Obviously, using good-condition oil is important for any combustion engine-propelled car, but it’s a minimum requirement for a race car. Some racers are so worried about harming their highly-abused motors that they change out their oil at extremely short intervals. Aside from this practice getting expensive, it’s downright wasteful. Others go the other direction and let over-used oil shorten engine life. A company named IntelliStick, has come out with a product (of the same name), that can tell you exactly when your oil is due for a change.

In addition to helping you determine the optimum time to change the oil, IntelliStick continuously monitors certain aspects of your oil, so it can notify you of possible engine problems. For example, it scans for water/coolant and fuel contaminations in the oil. IntelliStick claims that a laboratory grade analysis is performed by its electrical probe, which permanently replaces the vehicle’s dipstick. The probe performs a patented conductivity test to measure the levels of oil additives remaining, contamination, as well as oxidation. A couple of wires extend from the outside end of the probe (at the dipstick tube) to a small black box, which is mounted to the vehicle. This box contains IntelliStick’s brain, which interprets the signals from the probe. It also has memory to store historical data, along with a Bluetooth receiver. A PDA, smart phone, or laptop can then be used to wirelessly download and analyze the data.

With IntelliStick in place, you can check the condition of your oil after every event. From this, you should know if the oil should be replaced, or if there is possibly more involved work to be done. It doesn’t sound like this will fully replace a complete lab analysis of your oil, which can tell you exact breakdowns of what microscopic particles exist. This type of lab analysis can give additional information on the health of an aging motor. But, the IntelliStick should provide some very useful info, without even requiring you to open the toolbox. IntelliStick kits should be available this December, for a price of $500.

IntelliStick

Here are a couple other new products that PLX Devices showed us at this year’s SEMA show. These were sneak peeks, with preliminary specs only. Being that they’re going to be part of the iMFD family of products, they caught my attention. As covered in an earlier post, iMFD (Intelligent Multi-Functional Display) is the marketing name for a very cool technology that PLX brought us last year. Their impressive 65K color OLED gauges can be daisy-chained together, along with various sensors, and data from the vehicle’s OBD bus. Because these components are networked together, they can share information with each other. The displays can be customized to show information from multiple sources in an infinite number of formats. These upcoming products will integrate with iMFD to bring even more functionality.

iMFD Data Logger - This 3.6″ x 2.1″ handheld unit will have a color (OLED) display screen and 5 control buttons. It will be able to log data for up to 32 sensors, at the press of the “Record” button. After recording some drive time, you will be able to hit “Play”, and each iMFD gauge will playback the data according its own role (i.e. sensor data and display configuration). Nice for those who want to show off to their buddies, but of course you can download the logged data to a PC (via USB) and analyze with software.

R-800 Wideband Air/Fuel Data Logging Computer - This offers up similar functionality to the Data Logger, with the same design, but will add more abilities. As you probably guessed, it will have built-in support for wideband air/fuel ratio and EGT sensors. Additionally, it will have 2 knock sensor inputs, 8 analog inputs, and 8 speed inputs with duty cycle. In addition to including built-in data logging, the R-800 will improve upon PLX’s existing R-500, by adding iMFD compatibility. Like their other products, I would expect this to interface with various stand alone and piggy back engine management systems. I couldn’t get definitive info on how much recording capacity to expect, or whether capacity will be expandable. But, I’d expect it to match the R-500’s 90 minutes, at a minimum. PLX is aiming for a March 2008 release of the R-800.

PLX Devices

DrewTech’s booth at this year’s SEMA show was again showing off DashDAQ computers. This time, it was the new Series II model on display. I liked the concept of the original DashDAQ, so I was very interested what the new model has to offer. It turns out that there are some nice enhancements, which help keep DrewTech ahead of the pack.

First, let’s cover the hardware improvements. The unit now features a peppier 240MHz ARM9 processor and a vivid 24-bit color display. This new display looks great, and is well suited to just about all uses, including watching high-quality video. DrewTech now includes 6 built-in gauge themes to show off the display. Two USB Host ports are now part of the package. This greatly expands the number of 3rd party add-ons that will be available. OBD2 support has been improved and covers just about all 96+ vehicles.

