VBOX 3iSL User Guide VBOX 3iSL 100Hz GPS Data Logger User Guide Page 1 of 53 11/04/2012
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Contents EC Declaration of Conformity .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Features .......................................................................
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Audio .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34 VBOX 3iSL „.VBO‟ file format .....................................................................................................................................................................................................
VBOX 3iSL User Guide 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.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Introduction VBOX 3i dual antenna (VB3i SL) is Racelogic‟s most powerful GPS data logging system. By utilising two GPS engines configured in a „fixed baseline RTK setup‟, the VB3i SL combines high level accuracy and test repeatability with the ability to measure slip and pitch/roll angles at 100Hz. The data can be shown live (using USB/RS232 serial connection) and be logged data directly on to a compact flash card for easy transfer to PC.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Features Non-contact 100Hz speed and distance measurement using GPS Dual antennas for 100Hz vehicle attitude measurement IMU Integration with GPS data (with optional IMU) 4 x 24bit synchronous differential analogue inputs ±50v Brake/Event trigger input of 10ns resolution Voice Tagging of Data 2 x CAN Bus interface RS-232 serial interface USB Interface Bluetooth Interface Compact Flash Interface 2 x 16bit User configurable analogue outputs 2 x Digital
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Quick-start Guide For Slip and Pitch measurements Required equipment (All supplied as standard unless specified): VB3i SL 12V Cigar Lighter adapter lead (RLCAB010L) VBOX File Manager + RLCAB005-C 2 x GPS & GLONASS antenna (RLACS156) Blank Compact Flash Card Laptop PC (not supplied) RLCAB001 or RLCAB066-2 (for PC connection) Tape measure 1.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide 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 0.5m on a level plane, but the greater the separation distance, the better the accuracy. 2. Using the VBOX Manager, go into SETUP->VBOX->DUAL ANTENNA-> and tick „ROLL MODE‟. 3.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide How to setup Dual Antenna VB3i SL using VBOX Manager The VBOX Manager has been developed to control the operating functions of a VB3i SL. Under the VBOX Menu, there is a Dual Antenna sub-menu, allowing the user to configure their VB3i SL unit for dual antenna testing purposes. For dual antenna operations, the „dual antenna‟ option must be enabled by selecting the enable option.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Roll Mode (optional) The VB3i SL allows the user to separately test roll and pitch measurements during their testing. By default, the VB3i SL will be setup for pitch determination. If the user wishes to setup their antennas across the width of the car to measure roll angle, then the Roll Mode option must be toggled in the Dual Antenna menu. Click this option to toggle between Pitch Mode (no-tick), and Roll Mode (tick).
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Align Antennas To measure the slip angle with the most precision, try and get the alignment of the antennas as close as possible to the centreline of the vehicle. Any residual errors in this alignment can be removed using the AUTO ALIGN feature available in the VBOX Manager. The calibration process requires the driver to drive in a straight line for a short period of time, whilst maintaining a constant speed, greater than 25km/h.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Level Antennas The Pitch measurement uses the relative height difference between the antennas to calculate the Pitch Angle relative to the ground. If the roof of your vehicle is not perfectly flat in relation to the ground, then this will show up as a Pitch offset. You can automatically remove any offset by performing the AUTO LEVEL feature available on the VBOX Manager. It is recommended that you perform the AUTO LEVEL on a flat, level section of road.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Slip Angle Translation In twin antenna mode you may wish 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 TRANSLATION function in the VBOX Manager. The five additional locations are set using longitudinal and lateral offsets from the primary antenna location (antenna 1 in the picture below).
VBOX 3iSL User Guide In section 1 on the diagram below there is a lateral offset between the primary antenna and the target area for slip measurement. Same again for section 2, there is a longitudinal offset. These offsets will need to be applied to the VBOX Manager (ensure you apply the correct sign when entering the offsets).
