Purchased Data Acquisition System: AIM EVO 4 + Mychron3 Visor Dash + OBD2
02-16-2010, 05:47 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
Purchased Data Acquisition System: AIM EVO 4 + Mychron3 Visor Dash + OBD2
Hi guys,
I’ve been researching DA systems extensively for the past few weeks. I've spent countless hours using the software from each reasonably priced vendor (reasonable = <$1,500 all-in) and have now purchased a system.
In case you were thinking of purchasing a system or are curious, I thought it may help someone if I shared my research on the various systems under $1,500 in the hopes that it saves you the hassle.
In the <$1,500 market, there are three choices:
1. AIM EVO4 + Mychron3 Visor Dash – New for 2009 and priced at $1,399.
2. Racepak G2X Pro with dash – Priced at $950.
3. Traqmate Complete – Priced at $999.
All three vendors’ use essentially the same hardware components to derive their information: 3-axis accelerometer; GPS; and a display that shows lap times. All three units interface beautifully with synched video using Trackvision software. The key differences then are four-fold:
1. The display and what information it provides. Some do predictive lap timing, others provide split times.
2. The ease of use of the software as well as how powerful the software can be as you mature into understanding how to use the data.
3. The connectivity to your existing ECU and/or inputs in order to get more meaningful data (ie, RPM, throttle position sensor, etc.).
4. The ability to share information with friends and foes
I left out a fifth element which is the vendor’s support because all three companies provide excellent support (Tim @ Racepak, the guys at Traqmate and the constant and consistent updates from AIM). All three vendors deserve our money.
The pros/cons of each unit (in no particular order because only you can decide what's important for you):
1. AIM EVO4 + Mychron3 Visor Dash. Price is $1,399.
Pros:
- Nice sized LCD dash with shift lights, provides lots of information.
- Very powerful and polished software; has a huge user base from karting and now automobiles so you can easily find analysis how-to videos on YouTube, etc.
- Has a built-in CAN connection to connect to the GT3 ECU through a cable tap or a sub-set of information via the OBD2 connector. The CAN connectivity provides everything from RPM to individual wheel speeds. For the cable tap, you need to splice into only two ECU wires for more channels and information than you'll know what to do with. If you don’t want to splice into the ECU wiring, you can use an optional $250 OBD2 connector that gives you a subset of information available from CAN, however the speeds on the Mk1 OBD2 port may be a bit slow; on the Mk2 cars, the OBD2 port now also contains the CAN +/- signals so you lucky guys can get the full speed CAN information without having to splice into any wires.
Cons:
1. Not many people use AIM in cars, so it's tough to compare your laps with your friends.
2. Software is very powerful, but much more complex than the Traqmate software and about par with the Racepak software.
3. Provides split timing and the +/-, but doesn't do predictive timing yet (AIM says they are working on it and it's a firmware update away).
Racepak G2X Pro. Price is $950.
Pros:
1. Powerful, but clunky software, feels very beta.
2. Very bright LED dash.
3. Fantastic constant predictive lap timing (one of the best driving tools around).
Cons:
1. Software is really clunky.
2. Dash is LED based so room for information is challenging and some of the on-screen messages are cryptic as they tried to make the LED's form letters.
3. No CAN BUS or OBD2 interface.
Traqmate Complete. Price is $999.
Pros:
1. Very, very, very easy to use software and hardware, the whole setup is plug and play.
2. Dash is very small which makes it easier to mount, but limits the content.
3. Fantastic constant predictive lap timing with an intuitive bar graph display (one of the best driving tools around)
4. Huge user community to share tracks and laps.
Cons:
1. Software is somewhat limited in ability (rumour is that they are about to launch a much more powerful version). Having said that, 99.5% of people will find the software fine.
2. Dash is small so you can't show much information at one time (ie, RPM, lap times, etc.).
3. No CAN BUS or OBD2 interface.
The fourth one which I didn't do too much research on is the gorgeous Racepak IQ3 integrated dash/DA unit. It retails for $1,395 and looks like a Motec dash. The reason I didn't investigate it much is because it really needs to be mounted behind the steering wheel and needs external buttons which is easy to do on a racecar, but not something I’m wiling to do on my streetcar.
