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DataLink User Manual for V-Series Data

1. I Introduction Thank you for your purchase of DataLink Racepak s data display and analysis software for Windows 95 98 and NT The material in this manual is designed to get you up and running as quickly and easily as possible Chapters II through IV are must reads Chapter H will guide you through the hardware and software installation Chapter III will help you set up the display on your PC to best utilize the DataLink interface and Chapter IV will give you a quick tour of the DataLink user interface We also strongly recommend you read Chapter V File Management This chapter provides important information on how DataLink manages and stores the information If you read this chapter now you will save you a lot of time later on as you begin to use the more advanced features of the DataLink program Before you begin we would like to review some important facts about the DataLink package First the DataLink package is licensed to the end user for use with one onboard data logger system If you have multiple data logger systems you will need to purchase additional packages for use with the additional data loggers DataLink is designed as an affordable software package that allows the user to view the data recorded on a RacePak data logger It does include limited run log capabilities which allows the user to keep a very basic electronic database It does not include full math and run log capabilities nor does it include all the features embe
2. Chapter IV 13 V Uploading Data from the Logger V Uploading Data from the Logger This section only applies to V300 and V500 data loggers For specific information on using telemetry and uploading data from a V50 unit refer to the V50 user manual Using the Serial Communications Port to Upload Data to your PC To upload data from your data logger to your PC using the serial port connect your PC to your data logger system using the serial communications cable provided with your system and turn on the power to your data logger Next select the New file icon in the program taskbar or the New menu item selection located in the File main menu The following dialog box will be displayed and you will be asked to select which configuration file to use Select the configuration files as created above Selec Camigia WHET The system will upload the data from your data logger While the data is being uploaded the following progress box will be displayed to inform you of the systems progress Status Read 9216 bytes When the download process is completed select the OK button to proceed To finish the upload processes skip the following section and continue with the section on naming and storing your run data file Using the Data Cartridge to Upload Data to your PC If your system uses a data cartridge to transfer information from your data logger to your PC you will perform the data transfer in two steps The first step is
3. Cancel Continue until stopped manually overwrite oldest data The first parameter Circular Buffer Length is used to set the amount of data to record in seconds The Recording Mode is used to determine whether the recording will stop when the maximum record time is Chapter V 4 V Uploading Data from the Logger reached or whether the oldest data will be overwritten For example if a Circular Buffer Length of 1000 seconds is entered and stop after reaching end of buffer is selected the program will record data for 1000 seconds and stop If continue until stopped manually overwrite oldest data is selected the program will continuously record until stop by the operator Only the last 1000 seconds of data will be stored Starting a Telemetry Session The next step is to start a telemetry session Select the Telemetry icon shown below or the New Telem Session menu item located in the File main menu selection A dialog box as shown below will be displayed and you will then be asked to select the configuration file to use for this session Select Configuration Select Configuration Ty Cancel Select the configuration file as setup above A dialog box will then be displayed to allow you to enter the session information the same as when uploading run data Enter the appropriate year track race type and race sequence information as shown below The system will enter the date and time Yaar
4. The next step is to select which of the run log pages is to be edited Select the page by left clicking on the tab in the lower section the run log pane in the display screen At this point you may need to expand the run log portion of the screen so that you can see the entire run log page To expand the screen position the mouse cursor on the border of the run log pane the cursor will change to an up and down arrow when it is in the proper position Next click and hold the left mouse button and drag the border of the run log to the desired position To edit the page follow the following instructions Editing the Heading Edit the heading by left clicking in the Heading box at the top of the run log page Enter the new heading as desired Editing the Questions The questions are contained in the first and third columns in the run log page To edit the questions simply click on the desired question entry box and either enter the new question or edit the existing question To exit the question box simply select another box or leave the page Editing the Answers Normally the answers are edited after run data is uploaded to the PC from the onboard data acquisition computer in the car You may however wish to enter default answers to the run log pages by editing the answers in the car configuration file Answers entered in this manner will appear automatically in the run data files They can be edited at any time in the run data file Renaming t
5. Chapter I 2 Il Software Installation ll Software Installation This chapter will guide you through the installation of the RacePak DataLink Software to your personal computer system To accomplish this task we will guide you through the following steps l 2 3 4 a 6 Verify your PC meets the minimum requirements needed by the RacePak DataLink Software Install the RacePak DataLink software onto your hard drive Use the RacePak DataLink License disk to install the configuration files for your on board data acquisition equipment and your user Security Keys Select the supplied configuration file as the default configuration file Set the default COM port for uploading data to your PC Verify the software and hardware installation is working properly Step 1 Checking for Minimum Computer Requirements Although the RacePak DataLink Software can be operated on any IBM PC or clone capable of running Windows 95 98 NT there are several items which should be considered before selecting a computer system on which to install the software These items are 1 Number of Files to be Overlaid The DataLink software allows the user to open and overlay as many run data files as there is available RAM memory in the PC A typical run data file will require approximately 200 Kbytes of available RAM memory to open For most installations 8 Mbytes of RAM memory will be sufficient Number of Files to be Stored The amount o
6. Depending on the color selected for the background of the graphics section some of the colors in the color palette may not be clearly visible when used to graph a channel on the graphics display These colors can be turned off so they are not utilized by the graphics routines To edit the color palette click on the Settings selection of the DataLink menu bar next click on the Pick Colors item on the pull down menu The following dialog box will be displayed Select Colors Avallable Colors Mote 1 Double click a color selection to change status 2 Select all colors you want to be used for charts Ed El El el E9 O L If the box next to the color bar is checked the color is active and will be used in graphing the channels on the display screen If it is not checked the color is inactive and will be not be used Using the scroll bar on the available colors box to review the color palette and turn off any colors that do not graph clearly If you wish to create your own set of colors to be used by the graphics routines please refer to Appendix III Creating a custom color palette Chapter III 5 MI Customizing The Datalink Software Step 4 Setting the Screen Size Sequences As you have seen the DataLink video display is divided into three windows the top window contains the channel selection buttons the middle window contains the graphics area and the bottom window contains the run log data sheet
7. File menu This command selects the type of print out to be generated by the PRINT command When selected the following dialog box will be displayed Select Printing Type Print Chart Only Print Whole Window Two types of printout are available Print Chart Only Select this option to print the graph area of the chart only This option provides the highest detail to the printout but does not provide the numeric data Print Whole Window Select this option to print the entire screen just as it appears on the display monitor NOTE When using this option the background to the graph region will appear the same on the printout as on the display i e black will be black You may wish to select a white background prior to printing with this option Select the desired option and click on OK Chapter VI 11 VI File Management Print Preview command File menu Use this command to display the active document as it would appear when printed When you choose this command the main window will be replaced with a print preview window in which one or two pages will be displayed in their printed format The print preview toolbar offers you options to view either one or two pages at a time move back and forth through the document zoom in and out of pages and initiate a print job The print preview toolbar offers you the following options Print Bring up the print dialog box to start a print job Next Page Preview t
8. Next select the Save command from the File menu The selected file will be saved to disk You can also use the following shortcuts to save the file once the file has been selected Shortcuts Toolbar Keys CTRL S In some instances you may wish to rename the data file or save the data file in a different directory To perform this operation select the file by left clicking on the file folder tab located at the top of the channel display pane Next select the Save As command from the File menu The Save As dialog box will be displayed as shown below Look ir rae of VOATOSOFO0G1 pk VOATOSIOFOOG 2 rpk S VOATOSIOFOOO 4 rpk z VOATOSOFOO 3 rpk a Sf les Sl File name Files of type RacePak Files rpk Cancel 2 Chapter VI 7 VI File Management The file Save As dialog box allows you to specify the name and location in which to store the selected file Enter the following information Save in Select the folder in which to store the new file by clicking on the folder To navigate through the directory use the d To display the current directory tree To move up one level in the directory tree ce To create a new folder in the currently selected folder File name Type a new filename to save a document with a different name A filename can contain over sixty characters and an extension of up to three characters Save as type If you use the extension that RacePak Cha
9. This selection list contains the names of all of the valid data channels contained in the currently selected run data file Double clicking on the name of a channel in the list inserts the name of the channel at the current cursor position in the expression input field Built In Functions This selection list contains the math functions currently supported be the data link system Double clicking on the function inserts the function name at the current cursor position in the expression input field After the function has been inserted replace the x between the parenthesis with the expression to be evaluated Display digits before decimal point after These values tell the system how to format the numeric display of the channel data The result of the above example would be displayed as a four digit number with no decimal points Result unit Enter the name of the engineering unit that this channel reads Minimum result value maximum Enter the minimum and maximum values to graph All similar channels should be set to consistent values so that the graphs make sense when charted together Racepak s default sets all analog channels to their engineering values at 0 and 5V as above all RPMs from 0 to 10000 and all temperatures from 0 to 2000 F Graphs may not line up properly if you change this scaling Do not display This box when checked will cause the channel not to display in the channel selection box at the top of the display
10. DataLink software is license for use with one data logger A separate software license must be purchased for each logger you wish use with the DataLink program 4 Follow the onscreen instructions outlined below Note When prompted to Select Items to Copy make sure all three boxes have check marks next to them Chapter II 2 Il Software Installation Step 3 License Disk Installation The next step in the installation process is to install the information contained in the license disk shipped with the RacePak DataLink software To install the license disk information start the RacePak DataLink program by clicking on the program icon created above If this is the first time you have installed the DataLink software the following dialog box will be displayed Insert License Disk Please insert your license disk into drive A IF the license disk can be found at a different location please type it below License disk s give you access to the hardware you have purchased You can read in more than one license disk Insert the license disk into the floppy disk drive type the correct drive letter in the dialog box and select OK Copy User Registry Keys This portion is used to initialize the Windows registry keys containing the name of the racing team Copy Configuration File To make the installation process easier and to get you up and running faster personnel at RacePak will have created a configuration file which m
11. Select OK when finished Ratio Channel Parameters Mame Clutch Slip Divide Channel by Channel WS00 Module Tach Shift Lite Tach Shift Lite Engine RPM DS APM Display 4 digits before decimal paint 3 after A anat desley Result Unit Maximum result value 2 Cancel 3 Right mouse click on the channel captioned Spare Ratio3 Edit the box to match the sample shown below Select OK when finished Ratio Channel Parameters Hame Trans Slip Divide Channel W300 Module wap Module Tach Shift Lite Tach Shift Lite Engine APM Engine APM by Channel DS RPM Clutch RPM Record switch Record Switch Display E digits before decimal point 2 atter Ps onatdiepley Result Unit Maximum result value E Cancel 4 Click on the Save icon on the tool bar to make the changes permanent Editing Simple Expression Math Calculation Channels The Simple Expression Channel Parameters Easy Edit dialog box is used to enter and edit simple mathematical equations used in the data analysis process The example below illustrated the computation of the average cylinder temperature on a two cylinder engine Chapter VII 4 Chapter VII Working with Data Channels Simple Expression Channel Paramaters Hame EvL TEMP AVE Expr EGT 1 EGT 2 2 Currently Defined Channels Built In Functions H20 TEMP FUEL FRESS CHANT CHAN CHAN S CHAN 4 T Do not display Display E digit
12. Software may not be optimum for your particular application The DataLink software can be customized to better fit your needs and PC hardware The following chapter will lead you through a step by step process to customizing the layout of the DataLink software Once you have completed this section you will be ready to begin using your software Don t worry about getting it perfect the first time you can go back and modify any of the settings at any time As you become familiar with the software you may find different settings better fit your needs Setting the Screen Resolution and Color Palette on the Windows desktop The first step in setting the layout of the RacePak DataLink software is to set the display properties of the standard Windows Desktop The Windows Desktop is the default screen layout that appears after booting your system and is utilized by all your software including DataLink in determining how to display data on the video screen For this application we will only adjust the screen resolution and the color palette If you wish to further customize your desktop please refer to the Windows documentation provided with your PC To check and or change the screen resolution of you desktop click on the Start button on the task bar select Settings and then Control Panel and finally Display The Display Properties dialog box will be displayed Next click on the Settings tab in the Display Properties dia
13. able to reset the offset to the previous value The normal usage of this command is to align the starting points of two curves and or to set the zero on a data channel such as a g meter that drifts slowly with time The commands modify the channel that has been selected as the active grid and is displayed in the Channel Grid Button and Display as discussed above To select a channel to be nudged first graph the channel by left clicking on the channel button in the channel display pane Next select the channel on the Channel Grid display by left clicking on the Channel Grid button until the channel name appears in the button Then click the Nudge Up or Nudge Down icons until the data channel has moved the desired amount Chapter IV 10 IV Quick Start Tour The Set Start Time Commands T The three icons Set Start Nudge Start Left and Nudge Start Right are used to identify the start of the run in the run data file e Set the time cursor line at the new zero point e Select the Set Start Time command from the Edit menu or toolbar The following dialog box will be displayed It displays the name of the run file that will be affected and the time that will become the new start time ou are aboutto change start time of data file Sample rpk selecting OK will result in the star time placed at z fo 001 32 secs Cancel Verify the information in the Confirm Start Time Change dialog box and press OK to set zero Zero
14. chapter on Customizing the DataLink display The second method is to click and drag the border between any two of the three panes To resize the screen using the second method position the mouse cursor on the border between two of the panes until the mouse shape changes to two horizontal bars with an up arrow and down arrow attached Next press and hold the left mouse button and drag the border to the desired position by moving the mouse We will look at the functions of each of the three regions below Channel Display Region The channel display pane shown below is used to display the run file and configuration file data channel information and to control the information graphed on the graphics display pane Ep 72 RacePakChart File Edit ARurnlog View Settings Security Help c Graph HDat071699E1 maim ee AA 3 18 RF MZ E 1036 EGT 2 233 164 For Help press F1 CAF NUM ue The Channel Pane contains the following information and performs the following functions File Tabs Across the top of the channel pane are the run and configuration file tabs There will be one tab per run or configuration file loaded into memory To select a particular run or configuration file simply left click on the file tab When this occurs the information on the selected file will be brought to the front of the display screen Both the channel data and the run log data will be brought to the front of the display to allow viewing by the
15. configuration file menu item When selected a check mark will appear in front of the menu item This signifies the configuration file selected above is now set as the default configuration file Note If you are using one personal computer to upload from multiple Racepak data loggers we recommend renaming the folders containing each data loggers configuration file For example AV300_1000 for the first data logger and BV300_1000 for the second data logger This will ensure a unique filename will automatically be generated for each data logger s data each time a new run is uploaded Chapter II 4 Il Software Installation Step 5 Hardware Installation If your RacePak onboard data acquisition system uses a data cartridge to transfer data to the PC for viewing you will need to install hardware in your PC to interface with the data cartridge RacePak provides two types of interface hardware the PIO 12 expansion board or USB cartridge reader Detailed instructions for installing each type of hardware is included below If your onboard data acquisition system utilizes a serial interface to download information to the computer go directly to Step 6 as no hardware installation is required PIO Expansion Board The PIO 12 board requires an available ISA expansion slot in your PC Before proceeding insure that your PC has an available ISA slot Some PC s only have PCI expansion slots and cannot be used with the PIO 12 expansion bo