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Each calculated slip point will require two offsets (LAT & LNG) or (lateral & longitudinal) for the VBOX to calculate the channels correctly… Note: if the primary antenna moves the offsets will need to be measured again, for example swapping between a pitch and roll setup.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Parts Supplied with VBOX 3iSL Description Qty Racelogic Part # VBOX 3iSL Data logger 1 RLVB3iSL Mains Charger/Power Supply 1 RLVBACS020 2-way LEMO to cigar lighter plug 1m 1 GPS/GLONASS Antenna Description Qty Racelogic Part # 5 Way LEMO to 9 Way „D‟ Connector „Serial PC Cable‟ 1 RLCAB001 25 Way D Connector 1 ADC25IPCON RLCAB010L VBOX 3iSL User Manual 1 RLVBACS030 2 RLACS156 Bluetooth Antenna 1 RLACS119 4GB Compact Flash Card 1 RLACS098 USB 2.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Operation Power Included with a VBOX 3iSL is a cigar lighter power cable, which is the primary source of power input. This is terminated in a 2-way connector and mates with the 2way „PWR‟ socket on a VBOX 3iSL. A VBOX 3iSL can be powered from a wide range of voltage sources, when considering batteries as a power source please note that the minimum operating voltage of a VBOX 3iSL is 7V. The maximum operating voltage input must not exceed 30V DC.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Buttons VBOX 3iSL has two membrane buttons on the front panel, LOG and FUNC. LOG is used to start and stop logging to the compact flash card, and FUNC is used to switch between two sample rates, 100Hz and 20Hz. LOG The LOG button will override any of the automatic logging thresholds set in the VBOX. For example, if you have set the VBOX to log all the time, the LOG button will toggle logging on and off.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Logging A VBOX 3iSL has three Logging modes that are selected and configured via VBOX setup with the supplied VBOXTools software Logging Modes Log Continuously: With „Log Continuously‟ ticked the VBOX will log data, regardless of movement. Log Only when moving: Without „Log Continuously‟ ticked then the VBOX will only log data to the CF card when it detects speed >0.5Km/h.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide LED Indicators There are a series of LED indicators on the front panel of a VBOX 3iSL, their functionality is as follows: GPS: Flashing Red indicates no satellites in view Flashing Green sequence indicates the number of GPS Satellites currently being tracked. Each flash indicates a satellite with a short pause between each sequence. Flashing Orange sequence indicates the number of GLONASS Satellites currently being tracked.
SER: DIFF: DUAL: Solid Orange indicates a DGPS lock (either SBAS or 40cm Local DGPS) Solid Green indicates a 2cm „Fixed‟ RTK lock Flashing Yellow indicates that expected incoming CAN data has been decoded properly and is being logged. Flashing Green indicates that there is incoming Serial traffic through this socket. BLUETOOTH: Solid Orange indicates that dual antenna mode is enabled. Solid Green indicates dual antenna lock is fixed.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide GPS Antenna The GPS antenna supplied with a VBOX 3iSL is a 3.5V active antenna. For the best possible signal quality, it is important to maintain a clean connection between the antenna and a VBOX 3iSL. Before fixing the antenna to a VBOX 3iSL, ensure that there are no dust particles in either connector. Replacement antennae are available by contacting your VBOX distributor. The antenna is a magnetic mounting type for quick and simple mounting to the vehicle roof.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Analogue and Digital outputs (AD1 & AD2) The AD1 and AD2 connectors each have 1 analogue voltage and 1 digital output. The digital output on connector AD2 is a frequency/pulse output corresponding to velocity. The pulse per meter range is adjustable in software. The digital output on connector AD1 is a simple on/off state output. This digital output can be associated with any of the data channels being logged by the VBOX.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Digital Inputs (D IN) The „D IN‟ connector contains the two digital inputs for a VBOX 3iSL. Digital input 1 is also referred to as the Brake trigger input. This input is connected to an event capture input on the GPS engine. This captures precisely the trigger event time (10nS resolution) for use in brake distance calculation.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Analogue inputs (A In) a VBOX 3iSL contains four differential 24bit analogue input channels with a maximum sample rate of 100Hz. Each channel has its own dedicated analogue to digital (A/D) converter with all four channels being sampled synchronously to each other. The voltage range of the input channels is ±50volts. Note that unlike the ADC03 module, the analogue channels in a VBOX 3iSL are not electrically isolated from each other.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Using VBOXTools software, logging of the analogue channel data can be switched on or off. It is also possible to change the name of each input channel and configure scale and offset values for calibration of sensors. A scale value of 1 and offset of 0 correspond to a channel reading in Volts DC. This means that the value stored on the compact flash card for the channel will also be in volts. When using a sensor such as a load cell, it may be desirable to store a reading in Kg.