Racelogic VB2SX User manual

VB2SX User Guide
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VB2SX 20Hz GPS Data Logger
User Guide

VB2SX User Guide
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Contents
CONTENTS................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
FEATURES.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
STANDARD INVENTORY.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................5
OPERATION..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
DISPLAY SCREEN ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
FRONT PANEL CONTROLS ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................7
MEMORY CARDS ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................11
GETTING STARTED..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................17
VB2SX ‘.VBO’ FILE FORMAT.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................19
VBOXTOOLS SOFTWARE...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................20
UPGRADING THE FIRMWARE..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................21
SPECIFICATION ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................22
CONNECTOR ASSIGNMENTS ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................24
CAN BUS DATA FORMAT....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................26
MODULE DIMENSIONS........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................27
FUSE RESET BUTTON..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................27
CONTACT INFORMATION..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................28

VB2SX User Guide
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EC Declaration of Conformity
We declare that this product has been tested to and meet the requirements of:
EC Directive 2004/104/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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Introduction
The VB2SX represents the 2nd generation of GPS data logging system from Racelogic, updating the popular VBOXII and VB2S products with SD card
logging and USB communications. Using a powerful GPS engine, the VB2SX can log GPS and other data at 20Hz. The logged data is stored directly onto a
SD card for easy transfer to a PC.
The VB2SX is compatible with all of the existing peripherals including the Multifunction display, ADC03, TC8, FIM02, Yaw Rate Sensor and Speed Sensor
with Slip Angle.
Features
Non-contact 20Hz speed and distance measurement using GPS
VCI CAN input for connection to external CAN systems
1 x CAN Bus interface (on two sockets to allow daisy-chaining)
USB interface for live data, upgrading and SD data transferral
RS-232 serial interface backup for live data and upgrading
SD Card logging
2 x 16bit user configurable analogue outputs (velocity)
2 x Digital outputs (velocity)
Brake/event trigger input with 210KHz scan rate
OLED screen display with front panel configuration
Input voltage 6V to 30V operating range
Logging of up to 24 data channels, un addition to up to 13
standard GPS channels
Logging rate selectable from 20Hz, 10Hz, 5Hz, 2Hz, 1Hz

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Standard Inventory
Description
Qty
Racelogic Part #
VB2SX
1
VB2SX
Mains Charger
1
RLVBACS020
Cigar Lighter adaptor
1
RLCAB010L
USB Lead
1
RLCAB042
Serial PC cable
1
RLCAB001
2GB SD Card
1
RLACS083
GPS Magnetic Aerial
1
RLVBACS018
CD ROM containing VBOX software
1
RLVBACS030
VBOX User Manual
1
VB2SXMAN
Padded Carrying Case
1
RLVBACS013V4

VB2SX User Guide
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Operation
Display Screen
The Display screen will display data when operating it also displays all the menus required to configure the VB2SX via the front panel controls.
On start-up, the display screen shows the unit’s firmware version.
During normal operation, the display screen displays Speed (mph or km/h) and the logged file name, as well as the number of satellites that the VB2SX has
locked on to. There are also two satellite status displays.
OK (Green):
Indicates that the VB2SX has sufficient satellites locked to allow normal operation.
SATS (Yellow):
This flashes to indicate that the VB2SX has insufficient satellites and will not be able to operate at all.
WAAS/20cm/40cm (Orange):
This indicates that the corresponding DGPS corrections are available and being used by the unit.
Logged File name:
When an SD card is inserted the file name of the logged file appears on the screen whilst the file is open. A small disk icon to the left of the file name indicates
that data is being logged.