16. desired A new file tab with the channel data will be opened You are now ready to view the data Chapter V 3 V Uploading Data from the Logger Viewing Real Time Data on your PC Data from your V300 or V500 data logger can be displayed and recorded real time on your PC computer using the DataLink program Before you can view the data however you must first setup the real time parameters in your data logger To setup your data logger s real time configuration open your configuration file and right click on the V300 or V500 channel button An edit dialog box will be displayed In the center of the dialog box will be a Real Time Telemetry Section Setting up the Logger Real Time Telemetry Parameters This section will contain two lists The list on the left hand side of the telemetry section will include all of the data channels currently being monitored by your data logger The list on the right hand side of the telemetry sections includes all those channels that will be displayed during a real time telemetry session To add a channel to the telemetry list highlight the name of the channel in the left hand list and click on the right arrow button to add the selected channel to the real time channel list To remove a channel from the real time channel list highlight the name of the channel in the right hand list and click on the left arrow button Remember that only channels in the right hand list will be displayed during a real time t
17. display area To display the data from a channel on the graphics screen simply select the channel by left clicking on the channel button in the same manner you display data from a recorded file To stop the data acquisition left click on the Stop Data Acquisition icon located at the bottom of the tool bar The real time data acquisition session will be suspended If you wish to continue the real time data acquisition simply click on the Start Data Acquisition icon The telemetry session will restart at the same point it was suspended If you wish to restart the session from the beginning select Erase from the Telemetry main menu All previously recorded data will be erased from the file If you wish to save the data stop the data acquisition and use click the Save icon located in the tool bar or select Save located in the File main men Chapter V 6 VI File Management VI File Management Overview The RacePak DataLink program uses two types of files to store the car setup information and the data generated during each of your logging sessions These are the Car Configuration Files and the Run Data Files In structure the Car Configuration File and the Run Data Files are basically the same the only difference being the Run Data File contains the actual channel data from the logging session Many of the operations used to maintain and edit the two types of files are also the same How the files are used however is quite different T
18. greater than 100 DataLink will automatically adjust the window sizes to sum to 100 As was discussed above each time the Organize Pane icon in the DataLink toolbar is clicked the windows will be resized to the next enabled entry in the preset list Each entry in the list is enabled disabled by checking the box at the beginning of each entry In the above example the screen will be sized as 20 on the top 50 in the middle and 30 in the bottom when the program is started The first time the Organize Pane icon in the toolbar is clicked the screen will be sized 20 top 80 middle and no run log portion will be displayed The second time the Organize Pane icon in the toolbar is clicked the window will be resized to 20 top no middle or graph section and 80 bottom or run log display You have completed the customization process After you have utilized the program you may wish to revisit this section and make additional changes to better fit your data analysis needs Chapter III 6 IV Quick Start Tour IV Quick Start Tour of the DataLink User Screen The following chapter will give you a brief tour of the RacePak DataLink s user screen and will familiarize you with the various commands and toolbar functions utilized to display and analyze your run data We will begin by reviewing the main screen layout DataLink Display Screen Layout The DataLink display as shown below is divided into three separate regions or pan
19. is used by RacePak to generate the file conversion CONV serial number and unlock key Entering the Security Keys using the License Disk When a new DataLink software package is purchased RacePak ships the user the software installation disks plus the user License Disk The license disk contains all the information that is specific to the user that purchased the DataLink software This includes the users security unlock keys customized configuration file for the users on board data logger and any demonstration files for racing applications similar to the users application When the DataLink software is run for the first time the software checks to see if the license disk information has been installed in the PC If it has not the software will display the Insert License Disk Dialog box shown below Insert License Disk Please insert your license disk into drive A IF the license disk can be found at a different location please type it below License disk s give WOU access to the hardware you have purchased You can read in more than one license disk n Cancel Insert the license disk into the appropriate drive Enter the corresponding drive and select OK to copy the license information Appendix III 3 Appendix II How the File Security Works Allowing Others to View Your Files If you wish others to view the run data and configuration files created by your DataLink system you will need to give them your Se
20. on the name in the list and then select the Delete command from the dialog box The Quick Graph also provides the Auto Quick Graph feature This feature is very helpful when viewing the same data in numerous run files When the Auto Quick graph feature is enabled the selected quick graph set Current Auto QGraph is automatically displayed for the currently selected run file Each time a new run file is selected the channels contained in the auto quick graph set are disabled in the old file and are enabled in the new run file In this manner the user can rapidly scan through multiple data files looking at specific data channels without being required to manually turn off and on the respective data channel To enable the Auto Quick Graph function select the Quick Graph icon Next select the quick graph set to display by left clicking on the name of the quick graph set Select the Set as Auto QGraph command button The highlighted name will appear in the Current Auto Q Graph box and will become active The auto quick graph feature can also be used to compare data channels in one file with the corresponding data channels in multiple other run data files one at a time without the need to turn off and on the respective data channels To perform this function select the auto quick graph set as detailed above Next select the run data file to be compared with the remaining files The channels included in the auto quick graph set will be automatically display
21. one of the following short cuts Pleas note you must first select the file by left clicking on the file folder tab Shortcuts Toolbar Keys CTRL S After editing a configuration file don t forget to send the configuration over to the data logger To do this connect the serial cable between the data logger and you PC Turn the power on to the data logger and then select Edit from the main menu bar Click on Write VNET Config with the left mouse button the send the new configuration Closing Car Configuration Files If you wish to close a car configuration file 1 make the file active by left clicking on the file folder tab for the car configuration file you wish to close and 2 select the Close command from the File menu If the file has been modified the DataLink program will suggest you save changes to your file before you close it If you close a file without saving you lose all changes made since the last time you saved it You can also use one of the following short cuts to close the file Please note you must first select the file by left clicking on the file folder tab Chapter VI 3 VI File Management Shortcuts Toolbar i Keys CTRL C Setting the Default Car Configuration File In most cases the RacePak DataLink software will be used to upload data from a single vehicle on any given PC installation To simplify the upload process the software allows a single configuration file to be selected as the default configura
22. screen This is normally used to inhibit the display of an intermediate channel used in the calculation of a final value Chapter VII 6 Chapter VIII Working with Run Log Pages Vill Working with Run Log Pages The Run Log section of the RacePak DataLink program allows the user to define and maintain a comprehensive run log data book for each of the test and or racing sessions logged using a RacePak on board data logger system In addition to being available in the logbook format information entered into the run log pages 1s also available to the database search engine integrated in the DataLink package The search engine discussed in the following chapter allows the user to search for run data files which meet a set of user defined conditions such as all runs with corrected altitude from 2000 to 2500 feet The run logbook is constructed by a series of templates that define each page of the run log These templates are stored in each of the individual car configuration files Each time new data is downloaded from the onboard data logger the templates and any default answers to the run log questions in the car configuration file are transferred to the new run data file In addition during the upload process selected pages from the run log are presented to the user for data entry After the upload process is completed any run log page can be called by the user for viewing and or data entry by selecting the appropriate run log page tab displ
23. table is shown below 0 0 0 255 255 255 255 0 0 0 255 0 0 0 253 255 200 0 255 255 0 125 255 0 0 255 255 255 125 0 255 0 253 0 255 125 0 200 255 KKKKKKKKKKKZZ The first column in the table is a flag indicating to the program if the color is enabled The 2 3 and 4 columns in the table are the red green and blue components of the color The table in this file can be edited to customize and or replace the color palette with selections of your own To edit the table open the file with the Windows notepad editor Substitute the values in the table with values of your own and save the file For help in selecting your colors start the Microsoft Paint program and select the Edit Colors command found in the options menu Next select the Define Custom Colors button in the Edit Colors dialog box The following dialog box will be displayed Edit Colors Basic colors Custom colors ll RERAN ll EEEH ll EAH ll S888 ll ERAN EE EE EE Hue e7 Red 239 Sat E Green 232 Deine Liston Eolas gt Colors olid Lum li or Blue 143 OF Cancel Add to Custom Colors Appendix II 1 Appendix II Creating Your Own Color Palette Either select a color from the Basic Colors selection box or use the right hand slide bar and the color chart by clicking on the chart with the mouse to select a color The color will be displayed in the Color Solid display window When you have foun
24. the various menus that are frequently used are also included in the graphics toolbar The graphics tool bar provides a one click shortcut to the menu items The graphic toolbar icons and the routines they call are discussed below Graphics Toolbar The graphics toolbar is displayed along the left hand end of the chart window The toolbar provides quick mouse access to many of the commands used by RacePak DataLink program The tool bar icons and the commands they implement are summarized below Click To Create a new run data file by downloading a new data from a RacePak on board data acquisition computer X Start a new telemetry session Open an existing run file The program displays the open files dialog box in which you can locate and open selected run data file Chapter IV 7 IV Quick Start Tour oe ee Save the selected run or configuration file with its current name Close the selected run or configuration file Print the screen or the selected graphs Switch to the next pane size in the screen sequence list Clear the chart by removing all graph traces Open the Quick Graph dialog box Zoom In reduces the chart s time axis X axis Zoom Out increases the chart s time axis x axis Auto scale changes the time axes to include all data User Scale sets the time axis as specified in the Preferences dialog box Shift Left moves the graph time axis to the left Shift Right moves the graph time axis
25. tji Teer Te athens Dede yarn Tima 15 40 zj liner Jyp Weg O ral Geamia Logger eri Gatti Eiri iire rges E Er oS r oe oe oe Er oe If you need help in filling out the dialog box click on the help icon located in the upper left hand corner of the dialog box Select OK or Next depending on your configuration file Additional dialog boxes may be displayed These are part of the Run Log sections that are user programmable to allow test information to be entered during the download process Fill out the information as appropriate Chapter V 5 V Uploading Data from the Logger The file save dialog box will then be displayed Select the Cancel button A new file tab with the channel data will be opened You real time data session is now ready The real time session is controlled via two icons located below the context sensitive help icon in tool bar Only one icon will be active at a time depending on the status of the telemetry session The Start Data Acquisition icon is shown active on the left The Stop Data Acquisition icon is shown active on the right ae ae Stop Data Acquisition Red Light To start the real time data acquisition left click on the Start Data Acquisition Icon at the bottom of the tool bar The data acquisition will start at time 0 Once the real time data acquisition has been started the value of the data channels will be displayed next to the channel button in the top portion of the
26. to enter the session data as described in the following section Naming and Storing the Run Data File After the data has been uploaded from your data logger or from the data cartridge a dialog box will be displayed to allow you to enter the session information Enter the appropriate year and track by selecting the correct value from the selection lists If the desired year and or track is not on the corresponding selection list enter the new year or track by typing the name directly into the top selection box The new year and or track will be added to the selection list Select the race type and race sequence information by clicking on the desired radio button The system will enter the date and time This information will be used to name the data file The dialog box is shown below If you need help on filing out the dialog box click on the help icon in the upper left hand corner of the dialog box Chapter V 2 V Uploading Data from the Logger Select OK or Next depending on your configuration file Additional dialog boxes may be displayed These are part of the Run Log sections that are user programmable to allow test information to be entered during the download process Fill out the information as appropriate The file save dialog box will then be displayed as shown below To save and view the file select the Save button To view the file only select the Cancel button If you select cancel you can save the file later if
27. turned on and DataLink software installed use the supplied cable to connect the USB reader to your PC The USB connector on your PC is rectangular shaped and has the USB connector logo shown below USB devices are Hot Swappable This means it is safe to plug and unplug any USB device while your PC is turned on a The first time you plug the reader into the USB port your PC will automatically install the USB reader device drivers While the device drivers are loading you will see a series of message boxes When these boxes disappear the device drivers are installed and the USB reader is ready to use Step 6 Setting the Default Serial Com Port and Hardware Type The next step in the installation process is to tell the DataLink program which serial port will be used to configure and upload data from the onboard data logger to the PC To set the communications port select the Preferences menu command located in the Settings main menu selection When the command is selected the Edit Preferences Dialog box will be displayed as shown on the following page Locate the section on the dialog box labeled Logger COM Port Select the serial communication port from the list to be used for uploading data from the logger communication port by clicking on the name of the port The radio button will indicate the selected port If you are not sure which COM port you are using you will have to located the proper port by trail and error Try selecting COMI first as
28. user In addition to being brought to the front of the display for viewing the selected file becomes active with respect to the menu and toolbar commands This means when any of the commands are executed such as the set start command the commands will operate on the selected file Commands and menu items that are not appropriate for the selected file are grayed to show they are inactive Chapter IV 2 IV Quick Start Tour Each file tab contains an icon to indicate the type of file A floppy disc icon indicates the file is a run data file containing the data from the on board recorder A wrench icon indicates the file is a car configuration file and contains setup data for the car and onboard recorder The left most tab the Graph tab is used to summarize the graphed channels such that the numeric data of all graphed channels can be displayed on one screen The run file name and graphed data channels are displayed side by side Channel Buttons Directly under the File Tabs are the channel buttons Each channel button represents a data channel such as ENGINE RPM stored in the run file The buttons are used to control the graphing of the channel information Left clicking on the channel button displays that channel on the graphics display When the channel is enabled a small square will appear in the channel button indicating the color being used to graph the channel A second left click on the channel disables the graphing of the channe
29. 2 PIO card address dec rEg C COM3 C COM4 Mouse Preferences Traditional Racepak C Standard windows User Title YOUR NAME GOES HERE Channel Font Size Cancel User Scale Beginning and Ending Time The first items to set in the edit preferences dialog box are the User scale begin time and the User scale end time The user scale refers to the default time scale displayed on the x axis of the graphics display For example if the begin time is set to O and the end time is set to 12 the graphic section will display the section of the run between 0 and 12 seconds in the run from the start reference point If you are a drag racer you will want to set the begin time to before the start of the run and the end time to slightly longer than your normal run For example if a normal run is 8 0 seconds you would set the start time to 0 5 seconds and the end time to 10 0 seconds If you are not a drag racer simply set the begin time to 0 and the end time to a value equal to the amount of time you wish to display on the screen at one time Logger COM Port Your on board data logger uses a serial communication port to upload the run data from the data logger to the PC You will need to select which communication port the serial download cable to the data logger is using Click on the appropriate com port setting to select it Chapter III 3 III Customizing The Datalink Software User Title This text entry fie
