MoTeC has been chosen by V8 Supercars Australia as the exclusive supplier of Electronic Systems for the “Car of The Future” (COTF).  The Car of the Future will see the sport adopt new rules from 2013 to make the series more affordable for existing teams, while also paving the way for the inclusion of manufacturers other than Ford and Holden. MoTeC will provide a complete, integrated “control” electronic system for all cars, consisting of: Engine Management, Data Acquisition, Driver Display, Power Distribution, Video Capture and Accident Recorder.

MoTeC has had a long association with V8 Supercars as an exclusive control supplier of Engine Management and as a supplier to the majority of teams who currently choose to use MoTeC Data Acquisition, Telemetry and Power Distribution systems. The ability to provide a product that meets the stringent demands of V8 Supercar racing made MoTeC the logical choice for Car of The Future.

"V8 Supercars is extremely pleased to have MoTeC as the electronic systems supplier for Car of The Future”, says Adam Perry (General Manager Motorsport, V8 Supercars). “MoTeC is a great Australian company that has been involved with V8 Supercars for many years so we are looking forward to continuing our ongoing relationship".

 

Engine Management

The V8 engine will be controlled by the M190 ECU, one of MoTeC’s latest generation ‘M1’ systems. The ECU will manage all aspects of the engine, including Fuel and Ignition, RPM Limiting, Electronic Throttle Control, Gear Change Cut (for full throttle gear shifting), fuel pumps, pit lane speed limiting and many other engine related functions. The ECU software has been specially written to suit the requirements of V8 Supercars, allowing teams to tune the engine for maximum power, fuel economy and drivability without allowing any unauthorised strategies, such as Traction Control.  Provision has been made for potential future requirements like variable camshaft control or changes in the regulations.

The ECU is also used as a data logger by V8 Supercars’ officials to record information for scrutineering purposes. A sophisticated security system will prevent teams from using any strategies that are not permitted under the technical regulations.

Data and Driver Display

The COTF driver display and team data logger is incorporated in a single device, the MoTeC ADL3 (Advanced Dash Logger). The ADL3 has a comprehensive, programmable display and driver warning system and also stores data that the teams can download when the car is in the pits. Plus it transmits telemetry data for the teams to monitor in the pit garage while the car is out on track. (Teams will have the option of using a steering wheel mounted MDD display.)

The ADL3 can be configured to display any of the 300+ channels available within the system but is likely to include things like RPM, Gear, Fuel Level, Roll Bar Positions, Lap Time and predicted Lap Time information. This can all be customised to suit the driver.

In addition, the MoTeC SLM (Shift Light Module) is used to indicate gear change points but can also be used to alert the driver to various conditions such as wheel lock up, activation of the pit lane speed limiter, tell tales for direction indicators and warning alarms. The warning alarm system is used to alert the driver to any problems that may occur, for example an overheating engine or loss of oil pressure. The use of warning alarms combined with the SLM eliminates much of the need for the driver to look at the display, allowing more focus on the actual job of driving the car. 

The data system is a very important part of each V8 Supercar. Data from all areas of the car including engine, suspension, brakes and driver input is used by engineers to monitor the condition of the car, make changes to improve performance and analyse the driving style. 

In addition to the data system, each car will have a MoTeC Video Capture System (VCS) which is linked to the CAN Bus to integrate vehicle data on to the video. This video is used for incident investigation and to enhance data analysis.

Power Distribution

At the heart of the electronic system is the MoTeC Power Distribution Module (PDM32). The PDM performs the function of a traditional fuse and relay system. Instead of fuses and relays the PDM is a programmed device which controls the electrical power to everything in the car from the starter motor to the driver’s cool suit.

The PDM allows circuits to turn on either via a conventional switch operated by the driver or automatically via a set of predetermined conditions which are programmed in to the PDM. In the event of a short circuit, the PDM will switch off the power to the affected circuit to prevent damage to the wiring. Unlike a fuse, which would blow in this situation, or a circuit breaker, which would need to be manually re-set, the PDM will continually retry switching on the affected circuit so if the problem is only temporary the full operation of the vehicle is maintained. If the problem is not temporary the circuit will be switched off again until the next retry. The re-try will occur every 0.1 seconds.

For more information on the Car of The Future visit the V8 Supercars COTF Blog.

 

 

 MoTeC is proud to be an Exclusive Supplier to the V8 Supercars.