RE: Data acquisition (wacha want?)

Ok, let's say you are shopping for a data ak system. What do you want/need/expect to get for, say $600, $1,200 and $2,000.
Full disclosure here, I'm working with a buddy and he/we are developing a system he hopes to have running around this spring so I'm doing a little bit of market research here. I am sure GRM'ers will get a bit of a break for your help.
Another thing, if you are using something, anything right now tell me what you love and what you hate about it.

Didn't we do this the other day?

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/data-acquisition-question/17638/page1/

The dream: $600 for tracking of accelleration, braking, amount of steering, and engine RPM with some sort of map overlay that shows the two different lines that different drivers took on different laps.

Nashco wrote: Didn't we do this the other day? http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/data-acquisition-question/17638/page1/

To some extent, but at that point the question offered here was a side thought, and wasn't really addressed head on. I'd like to know what you folks want/expect from a system and what your thoughts are about what you are using.
I can't spill any beans here but what he's talking about seems pretty ground breaking from what I'm seeing.

:

• GPS lap timer w/ display that allows you to set a lap and then displays +/- from the fastest lap
• Up last and best for up to 3 segments, programmable either in the car or edited on the laptop
• Open file format so I can integrate with it
• Include elevation and draw the track maps in 3D so it makes sense why the downhill brake zone data is so much different from the uphill ones.
• Ability to load someone else's hot lap(s) to use as a base line
• allow additional analog inputs 0-10v or whatever for brake pressure, damper speed... etc
• yaw/pitch
• tags in the lap file for setup, weather time of day, etc...
• BlueTooth so I don't have to carry yet another cable around with me.
• A display I can read while driving at 11/10ths, in 100F heat with the sun in my eyes and 45min of track dirt on the window causing all kinds of glare. Think RED LED clock from the 1980s.

OH, please, please, please... make the software vector for width of the start/finish line used to detect the lap reset on a lap configurable. There is nothing more irritating than to lay a fast lap down and have the thing not detect it because you were on the other side of the straight passing someone, or worse... detect it from the straight coming the other way.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: : - GPS lap timer w/ display that allows you to set a lap and then displays +/- from the fastest lap - Up last and best for up to 3 segments, programmable either in the car or edited on the laptop - Open file format so I can integrate with it - Include elevation and draw the track maps in 3D so it makes sense why the downhill brake zone data is so much different from the uphill ones. - Ability to load someone else's hot lap(s) to use as a base line - allow additional analog inputs 0-10v or whatever for brake pressure, damper speed... etc - yaw/pitch - tags in the lap file for setup, weather time of day, etc... - BlueTooth so I don't have to carry yet another cable around with me. - A display I can read while driving at 11/10ths, in 100F heat with the sun in my eyes and 45min of track dirt on the window causing all kinds of glare. Think RED LED clock from the 1980s. OH, please, please, please... make the software vector for width of the start/finish line used to detect the lap reset on a lap configurable. There is nothing more irritating than to lay a fast lap down and have the thing not detect it because you were on the other side of the straight passing someone, or worse... detect it from the straight coming the other way.

Sweet! That's the kind of input I'm looking for. What would you pay for a system like that?

1.) 20 hz GPS (real 20hz, not that interpolated crap)

2.) Open file format cause I'm just going to stick the data into Matlab anyway

3.) At least 4 analog inputs. 8 would be better. And don't skimp and use 8-bit ADC's, go for the good stuff.

That's it really, I'm easy.

DrBoost wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: : - GPS lap timer w/ display that allows you to set a lap and then displays +/- from the fastest lap - Up last and best for up to 3 segments, programmable either in the car or edited on the laptop - Open file format so I can integrate with it - Include elevation and draw the track maps in 3D so it makes sense why the downhill brake zone data is so much different from the uphill ones. - Ability to load someone else's hot lap(s) to use as a base line - allow additional analog inputs 0-10v or whatever for brake pressure, damper speed... etc - yaw/pitch - tags in the lap file for setup, weather time of day, etc... - BlueTooth so I don't have to carry yet another cable around with me. - A display I can read while driving at 11/10ths, in 100F heat with the sun in my eyes and 45min of track dirt on the window causing all kinds of glare. Think RED LED clock from the 1980s. OH, please, please, please... make the software vector for width of the start/finish line used to detect the lap reset on a lap configurable. There is nothing more irritating than to lay a fast lap down and have the thing not detect it because you were on the other side of the straight passing someone, or worse... detect it from the straight coming the other way.

Sweet! That's the kind of input I'm looking for. What would you pay for a system like that?

Right now I'd be looking at $800 for the DriftBox which does everything hardware wise but lacks the configurability and readable screen at speed. There are systems that get me 99% for $1500+ but the dollar per additional feature ratio is beyond my ability to justify. I took a crack at building my own with an Antaris GPS Module, AVR processor, etc... but while I got a lot of functionality I did not have time with my job to really go after it. Its a lot of work as a pet project. Good luck to you and please post updates. If you go the open source route I'd be interested in contributing as well.

I charge the battery in my $129 Garmin GPS and run it in my race car. It gives me max speed and total distance traveled.

Along with the AMB transponder lapcharts that I also get, I'm good to go.

I am new to the page but not new to DAC as i am from the world of NI and vehicle telemeter. Please consider that OBD was not for data collection but for diagnostics so if you start poling the data for data collection you will quickly over load the CPY. OBD data logging may work for lower demand engine loads like autocross but you will see performance problems at high load demands like in track time events. I tested this at Westech Automotive on the Dyno you will not do any damage but over all performance suffers. Also OBD is max at 10Hz not bad but it has limitations. As for 20Hz true GPS well in reality the signal from the satellite is at 1Hz and the GPS actually douse the rest. V-Box sells a 100 Hz GPS but the price is on the prohibitive side and don’t forget, video is diver view and one dimensional and so is GPS, also cameras do not do so well at night or in glaring sunlight. I looked at systems in the 200 to 800-price point for a client they do what they claim but if the user has not dun the research and understood what he gets for the price the final bill is usually around 1200 to 1800. This usually gives you a robust system with A/D, Frequency, GPS, Video, maybe a dashboard, Consider V-Box light 1470 that is 1 GPS and can bus which not all vehicle have, the lower price systems are good but read what they do and what they are for. I always tell people reed the fine print and don’t be dazzled by the marketing hip.