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Basic Data Acquisition Primer

Formula 1 and Indy cars have used data acquisition since the mid 80s. Now data acquisition is popping up everywhere. NASCAR teams and road racers rely heavily on data acquisition. Even all American cars produced after 1996 have what is called OBDII electronics. This, too, is a form of data acquisition. So,you better not miss this technological wave or you will go the way of the flatheads and straight sixes.

 

What is Data Acquisition?

Basically, data acquisition is just sensors and a recorder like an old fashioned answering machine. The sensors measure something (like a microphone measuing the sound) and the recorder saves the information (just like a tape recorder).

 

On cars, the sensors measure distances (as in shock travel, throttle position or steering position), or forces (such as G force or brake pressure), or events (such as crossing the start/finish line) and even rpm (engine or wheels). Typically, these sensors are connected to the recorder box with wires.

 

The "box" continually records the sensor information as you drive the car. To make the information easier to analyze a Lap Beacon is used. This is usually an infra-red (IR) light transmitter (similar to your TV remote) and is typically located at or near the start/finish line. The car has an IR sensor placed in the side window and it is connected to the recorder box. Each time the car passes the Lap Beacon the recorder saves the data for that lap and starts recording the next lap.

 

In review, the hardware consists of sensors, a beacon, a recorder box and wires to connect everything together.

 

How Do I See the Data?

A laptop computer will do the job and in fact, a little older laptop works perfectly. After running the car, you use a cable connecting the recorder box to your laptop and download the information to the computer.

 

Typical data acquisition packages have software supplied with system. The software is installed on your laptop ahead of time and is used to view the data you have downloaded.  It is saved on your laptop so you can look at the data next week, next year or whenever!

 

To make analyzing your data simple, the data is segmented by laps. You can look at each lap separately and see G force, shock travel, etc. all the way around the track, not just a single point.  And if you want, you can even break a lap into segments such as straights and corners.