30. 9 VI File Management Save As Ei Save in E C El poe EEE CI Complit a Camino File name rpk wi Save as type Cancel The file Save As dialog box allows you to specify the name and location in which to store the ASCII file just created Enter the following information Save in Select the folder in which to store the new file by clicking on the folder To navigate through the directory use the zd To display the current directory tree To move up one level in the directory tree E To create a new folder in the currently selected folder File name Type a new filename to save a document with a different name A filename can contain over sixty characters and an extension of up to three characters The program uses the extension WRI This is a registered file type for Microsoft Word Word can be used to open and view the file After you entered the appropriate information left click on the Save button to save the file The DataLink program will then open the newly created ASCII data file using the Microsoft Notepad program You can now use the Notepad program to view edit or print the ASCII data file Please refer to the Microsoft documentation supplied with you system for details on using Microsoft Notepad Printing Data on the System Printer In addition to printing the ASCII data to the printer using the Save ASCII Data command the DataLink software can be used to print out the gra
31. B would be set 4 5 will become 75 PSI to match the transducer calibration These values will be set for you if you select the proper sensor type Display digits before decimal point after These values tell the system how to format the numeric display of the channel data The Engine RPM shown above would display as values from 0 to 10000 Result unit Enter the name of the engineering unit that this channel reads Minimum result value maximum Enter the minimum and maximum values to graph All similar channels should be set to consistent values so that the graphs make sense when charted together Racepak s default values sets all analog channels to their engineering values at 0 and 5V all RPMs from 0 to 10000 and all temperatures from 0 to 2000 F Graphs may not line up properly if you change this scaling Smoothing Range The smoothing range is used to set the filtering on the channel The higher the number of smoothing that is set the more filtered or smoother the data channel will become Do not display This box when checked will cause the channel not to display in the channel selection box at the top of the display screen This is normally used to inhibit the display of an intermediate channel used in the calculation of a final value In most cases if Do not display is checked on a channel which is enabled in the hardware of the on board data logger the channel will be displayed regardless To exit the scaled buff
32. Common Log Definition command Run Log MeNu ccccccceceeeceeceeaeeeeeeeseeeeeeeceeceeeeeeeaaaseeeeeees 7 IX Working with the Run Log Database ccccccccsssssssssssscccccccssssssssssccccsscsesssssssccsosees 1 Searching MSR Log Data W ase ssxtirecseenietatecieiastetsat ines sia tacehacsaet A l search Data Base command Run Log Menu asearen a a a woiens 1 Dehiine and Using Quick Scarce Seta actixcsiaicaee aileoc nana cate a ceeeeeoectan 3 Search Results and Selecting Piles to Open xexcioct secs cesta irae ees tei ere eee late ieee eis 4 Appendix I Supported Math Functions cccccccssssssssssssccccsssssssssssccccssccssssssssscccssssesees 1 Appendix II Creating Your Own Color Palette cccccssssssscccccccccccsssssssssssssssssscscees 1 Appendix ITT How the File Security Work6 sscscsscccsssssssssscscccccccccssssscssccccsscsesees 1 User Level Access and Permission Levels iiss scssccoceevoas ccatecdessapansaccivsesesssasedded kerite iriiri eia in 2 Showing and Assigning of Serial Numbers ccccccccccececceccecceaueesssseeseeecceeeeeseessausaeesesseeeseeeeess 2 Ent erns the Security Keys using the License Disks rercoanrn nna n 3 Allowing Otherst0 View Your FICS i secucieec es cateleasne a esneel eadeciencsdae sea nee teamed leaden 4 Changing the data upload source between serial port and data cartridge cccesseeessesseeeeeeeeeeenees 4 Il I Introduction
33. Contents Contents De DE POGUCHION cisiscieeselas oeleci cama siulsisseelecaees tiie aa a a 1 T Software Installation sisi sees2seeises esi deveceicverieuddeeed boeiesssbbidesseteaeensevbsevgiesoseenseoddeesiecoseeneeseas 1 Step 1 Checking for Minimum Computer Requirements cccccccccceceeeeeseeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenaas l Step 2 S0ftWware Msta Halon zeer a e aehd aa ee 2 Step 3 bicense Disk Is talaniO ms essieti cscs s e S 3 Step 4 Setting the Default Configuration File ccccsesssssseeeecccccceeeeaaeeeeeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeas 4 SEDA Hardware InStal Aton sax gates cote a a a ale A E 5 PIO Te ATS TOT B Oa een testcase canst oacrna oa cas eneied Seetsnse cians Geapta dace deta N as moesendansast sects 5 USP Caride Reade eene E E E A N EAE 6 Step 6 Setting the Default Serial Com Port and Hardware Type ccccccccccssssssseseeeeeeeeeeeeenaas 7 Step 7 Installation Verification sereia a aaea ea ei ei 8 HI Customizing The Datalink Software ccccccccsssssssssssscccccccsssssscssccccsscscssssssssccsseseees 1 Setting the Screen Resolution and Color Palette on the Windows desktop cccseseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 1 Customizing the Screen Layout of the DataLink Software essssssssosseoeeensnsssssssssssseererrsssssssssssses 2 Step Fl Editing the System Preferences ercsienern a a Ea a Ea a 3 Step 42 Editing the Chart Color Susien a ea E enaa ao a e 4 Step 3 Editin
34. DIT haere peer eer ne een at eee core gar Ce ne ee Se Sn OE eee ee 4 Oe a OR Aba PIE Sra a a Suceesatjetdsatintiindsahoed th aaiwedsvesascathanacdaskehonts 4 Configuring the Windows 98 My Documents Folder cccccccsssssssseeeeeeecceeeeeeeeeeeaeasseeseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenaaas 6 Edine Ron Data clit ers ceaner een enn ender fee er Crono ene nnn Ore Ceri eT ren ie re Fe nnn Orr r re Crtyed nen e ayer a rene rere ee 7 Savine RIN Dar FCSpA Ea E E aa siesenseo maa dlcaaianeaee 7 CE irra sar 1 A ahs Te Ee E se eee en ota ea tav hc dnt aenoe ansetadaue yaaa sek dune eeseneon te 8 Ceannis a new Rum Data Pile Gx acgceahvde se an EEE E EA NE AE 8 Savine Darto an ASCH cede ht pas ste Denne E E ETE 9 Prinuns Datron the System PIME E enere renee ieduvertdaensdtennineuseciaents 10 Print Setup command File menu jiena E a a aaa 11 Pant hype command File menu Nira A a a eamoidal cecceiencaes 1 Pont Preview command File ime nu sion ssaces das icescatl ae sacnsanto nen a r 12 Print command Bile aie mil sosiaa a a qantas tanssoaseans ean eee ne ena 12 VII Working with Data Channels oc ssssssssiccssecceecssseseccsscdveostecesiacecsuseoeotestersessesesstaseseeaseteasesese 1 Editing Existing Data Channels from the Channel Display Pane ccccccccsssneeeeeeneeeeeeseeeeeeeeees l sclecuins the Chine lto Edil esisnin i ated n aided aad is anes tasenounwasads adanteeaNoausacdaa eau i ieansa eden miles l The Easy EditChinnel Dialga BOX CS unsmeiicae s a a eei
35. Ram Windows 95 98 ME NT 2000 Operating System 100 Mbytes free disk space 3 5 inch 1 4 Mbytes floppy disk drive CDROM drive Video card and monitor with a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels Keyboard and mouse One 9 pin serial communication port One ISA expansion slot if uploading data with a data cartridge and PIO 12 expansion board OR e USB port if uploading data with a data cartridge and USB cartridge reader requires Windows 98 Me or Windows 2000 Chapter II 1 Il Software Installation Recommended System IBM PC or clone with 350 MHz or higher Pentium II Processor and 64 Mbytes Ram Windows 95 98 ME NT 2000 Operating System Motherboard with AGP video bus and 8 Mbytes AGP type video board 1024 x 768 minimum video resolution 17 inch or greater high resolution color monitor 5 Gbyte hard drive Iomega JAZ Drive or Iomega Zip Drive or LS120 Floppy drive or CD RW drive Keyboard and mouse One parallel and one 9 pin serial communication port One ISA expansion slot if uploading data with a data cartridge and PIO 12 expansion board OR e USB port if uploading data with a data cartridge and USB cartridge reader requires Windows 98 Me or Windows 2000 Step 2 Software Installation To install the RacePak DataLink software on your computer the following steps are required Installing the software from a CD for the first time l 3 Switch on the computer and start Windows Insert the CD Labeled RacePak Da
36. ard The PIO 12 is configured with a row of switches located on the board The switches determine the address at which the board responds to the computer An address is much like the telephone number of a person when the computer needs to talk to the interface board it uses this address to find the board The PIO 12 unit supplied with this package has been configured to respond to the address of 768 decimal In most standard computer systems this address is available If you have added any specialty hardware including network cards and sound cards this address may already be used If the later is the case we recommend configuring the card to respond to address 800 decimal Please insure the switches are set as shown in the following table for the appropriate address Desired Address 768 decimal 800 decimal In some cases you may need to set the address of the PIO board to an address other than 768 or 800 decimal Please refer to the following table to determine the switch settings and the corresponding address The address is the sum of all the individual switch setting value Chapter II 5 Il Software Installation Switch Board Off Selected Value a on Value After you have configured the PIO 12 expansion board write down the selected address You will need this address later during the installation and setup of the software The next step is to install the PIO 12 expansion board in the computer system Please perform the fo
37. atches the hardware on your on board data acquisition system This file contains the information that tells the DataLink Software how to display the information collected by the data acquisition system on the computer screen This information includes items such as the name and scaling factors for each of the channels The configuration file will also contain a default run log typical to the type of racing specified when the DataLink software was ordered You will be able to edit this run log to meet your specific need The configuration file will be located in the RacePakData RPxxxx folder on the drive you installed the DataLink software Where xxxx represents the serial number of the data logger for which the configuration file is intended You will need to select this file as the default configuration file before you begin to utilize the DataLink software This is covered in Step 4 below Copy License Keys The License disk contains the appropriate security keys required for you to utilize your system to upload new data from your on board data logger and view previously stored runs Chapter II 3 Il Software Installation Step 4 Setting the Default Configuration File Each time the RacePak DataLink software is started the default car configuration file is opened and made accessible for editing by the user The run log portion of this file is used to store the current setup of the racing vehicle and should be updated any
38. ating point value Appendix I 4 Appendix I Supported Math Functions tan x Calculate the tangent double tan double x Return Value tan returns the tangent of x If x is greater than or equal to 263 or less than or equal to 263 a loss of significance in the result occurs in which case the function returns an indefinite Parameter x Angle in radians tanh x Calculate the hyperbolic tangent tanh double tanh double x Return Value tanh returns the hyperbolic tangent of x There is no error return Parameter x Angle in radians tcos x Calculate the triangulated cosine double tcos double x Return Value The cos function returns the triangulated cosine of x a triangular wave values with peaks and minimums like in cosine If x is greater than or equal to 263 or less than or equal to 263 a loss of significance in the result of a call to cos occurs in which case the function returns an indefinite Parameter x Angle in radians Appendix I 5 Appendix II Creating Your Own Color Palette Appendix Il Creating Your Own Color Palette The RacePak DataLink program contains a default color palette used to display the graphs of the data channels on the graphics section of the display screen This default color palette is stored in the file ChartColors Txt located in the C Program Files RacePakChart folder The content of the file is a table that describes the colors in the palette A portion of the
39. ayed in the run log pane located at the bottom of the DataLink display screen When working with the run logs the user should keep in mind the copying process performed during the upload process as it dictates the proper order in maintaining the run logbook Specifically the following rules should be followed e Always make changes to the Run Log Page templates in the car configuration file for your vehicle Changes to the templates in a run data file effect only that one file Changes made in the car configuration file will be made in all new run data files made from that point on e Enter default answers in the car configuration file to all data entry boxes that contain information that does not change on a run to run basis These default answers are copied into the new run data file upon upload You will not have to enter this information every run If the information changes enter the new data into the car configuration file before uploading information using the new data This will keep you from being required to change the data entry field in the car configuration file and any run data files uploaded with the out of date answers e Leave any data entry fields blank that contain information that changes on a run by run basis This will avoid the need to erase the entry field each time new data is input In addition it will prevent you from mistaking incorrect data as correct data in fields that have not properly been updated The following chapte
40. be displayed Simply left click on the desired tab to select the page The page tabs are located at either the bottom or the top of the Run log display region Run Log Scroll Bar If more log pages are contained in the run log than run log tabs can be displayed a scroll bar is created next to the run log tabs The scroll bar can be used to view the tabs that are hidden Text Labels The run log pages contain text labels to identify the context of the text entry boxes Text Entry Fields The text entry fields are utilized to enter run log data base values In some instances the text entry field are grayed and will not accept data entry this is due to the fact the field is protected Fields such as track year date and time can be modified only during the upload procedure Once the file has been uploaded and saved these fields become protected and the entry box is grayed Command Buttons The run log data sheets can be designed to incorporate buttons similar to the windows command buttons Left click on these buttons to executed the desired commands DataLink User Interface In addition to the user interface provided directly by the controls in the graphics display the DataLink program also provides control of the program through a series of pull down menus and toolbars These menus are discussed in the following chapters that deal with the various topics encountered in using the DataLink software Many of the controls contained in
41. cePakData Root directory for data files Car Directory Main directory for this vehicle Year Year from selection box above Track Track from selection box above Chapter VIII 2 Chapter VIII Working with Run Log Pages To exit the SESSION page during the data upload process select the NEXT button located at the bottom of the run log page The Weather Log Data Page The Weather run log page is used to enter the weather data and time slip information drag race version only Altitude Enter the true altitude at the track location Air Temperature Enter the air temperature during the run Humidity Enter the relative humidity as measured Barometric Pressure Enter the current barometric pressure as measured uncorrected Grains H20 Enter the grains of water as measured Corrected Altitude Enter the corrected altitude Per Cent 02 Enter the Per Cent Oxygen as measured Comments Next enter any run comments by typing the comments in the Comment field When you have completed the entry of the information select the OK button located at the bottom of the run log page to complete the data upload process The User Defined Run Log Pages The run log templates contained in the basic run log package include the SESSION and RUN WEATHER log pages described above They also contain 4 user defined run log data page templates Each user run log page template allows the user to enter up to 20 questions and answers give the page a heading and rena
42. ck The topic will be expanded showing the subtopics covered under the main topic If the topic contains the question mark icon the contents of the help file will be displayed when selected Double click on the topic to display the information contained in the help file The Index tab of the help file when selected will display the following dialog box Heip oper PALE RAR Appiah Hei This dialog box allows the user to search the index included with the DataLink help systems for keywords relating to topics that you wish to explore Type in the word you are looking for in the top line of the dialog box Entries in the help index beginning with the letters typed in the top line will be displayed as you type Chapter IV 12 IV Quick Start Tour When the topic you desire is displayed click on the topic to highlight it and then click the Display button to display the topic The Find index tab is used to locate the topics in which a word or phrase is used in the help file When selected the dialog box shown below will be displayed as shown on the following page Type in the word you want to find in the top line of the dialog box Words beginning with the letters will appear in the list box below as you type When the desired word appears in the selection list click on the word in the list to highlight it All topics containing the word or phrase will be listed in the topic display box Highlight the topic you wish to read and select the Disp
43. ck on the Save File icon in the toolbar the blue floppy disc or select the SAVE menu item from the File main menu selection Moving Log Page Layouts and Data between Files In addition to the ability to edit the individual run log pages the DataLink program provides two utilities to copy the entire logbook layout and the answers from one car configuration file or run data file to a second file These utilities are extremely useful in catching up your run log and data files should you get behind in your record keeping during a racing event The utilities are the Copy Run Log and Paste Run Log commands found in the Run Log main menu selection The Copy Run Log command allows the user to copy the run log page layouts and database answers from a data file to a temporary paste buffer The Paste Run Log command then allows the user to selectively copy the information from the paste buffer to the run log pages of a second file These commands are described in detail below To prevent the user from accidentally copying data between car configuration files and or run data files from two different cars the files must contain the same file security setting before the process will proceed For more information on the file security setting please review the chapter on File Management Copy Run Log Command This command when executed copies all of the run log layouts and all of the data entries from the selected file file with highlighted tab into a tem
44. completed only the run files that meet the detailed search conditions will be displayed The user can then select the run files to be opened for viewing When the command is executed the Select Search Conditions dialog box will be displayed This dialog box is used to enter the conditions for the data base search When the box is displayed the search conditions will be preloaded with the _ Default quick search conditions set see using quick searches Select Search Conditions Parameter Mame Condition Value Min Value Max Value SaveLoad Quick Search Cancel l The database can be simultaneously searched for up to seven different conditions Only files meeting all search conditions will be displayed for opening The search conditions are entered as follows Chapter IX 1 IX Working with Run Log Database Parameter Name This is the name of the data base key from the run log pages Up to seven different data base keys can be selected on a given search When searching on the user defined pages the names use the following format P1Q1 for user page 1 question 1 Question 1 is on the upper left and question 20 is on the lower right of the screen Example P3Q2 would be question number 2 on the user defined page 3 To select a database key click on the down arrow located at the end of the parameter name entry box A list of parameter names will be displayed Find the name on the list and click on it to accept the data base key f
