Onboard Data Logging for XCross/Trackdays
 

We're talking a lot in this section about prepping the car... how about some wisdom on data logging systems for driver improvement?

It would be especially nice to have the option of choosing from several levels of sophistication:

- an all-out system with full OBD integration (useful for tuning purposes) and precise GPS and track overlay capability, with near-real time replay capability (defined as between across runs). $$ in the thousands (custom hardware is OK).

- an intermediate system that maximizes driver improvement information. In-car replay capability. $$ in the hundreds (excluding the laptop, pad or phone).

- the minimal entry level system that allows a driver to determine which driver inputs are likely to have caused the biggest change in the course/lap elapsed time. $$ less than $200 if possible (excluding the laptop, pad or phone). Something nearly free, as an introduction, would be a real bonus.

How about it? Anything really new to go with this new track day animal?

There are some great options for data logging your driving on-track. One that I use a lot is Traqmate. It's a straightforward system with either a simple display unit, or a more advanced display unit. It can be mounted permanently in the car (for a dedicated track/racecar) or temporarily if you plan to move it from car to car.

The other is the AIM Solo, which is battery powered, mounts to the windshield with a suction cup and is fairly simple to plug'n'play. The AIM software is a little more difficult to navigate when analyzing the data, but once you get the hang of it, it's a powerful tool to help see where you are losing time to a faster driver.

Email me if you're interested in either, we can get either of them for you.

Im interested in an affordable option as well. What kinda of prices are we talking for them? If it ends up being in my range, do you have one setup I could see the function?

See this thread for some smartphone-based options. They range from nearly free to $200 + phone + BT OBD + BT GPS. I haven't implemented anything yet, but may go for the petreldata/solostorm with my next phone upgrade.

A member of my autocross club is developing this data loggin system designed for autocross.

I HIGHLY recommend it. With the use of the OB2 Port data, analyzing data between runs is REALLY easy and helpful with this setup!

http://www.petreldata.com/

richard

I've only used Race Technologies DL1 and V-box. Correction: Both can tie to CANbus networks. Vbox is significantly more expensive. Regardless, both systems provide much more accurate gps and accelerometer units than a phone and selectable sampling rates. They are fun toys to play with but even a DL-1 costs nearly $1000 soo its better to share :happy0180:

We use an AIM Solo. It's pretty cheap compared to some others and it works fairly well. It's not perfect (but none are IMO) but it gets you the data you need to make adjustments and does predictive lap timing which is nice.

Dave, could you expand a bit on why you like predictive lap timing? How does it help you (or me) get faster?

warning: this could be considered a bit spammy

I'm working with the folks at Autosport Labs on their open source race car data acquisition box, RaceCapture. We've had some pretty big successes with it, so far. Just logging data works very well, and the software is in development to do some analysis on the desk top. But we've also been making inroads on live streaming telemetry to the web from a car during the race. There's a LeMons event in July that I'll be driving at and you'll be able to watch us race live. It's pretty damn cool, if I do say so myself. We're also starting to look at ways to give the driver feedback that will make them smoother/faster/better, something that's a bit more difficult than calculating your lap time and max G. We don't yet have integration with the OBD2 port, but I'm hoping to work on that now that my BRZ is here. :)

Depending on the mode you can either have it tell you what it thinks your lap time will be if you keep up your current pace (based on pervious lap data to compute the rest of the lap), or the better mode IMO is the difference between your current lap and best lap. You can use it to try different lines, find out if downshifting is worth it vs just leaving it in a higher gear out of the powerband for a few seconds, etc.

During races I avoid looking at the thing but in DEs and such it can be useful.

Good to see you over here :thumbup:

The problem is that some/most/all HPDEs don't allow timing devices. Last I heard, the official stance with the BMWCCA was "no timing devices", full stop. But at an event a couple of months ago, the classroom instructor was talking about just this sort of thing. I think it was the AIM Solo (?) that will pull steering angle and brake pressure via OBD2 which, coupled with accelerometers and the GPS will give you good feedback on how well you're driving. I'm hoping RaceCapture will be able to do just that, and we've been talking about a "smoothness" indicator.

My personal set up on my track car. Droid phone, dash display, $4 Torque program and a $80 BT OBDII cable

It logs just the same as my Cosworth dash in my car. And for a lot less money. I think it does better in many more ways.

View live OBD engine data on your Android phone -
Connect to your vehicle ECU
Fully customisable dashboard screens -
Design your own layouts and custom dials, use your own themes
Retrieve Fault Codes (DTCs) and clear Check Engine lights -
View fault descriptions using the built-in databases
Upload live OBD2 data to your webserver or the torque web viewer in realtime
Check the performance of your vehicle with BHP / Torque
0-60 & Quarter Mile widgets
http://torque-bhp.com/wiki/Main_Page
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Then I also use TrackMaster
rackmaster provides the following features:
Record the following track data: position, speed, acceleration, altitude, bearing, absolute time, split times, elapsed times, and lap times.
Record your track data using multiple trigger modes: immediate, by movement, delayed, or by first split marker.
Record video with automatic upload to MyTrackmaster.com
View your lap times and split times with graphical analysis on your phone.
Calculates your best theoretical lap time and best rolling lap time.
Replay your track data instantly on your phone.
Share your track data via email, web posting, or Twitter.
Sync your data to the cloud. Back up your data and sync to multiple devices. Manage your track data, analyze your data, and search for data at MyTrackmaster.com.
Send your data to Google Earth for desktop replay, analysis, and editing.
Send your data as a spreadsheet for analysis in MS Excel or Open Office.
Enable speech to have your speed and times spoken to you while you're racing. This works great for motorcycle racers using a stereo bluetooth headset.
Provide real-time lap times and speed to your fans via Facebook and Twitter.
Use Live View to provide real-time track data and position to your fans.
Race with your friends using the Race Group feature. Get real-time position updates (1st, 2nd, etc) on your phone and see your friends' track position on Live View.
Launch Street View to see a panoramic view of your race line and the track.
Supports metric and English units.
Supports external bluetooth GPS receivers (via add-on) for faster update rates.
Download custom layouts or create your own.
Overlay your laps to compare your race line.
Record your setup for car, motorcycle, and karts.
Export video data for video overlays.
Works great for autocross, hillclimbs, road rally, and track days!
Click the User Guide or Google Earth links for more information about these and other Trackmaster features.

http://trackmaster.trackaroo.com/welcome

There is an insurance issue with timing devices. Anyone caught with lap timers can be tossed with many groups (including the one I help run). However, data logging can be viewed differently.. so that's kind of a gray area IMO. I think the data it can provide is great and can be an incredibly useful teaching tool.

The Solo DL might be able to do that, we just have the regular Solo, no fancy new OBDII in the race car.. technically it's OBD2 but first year and the DL model wasn't very friendly IIRC with many old OBD2 systems so we didn't see the value in trying it.

I mostly avoid looking at it during races to prevent myself from doing something stupid. :)