Racelogic TC8V2 User manual

RACELOGIC Support Centre
•08 - TC8 EC declaration of conformity
•03 - TC8V2 Software Connection
•08 - TC8v2 Technical Specification
•06 - Configuring TC8V2 for Video VBOX
•02 - TC8V2 Modes of Operation
•VBOX 3i Knowledge Base
•Quick Start - VBOX 3i Dual Antenna
•Quick Start - VBOX 3i
•VBOX 3i Quick Start Guides
•06 - TC8 Technical Specifications
•01 - TC8 Introduction
1

08 - TC8 EC declaration of conformity
We declare that this product has been tested to and meet the requirements of:
EC directive 2004/108/EC
“Adapting to technical progress council directive 72/245/EEC relating to the radio interference (electromagnetic
compatibility) of vehicles and amending directive 70/156/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the member states
relating to the type-approval of motor vehicles and their trailers.”
And has also been assessed, via Technical Construction File, by an independent DTI Competent Body and found to be
in conformance with the essential requirements of:
EC Directive 89/336/EEC (and amending directives)
“Council Directive of 03 May 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the member states relating to electromagnetic
compatibility.”
DTI Competent Body responsible for issuing certificate of compliance:
3C Test Ltd,
Silverstone Technology Park,
Silverstone,
Northants.
NN12 8GX
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03 - TC8V2 Software Connection
To configure TC8 using VBOX Setup software the module needs to be powered up and connected to a PC.
To do this, connect TC8 to a powered VBOX using a RLCAB005 cable. Then use the supplied RLCAB042 USB cable to
connect TC8 directly to the PC USB port.
Open VBOX Setup and select the COM port the TC8 is connected to from the drop down list:
Once the module has been connected the module code and serial number will be displayed.
It is possible to confirm if TC8 is connected correctly and which COM is being used by opening Windows Explorer and
navigating to Device Manager:
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08 - TC8v2 Technical Specification
Specification
Input Channels 8
Input Signals
Thermocouple Type K -269.5°C to +1372°C
Sample Rate 100 Hz
Resolution 24 bit
System Accuracy
-200°C to -100°C = ±0.8°C
-100°C to +1000°C = ±0.5°C
1000°C to 1300°C = ±0.7°C
Cold Junction Compensation Accuracy ±0.2°C
Isolation Voltage 500 V DC isolated to chassis
500 V DC isolated channel to channel
Over Voltage Protection 36 V DC
CMR (50/60) Hz >120 dB
CAN
Type
Baud Rates
CAN 2.0A or CAN 2.0B compatible
125 kbit/s, 250 kbit/s, 500 kbit/s, 1 Mbit/s
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LEMO Socket connections
Connector 1 - CAN/ POWER IN (Lemo 5 PIN)
PIN I/O Function
1 O RS232 Tx (Reserved for Racelogic
use only - do not use)
2 I RS232 Rx (Reserved for Racelogic
use only - do not use)
3 I/O CAN High
4 I/O CAN Low
5 I +12 V Power
Chassis Ground
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Connector 2 - CAN OUT (Lemo 5 PIN)
PIN I/O Function
1 O RS232 Tx (Reserved for Racelogic
use only - do not use)
2 I RS232 Rx (Reserved for Racelogic
use only - do not use)
3 I/O CAN High
4 I/O CAN Low
5 I +12 V Power
Chassis Ground
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06 - Configuring TC8V2 for Video VBOX
VBOX Setup
Connect TC8 to VBOX Setup software as described here.
To allow TC8 to communicate with the Video VBOX it must be set into 'Timed Mode'. In this mode TC8 will send CAN
data at intervals determined by the timer value.
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The parameters highlighted below are all used so must be set. All other setting can be left as default.
Baud Rate sets the bit rate of the CAN messages (default is 500 kbit/s).