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Front Panel Controls
The VB2SX can be configured using the front panel buttons, which enables configuration without the need for a computer.
From the main screen, press the’■’ button to enter the configuration screen.
Once in the configuration screen, press the ‘◄’and ‘►’ buttons to highlight the next or previous choice in any menu, and press
’■’ to select the highlighted option. Some menus contain sub-menus, for example the Analogue and Digital Output menus
contain separate menus for each parameter.
Main Menu
SETTINGS
COLD START
SMOOTHING
OUTPUTS
EXIT
Press’■’ and then the ‘◄’ and
‘►’ buttons to enter settings
options sub-menus.
UNITS
USB MODE
CAN MODE
LOG OPTIONS
SERIAL RATE
GPS
TIME OFFSET
BACK
Press’■’ to perform a GPS cold
start
Press’■’ to enter the Smoothing
options sub-menus
LAT ACC
LONG ACC
Press’■’ to enter sub menu and
‘◄’ and ‘►’ buttons to amend
smoothing levels in 0.1
increments.
Press’■’ to enter the outputs
options sub-menus.
DIGITAL 1
DIGITAL 2
ANALOGUE 1
ANALOGUE 2
Press’■’ to exit the setup menu
and cause the settings to be
saved in EEPROM

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Settings Menu
UNITS
USB MODE
CAN MODE
LOG OPTIONS
SERIAL RATE
Press the ‘◄’ and ‘►’ buttons to
choose between the following
units:
Km/h
MPH
KNOTS
Press the ‘◄’ and ‘►’ buttons to
choose between the following
USB options:
SERIAL PORT
CARD READER
Press’■’ and then the ‘◄’ and
‘►’ buttons to choose between
the following modes:
VCI MODE*
To connect any external CAN
modules to the input of the
VB2SX
RACELOGIC MODULES MODE
To connect Racelogic CAN
modules to the RLVB2SX5
(input or output)
Press’ the ‘◄’ and ‘►’ buttons to
choose between the logging
options:
LOG CONDITIONS:
To select either Log
Continuously or log When
Moving
LOG RATE:
Select log rate –either 20,10, 5,
2 or 1Hz
BACK
Return to Settings menu
Press’■’ and then the ‘◄’ and
‘►’ buttons to choose between
the serial data rates:
Choose from either 20,10, 5, 2
or 1Hz
GPS
TIME OFFSET
BACK
Press’ the ‘◄’ and ‘►’ buttons to
choose between the GPS
options:
DYNAMIC MODE
DGPS MODE
KALMAN FILTER
BACK
Press’ the ‘◄’ and ‘►’ buttons to
offset the UTC time in 30 minute
intervals to allow the VBOX to
represent local time. Shown in
the header of the logged file.
Press’■’ to return to the settings
menu
*Note: In VCI Mode, the VB2SX cannot output CAN data or input data from Racelogic modules.

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SETTINGS - GPS MENU
DYNAMIC MODE
DGPS MODE
KALMAN FILTER
BACK
Press’■’ and then the ‘◄’ and
‘►’ buttons to select the
required dynamics.
HIGH DYNAMICS
Essential for brake testing and
lane changing manoeuvres.
NORMAL
Select this for standard testing –
speed, distance, etc.
LOW DYNAMICS
Select this for route mapping
and similar tests where the level
of dynamic response is not
important.
Press’■’ and then the ‘◄’ and
‘►’ buttons to select the DGPS
settings.
OFF
No DGPS applied –standard
position accuracy 3m CEP
WAAS –position accuracy 1.8m
CEP
40CM –position accuracy
40CM*
20CM –position accuracy
20CM*
Press’■’ and then the ‘◄’ and
‘►’ buttons to set Kalmann filter
options.
POSITION LEVEL
Smoothes the positional data
VELOCITY LEVEL
Smoothes the velocity data
Press’■’ to return to the GPS
menu
*Note: These accuracies are only achievable in conjunction with a DGPS base station
OUTPUTS MENU (Channel 1 and 2)
DIGITAL 1
DIGITAL 2
ANALOGUE 1
ANALOGUE 2
BACK
Press’■’ and then the ‘◄’ and
‘►’ buttons to select output
conditions for digital output 1
OUTPUT:
PULSES PER METRE (velocity)
MAX VELOCITY (velocity)
MAX VALUE (Lat ACC & Long
ACC)
MAX FREQUENCY (Lat ACC &
Long ACC)
TEST
BACK
Press’■’ and then the ‘◄’ and
‘►’ buttons to select output
conditions for digital output 2
OUTPUT:
PULSES PER METRE (velocity)
MAX VELOCITY (velocity)
MAX VALUE (Lat ACC & Long
ACC)
MAX FREQUENCY (Lat ACC &
Long ACC)
TEST
BACK
Press’■’ and then the ‘◄’ and
‘►’ buttons to select output
conditions for analogue output 1
OUTPUT:
VALUE @ +5V
VALUE @0V (Velocity)
VALUE @ -5V (Lat ACC & Long
ACC)
TEST
BACK
Press’■’ and then the ‘◄’ and
‘►’ buttons to select output
conditions for analogue output 2
OUTPUT:
VALUE @ +5V
VALUE @0V (Velocity)
VALUE @ -5V (Lat ACC & Long
ACC)
TEST
BACK
Press’■’ to return to the main
menu