Like its predecessor, the DashDAQ Series II runs the Linux operating system. This means a multitude of open source programs can be compiled for it, and it can be customized for diverse uses. Also, as with the original, the Series II has (2) serial ports, (2) analog inputs, and an OBD2 input, which allows the unit to be interfaced with various sensors and vehicle computers to give a customized dashboard view of critical components. However, the USB host ports set the Series II apart. Devices such as GPS units and accelerometers can be plugged into the USB ports, in order to transform the DashDAQ into a powerful performance analyzing tool. For instance, the unit has been tested with BlackLine’s reasonably priced, high-accuracy 20Hz GPS. Save the logged sensor and GPS data to a memory card and transfer it to a PC for full analysis.

Here are some of the possible gauge layouts, using the Classic theme:

The DashDAQ Series II is available now, for $695, and fully replaces the phased-out original model.

DrewTech DashDAQ Series II

Here’s another product designed to make life a little easier for those of us who tow our race cars. Swift Hitch is a product that simplifies the task of hitching up a trailer to a tow vehicle. A small camera, with a magnetic base, is temporarily placed on the back of the tow vehicle, above the hitch, facing down. With the wireless video receiver in hand, use the transmitted image to easily get lined up. The camera even works in the dark. MSRP is $309.

Swift Hitch
Available from etrailer.com
Price: $299.95 (USD) FREE SHIPPING

Three-In-One has developed a boroscope that is capable of supplying video directly to a computer. Dubbed the VIGS-918 (Video Image Guide Scope), this unit connects to a PC/Laptop via a USB cable. The included software allows you to see the video on a computer screen and record it for later playback. An integrated LED light source helps illuminate the area being viewed. This has obvious uses, such as in a classroom situation. But, it would also be useful for sharing video online for diagnostic help, or just to have as something to go back to, without having to pull stuff back apart. MSRP is $990.

For more information on boroscope’s, see our previous post on the topic.

If you tow your track car on a trailer behind your truck or SUV, you may have noticed some rear-end sagging. This affects the trucks’ handling, braking, and ride quality. It also pisses off oncoming traffic at night. To combat this, rear helper air springs are a great addition to your tow vehicle. Air Lift Company used SEMA 07 to unveil a new wireless air control system for this type of application. The 7200 kit includes everything needed to dial in and maintain the desired vehicle height. The wireless aspect has 2 nice benefits: 1) much easier installation, and 2) you can set ride height while standing next to the vehicle. Other standard features of the system include: automatic maintenance of set pressures, memory settings, and built-in diagnostic/safety features. MSRP for the kit is $499.

Air Lift Company

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Nordskog Performance has developed an in-dash gauge for monitoring surface temperatures. The IR9009 kit comes with 2 infra-red temperature sensors and a gauge. The gauge simultaneously shows readings from both of the temperature sources. This makes for a great way to monitor the surface temps of tires at all times. The kit has a $600 price tag.

Last year, PLX Devices introduced their ground-breaking iMFD (intelligent Multi-Functional Display) gauges and sensors. The thing that makes iMFD so cool is that various devices can be networked together to share information. Different gauges, sensors, and eventually loggers/computers are all tied together. It’s not too expensive to get started, and you can expand as needed.

One of the first iMFD gauges released was the DM-100, which uses OLED technology to give us a highly-customizable, ultra thin 52mm gauge. It basically functions like a tiny computer and video screen. A single DM-100 can obtain readings from any of the sensor modules on its network, and can even display data for 4 sensors at once. Multiple visual warning schemes can be configured. These can be based on the values of 1-4 parameters. Additionally, the gauge allows you to set peak and hold points. Data can be displayed in various formats, including the standard needle-type, digital, bar, or plot. The plot style shows a brief trend that constantly scrolls across the screen. For simple visual customizations, colors can be changed. However, because the gauge styles are essentially skins, you can customize their looks in any way you like. In fact you can connect the gauge to a computer (via USB) and use PLX software (included with gauge) to upload your own custom skin. You can essentially think up any way you want your sensor data to be displayed in front of you, leaving convention aside. Very cool. PLX also has numerous pre-built skins, matching various vehicle interiors, which you can download from their website. The included remote control allows you to easily change gauge settings. Some of the iMFD sensor modules available are: air/fuel, EGT, fluid temp, air temp, and vacuum/boost.

