The ultimate in performance data collection

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gpraceman
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The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by gpraceman »

This is just too cool. You can gather a wealth of performance data on your cars using this data module and the free mobile app. Tweak and see just how that affected your runs. That could help you determine what gets cars off the start faster and what helps hold the speed in the flat. Of course, you would need to mount the module to your cars. That would affect aerodynamics, but you could still learn some valuable things.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/2 ... licon-Labs
Randy Lisano
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Awana Grand Prix and Pinewood Derby racing - Where a child, an adult and a small block of wood combine for a lot of fun and memories.
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Stan Pope
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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by Stan Pope »

Is it me or are the links in the target page (the ones that start out ct.busin...) all bad?

I do not agree with this method of evaluation precisely because it alters the car in order to make the measurements. Sadly, because of the bad links, I was not able to estimate how much it would alter the car.

The vastly superior method is to take a series of timings as the car progresses down the track. (Think it through before you say it is too expensive, guys!)
Stan
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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by bracketracer »

Stan, the links worked for me?

How about this one? http://www.silabs.com/products/wireless ... r-kit.aspx

I'm a big fan of multiple sensors in a single lane but I wonder if this board might be useful to a scout that doesn't have access to a track and timer? If they had a long, smooth board with a guide rail attached and set it to a slight incline, could they use something like this to try out different things (like different ways of applying lube or swapping out different wheels or axles) to see what was fastest?
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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by Stan Pope »

Yes, for me, too, tonight! Wonder what went awry last night? The rest of my I-net seemed to be working fine. :(

I wonder if it is light enough that it could be attached to a finished car to be used as an adjustment tool during "test and tune night" at the pack's track (when the timer is customarily turned off to prevent competition before the real competition?)

I think that $60 buys all the parts needed for an 6 or 8 sensor interval timer, including a microprocessor board. And an arbitrary number of sensors can be added for a few $ each! OTOH, that doesn't come pre-assembled. :)
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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

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It looks like I'll get an opportunity to mess with one of these Thunderboard React kits! I found a contest on their website where you had to take a quiz about the product and write a short essay on how you would use it for a chance to win one of ten kits they were giving away. I won one! It's just the board, not the car kit with the body and wheels but I think I have enough parts to put a car together here already! lol

Now I'm thinking up ways I could use it. I want to try racing the same car on my Besttrack and also on our pack's Piantedosi wood track to see the results in the app. I'm curious to see the difference in speed coming off the bottom of the ramp. Since the board has an ambient light sensor on board I think I can position a high-brightness LED over the track at the bottom of each hill so I'll be able to see in the app when the car hit the bottom of the hill. Did the car keep accelerating after the bottom of the curve or not? If not, then I could keep moving the light down the track to determine where it hit peak speed? Hmm, what else could I do with it..........

Thanks for the heads-up on this product Randy! I would probably have never heard of it if I didn't read about it here.
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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by bracketracer »

Package arrived today! I guess I misunderstood what I won. It wasn't just the board, they sent the whole car kit!

Image


I need to get the app loaded now. It says it's designed for phones but I only have an Android tablet, the app crashes on start for me. The wife has a newer iphone than mine, I might see if the Apple version of the app likes me better. LOL
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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by gpraceman »

That's pretty cool. Hope you have fun with it.

I'd be curious to know how much just the circuit board and battery weigh.
Randy Lisano
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Awana Grand Prix and Pinewood Derby racing - Where a child, an adult and a small block of wood combine for a lot of fun and memories.
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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by bracketracer »

The board and battery alone weigh 9.65 grams Randy. As delivered, it's nearly 1/2" tall because the two buttons stick out on one face and there is a programming connector sticking out on the other face.

Hey, they are having another contest if any of you guys want to try to win a board:

http://community.silabs.com/t5/Contests ... 75995#M682

Entries have to be submitted by August 29th!

I downloaded the app on my wife's iphone6 and it runs with no problem so the issue must be with my Android tablet. The app says "designed for phones" but that usually isn't an issue with running on a tablet. I'll have to mess with it some more.

One of the screens in the app displays a 3D model of the car next to the X-Y-Z readout from the accelerometer. The image tilts, flips, and spins in response to my movements of the board.

There are readouts for ft/s, distance, rpm, and total revolutions but those appear to be tied to the Hall Effect sensor and need the magnet to pass by the sensor to work. They have the app configured for a 1.19" diameter wheel though so it's going to be off a bit if I use lathed wheels. I don't see a way to change the size in the app.
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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by gpraceman »

Can you post a photo of just the board?

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Randy Lisano
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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by bracketracer »

I took some pics before work this morning. The wood chassis provided has the stock BSA 4 3/8" wheelbase but it is shifted forward a bit, 3/8" I'd say. Might give up a little PE there but the body definitely adds to the cool factor! It just snaps on to the wood chassis, no screws required. There are tabs that locate it firmly. Speaking of the body, it is 7" long and 2 3/8" wide at it's widest point and this body looks really well made. Very nice molding job! The body looks very sleek but it does add to the frontal area. I'm not sure if that's going to be a plus or a minus. The plastic body by itself weighs 35.21 grams. Since the wood chassis provided is slightly shortened on both ends and the same width as a stock BSA block you could modify your kit block if your rules specify that you have to use the block provided. This kit came with BSA wheels and axles also, those should be legal for any scout race I would think. Here's the pics:
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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by bracketracer »

Pics of the board with a BSA wheel next to it for reference (that is a CR 2032 coin battery in there):

Image

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Re: The ultimate in performance data collection

Post by gpraceman »

Thanks for the photos. You could make some kind of light weight cover for it to reduce some of the aerodynamic drag. Something that would allow you to easily attach it to various cars to get measurement data. Let us know what all you end up doing with it.
Randy Lisano
Romans 5:8

Awana Grand Prix and Pinewood Derby racing - Where a child, an adult and a small block of wood combine for a lot of fun and memories.
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