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide RS232 Serial / CAN VBOX 3iSL is equipped with 2 CAN Bus interfaces and 2 RS232 serial ports. The primary RS232 port is used for all communication between the VBOX and laptop PC. The primary port is marked RS232 on the VBOX 3i front panel. The primary RS232 port is able to transmit live data from the VBOX to the PC for viewing and performing real-time tests.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide VCI CAN input (Vehicle CAN Interface) A VBOX 3iSL can log up to 16 user defined CAN bus signals on VCI port. Configuration is performed using the VCI Modules tab under Channels in VBOXTools software setup window. CAN signal parameters can be entered manually by the user or imported directly from a CAN database (.DBC) file if available.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide CAN Pass through Ability to output channel data from modules on the secondary bus with user defined identifiers. Eg; VBOX3iSL can log IMU data on one CAN bus and output the IMU data to third-party equipment on second CAN bus with a user defined identifier. A VBOX3iSL can output up to 6 CAN messages and 12 CAN channels over the secondary bus. Note: These output CAN channels will be in a 32 bit IEEE float format. 29 bit extended identifiers optional.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide CANVEL If an input channel is given the name “CANVEL” then a VBOX 3iSL will translate the data of this channel directly through to the GPS speed channel under the following criteria. IMU integration is not enabled and A VBOX 3iSL cannot calculate speed, i.e. no satellite signal (complete satellite drop out) A VBOX 3iSL will scale the input channel to the default speed output format of Km/h according to what the units have been assigned to the substitution speed channel.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Dynamic Modes The VBOX3iSL has three Dynamic modes. These Dynamic modes directly change the SMI smoothing index applied by the GPS engine to all Doppler-derived data, notably speed and heading. The lower smoothing levels have a higher dynamic response but are adversely noisier.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Satellite Elevation Mask This feature can be used to improve GPS signal quality when nearby obstacles like trees and building are reflecting or temporarily obscuring the signal from satellites at low elevation. Raising the mask will cause the GPS engine to ignore satellites below the mask angle, so must be used carefully as it also reduces the total number of received satellites. The elevation mask angle can be changed in the GPS section within VBOX Tools Setup. VBOX Tools Version 2.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide USB A VBOX 3iSL includes an USB 2.0 connection that can be used for VBOX configuration and the output of real-time VBOX 3iSL serial data at the full 100Hz data rate. Ensure that before you connect your VBOX 3iSL to your PC that you have installed the supplied VBOXTools software, as this will also put the required USB drivers onto your PC. The VBOXTools software installation will place the VBOX 3iSL USB drivers in the following location on your computer.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Audio Voice Tagging A VBOX 3iSL has the ability to record audio tags with a GPS „synched‟ timestamp accuracy of 0.5 secs along with the .VBO data file. Voice notes regarding test conditions or erroneous runs can be recorded, which can be replayed instantly when viewing logged files in the Graph facility of the VBOXTools software. A WAV file will be recorded onto the CF card along with the normal VBOX data file.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide VBOX 3iSL ‘.VBO’ file format A VBOX 3iSL 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 VBOX such as serial number and firmware version. The [Column names] parameter specifies the data in each column of the data section.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide VBOXTools Software The VBOXTools software is used for configuration of a VBOX 3iSL and also for analysis of the VBO data files. For further information on the VBOXTools software refer to the VBOXTools user manual supplied with VBOX 3iSL. Software Installation The VBOX 3iSL setup software must be installed onto the hard drive of a computer; it cannot be run from the installation CD. To install the software insert the CD into the CD drive of your computer.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide IMU Integration IMU integration should not be enabled for measurement of Braking distances The main purpose of integrated navigation systems is to take advantage of the complementary attributes of two or more navigation systems (GPS and Inertial motion unit) to achieve far better performance than through the use of either system on its own. GPS derives data through two separate methods, Doppler (speed, vertical speed and heading) and Triangulation (latitude longitude and height).
