FSAE Instrumentation Presentation Bret Isbell Al Mukmin Paul Otto Miguel Roncal Jud Ryckman Walter Thorn

FSAE/Project Application FSAE Racecar Instrumenting engine and suspension characteristics Data aquisition using various on-board sensors Data analysis/Graphical user interface

Hardware Options Options National Instruments / cRIO - (see next slide) Budget - $700; Low resolution, not expandable Build from scratch - Overly time consuming and technically too advanced MoTec - Very capable, but costs above $5000 -All options require the purchase of additional sensors (about $2000)

Benefits of NI & the cRIO Free (already in our possession) LabVIEW is a good development environment LabVIEW is taught at Vanderbilt and free to students We have contact with the local NI rep (Roger Hebert) Small & portable, yet very capable & expandable

NI cRIO

System Requirements - Measureables Must haves: -Shock Position/Rate -Lat./Long. Accel -Wheel Speed -Engine RPM -Oil Pressure -Throttle Position -Steering Position Would be nice: -Brake Pressure -Tire, Ambient, Water, Exhaust, Oil Temps -Wheel Load Could Measure: -Fuel Consumption Rate -Fuel, Oil, Coolant Levels -Tire Pressure -Ride Height -Chassis Slip Angle

Measureables (cont.) Determine how often along the track we want to measure each sensor...

System Requirements - Environmental Electrical Magnetic Interference (EMI) - how to measure? Water Exposure - either a waterpoof hardware interface, or a waterproof enclosure for the cRIO; water-resistant sensors Vibration - measure? Temperature - normal air temp. (40-90 F) Weight - total system weight <20 lbs Size - car has a 10"x12"x5" space available Packaging - building a secure wiring harness External Forces - in a location to minimize air resistance; out of the driver's way Triggering - [derived based on storage capacity]

System Requirements - Operational Triggering [derived] Data Transfer - download from cRIO to a computer Storage Capacity - 40 minutes minimum SAE stand alone compliance [next slide] User Interface – Accessibility – Filtering – Math channels – Visual/Display – Data collection rates (Derived)

FSAE Stand-Alone Requirements A "stand-alone data acquisition system" is a system that: -Monitors and records only. -Has no control or display function. -Is removable without affecting the running of the vehicle, i.e. it is in a separate "box". If the system meets these requirements, it does not have to be added to the cost of the vehicle for the FSAE competition.

cRIO Modules, storage capacity Currently have: – NI 9205 (32 channels) – NI 9215 (4 channels) Input voltages are variable Other modules available if needed Datasheets available here here The cRIO has 64MB of internal memory Assuming we use all channels of both models, sampling at the max rate possible, this would yield a file size of 64MB after ~58 minutes of transfer time. This meets & exceeds our system requirement for storage capacity

Current Progress LabVIEW 8.2 & FPGA will be available on Vandy's server before the end of the semester Hardware Sensor Selection, Pricing Proof of Concept Test with cRIO and pressure transducer Website