Topic: Datalogger GPS modification

[Noal]

I do not intend to write a complete how-to, but I would like to show what can be done pretty easily by anyone with some electronic experience.  Hopefully this will give some people a few ideas and maybe a little inspiration.

Shortly after getting a Sol, I decided to also get a data logger.  Seems like a must have if you plan to tinker with anything performance related .
I bought an Auterra DashDyno SPD since it seemed to have all of the basic features and could generate dyno graphs as well.  It also has the ability to interface to a GPS through a serial port and log positional information along with car sensor information.  It is designed to use a serial cable and a handheld GPS... I never liked this idea since there's one more thing to bring and plug wires to connect and then route the wires all over the dash .
I always thought it would be nice to install a bluetooth module on the DashDyno and have it grab its GPS info from the TomTom in the Eclipse headunit I'd previously installed.  Bluetooth modules are pretty simple and there are plenty of hacks for programming a TomTom (they are basically running Linux underneath it all), but programming to maintain the bluetooth links automatically and the routing of NMEA commands to the bluetooth link all seemed like actual work, so I kept putting off doing anything about it.  I see that they now have a newer model with bluetooth built-in and sell an additional bluetooth GPS (something else to bring and keep charged... at least no cables to route).

Finally a few weeks ago it hit me! why not just install a whole GPS internally???  I looked around and found a GPS module small enough that has RS232 output (not just TTL) for about $35.  After reviewing the GPS and DashDyno specs, I determined that I needed an additional power supply.  I ordered a little DC-DC power supply and input capacitor (about $15).  I taped the metal shielding over the GPS receiver so it shouldn't short anything in case it breaks loose and then glued it to the top of the DashDyno's SD card reader housing.  I soldered the input capacitor, power supply and wiring.  I covered the power supply assembly with heat shrink tubing (to prevent damage if it ever breaks loose), and glued it to a relatively unpopulated portion of the DashDyno PCB next to the GPS.  I routed all of the wires though a couple of holes in the PCB to get to the connector pins.  I soldered the RS232 lines to the appropriate pins of the connector where it solders to the PCB, and I soldered the power lines to the point that the DashDyno gets its main power (it diode or's two possible power input sources, one is the vehicle power through the OBDII connection, and the other is through a 12V wallwart plug).  After double checking all of the connections, I powered everything up and verified operation.

Before anyone says it: 

A picture of the mods to the board:


I took a trip to a dog show and then a shooting range last weekend (in a Ford Expedition) and here are some pictures of the log info for one leg of the trip:





I know, I know, before anyone asks for them, I've only done a few dyno runs with it...
Here is one from May08:


The dyno graph is pretty neat, but to be reasonably accurate and consistent you need some additional information so the software can make appropriate corrections.  Total weight, temperature, humidity, elevation, barometric pressure, etc...  The above graph's peaks were 241.4hp & 236.4ft/lbs, but the exact numbers are going to be a little off since I don't have an exact weight for the car with me in it    but kinda like with regular dyno's, if I use the same weight (assuming the car hasn't changed weight), I can compare improvements later.

[DeepBlueGXP]

Interesting stuff.  What happens when you need to update the GPS?

[Sly Bob]

Very nicely done. Looks like Tomato Soup has some competition.  

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Wow the pictures were great, but why did you write the whole post in some alien languge?  Most of us on this forum don't read alien.  In the future, if you could post in any language found on Earth, I can use google to translate.



Truthfully, I think its a great idea.  I am patiently waiting a head unit that doea all of that: gps, data log and everything else (internet access too!) with a USB port so I can take all the info in to the house, update programing and return!

Hey, a guy can dream...

GJ

[Noal]

Interesting stuff.  What happens when you need to update the GPS?

This GPS is not used for navigation.  The GPS is the little board on the right side of the picture with the yellow,blue,white & green wires.  It is about 1.25"x1.25"x.35".  It shouldn't require any updates, it is just a module that reports NMEA strings (longitude, latitude, velocity, time, etc...).  This is recorded along with the measured vehicle parameters (engine RPM, AFR, boost pressure, etc...).  When analyzing the logs afterwards on a PC, google earth is used to give the car path graphically.

If you had a problem while driving, you can scan through the log until you see the location you thought you had the problem and then carefully analyze the other parameters.
Or while analyzing all of the logged information, you can see where the car was when there was something odd in the data.

Another application for logging w/ GPS data is it can generate files for TrackVision software which merges data logs with in car video.
http://www.trackvision.net/
At some point I'll have to try out their demo and see if its something that I "need".

[Noal]

Wow the pictures were great, but why did you write the whole post in some alien languge?  Most of us on this forum don't read alien.  In the future, if you could post in any language found on Earth, I can use google to translate.



Truthfully, I think its a great idea.  I am patiently waiting a head unit that doea all of that: gps, data log and everything else (internet access too!) with a USB port so I can take all the info in to the house, update programing and return!

Hey, a guy can dream...

GJ

I forget, not everyone speaks electrical computer techno.  I should have just put a link where the "big picture" is explained. http://www.dashdyno.net/tech/google.html

And when enough of us dream the same dream it can be come reality.
But until then, we have to do it ourselves one mod at a time.

[FieroVin]

Lets see if I can fix some picture links...

Before anyone says it: 

A picture of the mods to the board:


I took a trip to a dog show and then a shooting range last weekend (in a Ford Expedition) and here are some pictures of the log info for one leg of the trip:





I know, I know, before anyone asks for them, I've only done a few dyno runs with it...
Here is one from May08:

[Sly Bob]

The links in the first post were broken. Had to add "/forum" after kappaperformance.com. Fixed...