Ultimately, it comes down to:
1. How do you like using the software? Are you able to determine why a lap was slower or faster?
2. Do you want predictive lap timing or are you ok with split times?
3. Do you want RPM, TPS, wheel speeds etc. from the CAN bus or are you ok with G's and MPH?
4. Are your friends using a certain brand and does it matter to you if you can/cannot share files with them?
In summary, you can’t go wrong with any of the units above, which is why I suspect most shops sell all three or at least two of the three. All of the units will give you 99.5% of what you’re looking for at our level of motorsports. I think the AIM gives you a tiny bit more because it has such powerful software and a karting user base that have “been there/done that” and can share the math channels, etc.
For myself, I chose the AIM unit and purchased it from Joe Cooley @ www.circuitmotorsports.com (919-768-3963); he has been great to work with. I went for this setup because of the ECU interface; I’m a data lover so this will give me endless hours of joy pouring over the information. The system I purchased consists of the EVO4 + Mychron3 Dash and also the optional OBD2 ECU bridge. I will report back what the refresh rate is like on my Mk1 GT3. If the refresh rate is not fast enough from OBD2, we'll tap into the CAN network.
I would also like to thank and mention Kenny Gorman @ Gorman Motorsports (www.gormanms.com) Kenny was fantastic with insight and knowledge on all three systems and I was ready to buy from him, but decided to buy from someone closer to home (east coast) in case I needed face-to-face support; Kenny is a bit far away on the west coast but I’d highly recommend him if you’re close by.
The system should arrive in a week or two and will be installed sometime in March/April when winter ends. I’ll report back how the install went and how the AIM unit stacks up to real-life use.
Hope this information helps someone
Cheers.
Farz
I’ve been researching DA systems extensively for the past few weeks. I've spent countless hours using the software from each reasonably priced vendor (reasonable = <$1,500 all-in) and have now purchased a system.
In case you were thinking of purchasing a system or are curious, I thought it may help someone if I shared my research on the various systems under $1,500 in the hopes that it saves you the hassle.
In the <$1,500 market, there are three choices:
1. AIM EVO4 + Mychron3 Visor Dash – New for 2009 and priced at $1,399.
2. Racepak G2X Pro with dash – Priced at $950.
3. Traqmate Complete – Priced at $999.
All three vendors’ use essentially the same hardware components to derive their information: 3-axis accelerometer; GPS; and a display that shows lap times. All three units interface beautifully with synched video using Trackvision software. The key differences then are four-fold:
1. The display and what information it provides. Some do predictive lap timing, others provide split times.
2. The ease of use of the software as well as how powerful the software can be as you mature into understanding how to use the data.
3. The connectivity to your existing ECU and/or inputs in order to get more meaningful data (ie, RPM, throttle position sensor, etc.).
4. The ability to share information with friends and foes
I left out a fifth element which is the vendor’s support because all three companies provide excellent support (Tim @ Racepak, the guys at Traqmate and the constant and consistent updates from AIM). All three vendors deserve our money.
The pros/cons of each unit (in no particular order because only you can decide what's important for you):
1. AIM EVO4 + Mychron3 Visor Dash. Price is $1,399.
Pros:
- Nice sized LCD dash with shift lights, provides lots of information.
- Very powerful and polished software; has a huge user base from karting and now automobiles so you can easily find analysis how-to videos on YouTube, etc.
- Has a built-in CAN connection to connect to the GT3 ECU through a cable tap or a sub-set of information via the OBD2 connector. The CAN connectivity provides everything from RPM to individual wheel speeds. For the cable tap, you need to splice into only two ECU wires for more channels and information than you'll know what to do with. If you don’t want to splice into the ECU wiring, you can use an optional $250 OBD2 connector that gives you a subset of information available from CAN, however the speeds on the Mk1 OBD2 port may be a bit slow; on the Mk2 cars, the OBD2 port now also contains the CAN +/- signals so you lucky guys can get the full speed CAN information without having to splice into any wires.
