Autosport Labs Hardware Support

[schluerfi1978]

Hello Harry,

some months ago you had posted on Facebook that you were checking out the Race Capture Pro Hardware produced by Autosports Labs. However, there hasn't been a follow-up on this topic.

Recently, Autosports Labs announced a new, plug-and-play hardware together with an app: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/au ... it?lang=de

The hardware looks really interesting in terms of GPS and OBD capabilities (especially for older cars, as the BMW E46). Is this a piece of hardware that you would consider supporting in HLT, or is this totally out of scope for you (maybe because of the competitor app delivered with the hardware)?

WBR,
Michael

[Harry]

The app provided is nice to start, but I do not consider it competetive. ASL provided me with their protocols used by their devices (MK2) and it has been added sometimes last summer to LapTimer. Using ASL's accessories is somewhat limited to Android currently, because they have a Bluetooth connection only and have not certified with Apple. From what I see from their Kickstarter project, the missing WiFi connector for iOS will get available now. The new box will use the same protocol like the MK2 device, so the new one will work too.

Harry

[gplracerx]

It looks like a slimmed down RaceCapture Pro. Connection is only by Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth or cellular data, which looks to be an improvement. I'd like to see the noise data for the accelerometer and gyros to see if they're better than the internal sensors in smart phones. Wi-Fi has the potential for rapid data transfer, but that's still a lot of data. I'm highly tempted to pre-order anyway.

Edit: I just placed a pre-order. The Megasquirt people should love this as it's supported.

[schluerfi1978]

The app provided is nice to start, but I do not consider it competetive. ASL provided me with their protocols used by their devices (MK2) and it has been added sometimes last summer to LapTimer. Using ASL's accessories is somewhat limited to Android currently, because they have a Bluetooth connection only and have not certified with Apple. From what I see from their Kickstarter project, the missing WiFi connector for iOS will get available now. The new box will use the same protocol like the MK2 device, so the new one will work too.

Harry

I'm on Android - does this mean that the new ASL hardware would not work on Android, as it is Wifi-only? But the Race Capture Pro Mk2 would work already (OBD, GPS and acceleration in parallel)?

[Harry]

To my knowledge Android supports WiFi too

Actually I consider WiFi connections for smartphones the second best solution. One of the issues is smartphones tend to switch WiFi connections. Existing (and known) WiFi peers will probably make the accessory connection drop. Another issue is with channel conflicts, for the 2.4Ghz frequency. Furthermore, your smartphone can connect to one WiFi at a time only. Especially if you want to control action cams, this channel is blocked. The advantage is speed, WiFi is a lot faster than BT. Oddly, many accessory manufacturers do not invest into Apple's Mfi certification. It is known to be expensive and complex, but once it is done, connection reliability and OS integration is great.

Back to your question: using WiFi, both iOS and Android users can opt for the new RaceCapture. For higher requirements, the RCPro/MK II is the better solution. It connects using BT (Android) currently and will get a WiFi connector for iOS soon.

LapTimer GrandPrix for both Android and iOS support the RCPro already. For iOS, connection making requires some bridging solution, for Android it is working out if the box.

One word of caution: ASLs accessories are great, but they address technical oriented users. This is especially true if you want to use some of the advanced features.

Harry

[gplracerx]

ASL says the new RC will be compatible with SoloStorm on Android.

[schluerfi1978]

To my knowledge Android supports WiFi too

Holy cow, I didn't know! I switched from iOS to Android in 2013 ad replaced my Wifi-OBD-Dongle by a Kiwi Bluetooth ... how does it work in HLT? Connect the Wifi network via Android settings, start HLT and enable usage of Wifi sensors in the expert settings? Something else to do?

What do you consider technically the advantages of the RaceCapture Pro over the new one? I'm only interested about OBD, GPS and acceleration values; no telemetry needed.

[Harry]

Android does not support ad hoc network configurations. As long as the Wifi is operated in infrastructure mode, it can be connect. The Kiwi Wifi used the ad hoc mode.

Harry

[gplracerx]

What do you consider technically the advantages of the RaceCapture Pro over the new one? I'm only interested about OBD, GPS and acceleration values; no telemetry needed.

For what you want, there are no advantages. The primary advantage of the RCPro is that it will support analog data input as well as CAN/OBD. So you could put potentiometers on your suspension and collect suspension travel data to see if your shocks have been properly adjusted. You could put a pressure sensor in the brake line and record brake pressure, etc. etc. See: https://www.autosportlabs.com/product-category/sensors/

If you're a serious racer, that sort of thing can make you faster. But you're talking kilobucks for a fully instrumented car. And then you have to know what to do with the data you collect.

[gplracerx]

The shipping date on the new RaceCapture module has slipped to September 30.