Drew Technologies DashDAQ XL User manual

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DashDAQ XL
Instruction Manual

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Dear Customer,
Congratulations! You have just purchased the most powerful, sophisticated, and easy to use automotive data logger ever created The
DashDAQ XL gives everyone access to the powerful information embedded in their vehicle When it comes to automotive performance,
knowledge is horsepower
The DashDAQ XL works with any OBDII vehicle It can also be fitted to any other vehicle using optional add-ons Now you have a device
that captures information on your new vehicle as well as your vintage one
This is an exciting time for vehicle performance, and the more you know about your vehicle the more you can get out of it The
DashDAQ gives automotive enthusiasts the edge in knowing their vehicle, new or old
Drew Technologies would like to thank you on your decision to buy the DashDAQ XL However you use your DashDAQ, we know you will
be satisfied with all aspects of the product You demand the best, we deliver the best
Thank You,
Drew Technologies, Inc

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Table Of Contents
Installation............................................................................................................................... 9
SAFETY FIRST! 9
OBDII Connector 9
Cable Routing 9
Attaching Windshield Mount 10
Windshield Mounting 10
Connections 11
SD Memory Card 12
Basic Operation ..................................................................................................................... 12
Off / On / Low Power Mode 12
Menu Navigation 12
Main Menu 14
Setup Menu Map 15
New Vehicle Setup 16
Display Dimmer/Display Brightness 16
Auto Power Off 16
GPS Navigation Setup 16
Custom splash screen 17
Installing Files From SD Card 17
DashDAQ Media Player 18
Gauge Setup & Navigation .................................................................................................... 19
Navigating Gauges: 19
Assign a Signal to a Gauge 19
Set Gauge Min/Max Values 20
Set Gauge Low Warning / High Warning 20

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Warning Sounds 21
Media PLayer 22
Setting Signal/Graph Colors 22
Data Logging 23
Global Data Logger 24
Diagnostic Co e Rea er ........................................................................................................ 25
Performance Measurements ................................................................................................. 26
1/4-mile, 1/8-mile, 0-60mph Test 26
User Defined Speed Tests 27
Calculators ............................................................................................................................ 28
Installing a calculator driver 28
Setting the parameters for aNY calculator driver 29
Dyno Calculator 29
Fuel Economy Calculator 30
Rescale Signal Calculator 31
Statistics Calculator (Min / Max / Average) 33
Analog Inputs......................................................................................................................... 33
Connections and Wiring 34
Linear Analog input driver Setup 34
LInear Analog driver Correction Factor and Correction Offset 34
Converting an Analog Voltage into Physical Units 35
Non Linear Analog input driver Setup 36
non linear Analog input configuration 36
NON Linear analog input driver configuration file 36
Device Manager/Thir Party Accessories ............................................................................. 37
Licensed DashDAQ Drivers 37

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Using Device Manager 38
Adding support for Enhanced OBD2 DATA 39
Adjusting Driver Parameters 40
Up ating DashDAQ ................................................................................................................ 41
Install the DashDAQ Recovery Tool 41
Updating DashDAQ 43
APPENDIX .............................................................................................................................. 49
Support 49
Technical Specifications 49
Limited Warranty 50
Appendix a: Accessory Cable Pin Out 51
Appendix b: English to metric conversion unit names 52

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Components
Inclu e with DashDAQ
DashDAQ XL Software CD Windshield Mount with four screws
USB Cable OBD2 Cable

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Optional DashDAQ Accessories
DashDAQ Accessory Cable
10-pin accessory cable for analog and
serial connection Allows for up to two 0-
5 volt sensors and other third party data
collection devices
SD Me ory Card.
For data logging on DashDAQ Order the
SD Memory card directly from Drew
Technologies or a DashDAQ dealer
110 V Power Supply
Power the DashDAQ outside of your in
the comfort of your home or office
CAN Expansion Cable
8-pin CAN expansion cable is useful
when hard-wiring to CAN, J1850, or
ISO9141 connections such as stand-alone
EFI systems without an OBD2 plug and
CAN-based sensors
GPS Receiver
The GPS receiver allows users to collect
GPS data right alongside any other input
DashDAQ can monitor Speed, latitude,
longitude, and altitude are just a few of
the parameters available