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DIGITAL SETUP MENU (Digital 1 and Digital 2)
OUTPUT
VELOCITY
PULSES PER METRE
VELOCITY
MAX VELOCITY
LONG ACC / LAT ACC
MAX VALUE
LONG ACC / LAT ACC
MAX FREQUENCY
Press’■’ and then use the ‘◄’
and ‘►’ buttons to select from:
Velocity
Long ACC
Lat ACC
Press’■’ and then use the ‘◄’
and ‘►’ buttons to set the
number of pulses per metre.
Then press ’■’ to confirm.
0.1-120 pulses per metre in 0.1
steps
Press’■’ and then use the ‘◄’
and ‘►’ buttons to set the level
of the maximum Velocity.
Then press ’■’ to confirm.
0-400km/h in 0.1km/h steps
Press’■’ and then use the ‘◄’
and ‘►’ buttons to set the level
of the maximum Long ACC or
Lat ACC level.
Then press ’■’ to confirm.
0.5g to 2g in 0.1 g steps
Press’■’ and then use the ‘◄’
and ‘►’ buttons to set the
frequency of the maximum Long
ACC or Lat ACC level.
Then press ’■’ to confirm.
1-50kHz in 0.1kHz steps
TEST
BACK
Press’■’ and then use the ‘◄’
and ‘►’ buttons to set a test
value that the Digital output will
simulate. Then press ’■’ to quit.
Press’■’ to exit the digital setup
menu and cause the settings to
be saved in EEPROM
ANALOGUE SETUP MENU (Analogue 1 and Analogue 2)
OUTPUT
VALUE @ +5V
VALUE @ -5V (0V for
Velocity)
TEST
BACK
Press’■’ and then use the ‘◄’
and ‘►’ buttons to select from:
Velocity
Long ACC
Lat AC
Press’■’and then use the ‘◄’
and ‘►’ buttons to set the
Velocity, Long ACC or Lat ACC
level to represent +5V. Then
press ’■’ to confirm.
1-400km/h in 1km/h steps, or
-1g to 2g in 0.1 g steps
Press’■’ and then use the ‘◄’
and ‘►’ buttons to set the
Velocity, Long ACC or Lat ACC
to represent 0V (velocity) or -5V
(Lat ACC & Long ACC).
Then press ’■’ to confirm.
0-399km/h in 1km/h steps, or
-2g to 1g in 0.1g steps
Press’■’ and then use the ‘◄’
and ‘►’ buttons to set a test
value that the analogue output
will simulate.
Then press ’■’ to quit.
Press’■’ to exit the analogue
setup menu and cause the
settings to be saved in EEPROM

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Memory Cards
The VB2SX stores logged data onto SD Cards. The supplied SD cards are already optimised for use on the VB2SX and as such do not need formatting before
use. Should the SD Card need formatting due to card errors it should only be formatted using the ‘Format Compact Flash’ option in the VBOXTools software.
The SD Card will need to be inserted into an SD Card reader (or a VB2SX set to ‘Card Reader’ USB Mode) for this to work.
When logging data to an SD Card the OLED display will show the name of the current file at the bottom of the display. It is important not to remove the SD Card
while the VB2SX is logging. If the card is removed while the VBOX is writing data to it, there is a risk that the data file may be corrupted resulting in loss of data.
If ‘Log only when moving’ is the logging mode selected then wait a short time after the vehicle has stopped for logging to finish and the filename to disappear
from the screen. If ‘Log continuously’ is selected, press the Start/stop logging switch if connected or enter then exit the on-board configuration screen.
It is recommended that files are removed from the disk regularly as writing continuously with out fragments is easy. The more file fragments the
harder it is to stream data to the card.

