tedean

How about a list of the most useful MoTec sensors and resulting data most are finding useful. For example, I installed a SLM and programmed it to give me R or L front wheel lockup. Someone suggested suspension pressure sensors. 8mb upgrade is a must.

Anyone care to share?

Matt Romanowski

What are you looking to get out of the data? Do you want driver development? Car development? Suspension set-up?

Adam@Autometrics

You can add steering wheel angle and both brake pressure sensors using factory connectors and no dash upgrades. You can log meaningful data for nearly an hour with the 1mb. After that, the SLM is an unbelievably powerful tool for whatever the driver needs. If you have the memory upgrade, then the 5hz GPS antenna is a great way to avoid the hassles of a lap beacon, and it is also useful as a compliment to other sensors. IMO, Pro Logging is not a cost-effective upgrade for club-level racing. Suspension position sensors (shock pots) are not common on club cars either.

tedean

Matt,

I would say I need/want all. I am on a learning curve and want all the feed back I can obtain. I want the best bang for the buck. Searching the forums doesn't pin down everyone's past success with what they might have added/programmed in their MoTecs. I probably over analyze the data when I should be just getting seat time.

Oh, and I have a very experienced guy helping me locally.

Rassel

Here are some suggestions.

The amount you can do with the MoTec is vast. There are of course training classes you can take. Jörg Segers book about D.A is useful and proven.

Make sure you have your data management neatly in order. Make sure you set your log files and include your manual notes such as weather, tires, temperature, pressure, wing setting, roll bars and weight. It's easy to go through old data and start doing comparisson without realizing that it's apples to oranges.

Find a good pro who knows this. Someone who can help you shortcut in your learning curve and also can set reference laps consistently so you have good data to compare to and also shows what data they think is relevant. Some Pros will not drive same way as you do and they will not want the car setup as you do. Make sure the Pro is compatible with you and you drive with the same settings.

Decide if you want to improve the car or the driver. How you read your MoTec will depend on this. Are you looking for a car setup or is it driver errors you're trying to find?

Begin big and go into details when major issues are not major anymore. Over analysis and over complicate things are easily done and usually not relevant in the beginning.

There are some very good race engineers who can walk you through this and are very good at communicating with race drivers. They should be able both to explain the data, the changes to the car and also sort out what is relevant and what is not from the drivers feedback.

Rassel

A small GoPro or so can also be of help. I take as a habit to cut out my best laps, usually from qualification and race. This so I can go back and see the laps visually that I have in the MoTec.

Glen

Brake pressure sensors. Crankcase pressure(to watch for spikes indicating engine go boom soon). Chase Cam that ties in with Motec is nice. Gopro also but wont tie in with Motec.

Experienced...? I would call him one of the best drivers I know of,including pro's... period...

Geoffrey

Crankcase pressure is included in the Bosch motorsport ECU and you only need to turn in on in the CAN template by checking the check box. The most useful sensors are:

wheel speed (all 4 if possible)
TPS
Brake Pressure
Steering angle

These give you a lot of information for calcualted math channels as well as SLM and Dash messages. I have suspension position and track temp sensor on my car which has helped me with suspension setup, although there is no subsitute for seat of the pants feel from driving. It has at time given me a direction to go as far as settings that I might not have done otherwise.

analogmike

That would have helped prevent additional damage when I cracked a piston in my '08 Grand-Am cup engine. Is there a crankcase pressure sensor on the cup engines?

Matt Romanowski

I'm not sure I would listen to a guy called ANALOGmike. Everything is digital now days....

I think Geoffrey hit the nail on the head. With TPS, brake pressure, 4 wheel speeds, and engine data you'll have more than enough to confuse yourself and learn something. When you get into chassis data, adding 4 shock sensors will give you a pretty full data system.

Geoffrey

Mike, I don't know for sure I thnk so. All of the cups I've worked on have had a crankcase pressure sensor, back as far as the 06 orange / white one Spencer had. (Dan Fergeson's old car).

Look under inputs / communications and check each of the Bosch Motorsport templates until you find crankcase pressure. Normally it is unchecked. Check it and it will be captured by the ADL. You can then set up logging to determine the normal ranges and then set up an alarm. Normally the case runs a vacuum with the sealed breather checkvalve.

tedean

Ok sounds like the things to have are:

MoTec 5mb upgrade (I have)
Throttle Position Sensor (I have)
Brake Pressure Sensors (I have)
4 Wheel Speed Sensors (I have)
SLM (shift light module) (I have)

Shock Pressure sensors (next upgrade)
Crankcase Pressure Sensor (locate it)
Steering Angle Sensor (I will wait)

Video, Chase Cam 2 camera system (I have)

Data Management (keep it organized with your notes)

Homework
Jörg Segers book about D.A
Find/attend MoTec programming class (online?)
Work with a Pro (yes, he is one of the best)

Improve car or driver? (for me, driver, then car)
The data has told me I apply the throttle too quick, need to break that bad habit, caused 2 spins.
Pay more attention to brake bias.

Programming:
SLM to indicate differential speeds of R or L wheels to indicate wheel lockup. Brake bias changes needed.

Thanks guys! Any other programming ideas are appreciated.

Glen, maybe I will see you in Texas in the spring.

Rassel

My throttle charts are almost rectangular. The car might not have settled correctly or reached core temperature in the tire. If tires are not brand new. It's a bit like driving a go-cart, though not the same slip angle.