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IMPORTANT!
THIS IS A HIGH PERFORMANCE PRODUCT, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
Do not use this product until you have carefully read the following terms and conditions for the use of this product The installation of
this product indicates the BUYER has read and understands this agreement and accepts its terms and conditions This agreement takes
precedence
DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
Drew Technologies and its successors, distributors, jobbers, and dealers (hereafter SELLER) shall in no way be responsible for the
product’s proper use and serviceability
THE BUYER HEREBY WAIVES ALL LIABILITY CLAIMS.
The BUYER acknowledges that he/she is not relying on the SELLER’s skill or judgment to select or furnish goods suitable for any
particular purpose and that there are no liabilities which extend beyond the description on the face hereof and the BUYER hereby
waives all remedies or liabilities, expressed or implied, arising by law or otherwise, (including without any obligations of the SELLER with
respect to fitness, merchantability, and consequential damages) or whether or not occasioned by the SELLER’s negligence The SELLER
disclaims any warranty and expressly disclaims any liability for personal injury or damages The BUYER acknowledges and agrees that
the disclaimer of any liability for person injury is a material term for this agreement and the BUYER agrees to indemnify the SELLER and
to hold the SELLER harmless from any claim related to the item of the equipment purchased Under no circumstances will the SELLER be
liable for damages or expenses by reason of use or sale of any such equipment The SELLER assumes no liability regarding the improper
installation or misapplication of its products It is the installer’s responsibility to check for proper installation and if in doubt, contact the
manufacturer
IN THE EVENT THAT THE BUYER DOES NOT AGREE WITH THIS AGREEMENT: THE BUYER MAY PROMPTLY RETURN THIS PRODUCT, IN A
NEW AND UNUSED CONDITION, WITH A DATED PROOF OF PURCHASE, TO THE PLACE OF PURCHASE FOR A FULL REFUND. THE
INSTALLATION OF THIS PRODUCT INDICATES THAT THE BUYER HAS READ AND UNDERSTANDS THIS AGREEMENT AND ACCEPTS ITS
TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
Warning: Minnesota and California state laws restrict the method of attachment and placement of objects to the
windshield and side windows of motor vehicles (See Minnesota Statutes 2005, Section 169 71 and California Vehicle
Code Section 26708(a)) Drew Technologies does not take any responsibility for any fines, penalties, or damages that
may be incurred as a result of disregarding the laws and statutes of the jurisdictions in which a DashDAQ is operated
Similar laws may apply within your province or state Please verify your provincial or state laws prior to installation
Warning: When mounting the DashDAQ to the windshield, place the device in a location where it does not obstruct the
driver’s view of the road and does not interfere with vehicle controls and safety devices or the safe operation of the
vehicle

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INSTALLATION
SAFETY FIRST!
Install DashDAQ in such a manner that it does not interfere with the safe operation of the vehicle If DashDAQ cannot be mounted in
such a manner, promptly return the DashDAQ, in new and unused condition, with a dated proof of purchase, to the place of purchase
for a full refund less a 20% restocking fee
OBDII CONNECTOR
The OBDII or “data link” connector is necessary for DashDAQ operation in OBDII vehicles Power and all vehicle information come
directly from this vehicle link Some custom applications (aftermarket ECM’s, aftermarket data acquisition equipment, etc ) may not
have an OBDII connector in the vehicle In these cases the connection between the vehicle and DashDAQ is application specific
Most OBDII connectors are found directly below the steering column It should be in plain sight If you cannot find the OBDII connector
have a local mechanic show you where it is
CABLE ROUTING
The DashDAQ OBDII cable must be routed so that it does not interfere with safe operation of the vehicle
Cable routing tips:
• Find the OBDII connector first and work the cable to where DashDAQ is to be mounted on the windshield
• Route the DashDAQ OBDII cable between interior panel grooves to hold the cable as well as conceal it
• Use wire or zip ties to bundle any excess cable
Cable routing “Do nots”
• Do not let the cable dangle by your feet
• Do not let the cable hang free
• Keep the cable away from the steering wheel and any steering column controls
• Golden Rule: If the cable looks to be poorly routed, it is Reroute it

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ATTACHING WINDSHIELD MOUNT
1 Remove these two items from packaging:
a Display Unit
b Windshield Mount
2 Line up the four holes on the windshield mount and thread each of the four screws into the display unit
3 Using a Phillips head screwdriver, lightly tighten each of the four screws Note: Over-tightening can possibly damage DashDAQ
Tighten the screws so they are snug, no more
Figure 1: Attaching the windshield ount to DashDAQ
WINDSHIELD MOUNTING
Mount DashDAQ on the windshield in a spot that does not obstruct the view of the road or in any way that interferes with the safe
operation of the vehicle
Mounting Suggestions:
Find the vehicle’s OBDII port Plug in the DashDAQ OBDII connector Route the cable safely, (see “Cable Routing” Page 9) and note
where it reaches Mount the DashDAQ in a spot that does not obstruct view based on where the cable ends
• Mount the DashDAQ as low to the dashboard as possible
• Mounting to left or in the middle works well