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GPS Antenna
The GPS Antenna supplied with the VB2SX is a 3.5v active antenna. For the best possible signal
quality, it is important to maintain a clean connection between the antenna and the VBOX. Before
fixing the antenna to the VBOX, ensure that there are no dust particles in either connector.
Replacement antennas are available by contacting your VBOX distributor.
The antenna is a magnetic mounting type for quick and simple mounting to the vehicle roof. For
optimum GPS signal reception, make sure that the antenna is fitted to the highest point of the vehicle
away from any obstructions that may block satellite reception. The GPS antenna works best with a
metal ground plane underneath (eg. Vehicle roof).
Please also note that when using any GPS equipment, a clear sky view is important. Objects in the
surrounding area such as tall buildings or trees can block the GPS signal causing a reduction in the
number of satellites being tracked, or introducing reflected signals that can decrease the accuracy of
the system.
GPS antennas require a ground plane to operate correctly. Usually, the metal roof of a vehicle performs this function. However, if a test requires an antenna to
be placed off of the vehicle, then a special Ground Plane ‘mushroom-style’ antenna must replace the off-vehicle antenna, as these antennas are capable of
operating without a ground plane. The Ground Plane ‘mushroom’ style antennas RLVBACS065 are available from your VBOX distributor.
RLVBACS065 “mushroom” type Ground
Plane Antenna

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DIGITAL and ANALOGUE OUTPUTS
The digital outputs on connectors OUT1 and OUT2 are a frequency/pulse output corresponding to velocity, long ACC and Lat ACC. The frequency range is
adjustable in software or via the front panel controls.
The analogue outputs on connectors OUT1 and OUT2 output a 0V to +5V DC signal corresponding to velocity and a -5V to +5V signal corresponding to Long
ACC and Lat ACC. The volts range is adjustable in software or via the front panel controls.

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Digital Inputs
The DIGITAL I/O socket contains the two digital inputs for the VB2SX. Digital input 1 is also referred to as the Brake trigger input. This input is connected to an
internal timer capture module that is able to record precisely an event time for use in brake distance calculation. This period of time is called the trigger event
time, and is logged as the value in milliseconds between the trigger event and the last GPS sample.
A hand-held brake trigger is also available to allow the user to record marker events in the VB2SX data file.
A remote logging on/off switch is also available for ease of use and when the front panel switch is not accessible.

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CAN / RS232 Ports / USB
The VB2SX is equipped with a CAN Bus interface, a RS232 serial port and an USB port. The RS232 port or USB is used for all communication between the
VBOX and laptop PC. The USB or RS232 ports are able to transmit live data from the VBOX to the PC for viewing and performing real-time tests.
Note only the USB port is used for firmware upgrading
The CAN Bus port is available in either the socket labelled CAN or the socket labelled Serial. This CAN port has three functions, CAN Input in VCI mode, CAN
Input in Racelogic Modules Mode (Internal Mode) and CAN output in Racelogic Modules Mode (External Mode).
VCI Mode:
This mode should be selected if you wish to log incoming CAN data from external modules from other manufacturers. Note in VCI mode no CAN output or
connection to Racelogic modules is possible.
Racelogic Modules mode
This mode should be selected when Racelogic modules are connected to the VBOX or VBOX CAN output is required. Depending upon configuration, VBOX
Tools software should be set as follows:
Internal Mode: This mode should be selected when Racelogic input modules are connected to the VBOX. In this mode the CAN id’s and Baud rate are
non configurable.
External Mode: This CAN mode should be used when a VBOX CAN data output is to be used by an external CAN device such as a Data acquisition
system. In this mode the attributes of the CAN output stream are configurable by the user in VBOXTools
See the section ‘Setup’ in the VBOX software manual. Note that Internal Mode and External mode are not configurable from the front panel of the VB2SX
The Socket labelled CAN also contains a secondary RS232 port for direct connections to the GPS engine for Local DGPS correction connection.

