CountingCars.com's CountPad2
The CountPad2 provides intuitive reliable input for tabulating traffic data with CountingCars COUNTpro software. CountingCars.com and P. I. Engineering collaborated to make the CountPad2 from stock and customized elements. Click here to tell us about your project and let us start working on a custom solution for you.
“This turnkey solution with the X-keys solved a lot of business headaches for us, and the team at P. I. provided great options and solutions at every stage of the project.”
– Mike Spack, President, CountingCars.com
Software Integration
“The software development kit from P. I. provided everything we needed for the initial integration, and when we decided to take it a step further, their support was prompt and flawless.” - Don Gettner, President, Ridge Engineering
Don Gettner acts as the lead programmer for CountingCars and was responsible for integrating the CountPad2 in the newest release of COUNTpro software for tabulating traffic turning and movement. Adding the CountPad2 as a dedicated input panel was just one of the upgrades to COUNTpro.
Custom Key and Blocker Printing
Design of the CountPad2 also took advantage of new in-house key printing capabilities developed by P. I. Engineering. Using an industrial printer with acrylic, UV cured ink, key sets that would typically require expensive tooling and high-volume production methods with long lead times, can be prototyped in under 24 hours. Design changes happen in digital media instead of steel molds.
After prototyping, the identical method is used for production. The X-keys unit gets built with blank keys, loaded into a print fixture, and the key legends printed in place. This guarantees perfect placement, color, and orientation of every key legend. The design of the CountPad2 also calls for white printing on a key blocker for compass orientation. The blockers are loaded into a special fixture for printing as a separate print job.
Private Labeling
The finishing touch, a CrystalArt™ domed label brands the CountPad2 with a professional finish. In addition to promoting the brand, this gives the end user confidence they have purchased a dedicated control device for the designed purpose.
Product Protection with Encrypted ID
Obviously CountingCars.com put a lot of time, money, and effort into the design and implementation of this device. What would prevent an unscrupulous implementer from buying a stock X-keys XK-80 and creating their own CountPad for unauthorized expansion to multiple workstations?
To prevent this, P. I. implemented an Encrypted ID feature. The COUNTpro software checks the X-keys to verify it has the encrypted ID code for a CountPad2. If the X-keys does not have the correct code, COUNTpro doesn’t recognize it. The code gets written into the X-keys as part of the CountPad2 build procedure. Only the CountPad2 gets this code, so only the CountPad2 will work with CountingCars software.
Security Lock
Locking the device with a 128 bit password prevents inadvertent or malicious reprogramming of the X-keys. All features and settings in the X-keys memory, including any pre-programmed macros, are locked down. Assigning a password and locking/unlocking the X-keys can be done by the OEM, or by P. I. technicians as the last step in a turnkey solution. Once locked, it is virtually impossible to recover the password from the device.