The timer value is in milliseconds (ms). A smaller value means data will be sent more frequently, a larger value means
data will be sent less frequently. The range of values that can be entered is 0 to 65535 however the minimum value that
should be entered is 10. Below this value data values may be repeated on successive cycles. If a value of 0 is entered
the module will change it to 1 on the next power cycle.
Frequency output can be calculated as follows:
Freq = (1/Timer) * 1000
The Timer value for a required frequency can be calculated as follows:
Timer = (1/Freq) * 1000
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Some example Timer values are shown against the frequency output.
Timer Value Frequency
10 100
50 20
100 10
400 2.5
1000 1
Video VBOX Setup
To log data from a module, you need to load in the CAN database file relevant to the module that you're using. The
.DBC files for RL modules can be downloaded from our VBOX Automotive website.
Note: In order to communicate with Video VBOX units, Racelogic modules must be set into Timed CAN mode.
For more information on how to do this, please see the user guide for the module in use.
Within 'CAN and Module Configuration' expand the 'Mode' section and ensure that 'VCI' is selected, and the 'Send
Acknowledge' box is ticked.
Within the same CAN and module configuration section, now expand the Inputs section.
Please download the relevant CAN file for your Racelogic module from the Racelogic website.
Once you have the correct CAN file, to setup a CAN channel for your vehicle, click on Load under Inputs.
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When you have opened the relevant .dbc file, select the channels you wish to log.
To do this, you simply expand and then tick the desired channels. When you have selected all the channels you need,
click ‘Apply’.
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You will now see the selected channels appear under the ‘Inputs’ section under the ‘CAN and module configuration’ in
scene properties. These are now loaded and will be logged to the VBO file. They can also now be assigned to an
element.
PLEASE NOTE: You cannot log from the vehicle CAN Bus at the same time as using a Racelogic Input Module.
For further information on working with elements and creating scenes, please see the Video VBOX User Manual here.
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02 - TC8V2 Modes of Operation
TC8 can be configured to three different types of data logger, depending on the specific application and testing
requirements. These are:
•Racelogic VBOX (such as VBOX 3i)
•Racelogic Video VBOX
•Third party data logger (stand-alone mode)
In any of these configurations, TC8 can be used in conjunction with other Racelogic modules via the Racelogic
proprietary CAN bus. This allows several different VBOX modules to be daisy chained together along the same CAN
bus connection.
The example below shows a typical brake test setup:
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Quick Start - VBOX 3i Dual Antenna
For Slip and Pitch measurements
Required equipment (All supplied as standard unless specified):
•VB3iSL
•2 x GPS & GLONASS antenna
•RLCAB001 or RLCAB066-2 (for PC connection)
•Tape measure
•Cigar lighter 12 V adapter lead
•VBOX Manager + RLCAB005-C
•Blank compact flash card
•Laptop PC (not supplied)
1. Place VBOX in vehicle then mount the GPS/GLONASS antennas on the vehicle roof in-line with the direction of
motion, and clear from any obstructions. Connect the primary antenna (normally at rear of vehicle) to 'Port A',
and the secondary antenna to 'Port B' on the VB3i SL.
Note: It is important to connect the antennas to the VB3i SL before power is connected. The VB3i SL adjusts the
signal gain to the antenna based on the current incoming GPS signal strength.
See these articles if having difficulty obtaining satellite lock: Satellite elevation mask GPS Cold start
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2. Note that any alignment error can be zeroed using the ‘ALIGN ANTENNAS’ option on VBOX Manager.
3. Make sure the antennas are rotated so the wires exit in the same direction as each other.
4. Accurately measure separation distance to the nearest 5 mm, for best accuracy measure from the point at which
the cable exits the antenna.
5. For normal operation, place the primary antenna (Port A) at the rear of the car, and the secondary antenna (Port
B) at the front. All measurements are made from the primary antenna.
6. Power up VB3i SL.
7. Connect VBOX Manager to VB3i SL port dedicated to Racelogic CAN bus (determined in CAN tab of VBOX Tools
Setup or VBOX Setup).
