Data Transmission from car to pits?

[jmk1223]

I have tried searching the forum and the internet as a whole but can not find a definitive answer. I am wondering how data is transferred from the car to the pits, I have seen claims of everything from a VPN to satellite. I have to imagine its a combination of medium and would vary some from team to team.


This is for a senior project so any articles would be greatly appreciated. I am looking for some details like throughput, latency, encryption, frequency, and so on.

Thank you in advance.

[Caito]

There was a ferrari pdf somewhere which explained this. I believe it was microwave. Encrypted and sent three times. Around 8gb per race at the time.

[jmk1223]

That helps some however does anyone have information on the on current systems?

[volarchico]

Have you done a thorough search of this forum? I remember reading some details similar to what Caito said and I think it was here. I'll try to dig around and see if I can come up with a link for you...

EDIT: Not an exact answer but getting you one step closer:
http://www.f1technical.net/features/3759

[ESPImperium]

Most cars now more or less use the McLaren systems, their website should be able to help you out with what units they use. http://www.mclarenelectronics.com/

However, some theams use Magnetti Marenelli (http://www.magnetimarelli.com/english/index.php) systems for some specialist things on their cars(Renault & Ferarri powered cars), and for the Cosworth powered teams (http://www.cosworth.com/Default.aspx?id=1089570) they use some specialist Cosworth equiptment.

There are other companies, but those are the ones that are the most common in use in F1 at the moment. Some larger teams may have other equiptment from companies like Riccaro, Momo and Moog, but for a small team, they will stick to the basics, just to get the car on track.

[SpookTheHamster]

Telemetry is MESL stuff, it's sent continuously by radio with burst transmission in the case of dropped data, and monitored in ATLAS/System Monitor. Things like this were included in the 'standard' electronics, for ease of cost and also implementation with the FIA systems. It's all on the MESL website, with datasheets.

The standard MESL electronics encompasses many of the 'boxes' on the car, obviously there's the ECU, but there's also other things like the telemetry, display, data logging, rainlight, HIU (Hub interface unit), power box, SIU (steering wheel interface unit) and more.

Teams are allowed to use equipment from themselves or other suppliers for some things (KERS, sensors, actuators etc) but they must all be homologated by the FIA, to check that they conform with the regulations.

edit: looking at that radio page, probably the most popular system is the MRTC system, as it allows the use of "sub-channels" within the same channel, meaning that a single radio can be used to transmit either between pit-pit, pit-car or pit-all . Hence why you see a red and black button on each earpiece of the guys on the pit wall. People communicating to two cars will have two radios.

[speedsense]

I have tried searching the forum and the internet as a whole but can not find a definitive answer. I am wondering how data is transferred from the car to the pits, I have seen claims of everything from a VPN to satellite. I have to imagine its a combination of medium and would vary some from team to team.


This is for a senior project so any articles would be greatly appreciated. I am looking for some details like throughput, latency, encryption, frequency, and so on.

Thank you in advance.

I think this is what is being asked:
Spread spectrum radio transmission, typical system has-

Frequency: 902-928 Mhz
Method: Frequency hopping spread spectrum
Transmit Power : 1 watt
Range: up to 20 miles line of site
Data rate: 57,600 baud
64 preprogrammed hopping patterns (allows multiple systems with same type of radios) and over 65000 encryption keys.

In car, usually the data is "centralized" in the data logger, packaged and sent to SSradios from there.