Data logging / ECU interface

[evo_ufo]

Sounds more promising than my experience with the ODB. So what sort of update frequency are you seeing?

[gavin@petken.com]

I don't know how to respond technically, but if I press the throttle the readings change to 4 decimal places instantly. Does that help?

g

[evo_ufo]

I was using a laptop to experiment with the ODB and the best I got was one sample every 2 seconds. Quoted to X decimal places, but just one reading every couple of seconds so no use if you are looking to see where you are able to get back on the power through a bend. The interesting thing for me would be if you could tell me how many readings it records every second. So over say 10 seconds of modulating the throttle how may different readings are recorded in the DL1? If its getting 10 samples a second then I'll be on the phone ot RT to inquire about the cable.

Thanks

Will

[gavin@petken.com]

Won't be able to until end of week but will give it a go.

[gavin@petken.com]

OK, Race Technology Lite Monitor is showing a refresh rate of about 5hz if that makes any sense?

It does not output revs. Does anyon know where I can tap into that info.?

g

[evo_ufo]

5Hz isn't too bad, but definitely a pity it doesnt give you rpm. You can get this by running a wire from the coil pack on cylinder 1.

I believe it is the red and black wire. I'll have a look at the weekend.

Just checked and it is the red/black wire on coil pack one. one is on the right hand side of the engine when viewed from the rear of the car.

[patrick.oneill@premierusa.com]

OK, Race Technology Lite Monitor is showing a refresh rate of about 5hz if that makes any sense?

For those that don't know 5Hz is 5 times per second.

[gavin@petken.com]

5Hz isn't too bad, but definitely a pity it doesnt give you rpm. You can get this by running a wire from the coil pack on cylinder 1.

I believe it is the red and black wire. I'll have a look at the weekend.

Wooaaahhh, that's reached the limit of my basic knowledge. How do you go about attaching that?

I am getting throttle position. It may be that I don't have the ECU lead properly configured to get all the channels. I'll tinker with the software over the weekend.

The Dash 3 looks great - arrived this week. I'm going to stick it to the bulkhead just below the heater controls.

g

Edited August 29, 2008 by gavinp

[kiwi 2-11]

Wooaaahhh, that's reached the limit of my basic knowledge. How do you go about attaching that?

I am getting throttle position. It may be that I don't have the ECU lead properly configured to get all the channels. I'll tinker with the software over the weekend.

The Dash 3 looks great - arrived this week. I'm going to stick it to the bulkhead just below the heater controls.

g

"Heater controls"...I didnt see that option on the order form.

[gavin@petken.com]

Caught me out - special Lotus option!

Light buttons!

[gavin@petken.com]

OK, Brands Indy Wed. Can someone help me with a revs feed?

[evo_ufo]

If you can't get the revs out of the OBD using the interface they you're only option is to get it from the ECU loom/coil directly. It isn't available on the back of the Stack unit on the Toyota engined cars. As mentioned above its the red and black wire on coil pack one. Just pair back a little of the insulation and solder on another wire. You can then run this along the same route as the handbrake and gear cables into the passenger area and into the DL1 directly.

[gavin@petken.com]

its the red and black wire on coil pack one. Just pair back a little of the insulation and solder on another wire

This is where I am lost!

[gavin@petken.com]

OK, being a bit dense, but found it this evening. Now petrified about cutting into that little wire, but the pay off is high. Not only will the DL1 collect revs but will also translate that into gear indicator and a 7ish LED change up light strip on the Dash 3 which is now attached to the bulkhead, just to the right of the intrument cluster.

g

Instead I've wired directly into the brake lights, throttle position, and sendor 1 on the coil pack. The rest of the info coming from the GPS and accelerometers.

How did you get brake lights, through the fuse box?

And throttle position?

Thanks

g

[evo_ufo]

For a brake indicator I used the brake light switch on the brake pedal. Slight complication here is that with LED lights this isn't a simple off on 12V signal for the DL1 to read. Its more of an ON 12V then, OFF anything other than 12V as there is nothing to pull the voltage back down to earth. I just use a threshold calculation in the analysis software and it works well enough.

I've got a pre '06 car without drive by wire so for throttle position I use the output of the throttle position sensor on the throttle body. In the newer cars with drive by wire there are is a sensor on the throttle pedal but I'm not familiar with the way it works.

