rw99
Enthusiast
So I was on the track the other day, driving at speed & using my phone... ...for telemetry. Hah!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2bIJfuKxXw
As I become even more track-obsessed, the data hound in me wants to crunch numbers and identify my weak points. There are many, but that also means that there are better times ahead with planning and practice
. I don't want to drop money (that I'll need for tires & brakes) on a dedicated datalogging setup ($500 and up, way up), so I decided to try utilizing my Droid X and an app called TrackMaster as the logger. My P-car instructor buddy Glynn is going through the same process with his iPhone and the Harry's Lap Timer app.
Data acquisition by a smartphone's native GPS is limiting if you're traveling at speed. Present internal GPS systems update at 1 Hz (once a second) and have marginal accuracy. So my first step was to buy an external bluetooth GPS unit (QStarz BT 818XT $70) and pair it to the Droid. This GPS can be mounted remotely in the car, and is capable of 5 and 10 Hz rates. The Droid accepted the 10 Hz feed with no problem, so that's what I've been using. Trackmaster logs lateral and longitudinal Gs by reading the phone's accelerometers, so that's incorporated into the data file as well.
I love my GoPro, and the whole point of this exercise was to overlay the data onto the captured HD video. I purchased DashWare (~$40) for my PC; this program very nicely allows you to marry the video file with whatever data files you can collect... selecting and modifying/creating gauges and displays that will then be rendered onto your video file. Very slick program, with a nice synch utility to get everything stitched together correctly in time. Also allows setting splits on your GPS track map, with results graphing.
Next up, I need to find a cheap standalone OBDII logger, so that I'll be able to log RPM, etc. Then I'll be able to add the tach, throttle, and brake gauges and call it complete.
I've also been using a PLX Kiwi bluetooth OBDII dongle, with the Torque app. Lots of useful stuff there, from checking/clearing codes to datalogging and performance meter widgets. The outcome of all this techno toy use has been a real appreciation for the abilities of the current generation of smartphones. When next I upgrade, I'm keeping the old phone as a VERY useful automotive tool.
Rich
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2bIJfuKxXw
As I become even more track-obsessed, the data hound in me wants to crunch numbers and identify my weak points. There are many, but that also means that there are better times ahead with planning and practice
. I don't want to drop money (that I'll need for tires & brakes) on a dedicated datalogging setup ($500 and up, way up), so I decided to try utilizing my Droid X and an app called TrackMaster as the logger. My P-car instructor buddy Glynn is going through the same process with his iPhone and the Harry's Lap Timer app.Data acquisition by a smartphone's native GPS is limiting if you're traveling at speed. Present internal GPS systems update at 1 Hz (once a second) and have marginal accuracy. So my first step was to buy an external bluetooth GPS unit (QStarz BT 818XT $70) and pair it to the Droid. This GPS can be mounted remotely in the car, and is capable of 5 and 10 Hz rates. The Droid accepted the 10 Hz feed with no problem, so that's what I've been using. Trackmaster logs lateral and longitudinal Gs by reading the phone's accelerometers, so that's incorporated into the data file as well.
I love my GoPro, and the whole point of this exercise was to overlay the data onto the captured HD video. I purchased DashWare (~$40) for my PC; this program very nicely allows you to marry the video file with whatever data files you can collect... selecting and modifying/creating gauges and displays that will then be rendered onto your video file. Very slick program, with a nice synch utility to get everything stitched together correctly in time. Also allows setting splits on your GPS track map, with results graphing.
Next up, I need to find a cheap standalone OBDII logger, so that I'll be able to log RPM, etc. Then I'll be able to add the tach, throttle, and brake gauges and call it complete.
I've also been using a PLX Kiwi bluetooth OBDII dongle, with the Torque app. Lots of useful stuff there, from checking/clearing codes to datalogging and performance meter widgets. The outcome of all this techno toy use has been a real appreciation for the abilities of the current generation of smartphones. When next I upgrade, I'm keeping the old phone as a VERY useful automotive tool.
Rich
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