Racelogic VBOX Mini User manual

V OX Mini User Manual
•01 - V OX Mini Introduction
•02 - V OX Mini asic Operation
•03 - V OX Mini Connections
•04 - V OX Mini Data Logging
•05 - V OX Mini Speed Display Mode
•06 - V OX Mini Input Module Mode
•07 - V OX Mini Drift Mode
•08 - V OX Mini Performance Mode
•09 - V OX Mini Laptiming Mode
•10 - V OX Mini Predictive Mode
•11 - V OX Mini Setup Menu
•12 - V OX Mini Laptime Telemetry
•13 - V OX Mini Connecting to external devices
•14 - V OX Mini Upgrade Firmware
•15 - V OX Mini Troubleshooting
•16 - V OX Mini Technical Specification
•17 - V OX Mini Optional Accessories / Replacement Parts
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01 - V OX Mini Introduction
Registration
An unregistered V OXMini will have very limited functionality. To activate features including data logging, lap timing and
performance mode, you need to register your unit with Racelogic
Go to the VBOX Automotive website and select 'Customer Area > Register your product'.
Complete the registration form with your personal contact details - you will also be asked to input the serial number of
the unit.
The serial number is displayed when you first switch on, or alternatively you can note it from the underside of
the hardware itself.
Once you have submitted the form an activation code will appear. This code must be entered into the V OXMini to
complete the registration process.
Activation
1. Switch on the V OXMini
2. Press MENU and select ‘SETUP’
3. Select ‘UPGRADE’
4. Use ▼▲ to move the alphanumerical list across the screen and then press O to enter each character of your
activation code. The centre character on the screen becomes larger and surrounded by a box to indicate that it is
ready for selection.
5. Highlight and click on the symbol á if you need to delete a character.
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4. Then when you have entered all the characters of the activation code highlight the symbol 8and press O to
enter the activation code.
5. A confirmation screen will display ‘Code OK’ and then the screen will go back to SETUP MENU.
6. Disconnect and reconnect the power to complete the process.
The full functionality of your VBOX Mini will now be available.
Mounting
1. Connect the cigar lighter adaptor power cable to the power socket on the back of your unit.
2. Slide the V OXMini into the windscreen mounting bracket.
3. Using the suction cups of the windscreen mounting bracket, fix the assembly to a suitable place low down in the
centre of the vehicle's windscreen.
4. V OXMini units have an internal GPS antenna, so mount the unit where it will have the largest possible view of the
sky.
5. Park your vehicle outside in an open area away from obstacles such as tall buildings and trees.
6. Insert the power cable into the vehicle cigar lighter socket. If power is not permanently available at this socket, turn
on the ignition to ensure power at the socket.
7. The first time V OXMini is used it will need to be left for 10-15 minutes to acquire fully the latest satellite
constellation information.
8. After this initial period, the unit will then only take 1-2 minutes to lock onto satellites when you use it next time.
9. Wait for the satellite image to disappear which means lock has been obtained.
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02 - V OX Mini asic Operation
Keypad
Used to show next screen,
or to navigate menu. Changes Mode.
Select the menu item that
is highlighted on the
screen and used to show
Score Code.
Accesses the relevant
menu, or will exit from
current menu.
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Used to show previous
screen, or to navigate
menu.
Resets totals, averages
and peaks if held for 1.5s.
Hold for 5s for global
Reset.
Changing Modes
Press the MODE button to swap between the display modes.
PERFORMANCE LAPTIMIING SPEED DISPLAY
PREDICTIVE DRIFT INPUT
Changing the Units of Measurement
1. Press the MENU button from any of the Display Modes.
2. Highlight UNITS and press O .
3. Highlight SPEED and press O .
4. Highlight KMH or MPH and then press O to tick that selection.
5. Highlight EXIT and press O .
To change the Distance units from metres to feet, follow the same procedure but highlight DISTANCE and press O .
Satellite Reception
All logged data is calculated from the information received from GPS satellites, so relies on being able to get a good lock
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to produce this data. So, it is imperative that V OX Mini (or optional external antenna) is placed in the best possible
position for a clear view of the sky.
If you are using an external antenna, ensure that it is connected before you power up your unit.
The location that you drive in can also affect data quality, if you drive in a built up area or an area with overhanging
trees, then the signal quality can degrade. If the satellite reception does drop out in use, you will see either of the
following symbols:
Searching for satellites after power up
Whilst the V OXMini is acquiring satellites, it will flash the image of a satellite, the location of the flashing image
depends on the screen you are in.