Cons:
1. Not many people use AIM in cars, so it's tough to compare your laps with your friends.
2. Software is very powerful, but much more complex than the Traqmate software and about par with the Racepak software.
3. Provides split timing and the +/-, but doesn't do predictive timing yet (AIM says they are working on it and it's a firmware update away).
Racepak G2X Pro. Price is $950.
Pros:
1. Powerful, but clunky software, feels very beta.
2. Very bright LED dash.
3. Fantastic constant predictive lap timing (one of the best driving tools around).
Cons:
1. Software is really clunky.
2. Dash is LED based so room for information is challenging and some of the on-screen messages are cryptic as they tried to make the LED's form letters.
3. No CAN BUS or OBD2 interface.
Traqmate Complete. Price is $999.
Pros:
1. Very, very, very easy to use software and hardware, the whole setup is plug and play.
2. Dash is very small which makes it easier to mount, but limits the content.
3. Fantastic constant predictive lap timing with an intuitive bar graph display (one of the best driving tools around)
4. Huge user community to share tracks and laps.
Cons:
1. Software is somewhat limited in ability (rumour is that they are about to launch a much more powerful version). Having said that, 99.5% of people will find the software fine.
2. Dash is small so you can't show much information at one time (ie, RPM, lap times, etc.).
3. No CAN BUS or OBD2 interface.
The fourth one which I didn't do too much research on is the gorgeous Racepak IQ3 integrated dash/DA unit. It retails for $1,395 and looks like a Motec dash. The reason I didn't investigate it much is because it really needs to be mounted behind the steering wheel and needs external buttons which is easy to do on a racecar, but not something I’m wiling to do on my streetcar.
Ultimately, it comes down to:
1. How do you like using the software? Are you able to determine why a lap was slower or faster?
2. Do you want predictive lap timing or are you ok with split times?
3. Do you want RPM, TPS, wheel speeds etc. from the CAN bus or are you ok with G's and MPH?
4. Are your friends using a certain brand and does it matter to you if you can/cannot share files with them?
In summary, you can’t go wrong with any of the units above, which is why I suspect most shops sell all three or at least two of the three. All of the units will give you 99.5% of what you’re looking for at our level of motorsports. I think the AIM gives you a tiny bit more because it has such powerful software and a karting user base that have “been there/done that” and can share the math channels, etc.
For myself, I chose the AIM unit and purchased it from Joe Cooley @ www.circuitmotorsports.com (919-768-3963); he has been great to work with. I went for this setup because of the ECU interface; I’m a data lover so this will give me endless hours of joy pouring over the information. The system I purchased consists of the EVO4 + Mychron3 Dash and also the optional OBD2 ECU bridge. I will report back what the refresh rate is like on my Mk1 GT3. If the refresh rate is not fast enough from OBD2, we'll tap into the CAN network.
I would also like to thank and mention Kenny Gorman @ Gorman Motorsports (www.gormanms.com) Kenny was fantastic with insight and knowledge on all three systems and I was ready to buy from him, but decided to buy from someone closer to home (east coast) in case I needed face-to-face support; Kenny is a bit far away on the west coast but I’d highly recommend him if you’re close by.
The system should arrive in a week or two and will be installed sometime in March/April when winter ends. I’ll report back how the install went and how the AIM unit stacks up to real-life use.
Hope this information helps someone
Cheers.
Farz
02-16-2010, 07:40 PM
#2
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Thanks for the review, Farz. I'm looking forward to seeing how you like it over the season. Right now I have the simple MaxQData GPS-only version and it is great for autox when you are sharing it with friends (easy to move from car to car) and simple track stuff. Autox around here is a little stale with "Miata" courses so I'm spending less time there and much more on the track. Next year it might be time for a DA upgrade with brake/throttle inputs and synched to video.
Cheers,
Cheers,
02-16-2010, 10:49 PM
#3
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Is the AIM ODB2 connector ($250) something that can be used in any car (BMW, Ferrari, Porsche) without splicing any cables?