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CONNECTIONS
WARNING: Do not power DashDAQ from the PC with the USB ports on the right Permanent damage to your DashDAQ can occur
10-Pin
Accessory Port
8-Pin OBDII
Port
Audio Output
USB Update
Port
USB Ports
Power Button
MMC SD Memory
Card Slot
Light Sensor

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SD MEMORY CARD
Always insert and remove the memory card with the DashDAQ powered off Insert the card with the gold connections facing towards
the screen Press the card into the DashDAQ until a click is heard If the card sticks out at all, it has not been pushed in all the way
To remove, press the card in until a click is heard Release and the card will eject enough to grab it
BASIC OPERATION
OFF / ON / LOW POWER MODE
The Off /On/Low Power mode button is located on the front left corner of the DashDAQ It has three functions:
• To shut off DashDAQ: Press the button and hold for 3 seconds A screen will say “Shutting Down ” The screen will go black The
DashDAQ is completely off
• To turn on DashDAQ: Press the power button again to power the DashDAQ back up
• To put DashDAQ in Low Power Mode: Press and release the button quickly while the DashDAQ is on The screen will go off, but
the unit will still be on Press the button again and the DashDAQ will instantly come back on Low power mode saves power,
but makes DashDAQ instantly available
MENU NAVIGATION
When DashDAQ first starts up, a boot screen will appear Please wait
Whenever this warning screen appears, read carefully
To agree and continue, tap the [I Accept] button If you do not agree to abide by the warning, please disconnect DashDAQ and contact
Drew Technologies for a return authorization
Tapping the [I Accept] button will bring up the gauge screen:

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The [<<] and [>>] arrow buttons at the bottom are used to cycle through different gauge layouts
The [Exit] button in the lower left corner returns the screen to the main menu for accessing all of DashDAQ’s features

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MAIN MENU

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SETUP MENU MAP

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NEW VEHICLE SETUP
The DashDAQ was designed to be used on any OBDII vehicle OBDII vehicles have many “signals” or “parameters” that can be viewed
Each vehicle to which the DashDAQ is connected will have a different set of parameters or signals available Run the Find Signals
function every time the DashDAQ is plugged into a different vehicle If this is not done for each vehicle, parameters may show up on the
signal list that do not work and parameters that are available may not be displayed
The New Vehicle setup:
1 Plug DashDAQ into the vehicle
2 Turn the vehicle’s key to the on position The engine does not need to be started
3 Turn on the DashDAQ
4 Go to the DashDAQ main menu Tap [Setup], tap [Devices]
5 Tap [Find Signals]
6 Follow the on-screen instructions When DashDAQ lists how many signals were found, DashDAQ has finished
7 Repeat steps 1-6 every time DashDAQ is connected to a new vehicle
DISPLAY DIMMER/DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
The DashDAQ has a built in light sensor that adjusts the screen brightness according to its surroundings DashDAQ comes setup to
automatically change the brightness of the screen, however the automatic dimmer can be turned off or set a specific brightness level
1 Tap on [Setup] menu,
2 Tap on [Display]
3 Tap on [Brightness]
AUTO POWER OFF
The DashDAQ has an automatic power down feature that shuts down the DashDAQ when the vehicle is turned off This feature watches
for Generic OBDII signals and automatically shuts the DashDAQ when no signals are observed from the OBDII connector To enable Auto
Power Off:
1 Tap on [Setup] from the Main Menu
2 Tap on [Power]
3 Tap on desired time for shutdown after key is turned off
4 Tap [Ok]
GPS NAVIGATION SETUP
The DashDAQ can be purchased with or without GPS navigation If a DashDAQ is purchased without GPS navigation, the GPS navigation
kit can be purchased separately
If you purchased a DashDAQ along with a GPS kit:
1 Insert the navigation SD card
2 Connect the antenna cable to DashDAQ, and place the antenna on your vehicle dashboard for signal reception
3 Turn on your DashDAQ and tap on the GPS icon