45. curity Unlock keys Without these keys they will not be able to open or view your files The keys can be entered in their system by manually entering each of the unlock keys entered into your system via the Security menu Alternately the keys can be copied into their system by installing the keys from your license disk into their PC To install the security unlock keys repeat the section above However when the Select Items to Copy dialog box is displayed check only the Copy License Keys box as shown below See hems bo Loopy P Copy User Regsiy Keps Copy Coniiguiation Filet fe Copy Licence Kaye Select OK to copy the License Keys Changing the data upload source between serial port and data cartridge The DataLink software uses the hardware type HW Type to determine whether to upload using the serial port or the data cartridge If the HW type has the capital letter S at the end the serial port will be used to upload new data For example if the HW Type V300S was assigned to your configuration file the serial port would be used to upload new data If the HW type V300 was assigned to your configuration file the data cartridge would be used to upload new data To change the HW Type assigned to your configuration file first open the file by selecting File from the main menu bar Then select Open Car Configuration and choose the file name that contains your serial number For instance V300_1527 After the configuration
46. d a desired color record the values from the Red Green and Blue display boxes These are the colors required for the table in the ChartColors txt file Appendix Il 2 Appendix II How the File Security Works Appendix Ill How the File Security Works The RacePak DataLink software and run files generated by the software are protected from unauthorized viewing by a series of user serial numbers and their corresponding unlock keys The unlock keys are available only to licensed users through Competition Systems Inc RacePak at 949 580 6898 The serial numbers and the unlock keys control access to the software and run files as discussed below Access to Uploading Data and to Run Data Files Access to the DataLink software is controlled by a series of user serial numbers and unlock keys Three types of serial numbers are utilized These are File Conversion Serial Number Type CONV The file conversion serial number is derived from the serial number of the CPU in which the DataLink software is installed This serial number and unlock key is required to convert old style RacePak data files created under MSDOS for viewing under DataLink The serial number and unlock key is valid only for the PC system containing the corresponding CPU When a file is converted the conversion serial number is assigned to the file The file can then be transferred to other PC s however only users with this serial number and valid unlock key included in
47. d list to the Keys in Pasted File list highlight the key by clicking on it in the Keys Currently Excluded list and click on the lt Include button The data base key will be inserted in the Keys in Pasted File list Press OK to accept the exclude list and return to the Select Items to Paste Dialog Box Changing the Default Log Layout Force Common Log Definition command Run Log menu When a run file is created the run log templates and default values are copied into the new run file from the configuration file selected during the upload process Changes to the configuration file after the run file is created are not reflected in the run file For instance if the layout of the Run Weather page was modified and or a new log page was added to the original configuration file the old run file would display in the original format new runs would display in the modified format This makes reviewing the run data more difficult and makes the adding of the new run log data to old files extremely difficult as both the run log pages for the old file and the new values would require inputting into the appropriate entry fields To avoid this problem the Force Common Log Definition command found in the Run Log main menu selection is used This command instructs the software to display the run log data contained in the selected run file using the current format contained in the car configuration file used to create the file Chapter VIII 7 VHI Workin
48. data values will be updated on the screen The DataLink software also features mouse tracking This feature allows you to click and hold the left mouse button When the mouse is moved the time cursor will follow the mouse pointer and the data values will be updated accordingly Left Arrow Key Press the left arrow key to move the time cursor one increment earlier in the run Right Arrow Key Press the right arrow key to move the time cursor one increment later in the run Up Arrow Key Press the up arrow key to move the time cursor ten time increments later in the run Down Arrow Key Press the down arrow key to move the time cursor tem time increments earlier in the run Cursor Time Display The cursor time display located in the upper left hand corner of the graphics display region shows the time into the run from the start time marker to the current time cursor position Channel Grid Selection Button and Display The channel grid selection button and display is located in the upper right corner of the x y plot region The channel grid selection button is used to select the data channel that controls the horizontal grid and grid legend It is also used to display the current average minimum and maximum values for the channel selected as the grid channel To select a channel to display as the vertical grid left mouse click on the channel grid button until the name of the channel appears in the button Only channels that are currently di
49. dded in the sample data files provided on the DataLink CD Math and run log capabilities can be purchased separately as add on features to the DataLink software package If you are interested in purchasing the math and or run log software please contact Racepak Secondly the DataLink software package contains software protection that prevents the unauthorized use of the software and the unauthorized viewing of your teams data files by another individual Security unlock keys have been included in the License Disk used to install you software These security keys will enable your team to upload and view new data files on your PC s If you wish others to view your data files they will need to include these security unlock keys on their PC Please see Appendix III for a detailed explanation of the function of the security keys Finally the DataLink system uses some of the more advanced features of the Microsoft Windows Operating System and in the various software drivers utilized by Windows If your PC contains early versions of Windows 95 98 NT and or video drivers you may experience occasional problems with the Windows DataLink software You may want to contact your PC s manufacturer and update the Windows and driver software contained in your PC If you are using Windows NT you should download and install Service Pack 4 from Microsoft If you have further problems please contact RacePak at 949 580 6898 Chapter I 1 I Introduction
50. define each of the desired graph sets To save a graphic set the user must select a run file by clicking on the run file tab and graph the channels to be included in the graphic set in the colors desired The graph set can only include channels from the selected data file Channels that are displayed in the graphics display area from files other than the selected file will not be included in the quick graph set Next the user selects the Quick Graph command by left clicking on the quick graph icon When executed the Quick Graph dialog box will be displayed as shown on the following page Select T ype Quickgraph Name Temperature Save Delete Set s Auto QGraph Clear Auto QGraph Cancel Current Auto OGraph If this is new quick graphs set enter a name under which to store the graph set in the text entry box on the top and select the SAVE button to store the graph set If you wish to store the graph set under an existing quick graph name click on the name in the list and then select SA VE To recall the graph set at a later time simply select the Quick Graph command by left clicking on the quick graph icon when the dialog box is displayed highlight the desired graph set in the selection list and select Load The appropriate graph data will be placed on the screen Chapter IV 9 IV Quick Start Tour If you wish to remove a quick graph set from the selection list highlight the set to be deleted by left clicking
51. display properties to select the colors used by the program If you choose to use this method you will need to use Windows Display Properties Dialog Box to modify the display colors This is the same dialog box as used earlier to set the screen resolution and color palette The second method is to use the DataLink software to select the colors to use We recommend using this method To edit the chart colors click on the Settings selection of the DataLink menu bar next click on the Edit Chart Colors selection in the pull down menu The following dialog box will be displayed Chapter III 4 IMI Customizing The Datalink Software Chart Colors T Use Windows Colors Foreground Background If you wish to use the Windows default colors make sure the Use Windows Colors box is checked and then click on the OK button to accept the settings If you wish to set the colors via the DataLink program make sure the Use Windows Colors box is not checked Next using the scroll selection boxes choose a color from the color palette for each of the foreground background and cursors colors When you have selected the desired color click on the OK button to accept the settings The graphics display will be updated with the new colors Step 3 Editing the Graph Color Palette The RacePak DataLink program is supplied with a default color palette used to display the graphs on the graphics section of the display screen
52. e Rpm be sure to enclose the name in single quotes i e Engine Rpm How to determine if your version of DataLink supports math channels e Start the DataLink software and select Security from the menu bar e From the Security menu select Show Edit Security Key List e Look in the Currently Installed Serial Number box lower right corner and find the serial number of your Racepak data logger If the number to the right of the serial number under Level is greater than or equal to 4 your version of DataLink supports math channels Adding a Math Channel To add a new math channel perform the following e First open your configuration file by selecting Open Car Configuration from the File menu Select Edit from the menu bar and then Channel Maintenance Left click with the mouse below the channel where you want to insert the new channel Select the Easy Insert Channel button on the upper left Select the type of math you would like to perform Type the channel name and expression in the appropriate boxes Click on the OK button when done Save modified configuration to disk by selecting Save from the File menu bar Supported Math Functions The following math functions can be used in simple math expressions derivatives and integrator calculations were appropriate acos x Calculates the arccosine double acos double x Return Value The acos function returns the arccosine of x in the range 0 to p radians If x is less than 1 or greate
53. e Value test parameter NUMBER is in given range Checks to see if the numeric value of the parameter would fall between the Value Min Value test parameter and the Max Value test Parameter Value Min Value This is the text string or numeric value used to compare the parameter s value against It is the only parameter required for all conditional tests with the exception of the is in given range condition In this type of test the value is the min value or the starting text string used in the test Max Value Used only if the condition is in given range test This value represents the largest value that will be accepted Once the search conditions have been entered select the OK button to execute the search When the search is complete the Search Results dialog box will be displayed Select the desired files to be opened Save Load Quick Search Chapter IX 2 Chapter IX Working with Run Log Database In many instances you will want to search on the same parameters with slightly different ranges of values To avoid the need to enter all of the parameters each time the DataLink software allows you to save the search conditions and recall them when desired To select this feature click on the Save Load Quick Search button and the Select Type Quicksearch dialog box will be displayed This feature is discussed in detail in the following section Defining and Using Quick Searches The quick search feature allows the user to predef
54. e copying such items as Elapsed Time and Mph and other items that are particular to a given run from one file to the next during the paste operation This avoids the necessity of deleting and reentering data entries that have been needlessly copied during the paste operation All items that are run dependent in the data base should be included in the exclude list Chapter VIII 6 Chapter VIII Working with Run Log Pages When called the following dialog box is displayed Select Keys to Exclude From Paste keps in Pasted File keps Currently Excluded Exclude gt Altitude _ Exclude gt Altitude Barometer Sane AM Frarne Clutch Weight_T otal peels AML Path Comments Barometer Corected ltitude Comments Date Corected litude Elap edT ime Date Elap edT ime Grains H 20 Humidity MPHEE FI Lane Pervert MPH Primary Weight MPH EEO A aceS eq iernce Per ent The Keys in Pasted File list contains all of the data base entries that will be copied during the paste operation The Keys Currently Excluded list contains the list of the data base keys that will not be copied during the paste operation To move a data base key from the Keys in Pasted File list to the Keys Currently Excluded list highlight the key by clicking on it in the Keys in Pasted File list and click on the Exclude gt button The data base key will be inserted in the Keys Currently Excluded list To move a data base key from the Keys Currently Exclude
55. e displayed in both the numeric channel display and on the graphics display Advanced Run Log Capability This option allows the user to create his own run log pages and to add spread sheet like data entry forms In addition this option also provides expanded run log search capabilities Video Capture and Display Capability This option allows the user to capture and display real time video data The video data can be synchronized to the data collected by the on board data logger If you have not purchased these options certain menu items will be inaccessible Contact RacePak at 949 580 6898 if you have questions concerning these items Showing and Assigning of Serial Numbers Run file and configuration files can be reassigned to different serial numbers This allows the reassigning of a configuration file to a different on board data logger Please refer to Chapter VI File Management for a detail review of modifying file security settings In order to reassign the serial number both the old and new serial numbers must be included in the valid serial number list and in addition the user levels associated with both serial numbers must be the same The Add Security Unlock Keys dialog box selected by the Show Edit Security List located in the Security main menu 1s used to enter and display the serial numbers and unlock keys The information contained in the dialog box is as follows Currently Installed Serial Numbers List This list displays a
56. e file system In general the following methods should be followed e Make changes to the logger setup data and math channel configurations and run log page layouts in the Car Configuration file e Fill in the answers to the run log in the Car Configuration File pertaining to any items that do not change frequently Leave blank any entry boxes that contain information that changes frequently or pertains only to a given run e Enter items in the run log that are specific to a particular run in the Run Data File created after the logging session The following outlines the procedures during a typical logging session Typical Data Logging Session Procedures e Open the Car Configuration File for the Vehicle e Update the Car Configuration file for any Changes to the Setup e Save the Car Configuration File e Perform the Data Logging Session Chapter VI 1 VI File Management Upload the New Data from the Onboard Data Logger to create a new Run Data File e Enter the Run Specific Data into the Run Data File Save the Run Data File to Disk Analyze the Run Data Each of these steps are discussed in more detail in the following chapters Car Configuration Files As discussed above the car configuration file is used to store the current information on how the vehicle is setup how the onboard logger is configured and how you wish to display and analyze the data from the vehicle Normally each vehicle will have one Car Configurat
57. e of all of the quick search condition sets that have been created and stored in the system The quick search named default is loaded automatically each time the search database command is executed Chapter IX 3 IX Working with Run Log Database Load To load a quick search simply highlight the name of the desired search in the selection list by clicking on it and select load The program will return to the Select Search Conditions dialog box with the parameters specified in the quick search loaded Edit the Value fields to reflect the desired search conditions and select OK Save To save a search you must first specify the search conditions to be saved by editing the Select Search Conditions dialog box Next enter the name under which to store the quick search in the top line of the selection list If you want to replace an existing quick search click on the name of the quick search to highlight it Finally select the Save option by clicking on it The new search will be added to the list Delete To remove a quick search from the search selection list highlight its name by clicking on it in the search selection list and then select Delete to remove it Search Results and Selecting Files to Open After the data base search is completed the Search Results Select File to Open dialog box will be displayed as shown below The box will contain all of the run files that meet the search conditions defined in the Select Search Conditions dialo
58. ect the desired logger from the left hand list by clicking on it Then select the desired configuration file by clicking on it Click on the OK button to accept your choices The selected configuration file will be loaded A file tab for the configuration file will be created at the top of the channel display area The file tab will contain the name of the configuration file and a wrench icon The wrench icon is used to distinguish this file as a configuration file Editing Car Configuration Files After the configuration file has been opened the setup information stored in the file can be edited to correspond to modifications made to the vehicle on board data logger run log pages and to modify answers to the data entry fields Please refer to the following chapters for details on editing the following types of information Hardware and Math Channel Setup Chapter VI Working with Data Channels Run Log Page Layouts Chapter VII Working with Run Log Pages Run Log Data Base Information Chapter VIII Working with the Run Log Data Base Saving Car Configuration Files After you have finished editing a car configuration file you will want to save the file to disc to preserve the changes To save the file 1 make the file active by left clicking on the file folder tab at the top of the channel display pane area at the top of the display and 2 select the Save command from the File menu The file will be saved to disc You can also use