Thanks
02-16-2010, 11:12 PM
#4
Nordschleife Master
Thanks for the review, Farz. I'm looking forward to seeing how you like it over the season. Right now I have the simple MaxQData GPS-only version and it is great for autox when you are sharing it with friends (easy to move from car to car) and simple track stuff. Autox around here is a little stale with "Miata" courses so I'm spending less time there and much more on the track. Next year it might be time for a DA upgrade with brake/throttle inputs and synched to video.
Cheers,
Cheers,
02-17-2010, 12:45 AM
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Farz, I'm curious about Rad's question too. Also, what external sensors are you going to use?
Cheers,
02-17-2010, 01:06 AM
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For a full list of the cars you can follow this link.
http://www.aim-sportline.com/pages/d...stock_ecus.htm
Last edited by Circuit Motorsports; 02-17-2010 at 01:28 AM.
02-17-2010, 01:33 AM
#7
Drifting
Thread Starter
Hey guys,
These are great questions and I'm happy to share what I've gleamed so far. You may want to double-check with AIM though because my info is from several AIM sites across the world (the UK site has great Porsche related info).
It appears that there are two OBDII protocols that our cars use:
1. OBDII K Line (ISO9141/2) protocol (supports 997 MK1, 997 MK1 Turbo, 997 MK1 GT3, 987 MK1 Cayman, 987 MK1 Boxster and 996 MK2 models.
2. OBDII CAN which supports all 987/997 MK2 models (I think these use the Siemens ECU vs. the Bosch of the MK1's).
The ISO9141/2's minimum standard bit rate is 14.4kb, whereas the newer OBDII CAN minimum is 250-500kbs, so the data rate may not be quick enough on the MK1 cars to support good data acquisition. Having said that, each manufacturer has their own spec as to whether they provide the minimum speed or if they go higher, so I'll let you know how it goes when I plug the OBDII connector in and get a sense of the sample rate.
For your other question, the AIM seems to support several cars with the OBDII connector as long as they are a recent OBDII implementation, especially if the manufacturer uses CAN (high-speed). For example, the AIM website references the following makes as being compatible with their OBD2 CAN adapter: Mazda, Nissan, Audi, VW, Porsche, and BMW.
To give perspective of what's available from the two modes:
OBDII ISO:
Engine Speed
Speed Value
Engine Coolant Temperature
Throttle Position Sensor
Intake Air Temperature
Manifold Absolute Pressure
Mass Air Flow Fuel Level
Pedal Position Sensor
CAN via OBDII:
RPM
Throttle Position Sensor
Pedal position sensor
Front Left wheel speed
Front Right wheel speed
Rear Left wheel speed
Rear right wheel speed
Water temperature
Oil temperature
Oil pressure
Steering angle
Steering speed
Brake switch
Engaged gear
Fuel level
As you can see, the CAN protocol looks to be much more fun! I will likely go the CAN route at some point (comes standard with the EVO4) and leave the OBDII connector for when I share the unit with others. My challenge right now is to determine how to wire/mount the pieces in the car. One part of me wants to hardwire the EVO4 in with a switch somewhere and then attach the Mychron 3 Dash and GPS antenna before each event. Another part of me wants to make the whole thing plug+play.
Hope this helps!
These are great questions and I'm happy to share what I've gleamed so far. You may want to double-check with AIM though because my info is from several AIM sites across the world (the UK site has great Porsche related info).
It appears that there are two OBDII protocols that our cars use:
1. OBDII K Line (ISO9141/2) protocol (supports 997 MK1, 997 MK1 Turbo, 997 MK1 GT3, 987 MK1 Cayman, 987 MK1 Boxster and 996 MK2 models.
2. OBDII CAN which supports all 987/997 MK2 models (I think these use the Siemens ECU vs. the Bosch of the MK1's).
The ISO9141/2's minimum standard bit rate is 14.4kb, whereas the newer OBDII CAN minimum is 250-500kbs, so the data rate may not be quick enough on the MK1 cars to support good data acquisition. Having said that, each manufacturer has their own spec as to whether they provide the minimum speed or if they go higher, so I'll let you know how it goes when I plug the OBDII connector in and get a sense of the sample rate.