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03 - V OX Mini Connections
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Connector 1 - GPS (MCX Female)
PIN In/Out Description
Centre - RF Signal / Power for active
antenna
Chassis - Ground
Connector 2 - US (Setup/Data/Upgrade - US )
PIN In/Out Description
1 - -
2 I/O US –
3 I/O US +
4 - Ground
Connector 3 - AUX (Serial Coms - 6-pin Mini Din (PS/2))
PIN In/Out Description Range
1 - Vraw As power supply
2 - Ground 0 V
3 O RS232 Tx (NMEA*/ GPS
engine) ±12 v
4 O
RS232 Tx (Telemetry /
Processor / Lap-Timing
Pulse)
±12 V
5 I RS232 Rx (NMEA* / GPS
engine) ±12 V
6 I RS232 Rx (Telemetry/
Processor) ±12 V
Chassis - Ground 0v
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Connector 4 - Power (2.1 mm x 9 mm Socket)
PIN In/Out Description Range
Centre - +V Power 6 – 28 V
Chassis - Ground 0v
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04 - V OX Mini Data Logging
Providing that you have registered your VBOX Mini then it will be capable of logging data to an SD card.
Using the SD card
The V OX Mini will only work with SD and SDHC hardware, which must be formatted in FAT (less than 2G ) or FAT32
(over 2G ).
NOTE : Only firmware version 3.0.56 and above supports FAT32 format cards. Please ensure that the VBOX Mini
is running this version (or higher) if SD cards over 2 GB in size are to be used. Versions older than this will not
detect or log data to FAT32 SD cards.
Files logged by V OX Mini units are named ‘V OX_001.dbn’ where 001 increments when a new file is created. A new
file is created every time the unit is powered up, or when the card is re-inserted. If you wish to log data to the SD card
then simply insert the card into the slot in the front of the unit. The V OX Mini will log vehicle position, speed and
acceleration into a binary ‘.dbn’ file which can be opened in V OX Tools software for analysis. This data is logged when
velocity is above 0.5 km/h.
The V OX Mini has two logging modes, selectable through the SETUP menu available from any screen.
•ONLY WHEN MOVING: In this mode data is only logged to an SD card (.D N file) whilst the Speed is greater than
0.5km/h.
Only ever remove the SD card when you are stationary, otherwise you will risk losing data or corrupting the
card (which would require a re-format).
•CONTINUOUS: In this mode data is logged to the SD card (.D N file) regardless of Speed or satellite reception
Before removing the SD card, the data-logging process must be stopped by pressing the MENU button,
which ends the writing of data to the card and closes the current file.
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To read data from the card either:
1. Insert the card into a SD card reader connected to your computer
2. Connect your computer directly to V OX Mini via the supplied US cable to read the data from the card. Note, the
unit must not be writing to the card when you connect to your PC.
To ensure Windows recognises the V OX Mini, power up your VBOX Mini before connecting the USB cable to your
PC.
File types
elow is a list of the file suffix’s and definitions that are used by V OX Mini units and software:
Type Definition
*.dbn inary format file containing logged Position, Speed,
Acceleration data
*.vbo ASCII format file containing logged Position, Speed,
Acceleration data
*.txt Performance and Lap times are stored in text format
*.dsf Split files containing Start/finish and Split line locations
*.cir Circuit overlay file for track mapping
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05 - V OX Mini Speed Display Mode
The Speed Display Mode is divided into three screens. The first contains a compass and current speed in a large font,
the second is an Odometer and the third, an Altimeter. Navigate between these screens by using the▲▼buttons.
Odometer
In the Speed Display Mode pressing the ▼ button selects Odometer Mode. The total distance travelled in feet or metres
(depending on units selected) will be displayed in the main window. Pressing the ‘RESET’ button resets the Odometer
back to zero.
Altimeter
In the Speed Display Mode pressing the ▲ button selects Altimeter Mode. The current altitude in feet or metres
(depending on units selected) will be displayed in the main window.*
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*Negative height cannot be calculated by the V OX Mini. Only height above the ellipsoid (WGS84) can be measured.
This will only affect units being used in certain low lying areas.
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06 - V OX Mini Input Module Mode
The Input Module screen provides the ability to configure the input and output channels of a connected Mini Input
Module and view the data on each of the input module channels.
Input module connection
The V OX Mini is able to connect to a Mini input module using an RLCA 045 and Micro Input module using an
RLCA 094 cable plugged into the Auxiliary connector on the back of the V OX Mini to socket DATA2 on the Mini Input
module, and the Data socket on the Micro Input Module.
If an input module is connected to a V OXMini and it has been initialised then the V OXMini will automatically log all of
the input module channels to the SD card.