59. ed Next change the color of the channels to be compared by turning the selected channels off and then back on such that they are displayed in a color different from the color displayed by the auto quick graph Next select the run data file to be compared with this file The auto quick graph function will graph the selected channels in the new run data file but will not remove the channels from the initial as the channels are displayed with a different color Next select a third run data file to compare This time the selected channels will be removed from the second run data file and graphed from the third run data file The data channels from the first data file will remain To disable the Auto Quick Graph function select the Quick Graph icon and select the Clear Auto QGraph command The Nudge Commands Riad ica Bed The three icons Nudge Up Nudge Down and Nudge Reset provide a convenient method to change the zero offset for a specific data channel without the need to explicitly edit the scaling parameters in the data channel The first two commands have the effect of shifting the graph of the channel up and down respectfully The numeric readout displayed in the channel numeric display field is also increased accordingly The third command returns the offset to the value prior to the using of the up and down commands If a file is saved after the nudge commands have been implemented the nudged values are also saved and the nudge reset command is not
60. elemetry session Next select the Real Time Sample Rate from the options list in the lower left hand corner of the dialog box and select the desired real time sample rate Note the V_Net Sample rate of each of the modules to be monitored should be equal to or greater than the real time sample rate If they are not the last data points will be repeated during the sample process Next select the Real Time Communications Port option and type in the name of the serial communications port on your PC you will be using to receive the real time data from the V_Net system Normally this is the same as the default Logger Com Port set in the initial software installation Normally this is COM1 After you have edited the options use the Send Configuration button to transmit the setup data to your data logger Next select OK to exit the edit box You will need to turn the power to your data logger off and then back on to allow the changes to take effect When you have completed the edit save the configuration file Entering the DataLink Telemetry Parameters The final step in setting up the real time telemetry session is to set the DataLink real time recording parameters These parameters are set by selecting the Recording Parameter menu item found in the Telemetry main menu selection The following dialog box will be displayed Telemetering Parameters Circular Buters Length a f ood Recording Mode f Stop after reaching the end of buffer
61. ement Configuring the Windows 98 My Documents Folder If you are using Windows 98 and clicking the open file icon does not take you to the RacePakData folder you will need to setup your My Documents folder to point to the RacePakData folder To do this perform the following steps 1 Go to the main Windows 98 desktop and right mouse click on the My Documents folder 2 Select Properties from the menu Hy Documents Properties C RiacePakD ata Browse _ find Target 3 Type C RacePakData in the target text box as shown above Click OK when done When you now click on the open icon it should take you directly to the RacePakData folder and you will see the folder containing your data logger s serial number Chapter VI 6 VI File Management Editing Run Data Files After the run data file has been opened the setup information stored in the file can be edited to modify information as to the setup of the vehicle the run log pages and to modify answers to the data entry fields Please refer to the following chapters for details on editing the following types of information e Working with Data Channels e Working with Run Log Pages e Working with the Run Log Database Saving Run Data Files After a run data file is edited you must save the file to disk to preserve the changes to the file To save a run data file select the file by left clicking on the file folder tab located in the top of the channel display pane
62. er edit dialog box select OK This button saves all changes you have made and closes the dialog box Cancel Press Cancel to close the dialog box and abandon any changes you have made Editing Ratio Channels to Create Slip Ratios Although the DataLink Lite version of the Racepak software does not contain complex math channel capabilities you can use any of the standard three ratio channels to provide converter or clutch and transmission slip information These channels should already be created for you from the factory but we will cover them here in case you need to modify them You will need to manually add a Clutch Slip and Transmission slip ratio if you are adding a clutch RPM channel to an existing Racepak data logger as an upgrade after the original purchase If you do not have a channel for clutch RPM or you have an automatic transmission you will only need one of the three channels for a Engine DS ratio calculation This channel should have already been created for you when you purchased your data logger Chapter VII 3 VII Working with Data Channels If you are adding a clutch RPM channel to an existing data logger you will need to edit two of the existing spare ratio channels Follow the steps below to edit the channels 1 Select Open Car Configuration from the File menu and select the configuration you want to edit 2 Right mouse click on the channel captioned Spare Ratio2 Edit the box to match the sample shown below
63. es ip 2 RacePakChart File Edit ARurnlog View Settings Security Help 4 Graph HDat071699E1 6 HDat071999E1 sea0 NAME ENGINE i 2209 asa5 _ 2171 __7000 10000 oH SS cial A AE p Fal ENGINE rpm ear 143343 Track Data Date T 1671999 13939 ae Dats P ke E E i War mup Test Session Logger Test Qualifications Elimintions ead Ay Race Type Race Sequence flat Jat let Jat st jet yt jet os bep Yearflrack User Page 1 User Page 2 User Page 3 User Page 4 For Help press F1 CAP NUM 4 The top region or pane is called the Channel Display This region is used to display the channel control buttons and the numeric data associated with each of the data channels Chapter IV 1 IV Quick Start Tour The middle region or pane is called the Graphics Display This region is used to graphically display the channel data from the run files The third region or pane is called the Run Log Display This region is used to display and enter logbook data used to build the run log database The relative sizes of the three display panes can be adjusted at any time to best suit the users needs Two methods for adjusting the relative size of the panes are provided The first method uses the Screen Sequence Sizes Table and the Organize Panes toolbar icon to rapidly switch between preset screen layouts You previously setup the values in this table earlier in the
64. f disk space required will depend on how much data you wish to keep on the PC at a given time Many teams keep up to 2 complete years of data on the PC This would require the ability to store up to 400 run data files on the PC Depending on the size of the data files as discussed above the amount of disk space required can easily be estimated If you are buying a new PC the standard disk drives shipped with new PC s should be sufficient Monitor Size and Video Resolution The DataLink software is capable of displaying large amounts of data on the video monitor The larger the monitor and the higher the resolution of the video adapter the more data can be displayed at any given time and the more readable the data will be As a standard system we recommend a 17 inch monitor at a resolution of 1280 x 1024 or 1024 x 768 The software will work quite nicely on smaller monitors and laptops however the video adapter and monitor must support a video resolution of at least 1024 x 768 Laptop versus Desktop Computer The DataLink software is capable of operating on either a laptop or desktop style computer We recommend however the use of a desktop style PC as the computer used to download the data from the onboard data acquisition system Our experience has shown the laptops to be more susceptible to damage from static electricity and more expensive to repair if damaged Minimum System IBM PC or clone with 200 MHz Pentium Processor and 16 Mbytes
65. f successful If x is negative this function returns an indefinite If x is O it returns INF infinite Parameter x Value whose logarithm is to be found Appendix I 3 Appendix I Supported Math Functions pow x y Calculates x raised to the power of y double pow double x double y Return Value pow returns the value of x to the power of y Values of x and y Return Value of pow x lt gt Q and y 0 0 x 0 0 and y 0 0 x 0 0andy lt 0 Parameters x Base y Exponent Remarks The pow function computes x raised to the power of y sin x Calculate the sine double sin double x Return Value The sin function returns the sine of x If x is greater than or equal to 263 or less than or equal to 263 a loss of significance in the result of a call to sin occurs in which case the function returns an indefinite Parameter x Angle in radians sinh x Calculate the hyperbolic sine double sinh double x Return Value The sinh function returns the hyperbolic cosine of x If the result is too large in a sinh call the function returns HUGE_VAL Parameter x Angle in radians sqr x Calculates the square double sqr double x Return Value The sqr function returns the square of x Parameter x Any floating point value sqrt x Calculates the square root double sqrt double x Return Value The sqrt function returns the square root of x If x is negative sqrt returns an indefinite Parameter x Nonnegative flo
66. f the run log will be displayed as illustrated below Please note your second page may appear differently depending on the type of racing cal Pati x WEATHER DATA Comme mie Aljitede a Air Temperature Humidity Barometric Pressure Grains HZ0 Corrected Altitude i Perent OF E As Prev Next gt OF You would normally enter your weather conditions and comments at this time For our test purposes select the OK button Chapter II 9 Il Software Installation The File Save As Dialog box will be displayed as shown below Save As Save in E3 Data Filename HD a0 69961 Save as type RacePak Files rpk Cancel The DataLink software will have named your file automatically If you wished to keep this name select SAVE to store the file and advance to the normal display screen If you wish to change the name simply type the new name in the File Name text entry box For our test purposes select the Cancel button this will load the data for display but will not save the data on disk The installation has been completed successfully Chapter II 10 IMI Customizing The Datalink Software lll Customizing The Datalink Software The RacePak DataLink software is capable of presenting large amounts of data on the video monitor of your computer Due to the large number of combinations of video cards monitors and your personnel viewing preferences the default layout of the DataLink
67. file has opened select File once again from the main menu bar Next select Change File Security Setting A box will appear with a list of currently installed HW Types and security keys as shown below TEEL HF eddy Fae Fog O Race De rye eT ag IT iu Serial ip Ha Type Seed ieee iri Fan Lowel P i EREI l Pips Py T Banged ieee Lea P EEK lz Pate ae a I DER J lia 3 Ade lope HE DERI i Tre i DE be 5 eS a ST Hecate Samal BI TEC 5 Sen Sed E F iE oy Co i i Recorder Line Leria ine jE cari 679 i EET Sama E Haan To upload using the serial port click on the entry that matches your serial number and has the letter S at the end of the HW Type and select OK To upload using the data cartridge click on the entry that matches your serial number and DOES NOT have the letter S at the end of the HW Type and select OK Now save the changes you ve just made by selecting File from the main menu bar and then Save Note There are two methods of uploading data from the data cartridge USB port or PIO card This can be selected under Setting from the main menu bar and chose Preferences Appendix III 4
68. g box Search Results Select File to Open X C ARacePakD atas T 990610005199950 ataSHO at071699E1 rpk Cancel Any or all of the files listed in the run file list can be opened for viewing To open a single run simply click on the run to highlight it and select OK To open a group of runs highlight the first run in the group by clicking on it next hold down the shift key and click on the last run file in the list to be opened All of the runs from the first to the last run will be highlighted and are ready to open Select OK to open the runs To open several runs scattered throughout the run list click on the first run to be opened to highlight it next hold the control key Ctrl down and click on the remaining runs to be opened All runs selected will be highlighted Select OK to open the files Chapter IX 4 Appendix I Supported Math Functions Appendix Supported Math Functions DataLink Lite does not support math functions If you have purchased DataLink Standard or DataLink Pro software the following mathematics functions are supported The functions can be used in both the expressions used to define math data channels and in the expressions used to define calculated variables within the run log pages To utilize these functions type the function in the desired function replacing the x with the expression to be evaluated If variable names used in the expression contain spaces such as Engin
69. g the Graph Color Palette vias jescunssvsnsesaavtaancabeduvandsstssaniesonteathenddsunvad udeees saussaensaed tana AS EN 5 Step H4 Settine The Screen Size SEQUENCES insori ai aaea a aaiae EEE AE EE ARTE ARS 6 IV Quick Start Tour of the DataLink User Screen sseessseecsseocsseossseossseosssecsseoosseossseosoee 1 Danbink Display Screen Ay OU cessc a a a es saueoass l Channel Display Recon acne Oe eo a 2 Graphies Disp Fe hgh eet 28 Olen eS mere eee EO to ge Er oe eR eT ep 4 OSIM Ue OB so cet 0 cate E A cee ao ne A E EAE A E ene ccaete da ocep E 5 Cursor Lime DIPU seshoeceansc oR cocwasiseccciset E a E AEE a EE a E E sa dion 5 Channel Grid Selection Button and Display ccccccccccccccceeccecceceaeseeseeseeeececeeeeeeesauaeaaaasasaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaqaas 5 Aero C SO aa E E E E ET Nee ered Or 6 ROLOS DI PAY R O E E E 6 Datalink UW Ser INC ace serrer a a E E a eins 7 Graphics TOODE sezesio o aN o Noa No n opa ois 7 Clear Graplis C Omani Asioi on onal beesd an lsideatelinnasdenbede agus uadsauensuideatestnncsdesbonandueneluanenimenatet s 9 Quite k Graph C OMIM ane iea a aE a EEEa a O 9 The INUGS6 C Omi ANS isoon oo e O EO EAS 10 These stant Cime C omnmand Siira a EEA A EE EA 1 Ue Hae is lo laeeperen ne erent oe tetera O rte 11 Tho OMTCK SOMSIE ve Heee a a E E eines 13 Hiyperinks msid the Help Syste Mase E ete sce od ee anand aes 13 V Uploading Data from the Logger ecccscccsssssecccccccssseceeeoocssssscececccsssssseccecoss
70. g with Run Log Pages To enable or disable the option simply click on the command line in the menu This option does not modify the original run file It only modifies how the file is displayed To permanently modify the file use the Copy Run Log and Paste Run Log commands Chapter VIII 8 Chapter IX Working with Run Log Database IX Working with the Run Log Database The run log book information entered in the run data files are stored in a database contained in each of the individual files The DataLink program provides the ability to search this database to locate run data files which meet user defined conditions This process is discussed below Searching the Run Log Database The primary purpose of the run log database is to allow the user to search the runs stored in his PC to find runs made in conditions similar to the those facing the racing team during the present testing or racing session The Search Data Base command located in Run Log main menu selection is used to perform this function as discussed below Search Data Base command Run Log menu This command is used to search the run log databases of all of the run files rpk files contained in the default RacePakData directory This includes the run files from all the cars years and tracks contained in the default directory The user can specify detailed search conditions and select ranges of values for any information included in the database When the search is
71. ghted in the selection box If it is not select CANCEL and repeat Step 4 above to set the default configuration file If it is highlighted select OK At this point the upload of data from the on board data logger will begin 5 Ifan error occurs during the download process an error message will be displayed on the screen Insure that the default serial port is correct check all connections and repeat the download procedure pee ee If you are using a data cartridge to upload data perform the following steps 1 Make a test recording and download the data from the logger to the data cartridge See the manual provided with your data logger for instructions 2 Plug the data cartridge into the USB reader or cable connected to the PIO board installed in Step 5 above 3 Select the New file menu item form the File main menu The Select Configuration dialog box will be displayed Your data logger serial number should already be selected as the default configuration file and folder in the selection box If it is not select CANCEL and repeat Step 4 above to set the default configuration file If it is highlighted select OK At this point the upload of data from the data cartridge will begin If there has been a hardware error during the upload sequence the following dialog box will be displayed RT Error The start character was missing trom the cartridge Please check the hardware configuration cable and repeat the process starting at the down
72. he User Run Log Tabs After the questions have been edited in the user page you may wish to rename the user tab to describe the data stored on that page in the run log To edit the name of the tab position the cursor on top of the tab and click the right mouse button The Edit Log Page Dialog Box will be displayed as shown below Edit Log Page Title User Page 1 OF Enter the new tab name in the text entry box and select OK Chapter VIII 4 Chapter VIII Working with Run Log Pages Saving the Run Log Pages After you have finished editing the run log pages you must save the car configuration file to preserve the edits you have just finished To save the car configuration file click on the Save File icon in the toolbar the blue floppy disc or select the SAVE command from the File main menu selection Editing the Run Log Pages in Your Run Files After you have uploaded new data from your onboard computer into the PC you will want to edit the run log information stored in the run log pages To edit a particular page in the run log left click on the desired run log tab to select the page and then left click on the desired answer edit box to edit the answer You will not be able to edit the questions on the run log pages in the run data file The questions can only be edited in the car configuration file as discussed above Remember to save the run data file after you have made the necessary edits To save the run data file cli
73. he car configuration file is used to store the current information on how the vehicle is setup how the onboard logger is configured and how you wish to display and analyze the data from the vehicle In the ideal circumstances every time a change is made on the vehicle or to the onboard logger or to your analysis needs the car configuration file would be updated to reflect the changes When a logging session has been completed and the data is uploaded from the onboard data logger the DataLink program combines the information contained in the car configuration with the data uploaded from the onboard data logger and creates a Run Data File You enter into this Run Data File any log book information such as time slip data that is specific to this run This file then becomes a snapshot of how the vehicle was setup how the logger was configured and the performance of the vehicle at that particular point in time Because the car configuration file is copied each time a new run data file is created changes made to a car configuration file will be included in all run data files made from that time forward These changes however will not effect any run data files that have previously been loaded Changes to a run data file effect only the one file the changes were made This process when understood can save you significant time in maintaining your run log datasheets and database by allowing you to minimize the amount of changes required to maintain th