Soon to be available is the DM-200 OBD. This iMFD gauge has all the features of the DM-100, but is 60mm, and has built-in OBDII support. Just plug it into any 96+ vehicle’s OBD port and instantaneously share available parameters across the iMFD network. The larger screen is capable of displaying even more real-time parameters simultaneously.

PLX Devices

Racers aren’t usually the pickiest bunch when it comes to in-car video footage. Mount up a standard video recorder or video-capable digi-cam and go. This works, but doesn’t usually add up to the greatest in quality, versatility, or ease-of-use. Of course, there are some nice options out there that many step up to, such as the ChaseCam PDR systems. These allow for recording directly to MPEG-2, on solid-state memory (Compact Flash cards). Some support split-screen, multi-input recording, a rugged design, and other racer-friendly features. However, some of us have been waiting for some fundamental improvements in sports-related recording technology. We have been faced with quality limitations, because of analog to digital conversion. Most all compact recording systems are subject to this, regardless of whether they are labeled as being “digital”. The result is an interlaced video, lacking color-richness, which tends to look so-so on a computer screen. We would like to get around this, while retaining a design that has no moving parts, yet still has the versatility of a “bullet-cam”. Recorders that rely on tapes, hard drives, or DVDs are subject to reliability and quality issues, as the recording mechanism can move during jolts. Enter the V.I.O. POV.1, a true fully digital, ultra-compact MPEG4 recording system.

At a glance, the POV1 may look like your typical bullet-cam system, but you’ll notice a couple things: 1) there is only one cable, and 2) it’s not the typical A/V (composite) cable. It uses a proprietary LVDS (Low-voltage differential signaling) cable that transmits a high-speed, fully digital video signal, plus power and sound. This means you’ll get excellent video quality, in a convenient package. A wireless remote control is provided, which is great, as it can be mounted within easy reach of the driver. The recording unit has a built-in LCD screen for use during live recording and playback. This is nice, as it allows you to easily verify the camera’s mounting position. The entire unit is completely waterproof. It weighs in at a scant 1 lb, with batteries, cable, and camera.

Maximum video resolution is 720×480 (progressive), at 30 fps (frames-per-second). Recordings are saved to SD cards (maximum 2 GB). This translates to almost 1.5 hours of recorded video on a single card, at max resolution. Various resolutions and compression levels are supported, with trade-offs between storage space requirements and video quality.

This package was designed primarily to be a wearable type of camera system, and therefore has room for improvement with regards to in-car use. For one, the remote does not give feedback when the “record” button is pressed, so the recording unit ideally needs to be mounted somewhere that is visible from the driver’s seat. Also, the camera is currently only available with a 5 ft cable, limiting mounting locations. Although, a 10 ft cable option should be available soon. The recording unit is only capable of one input signal. And, lastly, the unit only runs on batteries (AA), so supplying constant power is not an option. Although, it does work with re-chargeable AAs, which will typically provide up to 4 hours of recording time on a single charge. And, having the whole system powered from a single source, with only one cable is very nice.

HelmetCameraCentral.com has a terrific hands-on review of the POV1, which also explains the pros/cons of various camera/recording technologies. Additionally, they sell the unit at a discounted price. MSRP is $850.

VIO POV1 Video Recording System
Available from Helmet Cam Central
Buy now: $824.99 (USD)

Having a source of compressed air at the track is important. As you know, it allows you to quickly adjust the pressure in your tires, as needed. Of course, you have various options, including: a compact DC electric tire inflator, a small AC shop compressor (using an inverter along with power from your tow vehicle), or an air tank that you fill at home and bring to the track. World Pro has given us another option, with their Instant Air system. The main benefit with Instant Air is that CO2 tanks are used, which require just 1% of the volume that compressed air uses. Additionally, no power source is required to utilize the air pressure. Therefore, Instant Air can potentially make for a nice and compact primary or backup air system. In addition to inflating your tires, it can be used to power small pneumatic tools. Instant Air has the added benefit in that it doesn’t create condensation or moisture. The system sells for $189.