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Lucie
11-10-2010, 01:12 PM
Reading RPM using Micro Input Module

To set this up in the VVB Setup software you would have to do the following:

a. Expand 'CAN and module configuration' and 'Micro Input Module' under scene properties and click one of the channels. When the next window appears, you have to tick ‘Log’ is the top right hand corner. You can also change the name of the channel to 'RPM' if you wish.

b. Select the RPM gauge you wish to use and expand the 'background' section under gauge properties. Here you can set the parameter to the channel you have chosen to log. Make sure the min and max values are correct and match the text on your gauge image.

You need to keep in mind that when you have connected your Micro Input Module to your vehicle, you need to set a scale and offset in the scene to allow it to work correctly for your vehicle.
You can do this by clicking on the Micro Input Module channel that the RPM is being read from, then in the window that appears you will have the option to set scale and offset values.

For most vehicles, the way you need to calculate what this scale needs to be is to divide 120 by the number of cylinders in the engine.

This is because the Micro Input Module gives pulses per second which we need to convert into revolutions per minute.

So, for example the calculation for 1 pulse per second would be as shown below.
1 pulse per second x 60 = pulses per minute x 2 (because 2 revolutions of crankshaft per combustion of spark plug) = 120. This then divided by the number of cylinders (4) = revs per minute - 30

So, for a four cylinder engine it would be 120 divided by 4 = 30
A six cylinder engine would be 120 divided by 6 = 20


When this is all set up you can take a digital pulse signal from a source such as an ECU to tachometer cable, or the negative side of a coil signal in your car and connect it to the correct channel on the Micro Input Module.

I hope this is useful!
:D

Lucie
11-10-2010, 01:14 PM
VideoVBOX units work with SD or SDHC hardware.

The maximum size SD card you can currently use in the VVB or VVB Lite is 32GB, simply because this is the biggest card with SDHC hardware.

16MB – 2GB have SD hardware
4GB – 32GB have SDHC hardware
64MB – 2TB have SDXC hardware

We recommend SanDisk and Kingston as good makes of SD card to use.:thumbsup:

Lucie
12-10-2010, 12:21 PM
Some tips for mounting your camera to get the best quality of recorded video!

It can sometimes look bright/blurry outside the vehicle - so the road is hard to see.
This is normally due to overexposure, which is affected by the position of the camera.

The bullet cameras try to expose the whole field of view, so, if a camera is set up somewhere which has a larger proportion of the video showing the interior of the vehicle the camera is likely to expose itself so this is in focus.
The darker the cars interior the worse this can get!
As it is brighter outside and this is the unexposed area of view, the effect it can have on the video is to overexpose the view out of the windscreen.


If this is a problem, try finding a spot to re-position your main camera so that most of its view is focussed on outside. This should make the picture look the correct colour and also be a lot clearer (A preview monitor can help you see the set up of this).

Another common video issue is caused by instability of the camera.
This is when the mounting method not being sturdy enough causing the camera to wobble when the vehicle is driving. This may be a more common side effect of very rigid suspension in a race car.:Drive:
For use in vehicles like this then a good mounting of the camera is essential for video quality. You need to find a mount that is sturdy but also absorbs as much vibration from the road as possible to keep the camera steady.

We have recently released a camera roll cage mount which is made from polyurethane. This is very effective at absorbing vibrations!:thumbsup:


So, if you are encountering these issues, my advice would be to check that your cameras are well mounted and repositioned to allow the main view to be on the area which needs to be exposed.

If you need any other help then just post below! :D

Mike Broadbent
18-10-2010, 11:50 AM
If you have any questions or responses to this thread please post them here:

http://www.racelogic.co.uk/Forum/showthread.php?t=732
:)