74. he channel display pane Next select the data channels to be saved in the ASCH file Only those data channels that are selected and graphed in the graphics pane will be downloaded to the ASCII file Next select the section time of the run to be downloaded Only the section of the run displayed in the graphics window will be saved to the ASCII file After you have selected the channels and time period to save to the ASCII file select the Save ASCII Data command from the File Menu When the Save ASCII Data command is executed the following Dialog box will be displayed Create ASCII dump of data Column Delimiter C Space i Comma C TAB Character Cancel Sampling Interval jan The following options are available Column Delimiter The column delimiter is used to separate the data values contained in the ASCII data file to allow the importing program to read in the data properly Three different delimiters are available Select the delimiter appropriate for your application Sampling Interval The sampling interval is used to determine the number of data points transferred in the data file If a sample interval faster than the sample rate of the channel is selected a data point will be generated via linear interpolation When you have entered the desired options left click on the OK button to generate the ASCII file After the file is generated the Save As file dialog box will be displayed as shown below Chapter VI
75. he next printed page Prev Page Preview the previous printed page One Page Two Page Preview one or two printed pages at a time Zoom In Take a closer look at the printed page Zoom Out Take a larger look at the printed page Close Return from print preview to the editing window Print command File menu When you have prepared the graphics screen setup the printer and selected the type of printout to make the Print command is used to print the graphics screen When executed the Print Dialog box will be displayed Left click on the OK button to perform the printout You can also use Shortcuts Toolbar Keys CTRL P Chapter VI 12 Chapter VII Working with Data Channels VII Working with Data Channels The term data channel is used to describe the various pieces of information gathered from your on board data logger and the information obtained from this information by using the mathematical calculation capabilities of the DataLink program For instance the engine rpm and drive shaft rpm measured by your onboard data logger and the engine ds ratio derived by dividing the engine rpm by the drive shaft rpm are all data channels In the use of the DataLink program you may need to edit the existing data channels supplied in the default car configuration The following chapter reviews the steps involved in editing existing data channels Before you begin editing your data files be sure to understand the difference in edi
76. hree equal sections The top section will contain a group of boxes buttons containing the name of each of the measured channels in the data file The middle section will contain the area used to display the graphs The bottom section will contain the run log data sheets The middle or graphics section will be empty at this time as no graphs have been enabled Before we continue you will want to enable some graphs to view any changes you make To enable the graph of one of the measured channels simply position the mouse cursor on top of the button containing the channel name in the top section and click the left mouse button To remove the graph from the Chapter III 2 IMI Customizing The Datalink Software screen click the left mouse button again You can enable as many channels on the screen as you like We are now ready to begin to customize the DataLink software Step 1 Editing the System Preferences We will begin by editing the system preferences The system preferences allow you to set several of the key parameters used by the DataLink software to control the operation and screen layout To display the system preferences dialog box click on the Settings selection in the DataLink menu bar next click on the Edit Preferences selection in the pull down menu The following dialog box will be displayed Edit Preferences Logger CUM Fort User scale begin time s E COMI User scale end time z iE C COM
77. ine multiple sets of quick search criterion Each of these sets is stored by the system and can be recalled by picking the name of the desired quick search set from a selection list To create a quick search select the Search Data Base command located in the Run Log main menu item Next enter the desired search conditions in the Select Search Conditions dialog box as detailed above When you have entered the search conditions select the Save Load Quick Search command button located at the lower left corner of the Select Search Conditions dialog box The Select Type Quick Search Name dialog box will be displayed as shown below Enter the name under which to save the quick search you just created in the top line of the dialog box Next select the Save button to store the quick search set The quick search set named _Default is special This quick search set is loaded each time the Search Data Base command is executed You should store the search set most frequently used as this set To recall a quick search set locate the name of the set in the selection list and select the Load button The selected quick search will be loaded and the Select Search Conditions dialog box will be displayed with the preset conditions Select Type Quicksearch Name Load Default Save Delete fe OE Cancel The functions utilized to maintain the quick search feature are as follows Quick Search Selection List This list displays the nam
78. ion File Additional Car Configuration Files however can be used when switching back and forth between different setups For instance you may have a test session logger configuration versus a race day logger configuration Having multiple car configuration files will allow you to avoid continually modifying the car configuration files The car configuration files are saved in the X RacePakData directory under a file folder with the same name as the data logger serial number X represents the drive designator Thus the car configuration file for a V300 data logger with the serial number 1000 installed on drive C would be located in the directory C RacePakData V300_1000 The following will discuss the basics on car configuration files Opening Car Configuration Files To open a car configuration file for editing use the Open Car Configuration Command located in the File menu of the main menu bar When the command is selected the Select Configuration dialog box will be displayed The select configuration dialog box is used to select a car configuration file for editing or to use as a template to upload data from the onboard data acquisition system Select Configuration X VAET The left hand column contains a list of the data loggers currently setup in the RacePak DataLink software system The right hand column displays the list of available configuration files for the highlighted data logger Chapter VI 2 VI File Management Sel
79. isplayed This dialog box as shown below controls what information will be pasted into the selected file Select Items to Paste M Paste Log Layouts I Paste Data Entries Edit Excluded Key List Cancel The options as to what information to copy are as follows Paste Log Layouts check box Check this box if you wish to copy the run log layouts from the temporary paste buffer into the selected file Paste Data Entries check box Check this box if you wish to copy the data entries from the temporary paste buffer into the selected file Edit Excluded Key List Click on this button if you wish to display the Select Keys to Exclude dialog box This dialog box is used to define a list of keys not to copy when the paste function is executed This list is very useful when using the paste function to update files The user can set the list such that run dependent variables such as elapsed time mph etc are not copied run to run This feature is discussed in detail below OK Command Button Click on the ok button to transfer the selected information from the paste buffer to the selected car configuration or run data file Exclude Items from Paste Dialog Box This dialog box is used to create and edit a list of data base keys to exclude from the copy and paste run log commands described earlier This list allows the user to copy some items of the data entries from one file to the next while excluding other items This can be used to exclud
80. it the most common If you installed the PIO expansion board in you computer in Step 5 above you will need to select PIO Card and enter into the DataLink software the address settings used on the PIO board Without this information the software will not be able to communicate with the PIO board and will not be able to upload data from the data cartridge If you are using the USB cartridge reader select USB under Cartridge Download Hardware as shown below bd Preleicreces User scale begn ima sf 25 Mouse Prodenercice l Tonio Recepak Uie piala and bma iF fio re i Candee Dicemioadd Hidria Legge COM Poe USE 0 Pag Cad COH C COH2 Roe TE C C H3 FiO csd address hien J ao Use Tite PO Channel Foni Sere Chapter II 7 Il Software Installation Step 7 Installation Verification The final step is to upload data from your onboard data acquisition system to verify the software has been properly installed If you are using the serial port to upload data perform the following steps Following the data logger instructions record data into the onboard data logger Following the data logger instructions prepare the onboard data logger for upload Connect the download cable between the data logger and the computer serial port Select the New file menu item form the File main menu The Select Configuration dialog box will be displayed The configuration folder and your default configuration file should be highli
81. l Right clicking on the channel button brings up the appropriate Easy Edit dialog box used to modify the setup of the channel The Easy Edits are discussed in detail in the chapter called Working with Data Channels Numeric Data Display Directly to the right of the channel button is the channel numeric data display This display shows the value of the channel at the current Cursor Time position The cursor position and the associated time is discussed below Channel Region Scroll Bar If the channel pane is too small to display the entire group of channel buttons at the same time a scroll bar will appear at the bottom of the channel pane The scroll bar can be used to select the portion of the channel pane displayed at any given time Chapter IV 3 IV Quick Start Tour Graphics Display Region The graphics display pane as shown below is used to display the data from the on board data acquisition system and math channels derived from this data in x y plot format He 2 RacePakChart File Edt Aunbog View Settings Security Help ESSAN A M Hane a 2208 s a a 10000 a00 ENGINE rpm The graphics display pane is composed of the following items X Y Plot Region The x y plot region is the area on the screen that is used to plot the graphics information This area is composed of the following elements X axis The x axis or horizontal axis is used to represent the time axis The start of the run is rep
82. lay button to view the topic The Context Sensitive Help The context sensitive help system is designed to provide information to the user based on the tasks currently being completed by the user To obtain help on a menu item or a tool bar icon simply place the mouse cursor over the item and press the FI function key The help information on the item will be displayed The FT function key can also be used to display the help information for a dialog box any time that dialog box is displayed The second method to activating the context help system is to click on the context help icon located in the graphics toolbar This icon is displayed below When you select the Toolbar s Context Help button the mouse cursor will change to an arrow and a question mark Place the cursor over the item or portion of the screen you wish to obtain information on and click on the item The help information on that item will be displayed Hyperlinks Inside the Help System Each of the help screens that are displayed can contain links to help pages of related topics located in the DataLink Help system These links are designated by text printed in Bold Green Underlined Print as shown here Position the mouse cursor over the link and click the left mouse button The related topic will be displayed 1 pp the ered eed oe Ae See cers ue Charai Guia Algo pee hia Mapia Pha Tie Pia Loe Deg A ee Terie Gotri Lama Serpe rem Corer
83. ld is used to enter the name of the racing team using the RacePak DataLink software This name will be copied to the run file each time a new file is uploaded The team name will be displayed in the title section on the graphics display region each time the run file is opened for display Mouse Preferences The mouse preferences selection is used to select how the left and right buttons of the mouse are used by the DataLink software with respect to the graphics display window Two selections are available traditional RacePak and standard Windows If traditional RacePak is selected the left mouse button is used to position the time line cursor in the graphics window and the right mouse button when clicked and dragged is used to zoom in on a section of the graphics display This is the same as in the MSDos version of the RacePak software If standard Windows is selected the buttons work in the opposite manner This is more consistent with many CAD CAM packages Either method works equally well If you do not have a preference we would recommend selecting RacePak traditional This will simplify getting assistance from team members who have operated earlier versions of the RacePak software Channel Font Size The channel font size slider bar is used to set the size of the font used in the top portion of the display window This section contains the channel selection buttons and the channel s value at the time cursor position The smaller the size of
84. ll of the currently installed serial numbers and unlock keys In addition it displays the user level associated with each of the serial numbers To delete a key from this list select the key by clicking on it It will be highlighted Then select the Delete Selected Entry button New Serial Number Unlock Data entry box This box is used to enter new serial numbers and unlock keys into the system The information required is as follows Product Type Current valid product types are CONV File conversion type PIO PIO expansion board serial number SC1000 SC1000 data logger serial number Appendix III 2 Appendix II How the File Security Works PROI Pro Series II data logger serial number HTPRO Hot Tach Pro data logger serial number AVENGER Avenger data logger serial number V300 V300 data logger serial number V500 V500 data logger serial number Serial Number The serial number for the Product Unlock Key The unlock key obtained from CSI RacePak for the above serial number Enter the above information into the corresponding entry boxes and select the ADD Above Serial Number Information button to add the serial number to the list If the unlock code entered is correct for the serial number the number will be added to the installed serial number list Please note the serial number is case sensitive System ID The system ID number is derived from the serial number of the CPU in the PC on which the software is installed This ID number
85. llowing Steps Following standard Windows Shutdown procedures turn off your computer system Remove the AC Power cord from the computer system Remove the Cover from the computer case exposing the computer motherboard Locate an open ISA card slot and remove the metal strip from the case ISA expansion slots are usually black in color and are located at the bottom of most mother boards Do not confuse an ISA slot with a PCI slot PCI slots are smaller in both length and pin size Do not attempt to install the PIO 12 board into a PCI slot 5 Install the PIO 12 board in the expansion slot Insure the card edge connector seats firmly in the socket on the motherboard Secure the board to the chassis 6 Replace the cover on the computer case 7 Attach the interface cable included with PIO board to the connector on the back of the PIO board and secure with the attachment screws 8 Connect Power to the computer system and restart the computer 9 Proceed to Step 6 dm U N USB Cartridge Reader To use the USB Cartridge Reader your PC must have a USB port Windows 98 Me 2000 or XP and DataLink version 4 7 or above If your PC does not meet these requirements contact Racepak at 949 580 6898 for more information Chapter II 6 Il Software Installation Important Make sure you have intalled the DataLink software CD version 4 7 or above before plugging the USB cardridge reader in to the USB port of your PC With your PC
86. load from the onboard computer If this error message is displayed check the connections between the USB reader or PIO card cable and download cartridge Next repeat Step 6 to insure the proper hardware type and address has been input If everything appears correct repeat Step 7 starting from the beginning If the error message is still displayed and you are using the PIO 12 expanion board go to Step 5 and check the installation of the PIO board to guarantee the board is seated properly and the address select switches are set properly If everything appears ok contact RacePak for further assistance Chapter II 8 II Software Installation If the upload process proceeded correctly the following run log page will be displayed Tear Track Year EA Track Data Date jo7j2o 1999 999 499 a _ a Race Type C Warmup Test Session Logger Test C Qualifications Elimintions Race Sequence G a ec a a eS ee ee ee Next gt OK This screen is used to enter the race track and run information used to name and store the run data file Enter the correct year and track information and select the race type and sequence number with the selection buttons If the correct year and or track name does not appear in the selection list simply type the correct entry in the selection box The entry will be added to the selection list and will appear the next time you upload Select the Next button to continue The second page o
87. log box The screen will appear as shown below ES on Spe pest 20000 Engich re oo 190 by 108 prosi Locate the area on the Display Properties box labeled Desktop Area The slide bar in this area is used to adjust the screen resolution The current resolution will be displayed below the slide bar The resolution must be set to a minimum of 1024 by 768 or portions of the DataLink tool bar will not be visible We recommend a setting Chapter III 1 MI Customizing The Datalink Software of 1280 by 1024 for most PC systems If you have a large monitor you may wish to increase the resolution If you have a small monitor you may wish to set the resolution at the minimum of 1024 by 768 pixels The next step is to select the color palette You should select the color palette with the highest number of colors that can be supported by your video hardware at the screen resolution selected above If you try to select a palette with too many colors Windows will automatically reduce the screen resolution to accommodate the increased number of colors If this occurs select a lower number of colors and reset the screen resolution to the desired level Once you have selected a screen resolution and color palette exit the display properties dialogue box by clicking on the OK button You should check other software programs you use on a frequent basis to insure they are still usable When you are satisfied with the setti
88. me the log book tab used to access the page from the run log pane of the data screen A sample of the user run log page included in the car configuration file is shown below Me HT Pa seg 2 Mane akiharl Ete Edt Auriog Sier Sefings Gecuny Help HEADINGS GO HERE HUES TORS oO MERE ShSeEns D HERE Yeavlrack Weather User Page 1 Weer Page 3 User Page A Chapter VIII 3 VHI Working with Run Log Pages The user to meet his her run logbook requirements must edit each of these page templates This process is discussed below Setting Up the Run Log Pages The first step in setting up the user run log pages is to enter the desired page and tab headings and to enter the questions on each of the pages In order to perform this step we must first open the car configuration file in which we wish to enter the questions This file is normally the default car configuration selected during the installation of the software This car configuration file is loaded each time the RacePak software is started and should already be opened with the corresponding file tab with the wrench icon showing in the file selection tabs If the file is not loaded select the Open Car Configuration File command from the File main menu selection A dialog box will be displayed listing all of the Cars installed and their associated Car Configuration files Selected the desired configuration file by clicking on it and then select OK The file will be opened