For your other question, the AIM seems to support several cars with the OBDII connector as long as they are a recent OBDII implementation, especially if the manufacturer uses CAN (high-speed). For example, the AIM website references the following makes as being compatible with their OBD2 CAN adapter: Mazda, Nissan, Audi, VW, Porsche, and BMW.
To give perspective of what's available from the two modes:
OBDII ISO:
Engine Speed
Speed Value
Engine Coolant Temperature
Throttle Position Sensor
Intake Air Temperature
Manifold Absolute Pressure
Mass Air Flow Fuel Level
Pedal Position Sensor
CAN via OBDII:
RPM
Throttle Position Sensor
Pedal position sensor
Front Left wheel speed
Front Right wheel speed
Rear Left wheel speed
Rear right wheel speed
Water temperature
Oil temperature
Oil pressure
Steering angle
Steering speed
Brake switch
Engaged gear
Fuel level
As you can see, the CAN protocol looks to be much more fun! I will likely go the CAN route at some point (comes standard with the EVO4) and leave the OBDII connector for when I share the unit with others. My challenge right now is to determine how to wire/mount the pieces in the car. One part of me wants to hardwire the EVO4 in with a switch somewhere and then attach the Mychron 3 Dash and GPS antenna before each event. Another part of me wants to make the whole thing plug+play.
Hope this helps!
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02-17-2010, 01:36 AM
#8
Drifting
Thread Starter
Some of my fondest memories are from Pacific Raceways (SIR in my time) and Portland International Raceway. I used to take my Ducati 748 and 993 Turbo out to SIR and felt myself sinking in my seat going through turn 1. After the session, Pat Ma would tell me, "Farz, that's from your ***** shrinking!"...
02-17-2010, 01:40 AM
#9
Drifting
Thread Starter
Just checked AIM's website and you're in luck! The 430 and 430Scud both use the OBD2 connector to tap into the CAN network, so you get high speed data and the following channels that you can log on the Ferrari:
RPM
Wheel speed front left
Wheel speed front right
Wheel speed rear left
Wheel speed rear right
Vehicle speed
Pedal position sensor
Gear number
Steering angle
Brake switch
Steering speed
Engine coolant temperature
Oil temperature
Here's the link to the document about the Ferrari connectivity: http://www.aim-sportline.com/downloa...ia_100_eng.pdf
02-25-2010, 11:29 PM
#10
Drifting
Thread Starter
Hey guys,
I got the AIM EVO4 + Mychron3 dash in the mail today from Circuit Motorsports. I'm very impressed with the hardware quality, especially the wiring and connectors. The EVO4 unit itself is CNC machined from a single block of aluminum with a plate up front where the connectors are. It's a really nicely made unit.
Within 20mins, I managed to update the EVO4 for the Bosch GT3 ECU and set the dash parameters. The four parameters that I'll monitor on the dash will be oil temp, oil pressure, water temp and fuel level. I've got the RPM set to max at 10,000rpm and have the lights set so that the first shift lights turn on when the powerband starts and the last light at 8,100rpm. This should give me a good indication of whether I need to shift down or not in some corners. At this time, I've set no alarms, but may do something with wheel speed vs. GPS speed to remind me to not overdrive the car. We'll see once I get some data.
Here are some pics. The white paper is a business card to give a sense of scale:
I got the AIM EVO4 + Mychron3 dash in the mail today from Circuit Motorsports. I'm very impressed with the hardware quality, especially the wiring and connectors. The EVO4 unit itself is CNC machined from a single block of aluminum with a plate up front where the connectors are. It's a really nicely made unit.
Within 20mins, I managed to update the EVO4 for the Bosch GT3 ECU and set the dash parameters. The four parameters that I'll monitor on the dash will be oil temp, oil pressure, water temp and fuel level. I've got the RPM set to max at 10,000rpm and have the lights set so that the first shift lights turn on when the powerband starts and the last light at 8,100rpm. This should give me a good indication of whether I need to shift down or not in some corners. At this time, I've set no alarms, but may do something with wheel speed vs. GPS speed to remind me to not overdrive the car. We'll see once I get some data.