Initialising the Mini Input module
In order for the V OX Mini to log the input module data channels, the Input Module screen must be accessed whilst the
input module is connected and the V OX Mini has satellite lock. After the Input Module screen has been accessed the
screen will briefly display the following message.
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Then the screen will display the data output diagnostic screen. Once this has happened the V OX Mini will log the input
module data. In firmware revision 1.4.76 and above a new display can be accessed by pressing down in this mode.
This screen displays Speed and a selected input module channel. To select an input module channel press the MENU
button then navigate through the list to select display channel. From this screen any one of the MIM channels can be
selected.
NOTE: After each power up, the Input Module Screen on the V OX Mini must be accessed in order for the V OX
Mini to recognise the presence of the MICIN01. After this has been done, any of the V OX Mini screens can be used,
but this must be done or the MIM channels will not be logged.
Configuring the Inputs and Outputs
See the Mini or Micro Input Module user guide for a full explanation of configuring the inputs and outputs of a Mini/Micro
input Module.
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07 - V OX Mini Drift Mode
Drift Mode is used to measure your drifting ability, showing current and maximum drift angles and give a grading of your
performance as a score between 0 and 10 points.
On a fully activated V OXMini an SD card can be inserted to log your scores and data from your runs that can then be
downloaded and viewed on your computer and in V OX Tools PC software.
The Drift Mode can be used in two different ways; Sectors and Practice. The default is Practice, but you can turn on
Sectors in the Drift Menu.
Practice
Without Sectors enabled, the V OXMini measures a single run at a time, where a run is defined as anything larger than
5oof drift and a speed greater than 25Km/h. The run finishes when you go below these thresholds. You can then see
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Peak Drift angle, speed at which that drift angle occurred, the peak Lateral G during the run and the overall Score which
is based on Lateral G and Drift Angle.
Sectors
When Sector Mode is selected, a run starts at one virtual gate and finishes at another, see the ‘Sectors’ section later on
for more details.
Selecting Sector Mode
To set V OXMini to Sector mode
• In Drift Mode, press MENU
• Select ‘Sectors’, then press the O button.
DRIFT MENU
UNITS
✓SECTORS
SET SECTORS
LOAD SECTORS
Drift Mode Display Screens
V OX Mini has three different screens, available in each mode, which are selected by using the ▲▼buttons.
This screen shows speed and drift-angle in real-time, as
well as the peak drift angle achieved.
Holding the reset button for 1.5s will reset the peak drift
angle.
Practice Mode Only
This screen shows the peak drift angle, the speed at
which it was achieved, the maximum lateral acceleration
achieved, and the score awarded by V OXMini for the
run.
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Sectors Mode Only
Shows the peak drift angle, the speed at which it was
achieved, the sector number, the score awarded by
V OXMini for the run, and the cumulative score in
brackets.
SPIN! is displayed if the drift is greater than 100
degrees, or the drift is greater than 45 degrees with the
speed<10 kmh.
Resetting the screens
In any of the Drift mode screens, the Peak, Average, Score and Speeds can be reset by pressing the RESET button for
1.5 s.
Scores
Drift Score is a combination of the average drift angle and the average lateral G between two sector points. So, the
faster the vehicle goes, and the more angle is achieved, the higher the score result will be.
Sectors
A sector is made up of two virtual gates. If you have enabled Sectors Mode, the measurement process starts at the first
gate, and ends at the second. You can have up to 6 sectors defined, and you will be awarded a score for each sector
along with a cumulative score. You do not have to have all 6 sectors defined, you can use just one if required. Note that
to score in a sector you have to be drifting continuously, if you straighten up at some point, your score is zeroed at that
point.
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Sectors are defined separately from Splits because they come in pairs.
Creating Sectors
• Press the MENU button to enter the Drift menu.
• Highlight the option ‘SET SECTORS’ and press O .
• Drive the vehicle towards the start of the first sector and press O .
• Carry on driving to the end of the first sector and then press O .
• The screen will now highlight ‘Start2’ and you can continue to set up to six sectors in the same manner. If you want
to skip over any sectors, press RESET
• When you have completed the setting of your sectors press the MENU button to return to the Drift screen.
Loading and Saving Sectors
After creating sector information in your V OXMini you can then save this information to a sector file on the SD card.
This allows the sector information to be copied onto your computer and used in the V OX software when you analyse
your logged data. The sector file will be named D OX.sct – this is the only file name that V OXMini will recognise as a
sector file (see page 57 ‘Defining Drifting Sectors in V OX Tools’ for further details.)
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Saving a sector file
• Press the MENU button to enter the Drift Menu
• Highlight the ‘Save Sectors’ option and press O
Loading a sector file
• Press the MENU button to enter the Drift menu
• Highlight the ‘Load Sectors’ option and press O
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