89. ng you are ready to start the RacePak DataLink software and continue the customization of the software Customizing the Screen Layout of the DataLink Software We are now ready to begin the customization of the screen layout of the DataLink Software At this time you will want to start the DataLink software by clicking on the DataLink icon on the Windows desktop Once the program is running be sure it is maximized uses the complete video screen You will also need to load a demo data file to view the changes you make To open a demo file click on the File selection in the DataLink menu bar Next click on the Open item in the pull down menu The following dialog box will be displayed Li jeer Ei E Look im oa RacePak Daa m Ea Al e Dierre v30 100 Yra Fis ollype sceP ak Fies pk Cancel Click on the folder named Demos in the open dialog box The box will be updated with a new set of folders The folder will be named with the type of vehicle used to generate the demo files contained in the folder Select the type of vehicle that is the closest to your type of racing by double clicking on the folder At this time the dialog box will display several demo files which can be loaded and viewed by the DataLink software Select one of the files by clicking on it The software will load the file for viewing If this is the first time you have modified the screen layout the screen will be divided into t
90. nt track from the track selection list by clicking on the name of the track in the selection list If the name of the track is not in the list simply type the name in the selection box The new track name will be entered in the list Date The current system date will be displayed in the Date entry box To change the date simply enter the new date in the following format mm dd yyyy Time The current system time will be displayed in the time entry box To change the time simply enter the desired time in the following format hh mm A 24 hour clock is used i e 2 23 PM is entered as 14 23 Race Type Select the type of race session that was conducted by clicking on the button in front of the type that most closely matches the test that was conducted Race Sequence Select the appropriate sequence number for the test conducted by clicking on the button in front of the desired sequence number Using the information entered above the DataLink program will create the name for the new run file and prepare the necessary directory folders under which to store the new run data The run data file will be named as follows XZZZMMDDY YTS rpk X First Letter in car name ZZZ First Three letters in track name MM Month DD Day YY Year T First letter in race type S Race Sequence number pk default file type for DataLink files The run data file will be stored under the following directory path Drive Disk drive on which program was installed Ra
91. or searching Condition Each Parameter can be tested to determine if the parameter s value falls within a range of desired values These ranges are entered as search conditions Search conditions are divided into two types 1 text conditions and 2 numeric conditions Text conditions are tested in the same manner as entering the values in alphabetical order Thus a search on text in a given range from A to D would include all items beginning in A through D The valid search conditions are TEXT is equal to Checks to see if the value of the parameter is identical to the Value test parameter TEXT is less than Checks to see if the value of the parameter would be found earlier than the Value test parameter in an alphabetical list TEXT is greater than Checks to see if the value of the parameter would be found later than the Value test parameter in an alphabetical list TEXT is in a given range Checks to see if the value of the parameter would fall between the Value Min Value test parameter and the Max Value test Parameter TEXT contains Checks to see if a string in the Value test parameter is contained in the parameter s value NUMBER is equal to Checks to see if the numeric value of the parameter is identical to the Value test parameter NUMBER is less than Checks to see if the numeric value of the parameter is less than the Value test parameter NUMBER is greater than Checks to see if the numeric value of the test parameter is greater than th
92. phic charts from the display screen to a graphics printer To control the printing four separate commands found in the File menu are used The commands are Chapter VI 10 VI File Management Print Setup command Used to select the printer on your PC Print Type command Used to set the type of printout to be generated Print Preview command Used to preview the printout before the actual printing Print Command Used to make the actual printout Print Setup command File menu Use this command to select a printer and a printer connection This command presents a Print Setup dialog box where you specify the printer and its connection The following options allow you to select the destination printer and its connection Printer Select the printer you want to use Choose the Default Printer or choose the Specific Printer option and select one of the current installed printers shown in the box You install printers and configure ports using the Windows Control Panel Orientation Choose Portrait or Landscape Paper Size Select the size of paper that the document is to be printed on Paper Source Some printers offer multiple trays for different paper sources Specify the tray here Options Displays a dialog box where you can make additional choices about printing specific to the type of printer you have selected Network Choose this button to connect to a network location assigning it a new drive letter Print Type command
93. porary paste buffer This information can then be pasted into other run and or configuration files See the Paste Run Log Command The purpose of this command is to allow the user to update run and or configuration files from a single updated file For instance during a race the user has insufficient time to update the configuration files and run files between two runs and uploads a new file with out updating the car configuration file After the run is uploaded the user updates the run file to match the cars setup during the run The car configuration file that will be copied into the next uploaded run is still out of date The user can use the Copy and Paste commands to update the configuration file from the last run file that contains the current setup data Note Care must be taken not to copy data specific to a single run between run See the Paste function for more information Chapter VIII 5 VHI Working with Run Log Pages Paste Run log Command This command is used to copy the run log layout and data entry information copied into the temporary paste buffer with the Copy Run Log Command into the selected run and or configuration file file with highlighted tab The purpose of this command is to allow the user to update the run log layouts and data entries of files without the need to individually enter the information in each of the run or configuration files When the command is executed the Select Items to Paste dialog box will be d
94. r boundary To define the upper time boundary position the time cursor to the desired position in the run to be used as the end of the averaging region Next press the close square bracket to define the upper boundary The average minimum and maximum values will now be displayed on the channel grid display for the data channel selected To remove the average cursors press the and at the same cursor location The average cursors will be removed Run Log Display Region The run log display region is used to display and edit the run log information stored in each of the run and configuration files This information includes the car setup information run performance data weather conditions time dependent numeric channel data video data and in the case of the Pro Series II data loggers the logger setup information The data that is displayed is taken from the run or configuration file selected on the file tabs located in the channel display pane Be 2 Race ak Chait Fie Ed Fung Yew Sefings Secuiy Hep Hesa Teta C Wermwp Test Session Logger Test O Gualiicatons Blimintiors fe if of af af oc HoH YearTrack Weather User Page 1 User Page 2 User Page 3 User Page Fer Helo press Fi CAP NUM j Chapter IV 6 IV Quick Start Tour The run log display consists of the following elements Run Log Page Tabs The run log page tabs are used to select the run log page to
95. r than 1 acos returns an indefinite Parameter x Value between 1 and 1 whose arccosine is to be calculated Appendix I 1 Appendix I Supported Math Functions asin x Calculates the arcsine double asin double x Return Value The asin function returns the arcsine of x in the range p 2 to p 2 radians If x is less than 1 or greater than 1 asin returns an indefinite Parameter x Value whose arcsine is to be calculated atan x Calculates the arctangent of x double atan double x Return Value atan returns the arctangent of x If x is 0 atan returns O atan returns a value in the range p 2 to p 2 radians Parameters x Any number atan2 x Calculates the arctangent of y x double atan2 double y double x Return Value atan2 returns the arctangent of y x If both parameters of atan2 are O the function returns 0 atan2 returns a value in the range p to p radians using the signs of both parameters to determine the quadrant of the return value Parameters x y Any numbers Remarks atan2 is well defined for every point other than the origin even if x equals O and y does not equal 0 cos x Calculate the cosine double cos double x Return Value The cos function returns the cosine of x If x is greater than or equal to 263 or less than or equal to 263 a loss of significance in the result of a call to cos occurs in which case the function returns an indefinite Parameter x Angle in radians co
96. r PC s however only users with this serial number and valid unlock key included in their serial number list will be able to view the file Access to Configuration Files Configuration files are used to store information on the hardware setup of the onboard data logger user programmed math channels and the run log templates To protect against unauthorized copying of setup data and to prevent the accidental usage of the wrong setup with a given on board data logger the configuration file is also assigned the same serial number as discussed above The serial number and valid unlock key must exist in the serial number list before the configuration file can be opened for editing The serial number of the configuration file must match the serial number of either the PIO board and or data logger before the upload process is allowed to continue Appendix III 1 Appendix II How the File Security Works User Level Access and Permission Levels In addition to controlling the uploading of data and opening of files the serial numbers and unlock keys also determine the user level and software permission levels available to the user Several advanced options of the software are available depending on the needs of the user These advance levels are as follows Advanced Math Channel Capability This option allows the user to add complex calculations which utilize the channel data gathered by the on board data logger These calculations can then b
97. r discusses the steps involved in working with the run log pages Using the Run Log Pages The Run Log Pages include two predefined run log pages that are displayed during the upload process The first page SESSION page is used to provide information to the DataLink program necessary for the program operation The user cannot edit this page The second page Run Weather page is used to enter run time slip and weather information This page is provided for drag racing applications only The Session Run Log Data Page The SESSION page of the run log is used to enter the date time location and type of session that was conducted This information combined with the vehicle selected during the upload process is used to create the name of the run data file under which on board data and log book information will be stored and to determine the proper directory folder in which to place the run data file Chapter VIII 1 VHI Working with Run Log Pages The SESSION page of the run log is automatically displayed during the upload process Enter the information as described below Once the upload process is complete the values entered in the SESSION page will be PROTECTED and cannot be changed Year Select the current year from the selection list by clicking on the correct year in the list If the correct year is not in the list simply enter the year in selection box by typing in the correct 4 digit number for the year Track Select the curre
98. resented as 0 time Time into the run increases from left to right on the x axis Vertical Grid The vertical grid shown as light dotted lines from the bottom of the graph to the top correspond to the time axis Each point on the grid line is equal time into the run Y axis The y axis or vertical axis is used to represent the value of the data being displayed Data values increase from bottom to top in the graph Horizontal Grid The horizontal grid shown as light dotted lines moving from left to right on the x y plot are points of constant value for the data Data Grid Legend The data grid legend is displayed on the left hand side of the x y plot The data grid is used to show the value of the horizontal grid lines for the data channel selected as the channel grid The name of the selected channel and the engineering units displayed are also shown on the left hand side of the graph Chapter IV 4 IV Quick Start Tour Time Cursor The time cursor is shown as a solid line from the bottom to the top of the plot region The time cursor is used to indicate the point in the run currently being displayed in the numeric displays and in the time dependent data fields in the run log displays To move the time cursor to a new time position use one of the following methods Computer Mouse Position the mouse cursor at the desired point on the x y plot region and click the left mouse button The time cursor line will move to the new position and the
99. rt suggests RPK it will be easier to work with the file later After you entered the appropriate information left click on the Save button to save the file Closing a Run Data File If you wish to close a run data file 1 make the file active by left clicking on the file folder tab for the run data file you wish to close and 2 select the Close command from the File menu If the file has been modified the DataLink program will suggest you save changes to your file before you close it If you close a file without saving you lose all changes made since the last time you saved it You can also use one of the following short cuts to close the file Please note you must first select the file by left clicking on the file folder tab Shortcuts Toolbar L Keys CTRL C Creating a new Run Data File This command is used to upload a new run file from an on board RacePak data acquisition computer system You can open an existing run file with the Open command Shortcuts Toolbar Keys CTRL N Chapter VI 8 VI File Management Saving Data to an ASCI FILE The channel data recorded during a logging session can be saved in ASCII format to a separate data file This file can then be used to print out the data to a printer or to import the data into a separate application such as a spread sheet program To save the recorded data to an ASCII file open the run data file and select it by left clicking on the file tab located at the top of t
100. s At any time during a DataLink session the user can resize any of the three windows by clicking on and dragging the border between any two of the widows This allows the user to adjust the relative window sizes to best meet the task he is currently performing Although this method works very well the method can be time consuming if the user wants to jump between several different tasks during his her analysis session The DataLink software provides a method of presetting up to eight different combinations of window sizes These preset combinations are accessed through the Organize Pane icon in the DataLink toolbar Each time the icon is clicked the window sizes are adjusted to the next preset combination in the list The user can define the size of the three windows in each of the eight preset combinations To define the preset combinations click on the Settings selection of the DataLink menu bar next click on the set window sizes item on the pull down menu The following dialog box will appear Edit Screen Size Sequence Enabled Channels Size Graph Size LogSize 0 AA m TH co WL Jo T i mm mm Each row in the table represents one combination of window region or pane sizes Values for the size of the windows are expressed as a percentage of the full screen and the sum of the sizes for the three windows must sum to 100 If you enter a value in window which makes the total
101. s before decimal point jo after OK Result Unit DEG F K Minimum result value fo Masimum 200 Cancel This dialog box is used to enter or edit the following required inputs Name This is the name of the channel being edited If you wish to change the name of the channel the new name must be different from the remaining channels in this data file In addition any reference to this channel in the run log data sheets must be updated with the new channel name if you wish the data in the run logs to be updated correctly Expr Expression This is the mathematical expression to be evaluated The expression can contain the following e Name of any valid data channel Built in mathematical functions All standard mathematical operators Names of Run Log defined database constants Numeric constants The expression can be typed directly into the expression input box Channel names and Run log defined database constants which contain spaces in their names must be enclosed in single quotes Optionally the name of the data channels and built in functions can be entered by double clicking on the corresponding name in the Currently Defined Channels and Built in Functions selection lists The channel names and functions will be inserted at the current cursor location The order of evaluation is not guaranteed Use to force the proper order of evaluation Chapter VII 5 VII Working with Data Channels Currently Defined Channels
102. sasatne 2 Editing Ratio Channels to Create Slip Ratios eirinn e i a 3 Editing Simple Expression Math Calculation Channels ccccccccceceecceceeceeeeeeeesseeeeceeeeeeeeeeeaaaas 4 VILE Working with Run Log Pages cscs cisssccsicccesancesccsctccesenceceuscetiecevenaccteccosiecevesasictesescsevensas 1 Sine thie Rinlo Pas OS taice each a tenn tiealias a a Pla snak aes eueethens l he Session Run bos Data Pace nrsornra nia N AO eta Ula la eae a eae l The Weather 169 Data Patensie a a a tol 3 The User Delmed Run Loo Pae arisi A i a sb eate ias hal nae lei accents 3 Serene UO prthe RUN Te6 OPA SS caries se cocina tet cttw ta aectea dete Coa E TEE EER 4 E loom g otc al alsa nemnee nem E CCR RR Mm nn Tee TT Wrst ReunN E ne a eR mnrn ncn 4 Edane Me A CS INO 5 pice oecirat retiree aera ctnciine DA oan eaten eke tude cmce yaaa d aierlavadnla puatemin naam darence pas ebeuecania yeas 4 GiGi THE ANS WEIS narea seid ucices Sadat A E A 4 Renamune the User Run Los Sas oi aaa e a E A acticin lenis 4 SAV ine the RUML OS PATES a a a a a r 5 Ed ne the Run Loe Paces m Your RUN FCS miscere aa r a a a 5 Moving Log Page Layouts and Data between Files sssececcecceeeecccccceeececsssseeeeeceeeeeececeeees 5 Copy Rum Log Command eaea ear aa a e a 5 Paste Rum 1O 2 Comman desea a E a E 6 Exclude Items from Paste Dialog BOK 2s ivicanedivtaadsvectcaaatendediiioa O a a aeni 6 Chaneime the Detawlt Loe Eayo tessrniriencene a n a e e cf Force
103. seconds is now Set to the location of the cursor line Contirm Data Start Time Change Es Select OK to proceed or Cancel to abort changes If you wish to move the start time of the selected file highlighted tab slightly to the left or right click on the following in the tool bar en To move the start time slightly to the left To move the start time slightly to the right Using Help The DataLink program contains an extensive on line help system to assist the user in the learning and operating the program The help system can be accessed by selecting the Help Topics menu item found in the Help main menu selection or via the context sensitive help commands built into each portion of the DataLink program The Help Menu access the help system via the Help main menu select the Help Topics command located in the Help main menu selection The following dialog box will be displayed Chapter IV 11 IV Quick Start Tour Help Tope RACEPAPSCHART Appicaten Help Be Pro Series ll Data Logger Configuration The contents tab of the Help Topics dialog box displays a table of contents for the help system included with the DataLink Program The topic listed will have either a book or a question mark icon located in front of the topic heading If the topic contains the book icon the topic is a main category and has further topics listed under it To expand the main topics place the mouse cursor over the desired topic and double cli