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Hardware configuration First the VBOX 3iSL needs to be configured to use the IMU data from the IMU it is connected to. 1. Connect the IMU to the CAN port of the VBOX 3iSL with the required cable and power the VBOX 3iSL. 2. Open VBOX Tools and connect the computer to the VBOX 3iSL using either serial, USB or Bluetooth. 3. Select the appropriate COM port. The „serial data OK‟ message should appear in green beneath the COM port number. 4.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide 9. Next click on the GPS button. Under the Kalman Filter section check the „Use IMU‟ box. 10. The VBOX 3iSL will now use the inertial data transmitted by the connected IMU and integrate it with the GPS data to generate filtered and smoothed data speed, heading and position data. NB: If no IMU is currently connected, the data logged by the VBOX 3iSL will be the raw unfiltered GPS data.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Hardware Set Up 1. Setup the VBOX 3iSL in the vehicle as you would normally. 2. A laptop or Q1 connected to the VBOX 3i is required for the setup of the IMU to view the live X-accel and Y-accel values. 3. Position the vehicle on flat ground with the engine off but the ignition on to allow the VBOX 3iSL to remain powered. This prevents engine vibration creating erroneous IMU readings during IMU setup. 4.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Upgrading the VBOX 3iSL’s Firmware Occasionally Racelogic releases new versions of firmware (internal code) for VBOX 3iSL products, often to introduce new features. New firmware is loaded into a VBOX 3iSL using a computer and a CF card. The latest firmware upgrade file for the VBOX 3iSL is available from the Racelogic website in the „Support‟ section. http://www.racelogic.co.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Troubleshooting Guide Trouble Locking on to Satellites If the VBOX 3i SL is having trouble locking onto satellites then please follow the checklist below for typical solutions: Ensure that the antenna is placed in a position where it has an unobstructed view of the sky. (See „GPS Antenna Placement‟ below) Check the antenna connection with the VBOX 3i SL; only small amounts of dirt in the socket can cause a significant reduction in signal strength.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide No communication with PC If the red LED on the front of the VBOX 3i SL is not illuminated then there is no power to the unit; check that battery contains adequate charge or, if using a cigar lighter, check internal cigar lighter fuse. Check that the correct COM port has been selected in VBOXTools Check that no other programs are using the same COM port. Disconnect the power to the VBOX 3i SL then reconnect it.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide VBOX 3iSL not responding - GPS Coldstart The GPS engine has locked up. Perform a GPS Engine Coldstart A GPS coldstart forces the GPS engine to reset its downloaded almanac of current satellite positions. This can be useful if a VBOX 3iSL is having trouble locking onto satellites, which typically occurs if a VBOX 3iSL has not been used for several weeks or if it was last used a long distance (over one thousand miles) away from the current location.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide VBOX 3iSL Specification GPS Velocity Accuracy Units Update rate Maximum velocity Minimum velocity Resolution Latency 0.1 Km/h (averaged over 4 samples) Km/h or Mph 100 Hz 1000 Mph 0.1 Km/h 0.01 Km/h 6.75ms Absolute Positioning Accuracy Update rate Resolution 3m 95% CEP** 100 Hz 1.8mm Heading Resolution Accuracy 0.01 0.1° Acceleration Accuracy Maximum Resolution Update rate 0.5% 0.5% 0.