Landscape Orientation Changes at High G Force

[RED09CORVETTE]

Attempted to capture data this weekend during an Autocross event. I am using a 3rd Gen iPod Touch with iOS 5.1, Dual XGPS 150A, GoPoint BT-1 OBD connection, and HLT v16.5. I'm using the app in Autocross mode.

I had the iPod mounted firmly to the A-Pillar near the top of the windshield in the landscape mode. Staging messages were normal and at take-off, the Standing Go trigger worked properly. At the first sweeping turn of the course where we experienced a high G force, the display would show a message asking to confirm the device orientation had changed and would stay in that message screen. The device had not rotated as it was mounted solidly to the car. We have a separate G-Force meter in the car and the screen reorientation message would appear everytime we pulled a sustained G-Force above 1.2 G's. When the message screen would appear, data recording would then become corrupt - some data would stop (like TPS) other data would lock up (Speed) and the RPM data would just begin to count down towards zero from the last recorded RPM. Some data files were lost completely.

We repeated this scenario about 6 times with consistent results. Since normal usage of an iPod will change the screen orientation at 1G (normal force of gravity), will a sustained lateral G force greater than 1 that occurs while on the track cause the device to think it has been reoriented? Is there any way to lock it in landscape mode so it doesn't think it is being reoriented?

Thanks!

[Harry]

Hi,

This issue should actually be fixed with version 16.5 (for 16.0.6 and before it has been a known bug)... Are you sure you had 16.5 installed this weekend? As you already analyzed, iOS "thinks" the device has been rotated if lateral G is bigger than gravity and asks LapTimer to rotate. LapTimer has a setting to block this rotation requests above a speed given (see LapTimer -> Settings -> Expert Settings -> Landscape Rotation), as long as you are above this value (default 20 km/h), it should inhibit rotations.

As a quick fix (in case there is still a problem in 16.5), double press Home, scroll upcoming task bar to the left as far as possible, and press the lock orientation button.

- Harry

[RED09CORVETTE]

I've confirmed the HLT start up screen says "v16.5 Professional - September 21, 2012 1:21:09 PM". Also confirmed the device iOS version is 5.1.1. The device screen rotation lock only allows the User to lock the screen in the Portrait mode - you can't lock the screen in Landscape mode. The "Landscape Rotation - Block Above" setting was at 90. I've changed that to 20, however I'm not trying to block landscape mode - I'm trying to keep it in landscape mode. Maybe I'm not interpreting the setting description nomenclature correctly. (Is the setting description a re-use from prior days when Landscape mode was not avaialble and you had to block a command to prevent it from going into Landscape mode?) But if this blocks rotation commands in general, then it sounds like the setting was the problem.

So, for clarity - if i mount the device in Landscape mode and set the "Landscape Rotation - Block Above" setting at 20km/h, it will block the command to rotate back into Portrait mode when the device sees a lateral force of more than 1G when travelling >20 kh/h. Is that correct?

Thank you for your help. I'm getting closer to making this thing work!

[Harry]

Hi,

The default value for 'Landscape Rotation' is 20. I'm pretty sure this has been the issue. Please change back to 20 and it should be fine. Will change 'Landscape Rotation' to 'Display Rotation' in the next version. This label dates back to the time when Portrait has been the default and people had problems with rotation to landscape.

- Harry

[alpinebiker]

Hi,

I've had this problem on my R1 recently at Le Castellet, but it seems to be worse since installing the updated version.

I have an Iphone 4 mounted in a cradle on the rear seat PERMANENTLY in portrait mode, when mounting the phone for each session I get the following message, which means it is not staying locked into any orientation mode.

"Your display's orientation has been changed, acceleration sensors need to be re-calibrated. Please press "Continue" once you have finalised mounting.

Continue?"

I press yes and the screen looks to lock into portrait mode, but clearly sometimes once out on track it changes and I lose the recording of lap times.

I've read the thread here which seems to detail the same issue. I have gone into settings/expert settings and blocked the landscape rotation at 20 as suggested but how can I lock it in portrait? Forgive my ignorance, but I can't find the "lock orientation" button you mention on the home page, scroll left from which screen? Within settings?

Thanks for advice, app is great, just need to get over this slight glitch!

Cheers

Paul

[Harry]

Hi,

double press the iPhone's Home button. LapTimer is shifted up and you get 4 app icons in the bottom of the screen. Shift the 4 apps to the right until you see the gray rotation icon. Press so you see a lock. Double press the Home button to get back to LapTimer again.

- Harry

[alpinebiker]

Many thanks for the tip,

I've done that now so hopefully it's sorted, will be trying it out at Dijon Prenois in two weeks time.

Best regards

Paul