8. Go into SETUP>DUAL ANTENNA>SEPARATION and enter the separation of the antennas.
9. Allow the unit time to acquire full satellite lock. The number of satellites in view is indicated by the ‘SATS’LED; the
total of green flashes indicates GPS count, whilst an orange flash indicates the GLONASS satellite count. If the
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VBOX has not been used for a long time, or the location where it is being tested has changed drastically, a GPS
coldstart may be required.
10. Move forward in a straight line, in an open area, and the 'DUAL'LED should turn green to indicate dual antenna
lock has been obtained. Once the 'DUAL'LED is lit (green) you are ready to begin testing.
Note: It takes around 30 – 60 seconds to reach full accuracy on the pitch measurement.
For Slip and Roll measurements
1. Follow the same steps as ‘Slip & Pitch measurement’ guide, but mount the antennas 90° to the true heading of
the vehicle such that the primary antenna (Port A) is on the left hand side of the roof. Minimum recommended
separation between the antennas is 0.5 m on a level plane, but the greater the separation distance, the better the
accuracy.
2. Using VBOX Manager, go into SETUP>VBOX>DUAL ANTENNA and tick ‘ROLL MODE’.
3. Go into SETUP>VBOX>DUAL ANTENNA>SEPARATION and enter the separation of the antennas.
4. Try to avoid placing the antennas close to the edge of the roof as this may result in poor dual lock. This is because
reflections from the ground will disturb the signals.
5. Driving forward should now bring on the green 'DUAL'LED.
Note: If the IMU integration feature of the VBOX 3i is to be used refer to this article ‘IMU Integration’
Dual Antenna Placement
Careful attention must be paid to placement of the antennas.
It is essential that the separation of Antenna B from Antenna A is exactly the same as the separation value set inside the
VBOX 3i via VBOX Manager, or within VBOX Setup. If the separation is incorrect, data may not be given or may be
inaccurate.
Where possible, antennas should be placed on a level plane. The measured distance between the antennas should be
the 2D distance between the antennas as viewed from above. It is not the straight-line distance between the antennas,
regardless of the mounting angle.
The supplied tape measure will help ensure an accurate antenna separation.
Antenna A is the primary antenna, from which all calculations are based (unless using IMU Integration). Therefore the
primary antenna should be placed relative to where you wish to make your measurements from. For example, If you
wish to make measurements from the centre of the vehicle, this can be achieved by placing the primary antenna at
the centre of the vehicle. You may also like to take slip measurements from other locations on the vehicle, for instance
the centre of gravity or slip over the wheels. This can be set using the slip angle translation function in VBOX Manager.
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Quick Start - VBOX 3i
Required equipment (All supplied as standard unless specified):
•VBOX 3i
•GPS antenna
•RS232 cable
•Laptop PC (not supplied)
•Cigar lighter 12 V adapter lead
•Blank compact flash card
•VBOX software CD
1. Mount the VBOX3i GPS antenna in a suitable
position on the roof of the vehicle. The ideal
position is in the centre of the roof away from any
objects that may shadow the GPS signal such as
roof bars.
This creates a large metal object underneath the
antenna to shield it from signals reflected by the
ground that can cause multi-path errors.
Note: See these articles if having difficulty
obtaining satellite lock: Satellite elevation mask
GPS Cold Start
2. Screw the gold SMA connector on the antenna
cable firmly onto the VBOX 3i 'Antenna' socket,
making sure that the socket on the VBOX 3i is free
from any contamination.
Note: It is important to connect the antenna to
the VBOX 3i before power is connected.
The VBOX 3i adjusts the signal gain to the
antenna based on the current incoming GPS signal
strength.
3. Connect the power connector to the socket marked ‘PWR’ on the VBOX 3i.
When power is connected, the red ‘PWR’LED will illuminate and all of the other LEDs will flash once then go
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