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Outputs CAN Bus Bit rate Identifier type Data available Analogue Voltage range Default setting * Accuracy Update rate 125Kbits, 250Kbits, 500Kbits & 1Mbit selectable baud rate Standard 11bit 2.0A Satellites in View, Latitude, Longitude, Velocity, Heading, Altitude, Vertical velocity, Distance, Longitudinal acceleration & lateral acceleration, Distance from trigger, Trigger time, trigger Velocity 0 to 5Volts DC Velocity 0.0125Volts per Km/h (0 to 400Km/h) 0.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Connection Data Front View of VBOX3iSL 2 pin LEMO socket 3 pin LEMO socket Page 47 of 53 11/04/2012 5 pin LEMO socket
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Connector PIN 1 2 1 POWER In/Out Description I Power + I Ground Type Connector PIN 1 2 3 2 AD 1 In/Out O O I Type Connector PIN 1 2 3 3 AD 2 In/Out O O I Type Description Analogue 2 Output Digital 1 Output Lemo 3 pin Connector PIN 1 2 4 D IN In/Out I I Type Lemo 3 pin 3 I Range 7V to 30V 0V Lemo 3 pin Description Analogue 1 Output Digital 2 Output Ground Range 0V to 5V 0V to 5V Range 0V to 5V 0V to 5V Description Ground Digital Input 2.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Connector PIN 1 2 3 4 5 5 CAN In/Out O I I/O I/O O Type Description RS232 Tx (PORT B) RS232 Rx (PORT B) CAN Bus High (PORT A) CAN Bus Low (PORT A) +V Power Lemo 5 pin Connector PIN 1 2 3 4 5 6 SER In/Out O I I/O I/O O Type Description RS232 Tx (PORT A) RS232 Rx (PORT A) CAN Bus High PORT B) CAN Bus Low (PORT B) +V Power Lemo 5 pin Connector PIN Center Chassis ANT In/Out - Type SMA Description RF Signal / Power for active antenna Ground Page 49 of 53 11/04/2012 Range 12v 1
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Analogue Input Connector View of Socket on VBOX III Connector: Analogue PIN In/Out 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 10 11 12 13 Type: Sub-D 25-way Socket Description Range Channel 1 + Channel 1 Channel 2 + Channel 2 Channel 3 + Channel 3 Channel 4 + Channel 4 - Connector: Analogue PIN In/Out 14 O 15 O 16 O 17 O 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Note: A screw terminal connector block is available to purchase on request from your VBOX supplier.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide CAN Output The VBOX 3iSL has a CAN output which is present on the 5-way connector output; Data format: Motorola; Baud rate: 500Kb/s. Format ID** 0x301 Update rate * 10ms 0x302 0x303 0x304 0x305 0x306 10ms 10ms 10ms 10ms 10ms 0x307 10ms 0x308 0x309 0x313 0x314 10ms 10ms 10ms 10ms Motorola Data Bytes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 (1) Sats in (2) Time since midnight UTC (3) Position – Latitude MMMM.MMMMM view (4) Position – Longitude MMMMM.MMMMM (5) Velocity. (Knots) (6) Heading.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide (10) Status is an 8 bit unsigned char. Bit 0 is always set, Bit 3=brake test started, Bit 4 = Brake trigger active, Bit 5 = DGPS active (11) Distance, 0.000078125 meters per bit, unsigned. Corrected to trigger point. (12) Longitudinal Acceleration, 0.01G per bit, signed. (13) Lateral Acceleration, 0.01G per bit, signed. (14) Distance travelled in meters since VBOX reset. (15) Time from last brake trigger event. 0.01 Seconds per bit. (16) Velocity at brake trigger point in Knots.
VBOX 3iSL User Guide Contact Details Racelogic Unit 10 Swan Business Centre Osier Way Buckingham Bucks MK18 1TB United Kingdom Email: support@racelogic.co.uk Web: www.racelogic.co.uk Document Updates Rev Date Changes Init Page Change Draft 28-Jan-09 -- Draft Version of Document.
