[sci.electronics] Data Acquisition on a Kart

froncio@caip.rutgers.edu (Andy Froncioni) (12/12/90)

Hi folks,

Question 1)
---------
My brother and I run a small karting team in Canada.  Lately,
we've wanted to collect some engine data on-board in order
to "profile" the race tracks.  Presumably such knowledge,
coupled with engine power curve data, could give us an edge
in tuning the engine to the course...

We are in need of a small, light data acquisition board that
would collect data from about 4 channels every second or
so, for about 20 minutes time.  The board should be able
to download its data to an IBM compatible PC.  The most 
important feature is that it should be self-contained (no
external power supply).  


Question 2)
---------
With the same application in mind (namely, karting) we would
also like to know if there are controllers that are available to use 
input from a few ports (temperature, rpm's, etc...) and auto-
matically determine settings for a couple of different stepper 
motors (which control fuel/air mix, exhaust-port length, etc...).
Again, the same requirements apply that the unit must be
self-contained power-wise.


We are quite willing to build these things ourselves, if they 
are not available commercially.  However, our preference would
be to buy them, if they are not prohibitively expensive (< $200
each).  


Anyone have any company names, circuit diagrams, or even
used boards to sell???  OK, how about just advice?


Thanks,

Andy


Andy Froncioni			CAIP Center Parallel Computing Lab
froncio@caip.rutgers.edu	Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ

larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (12/13/90)

In article <Dec.11.13.54.47.1990.10707@caip.rutgers.edu>, froncio@caip.rutgers.edu (Andy Froncioni) writes:
> My brother and I run a small karting team in Canada.  Lately,
> we've wanted to collect some engine data on-board in order
> to "profile" the race tracks.
> ...
> We are in need of a small, light data acquisition board that
> would collect data from about 4 channels every second or
> so, for about 20 minutes time.  The board should be able
> to download its data to an IBM compatible PC.  The most 
> important feature is that it should be self-contained (no
> external power supply).  

	Such data acquisition systems are available from a nuber of vendors.
One of the lower cost systems is sold through such distributors as Omega
Engineering (Stamford, CT), Cyber Research, etc.  This system has a maximum
of four channels, and it can be had fully equipped for less than $ 1K.

> With the same application in mind (namely, karting) we would
> also like to know if there are controllers that are available to use 
> input from a few ports (temperature, rpm's, etc...) and auto-
> matically determine settings for a couple of different stepper 
> motors (which control fuel/air mix, exhaust-port length, etc...).
> Again, the same requirements apply that the unit must be
> self-contained power-wise.

	You could use a small industrial PLC supplied with a battery power
option, but you may not like the price.  By the time you purchased the PLC,
I/O options and development software for use on a PC, you will probably
spend at least $ 3K.  You could also go the route of a single-board computer
with on-board basic interpreter and A/D, D/A, such as the Octagon SBS-2300,
with your initial cost being less than $ 1K.  However, while *I* would go
the Octagon route, there is less high-level programming support for control
applications than available with most PLC's.

Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp.  "Have you hugged your cat today?"
VOICE: 716/688-1231   {boulder, rutgers, watmath}!ub!kitty!larry
FAX:   716/741-9635                  {utzoo, uunet}!/      \aerion!larry