2013 SECU specification?

[WhiteBlue]

Has anybody seen a specification of the new system that F1 is due to launch this year? I came across a reference by racecar engineering when I downloaded the free article about the Renault engine. Unfortunately you have to have a subscription to read the article about the new engine control system.

AFAIK the new system will be much faster and replaces some of the CAN bus links with faster real time bus interfaces. I assume that the requirement for the new system was kicked off with the decision for the L4 turbo engine that was later delayed to 2014. Presumably they decided to gain some field experience with the new system ahead of the engine introduction in 2014. At least that would make sense in my view.

A high real time data acquisition and telemetry system would be essential for the control of the new fuel flow formula. So any report or publication of the new SECU will be appreciated in order to understand more about future electronic control strategies.

[fast_ian]

Hey,

Lifted from Scarbs;

Having run the McLaren Electronics Systems TAG-310B ECU since 2006, teams will have an upgraded ECU to run in 2013. The TAG-320 is the same physical size, but has far greater performance and more interfaces. Although useful, for 2013 this has no real impact on the teams, as the ECU is aimed at supporting the complex powertrains to be introduced in 2014.

I read somewhere Ferrari are using it this year. Dunno about the others (?)

Cheers,
Ian
http://scarbsf1.com/blog1/2013/01/30/an ... #more-3239

[ESPImperium]

Most teams are going to move to the 320 this year at some point, McLaren and Mercedes have had it in use with the V6 since mid 2012 and Renault and Ferrari have been running it on the Dyno as well.

Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull and Caterham will all probably be starting the year with the 320, but physical conformation of this is difficult to ascertain.

The looms for the 320 will seemingly free up as much as 4 kilos for some engines as there is 3 engines in present use that were not designed for the present ECU. I know the BMW P86/8 lost 40hp and the BMW Sauber F1.08 gained 3Kilos when the introduced the MES ECU to it as it was designed for a Bosch unit. Dr. Mario Theissen said that in a Racecar Engineering article. It wasn't until mid 2008 when they opened up the data streams and also simplified the Looms that they recovered 80% of the lost power from the MES ECU switch over. They recovered more power from engine R&D as well.

The new SECU will mean the teams and engine suppliers will have a greater freedom with the new ECU simply down to the fact the new engines will be designed around it, but they will have more data available to them. Each team generates between 20-30GB of data each weekend at present, the new ECU is likely to see this roughly double to almost 50GB each weekend all down to the new ERS and increased data stream presence. However this will be more data, so teams may or may not have to employ more data guys, and also have more guys in their 'Mission Control' as McLaren call it. That could lead to much better decision making for the teams, making the sport closer.

But we know as with new engine formula before, the engines will lead to two or three teams going out in front with a couple just behind and the rest will be a bit behind them, so it could be 2015 before things close up again, however for 2014 we have the new lower nose rule for the chassis side of things and the new front wing regs, so this could be more of a deciding factor over power train side of things.

[WhiteBlue]

I read somewhere Ferrari are using it this year. Dunno about the others (?)

Thanks for the info. I reckon all front running teams will run it in prepration for next year. They cannot afford to get field experience with it together with the new engines. Too risky in terms of strategy.

[moneyjohn]

very nice post.....................

[langwadt]

snip
The looms for the 320 will seemingly free up as much as 4 kilos for some engines as there is 3 engines in present use that were not designed for the present ECU. I know the BMW P86/8 lost 40hp and the BMW Sauber F1.08 gained 3Kilos when the introduced the MES ECU to it as it was designed for a Bosch unit. Dr. Mario Theissen said that in a Racecar Engineering article. It wasn't until mid 2008 when they opened up the data streams and also simplified the Looms that they recovered 80% of the lost power from the MES ECU switch over. They recovered more power from engine R&D as well.
snip
.

how on earth could they lose 40hp from changing the ECU?

[WhiteBlue]

BMW had their own ECU developoment which was very advanced. With the MES ECU they had to make a botch job of porting all the functionalities. Aparently this did not work very well.

[ESPImperium]

BMWs ECU was the most advanced, just look at the steering wheel of the F1.07 to the F1.08.

F1.07: http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2007/ ... 80x960.jpg
F1.08: http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/4905 ... ng026r.jpg

Bosch and Intel were heavily developing the ECU around the engine so that it could micro manage more or less every part of it and maximise power to torque and also make the engine more reliable as well. In 2007 it worked, in 2008 with the botch job it did a good job, but we know what happened with the engine reliability in 2009, it was the least reliable of the 5 available engines that year. Even though they had the most power in 2009 with a rumoured estimated 800+, the engine guys were pissed that the electronics side of the engine as they saw the MES ECU as weak as the Bosch one was in 2007 the strongest one at the time.

And when the tender for the SECU, there was 3 contenders, McLaren Electronics, Magnetti Maranelli and Bosch. The MES ECU got chosen as it was the only one that was best for the FIA to zero out certain functions very quickly, and the fact its cost effective for the teams, as its about €100k per car, the others were about twice that or more.

[langwadt]

BMWs ECU was the most advanced, just look at the steering wheel of the F1.07 to the F1.08.

F1.07: http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2007/ ... 80x960.jpg
F1.08: http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/4905 ... ng026r.jpg

Bosch and Intel were heavily developing the ECU around the engine so that it could micro manage more or less every part of it and maximise power to torque and also make the engine more reliable as well. In 2007 it worked, in 2008 with the botch job it did a good job, but we know what happened with the engine reliability in 2009, it was the least reliable of the 5 available engines that year. Even though they had the most power in 2009 with a rumoured estimated 800+, the engine guys were pissed that the electronics side of the engine as they saw the MES ECU as weak as the Bosch one was in 2007 the strongest one at the time.

And when the tender for the SECU, there was 3 contenders, McLaren Electronics, Magnetti Maranelli and Bosch. The MES ECU got chosen as it was the only one that was best for the FIA to zero out certain functions very quickly, and the fact its cost effective for the teams, as its about €100k per car, the others were about twice that or more.

reliability, drivability and whole lot of other things I can understand, but top end power? probably more to it than just
"lost 40hp"