interface drops. The Gen7 line is split into the connect-hub Serial and the multi-pin Legacy consoles.² The System 6 is discontinued as a new product, but CTS continues to sell refurbished units (part SYS6.S), and the console is still stocked by independent aquatic-equipment dealers.³⁷

Specifications¶

Sports	Swimming and diving standard; water polo and pace clock optional
Lanes	Up to 12
Splits	Unlimited, near- and far-end
Display	8.4 × 6.3 in backlit colour LCD
Power	External 15 VDC supply (R-920-004, DIN connector)
Battery	Internal lithium-ion; ~3 h charge, ~45 min backup (up to ~1 h after 4–5 cycles); 3–5 yr life
Serial ports	COM1 and COM2, nine-pin RS-232 (COM1 for meet management)
Data and display	Ethernet (online updates), USB, VGA monitor out, PS-2 keyboard and mouse
Scoreboard output	Quarter-inch jack to CTS LED numeric and LED matrix displays
Printer	Parallel port (older consoles); USB PCL printer (later consoles)
Meet management	Hy-Tek Meet Manager and others, over RS-232

See also¶

• Timers: the timing-console overview and the Gen7 comparison table
• Gen7 Serial Timer: the connect-hub console in the platform that replaced the System 6
• Gen7 Legacy Timer: the multi-pin console in the same platform
• Colorado Time Systems: the manufacturer
• Equipment: the equipment reference

References¶

Footnotes¶

1. Colorado Time Systems, Swimming 6 for the System 6 Sports Timer user guide (F890). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹

2. Colorado Time Systems, System 6 Timing Console datasheet. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

3. Colorado Time Systems, System 6 Timing Console. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

4. World Aquatics, Swimming Technical Rules, competition times are recorded to a hundredth of a second, timed by automatic officiating equipment. ↩

5. Colorado Time Systems, Pace Clock for the System 6 Sports Timer software user guide (F873, Rev. 20100820). ↩

6. SwimTopia, CTS System 5/6 or CTS Gen 7 Timing Consoles: Meet Maestro Setup. ↩

7. Dealer listings: Colorado Time Systems, System 6 Timing Console (Refurbished, SYS6.S); Poolweb, System 6 Sports Timing System. ↩