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Figure 2: DashDAQ ain enu with GPS option
If your GPS kit is purchased separately:
1 When ordering the GPS-NAV-KIT at DashDAQ com or through any other vendor, make sure you send the serial number of your
unit with the order ticket This is how your unit becomes licensed for the GPS software
2 Before your kit arrives you will get a notice E-mail that your DashDAQ has been licensed for GPS navigation
3 Update your DashDAQ with the DashDAQ Recovery Tool (Section 0) Update your DashDAQ even if it has the latest software
Make sure to pick all of the drivers that you currently use on the DashDAQ When a particular DashDAQ is licensed for GPS
Navigation, the license is automatically installed in the DashDAQ when an update is performed
4 After your unit has been updated, insert the navigation SD card
5 Connect the antenna cable to DashDAQ, and place the antenna on your vehicle dashboard for signal reception
6 Turn on your DashDAQ and tap on the GPS icon
CUSTOM SPLASH SCREEN
The DashDAQ allows users to change the splash screen (the graphic that is displayed when DashDAQ starts) to anything they wish A
user must first create an image file using image editing software The image needs to be 480x272 and a tga file Most popular image
editing programs can save in this format To install and specify your splash screen after it has been created:
1 Place your splash screen on a SD card in a folder called “transfer ”
2 Insert the SD card into the SD card slot and turn DashDAQ on
3 From the Main Menu, tap on [Setup], then [Memory Card], then [Install], then [Splash Screen] Select your image file A
confirmation of installation will be displayed
4 Go back to the Main Menu and tap on [Setup], then [Display], then [Splash Screen] Select your image
When DashDAQ starts, your image will now be displayed before DashDAQ completely starts up
INSTALLING FILES FROM SD CARD
Various files can be installed on to DashDAQ from the SD card Themes, Splash Screens, Sounds, Config File, and Licenses can all be
installed this way In order for DashDAQ to see these files when a SD card is inserted, the files must be contained in a folder called
“transfer” in the parent directory of the SD card A user can backup, install, uninstall, format and eject a SD by navigating to: Main
Menu>Setup>Memory Card

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DASHDAQ MEDIA PLAYER
The DashDAQ XL has the ability to play various sound and video files This is done through an add-on called Media Player The Media
Player is not installed on DashDAQ when it is shipped This add-on is free and can be installed by updating DashDAQ with the DashDAQ
Recovery Tool (See Section “Updating DashDAQ” on Page 39) During the install process, at the driver selection screen, make sure to
put a check mark next to “Media Payer” which should be the last item in the list
Now when the DashDAQ is powered on there will be an “Entertainment” icon in the Main Menu Files that are to be played need to be
saved on a SD card in a folder called “media ” Most common types of music and video files can be viewed Video files should be
reformatted to be no bigger than 480X272 and should be cut to around 10 frames per second
After you have loaded your media onto the SD card, insert the card into DashDAQ and power up From the Main Menu, tap on
“Entertainment” then “Media Player ” Select the file you would like to screen and tap “Ok ”
The media you selected will now play Notice you have general playback buttons If you hit the eject button the media player will turn
off and the Main Menu will reappear

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GAUGE SETUP & NAVIGATION
NAVIGATING GAUGES:
Tap on [Gauges] from the Main Menu The last gauge layout viewed, or this screen, will be displayed
Figure 3: Layout with 3 round gauges
To change gauge layouts, tap on the [<<] and [>>] buttons Two gauge layout examples:
Figure 4: Layout for graphing up to 8 signals Figure 5: Layout for displaying up to 9 nu eric signals
ASSIGN A SIGNAL TO A GAUGE
Before assigning signals to a gauge, make sure the New Vehicle Setup has been completed
1 Do the New Vehicle Setup for each new vehicle (section 0)
2 Select a gauge layout
3 Tap on the gauge where the signal will be displayed This screen will appear:
4 Tap on [Assign Signal]
5 Using the [<] and [>] buttons at the top of the screen and the scroll slider on the right side of the list, go through the available
signals
6 Select the signal that you would like displayed on the gauge
7 Tap [Save]

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Figure 6: Assign signal screen
SET GAUGE MIN/MAX VALUES
Tap on the [Minimum] button to set the bottom value for a gauge
Tap on the [Maximum] button to set the top value of the gauge
1 Tap [Maximum] will bring up this screen:
2 Type in the desired value
3 To make the value negative tap [+/-]
4 Tap [save]
5 Repeat steps 1-4 to set the gauge’s minimum value
Figure 7: Entering axi u value for a gauge
SET GAUGE LOW WARNING / HIGH WARNING
For setting the visual representation of “redline” on a gauge For example: this gauge has a “redline danger zone” between 5000 and
6000 RPM
To set a High/Low Warning:
1 Tap on the gauge where a High/Low Warning is to be set
2 On the Assign Signal screen, tap on either High or Low Warning
3 Type in the desired number Tap [+/-] to make the value negative
4 Tap [Save]
5 Tap [Save] on the Assign Signal screen to go back to the gauges