Here are some pics. The white paper is a business card to give a sense of scale:
02-26-2010, 02:14 AM
#11
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Hi Rad,
Just checked AIM's website and you're in luck! The 430 and 430Scud both use the OBD2 connector to tap into the CAN network, so you get high speed data and the following channels that you can log on the Ferrari:
RPM
Wheel speed front left
Wheel speed front right
Wheel speed rear left
Wheel speed rear right
Vehicle speed
Pedal position sensor
Gear number
Steering angle
Brake switch
Steering speed
Engine coolant temperature
Oil temperature
Here's the link to the document about the Ferrari connectivity: http://www.aim-sportline.com/downloa...ia_100_eng.pdf
Just checked AIM's website and you're in luck! The 430 and 430Scud both use the OBD2 connector to tap into the CAN network, so you get high speed data and the following channels that you can log on the Ferrari:
RPM
Wheel speed front left
Wheel speed front right
Wheel speed rear left
Wheel speed rear right
Vehicle speed
Pedal position sensor
Gear number
Steering angle
Brake switch
Steering speed
Engine coolant temperature
Oil temperature
Here's the link to the document about the Ferrari connectivity: http://www.aim-sportline.com/downloa...ia_100_eng.pdf
Thanks a lot. This is just close to perfect. The damn Fiat has a plug behind the rear seat to connect data acquisition but it only provides RPM, +, -, that's it. This AIM thing is another level, can't wait.
Will sell my Traqmate Complete (cheap)
02-26-2010, 02:30 AM
#12
How much for the trackmate? PM me.
03-03-2010, 12:56 PM
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Some of my fondest memories are from Pacific Raceways (SIR in my time) and Portland International Raceway. I used to take my Ducati 748 and 993 Turbo out to SIR and felt myself sinking in my seat going through turn 1. After the session, Pat Ma would tell me, "Farz, that's from your ***** shrinking!"...
That sound very much like Pat!!
03-07-2010, 12:23 AM
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Hey guys,
I got the AIM EVO4 + Mychron3 dash in the mail today from Circuit Motorsports. I'm very impressed with the hardware quality, especially the wiring and connectors. The EVO4 unit itself is CNC machined from a single block of aluminum with a plate up front where the connectors are. It's a really nicely made unit.
Within 20mins, I managed to update the EVO4 for the Bosch GT3 ECU and set the dash parameters. The four parameters that I'll monitor on the dash will be oil temp, oil pressure, water temp and fuel level. I've got the RPM set to max at 10,000rpm and have the lights set so that the first shift lights turn on when the powerband starts and the last light at 8,100rpm. This should give me a good indication of whether I need to shift down or not in some corners. At this time, I've set no alarms, but may do something with wheel speed vs. GPS speed to remind me to not overdrive the car. We'll see once I get some data.
Here are some pics. The white paper is a business card to give a sense of scale:
I got the AIM EVO4 + Mychron3 dash in the mail today from Circuit Motorsports. I'm very impressed with the hardware quality, especially the wiring and connectors. The EVO4 unit itself is CNC machined from a single block of aluminum with a plate up front where the connectors are. It's a really nicely made unit.
Within 20mins, I managed to update the EVO4 for the Bosch GT3 ECU and set the dash parameters. The four parameters that I'll monitor on the dash will be oil temp, oil pressure, water temp and fuel level. I've got the RPM set to max at 10,000rpm and have the lights set so that the first shift lights turn on when the powerband starts and the last light at 8,100rpm. This should give me a good indication of whether I need to shift down or not in some corners. At this time, I've set no alarms, but may do something with wheel speed vs. GPS speed to remind me to not overdrive the car. We'll see once I get some data.
Here are some pics. The white paper is a business card to give a sense of scale:
Does Mychron3 dash have G forces sensor? How does this affect data quality?
03-08-2010, 12:57 AM
#15
Drifting
Thread Starter
Hi Gus, the car is in the shop getting a Guard LSD rebuild and the AIM install. I lucked out with the weather and was able to get a few clear days to get the car up there; no idea if it will last, and the car may end up snowed in at the shop. I'll provide an update when I get the car back.