------

As I don't have experience in the following please get it confirmed elsewhere as well.

From the wiring diagram it looks like a single sensor with 6 wires, but internally its split into two position sensors. If you want to experiment the wiring is.

Y +5V

N Signal

W GND

and

G +5V

U Signal

B GND

Potentially capture both the signals and review in in the monitor software to see what the give at different pedal positions. Perhaps you can get away with a single one or perhaps you would need to perform a calulation for the output.

Alternatively there are also two TPS signals on the throttle body for the drive by wire cars. TPS1 is UO and TPS2 is UP.

-------

Looking back at the above, I think I'd make some more enquires in other forums about getting a throttle position for data logging on post '06 cars and get the info from someone who's done it.

[gavin@petken.com]

OK, mainly for Del as I know this seems a bit boring for everyone else....

Not sure how but now getting Rev info off the DL1! No RPM feed as such so I suspect it is through the Race Tech ECU interface. Now seem to have all the data I need from the DL1.

Also plugged my Dash 3 in.

g

[de_futter@msn.com]

Gavin

I seem to recall (reading through the Race Technology documentation) that there is a way to look at what data fields are coming across the ECU interface (but I can't remember where it is off te top of my head). Would be really interested to know what data the 2-11 ECU supplies if its not too much trouble.

TIA

Del

[evo_ufo]

Ok I bought one of the Serial ODB Interface cables to experiment with. Setup was fairly straight forward once I realised that I needed a firmware update for the DL1. You will need to contact Race Technology for the update as it doesn't come on the supplied CD. Once it was applied everything worked straight away. Note: its not quite plug an play as the interface cable needs a 12V supply so if you are running from a cigarette style adapter you will need to alter the cable to power the ECU interface cable as well.

I connected it up on its own without any of the other previously wired analogue inputs to see how comprehensive it would be.

Variables available straight out of the box on an 05 MY Exige:

RPM

Engine Load -> Auxiliary 1 (%)

Coolant Temp -> Water Temp ©

Lambda 1 short term trim

Lambda 1 long term trim

Lambda 1

Inlet Air Temp -> Inlet Pre Turbo 1 ©

Throttle Position

Ignition Angle degrees

On top of this you obviously get the standard GPS derived variables.

Couple of things to note. Not all the channels are sampled at 5Hz (5 times a second)

For example the Throttle position appears to be at 3Hz. This isn't under your control. The configuration application for the DL1 mentions 5Hz but this is the output frequency if you want to drive a display such as the Dash 1.

Cheers

Will

[gavin@petken.com]

Snap. Same here. G

[de_futter@msn.com]

Thanks for that. I was hoping that there would be some injector cycle data so that the fuel usage could be calculated, given that the fuel guage doesn't provide any useful display.

Oh well have to stick with using the trip meter to estimate fuel tank contents based upon distance travelled

[jbs]

Reviving this old thread.

I want to hardwire my DL1 unit in the 2-11. Can someone please tell me how to do this? I'm not much of an electrician. Thanks!

[jbs]

bump

can I hardwire into the battery ?

[de_futter@msn.com]

You could but then you would have no way off turning off the DL1 and your battery would go flat within 2-3 days - suggest fitting an inline switch or using an (ignition) switched 12v feed.

[jbs]

You could but then you would have no way off turning off the DL1 and your battery would go flat within 2-3 days - suggest fitting an inline switch or using an (ignition) switched 12v feed.

Eureka! A reply! Thank you Del !

I was going to tap a fuse in the fuse-box which sits next to the battery. I wanted to connect the positive cable from my datalogger to this fuse and its negative cable directly to the negative battery terminal. That way, everything should be controlled by the battery-master-switch.

I also want to put a switch in the loop so that the logger doesn't drain all the battery.

One question though :

Do I need to use an additional safety fuse somewhere ??

[de_futter@msn.com]

Do I need to use an additional safety fuse somewhere ??

Really depends upon which fuse you are tapping from! I would suggest that a suitably rated in-line fuse would definitely be a good idea - that way if you have a problem with the DL1 it will only blow the in-line fuse rather than take out the one in the fuse box (and whatever other services were on that fuse).

Also my personal choice would be to install a seperate switch for the DL1 otherwise you will have no way of turning it off when the master switch is on. Remember that most track day organisers don't allow timing and may therefore take a dim view of an active data logger (with lap and sector timing capability).

D