104. sh x Calculate the hyperbolic cosine double cosh double x Return Value The cosh function returns the hyperbolic cosine of x If the result is too large in a cosh call the function returns HUGE_VAL Parameter x Angle in radians Appendix I 2 Appendix I Supported Math Functions exp x Calculates the exponential double exp double x Return Value The exp function returns the exponential value of the floating point parameter x if successful On overflow the function returns INF infinite and on underflow exp returns 0 Parameter x Floating point value fabs x Calculates the absolute value of the floating point argument double fabs double x Return Value fabs returns the absolute value of its argument There is no error return Parameter x Floating point value fmod x y Calculates the floating point remainder double fmod double x double y Return Value fmod returns the floating point remainder of x y If the value of y is 0 0 fmod returns infinity Parameters x y Floating point values log x Calculates natural logarithm double log double x Return Value The log functions return the natural logarithm of x if successful If x is negative this function returns an indefinite If x is O it returns INF infinite Parameter x Value whose logarithm is to be found log10 x Calculates base 10 logarithm double log10 double x Return Value The log functions return the base 10 logarithm of x i
105. splay pane of the DataLink display area When the file is selected the file tab and the channel information for that file will be brought to the front of the channel display pane as illustrated below In this case the file Sample has been selected Up 2 HacePakChart File Edit Aunlog View Settings Security Help 2 Graph Sample TFContig Sari G METER O 4 SIE FURIF FSI Zera DOS TARGET S433 CARE PSI 14 29 CLUTCH RPM S966 BATTERY WOLTS 42 30 EN GINESCLUTCH 1 00 ANALOG 5 0 02 ENGINE OS 1 00 ANALOG 6 0 00 For Help press F1 Chapter VII 1 VII Working with Data Channels Next find the name of the channel to be edited in the channel buttons located in the channel display pane Move the mouse cursor over the button and right click on the channel button The Easy Edit dialog box appropriate for that channel will be displayed The easy edit dialog box is then used to edit the information on the channel The different Easy Edit dialog boxes are discussed below The Easy Edit Channel Dialog Boxes The easy edit channel dialog boxes are used to input channel configuration data into the RacePak DataLink car configuration and run data files There are several different types of Easy Edit dialog boxes corresponding to the different types of data channels used by the DataLink program When a channel is selected for edit the appropriate Easy Edit Dialog box is displayed On line help is available on the dialog boxes by pre
106. splayed in the graphics display region can be selected The small colored square in the channel button indicates the color of the channel s graph in the x y plot When the channel is selected the display portion of the channel grid display is used to display summary data on the channel in the four text boxes directly to the right of the button The information displayed is as follows 1 Display The current value of the channel at the time in the run selected by the time cursor 2 Display The average value of the channel in the time region defined by the average cursors 3 Display The minimum value of the channel in the time region defined by the average cursors Chapter IV 5 IV Quick Start Tour 4 Display The maximum value of the channel in the time region defined by the average cursors The average minimum and maximum values will not be displayed if the averaging cursors have not been positioned as discussed below Average Cursor The average cursors are used to define a region of time in the run file over which to average the channel data and to define minimum and maximum values Two average cursors are required to define the average region One to define the lower time boundary and one to define the upper time boundary To define the lower time boundary position the time cursor to the desired position in the run to be used as the start of the averaging region Next press the open square bracket to define the lowe
107. ssing the F1 any time a dialog box is displayed WHET lage Chae Pi tee Name This is the name of the channel being edited If you wish to change the name of the channel the new name must be different from the remaining channels in this data file In addition any reference to this channel in the run log data sheets must be updated with the new channel name if you wish the data in the run logs to be updated correctly Unit Serial Serial number of the module you are editing Not valid when editing a data logger channel Only used when editing a V Net module Input Number Channel number of the type described below For instance logger analog number 3 Type Used to describe the channel type For instance logger RPM or logger analog channels Vnet ID V Net ID of the channel you are editing Chapter VII 2 Chapter VII Working with Data Channels Sensor Describes the sensor you are using with the channel Selecting the proper sensor type will automatically enter the proper raw data values describes below Raw Data Value A B will become These four numbers tell the software how to convert the raw data from the RacePak computer typically in Volts into engineering units like PSI or F In the example above the Engine RPM channel returns 0 at 0 RPM and 1 at 1 RPM If a standard TI type 75 PSI pressure transducer was utilized the raw data value A would be set 0 5 will become 0 PSI and raw data Value
108. ssssseceoessssssssee 1 Using the Serial Communications Port to Upload Data to your PC eeeeecceeeececeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees l Using the Data Cartridge to Upload Data to your PC eeeeeseesssssssssssseeeeressssssssssssseeerrreessssssssssssssseeeo l Naming and Storme the Run Data Filecernceon a a a a ea 2 Viewing Real Time Data on your POcaretesorosnere n a EE 4 Setting up the Logger Real Time Telemetry Parameters ccccccccccssssssssssseeeeceeeeceeceeeeeeeaassaaeeseseeeeeeeeseees 4 Enters the Datalink Telemetry ParainGvers neen vines cays co atenca gosascandodtaaas soe cen iasdancaane edad envantaotnesieess 4 Saruna Pele Mie Vey SCS S10 Mice oe esate teva edaencn cu onc anus Gude sae vadtonen eine ane tu Gunes eau simesnaneseseen tee sueas jeseauaeiaess 5 VE File WLAN AC CTINOME osen E E 1 DV VAC WN he aa ata A a a daa Mints cua isaee teen dent Saes 1 Car Conie urInon FeS E a E E rea ee Aer erent eer 2 Opening Car COmMOuUraliOm PICS r9iccc 6s sucacmsctandanhanienwnsinfaedelvatudadiaian dione annnnawantnads wa dusnaeweindacdiion Muemaameiaileed datewesaudens 2 Baie Car Omi eur atom FIle eiee E EE EE NE 3 Contents Saville Car Con CUmAatO rm Files soreer a E a ances oa teins Watente Wadekve Maden 3 Closing Car C Oni our atin Files secon eee E a a dbioaediowts tac davadunsearadiicetndant 3 Setting the Default Car Configuration File cc cceccccsssseseeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeeaaeesesesseeseeeeeeeeeeeesesseeaaaaasseseenseeeeeeess 4 RUN
109. t When the open command is executed the program will display the file Open Dialog box Look in E RacePakD ata ES ce File name Open Files of type FacePak Files rpk The file Open dialog box allows you to specify the name and location of the file you are about to open When the dialog box is first displayed the list will contain the file folders named for each of the vehicles configured in your system Enter the following information Look in Select the vehicle folder in which the file to be opened is located by clicking on the folder To navigate through the directory use the E To display the current directory tree To move up one level in the directory tree File Name Type the file name or click on the file you want to open This box lists files with the extension you select in the List Files of Type box To open multiple files at the same time press and hold the CTRL key and then left click on the names of the files you wish to open List Files of Type Select the type of file you want to open You can either open a file previously stored by RacePak Chart extension rpk or a file created with RacePak for DOS Since Racepak for DOS did not enforce a specific extension you have to change the file type to All Files in order to see the RacePak for DOS files After you have selected the files to be opened left click on the Open button to open the files Chapter VI 5 VI File Manag
110. taLink Software into the CD drive The RacePak DataLink Setup program will automatically be started and the setup Install Shield Wizard will be displayed Please note If you have disabled auto run in your computer the installation wizard will not automatically start To manually start the installation program Select My Computer from the computer desk top select the CD drive by clicking on it next open the INSTALL folder on the CD and double click on Setup exe to start the installation program Read the instructions on the dialog boxes and answer any questions required We recommend you install the software in the default directories as indicated during the installation procedure This will make it easier for our technicians to assist you at a later date should you have an application problem If you install the software in a directory other than the default directory please write the install directory on the cover sheet of this manual to assist our technicians should a problem arise The install wizard will automatically create a shortcut on the main desktop for the RacePak DataLink program Adding a new logger to an existing DataLink installation 1 Start the DataLink software 2 Select Security from the main menu bar then click on Read License disk with the left mouse button 3 Insert the license disk into the a drive of you computer The license disk is included with the DataLink software you purchased for the logger you are adding The
111. the font the more information can be displayed at a time in the same area on the screen which in turn maximizes the amount of the display screen available for displaying graphs Experiment with different font size and select the smallest font size you can easily read You will need to change the font size and click the OK button to see the new font size displayed Don t worry if only a portion of the top section of the display screen contains channel selection buttons We will show you how to resize the screen at a later point Log Font Size The log font size slider bar is used to set the size of the font used in the bottom section of the display window This section contains the run log data book The smaller the size of the font the more information can be displayed at a time in the same area of the screen Experiment with different font sizes and select the smallest font size you can easily read You will need to change the font size and click the OK button to see the new font size displayed Don t worry if a portion of the log book is cut off and not displayed We will show you how to resize the screen at a later point Step 2 Editing the Chart Colors The next step in customizing the DataLink software is to set the background foreground and cursor colors for the graphics section of the display screen Two methods are available for setting the colors used by the DataLink Software The first method is to use the default Windows
112. their serial number list will be able to view the file PIO Board Serial Number Type PIO The new style PIO expansion board used to upload data from the onboard data acquisition system contains a unique serial number Each time data is uploaded from the onboard computer system this serial number is read and the serial number list is checked to see if a valid unlock key has been entered If the unlock Key is present the data from the onboard data acquisition system is uploaded and a file is created The new file is assigned the PIO serial number The file can then be transferred to other PC s however only users with this serial number and valid unlock key included in their serial number list will be able to view the file PC systems with a serialized PIO expansion board and valid unlock keys can be used to convert MSDOS based data files without the need of a separate file conversion serial number and key Onboard Data Logger Serial Number Type HTPRO AVENGER SC1000 PROII V50C V300 V500 Newer data loggers such as the Hot Tach Pro contain a serial number that is transferred to the PC during the upload process This serial number and the corresponding unlock key must be entered in the serial number list or the upload process will be terminated If a valid key is present the data from the onboard data acquisition system is loaded and a run file is created The new file is assigned the logger serial number The file can then be transferred to othe
113. time changes are made to the vehicle The data contained in this file is then copied into the run data file each time data is uploaded from the onboard computer Keeping this file current will insure the correct setup data is stored in the file To select the car configuration file loaded with the license disk as the default car configuration file perform the following steps 1 Start the RacePak DataLink program From the File main menu item select the Open Car Configuration menu selection The select configuration dialog box will be displayed 3 Next select the car configuration file to be opened The configuration file created by RacePak will be located in a folder named using the serial number of the data logger The configuration file will also be named using the serial number of the data logger For example the folder created for a V300 with the serial number 1000 would be named V300_1000 This folder would also contain a configuration file with the name V300_1000 To select this file from the selection box locate the V300_1000 folder in the left hand selection list and select it by positioning the mouse on the folder and clicking the left mouse button The name of the configuration file should appear in the second list on the right in this case V300_1000 Select OK to open this car configuration file A tab will be created at the top of the DataLink display page showing the file was loaded 4 Next from the File main menu item select the Default
114. ting the data channel information in the car configuration files versus the data channel information in the run data files When you edit the data channel information in a run data file you will only modify the channel information in that one file When you edit the channel information in the car configuration files you change the channel information in all files created by uploading data from your onboard data logger from that point in time on Whether you are editing the data channel information in the run data files or in the car configuration files the same procedures described below are utilized Editing Existing Data Channels from the Channel Display Pane All existing data channels in car configuration and in run data files can be edited directly by right clicking on the channel selection buttons located in the channel display pane When the channel is selected the Easy Edit dialog box appropriate for the channel will be displayed The user can then edit the channel as desired Caution Improperly editing data channels or entering the wrong information can cause data to display incorrectly In most cases the data channels have already been configured for you You most likely will only need to change the name of the data channel to something meaningful for your application Selecting the Channel to Edit To edit an existing data channel select the data file in which the channel is located by left clicking on the file tab in the channel di
115. tion file This file is automatically loaded into memory every time the RacePak DataLink software is started making the file available for editing In addition this car configuration file is pre selected as the car configuration file to be used during the upload process when the Select Configuration dialog box is displayed To select a car configuration file as the default car configuration file use the Open Car Configuration command from the File menu to open the car configuration file Next select the file by left clicking of the file tab at the top of the channel display pane Finally select the Default Configuration command from the File Menu A check mark will appear in front of the Default Configuration command This indicates the car configuration file has been selected as the default car configuration Run Data Files Run data files are used by DataLink to store the data and performance information uploaded from the onboard data logger to the PC and to store the configuration of the vehicle during the logging session Opening Run Data Files To open a run data file use the Open command found in the File menu You can also use the following shortcut methods Shortcuts gt Toolbar Keys CTRL O In addition the File menu contains a list box of the most recently opened data files If the file you wish to open is located on the list left click on the name of the file in the list to open the file Chapter VI 4 VI File Managemen
116. to download the data from your data logger to the data cartridge To download the data from your data logger into the data cartridge perform the following steps Step 1 Be sure the power to your data logger is off Step 2 Plug the data cartridge into the data cartridge connector on the end of your data logger Chapter V 1 V Uploading Data from the Logger Step 3 Turn the power to your data logger on The LED on your data cartridge will glow red for several seconds and will then flash and go out After 15 to 30 seconds the LED will begin to flash at a steady rate This indicates the data transfer to the cartridge 1s complete Step 4 Turn off the power to your data logger and remove the cartridge The next step is to upload the data from the data cartridge to your PC Connect your data cartridge to the upload cable connected to the RacePak PIO board installed during the DataLink software and hardware installation Next select the New file icon in the program taskbar or the New menu selection located in the File main menu The following dialog box will be displayed and you will be asked to select which configuration file to use Select the configuration files as created above and select OK Teej Corel bua EEr The system will upload the data from your data logger While the data is being uploaded the progress box will be displayed to inform you of the systems progress When the upload process is complete the program will ask you
117. to the left Nudge Up adds a small offset to every reading of the channel that has the grid Nudge Down subtracts a small offset to every reading of the channel that has the grid Nudge Reset resets all up and down nudges Nudges are permanent once the run is saved or the grid is reassigned Sets the point in the run of the active highlighted run file at the time cursor as the start of the run When pressed the Set Start Time dialog box is displayed to confirm selection Nudge the Start Time left or right Opens the About DataLink dialog box Click help and then a button or control to see help about that item Chapter IV 8 IV Quick Start Tour Many of the icons and the commands they implement such as file open and close are self explanatory Those that are not as obvious are discussed below Clear Graphs Command 2 Single click on this icon to remove the graphs of channels from the selected run file highlighted tab from the graphics display pane Double click this icon to remove all of the graphs from all of the files Quick Graph Command B i The Quick Graph provides the user with the ability to save and recall a set of channels to be graphed on the graphics display pane eliminating the need to individually select each channel to be graphed each time a graphics display of a set of channels is desired In order to use the quick graph function to display a set of graphs on the display screen the user must first

DataLink User Manual for V-Series Data

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