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Using the USB cable
The first time you use the USB cable, you will need to follow the instructions below.
Connect the USB cable between the VB2SX and your computer.
Your computer will now recognise the presence of a new device, after a period of time a
‘Found New Hardware Wizard’ window will appear. See below.
Click the option ‘No, not this time’ and click ‘Next’ (see image, right)
A new window will appear at this window click ‘Next’ (see image, below)
A new ‘Hardware Installation’ window will appear. Click the button labelled ‘Continue
Anyway’.
At the last window click ‘Finish’ to complete the installation.
After a short period of time a window will ask you if you wish to reboot your computer, select
‘NO’
Now disconnect the power from the VB2SX and then reconnect the power, your computer will now
recognise the Slip angle sensor. When you run the VBOXTools software it will recognise the USB
connections

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Getting Started
Required equipment (All supplied as standard unless specified)
VB2SX
Fully charged battery pack or Cigar lighter 12v adapter lead
GPS Antenna
Blank SD card
USB/RS232 Cable
VBOX Software CD
Laptop PC(not supplied)
1.Install Software
2.Place VBOX in vehicle
3.Fit antenna connector to VBOX
4. Mount GPS antenna on vehicle roof
5.Connect USB or serial cable (CAB01) to laptop
6. Connect other end of USB or serial cable to
VBOX

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7. Connect the power cable/ battery pack to the
VBOX
8. If using 12v power cable, connect to vehicle
9. See below
9. With the power applied, the Display screen will illuminate. The VB2SX will start searching for satellites. The ST led will indicate the number of satellites
currently in lock. For best results ensure the VBOX has acquired a lock on 5 or more satellites, essential for quality signal reception. When using the VBOX
for the first time or when using the VBOX after a long period of time, allow the VBOX to sit for between 5 and 10 minutes to re-collect data needed to track
satellites.
As the vehicle begins moving, the display will show a file-writing screen then show the normal display screen with the file name of the current file, with a small
disc icon whenever the VBOX is logging.

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VB2SX ‘.VBO’ file format
The VB2SX data files are saved in standard space de-limited text format.
This allows the data to easily be imported into third party applications such as
word processors or spreadsheets. The files each contain a header section
before the main data that describes the channel content and information
about the VB2SX such as serial number and firmware version.
The [Column names] parameter specifies the data in each column of the data
section.
An example of a VBOX VBO file is shown on the right.
Note that the File created time and date is derived from UTC time and date,
so will not reflect your local time unless you logged data on the Greenwich
Meridian.
File created on 16/11/2006 @ 15:42
[header]
satellites
time
latitude
longitude
velocity kmh
heading
height
Event 1 time
[channel units]
[comments]
(c)2001 - 2005 Racelogic
VBII SX V01.01 Bld. 0131
GPS Firmware : SX2g
Serial Number : 00007194
Log Rate (Hz) : 20.00
Kalman Filter - Pos : 0 Vel : 0
GPS Time
[module Information]
[column names]
sats time lat long velocity heading height event-1
[data]
006 154215.35 +3119.240616 +00058.826374 000.000 000.00 +0158.13 0.00000
006 154215.40 +3119.240620 +00058.826371 000.820 326.60 +0158.12 0.00000
006 154215.45 +3119.240624 +00058.826378 000.000 000.00 +0158.13 0.00000
006 154215.50 +3119.240626 +00058.826378 000.000 000.00 +0158.12 0.00000
006 154215.55 +3119.240625 +00058.826380 000.000 000.00 +0158.13 0.00000
006 154215.60 +3119.240621 +00058.826378 000.000 000.00 +0158.12 0.00000
006 154215.65 +3119.240619 +00058.826379 000.000 000.00 +0158.12 0.00000
006 154215.70 +3119.240620 +00058.826381 000.000 000.00 +0158.13 0.00000
006 154215.75 +3119.240622 +00058.826380 000.000 000.00 +0158.12 0.00000
006 154215.80 +3119.240624 +00058.826382 000.000 000.00 +0158.12 0.00000
006 154215.85 +3119.240627 +00058.826378 000.000 000.00 +0158.12 0.00000
006 154215.90 +3119.240627 +00058.826375 000.000 000.00 +0158.12 0.00000

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VBOXTools Software
The VBOXTools software is used for configuration of the
VB2SX and also for analysis of the VBO data files.
For further information on the VBOXTools software refer
to the VBOXTools Software manual supplied with VB2SX.