Wireless setup using a cellular router

[Andy]

Hi all,

After looking around for different RF solutions, I decided to do it using a cellular router. It does mean you need network coverage but that's usually OK at most race tracks.

The the moment it's only data out of the ECU, but it's a start. The latency looks to be about 0.5 - 1.0 second.

Setup instructions for a wireless monitoring system for the Adaptronic ECUs

Parts you need

1. Digi Wireless Cellular router – eg WR21, WR44
2. Antenna for router
3. Prepaid SIM card
4. Innovate cable (DE9 to 2.5mm headphone)

Setup steps

1. Buy a data SIM. In this case I used a prepaid data SIM from Vodafone ($30 for 4 GB, expires in 1 month). Activate this SIM card

2. Connect an antenna to the router

3. Insert the SIM card into SIM slot 1.

4. Get a laptop, disable the wireless on it and ensure that the Ethernet is set up as DHCP.

5. Connect the laptop’s Ethernet port to the LAN0 port on the router

6. Power up the router

7. Open a web browser and navigate to 192.168.1.1 (or use IPCONFIG to find the router’s IP address if it’s non standard)

8. Set up the APN and the PIN in the router so that it can use the GPRS network

9. Make sure that you can use the internet from this laptop

10. Set up an account with no-ip.org, and download / install the static IP address client to the PC that you will use to monitor the ECU

11. Install the Realport driver as a “device initiated” connection on your monitoring laptop (same one as with the static IP address client). You should be able to see the port status by going into Device Manager, find “multi serial ports” and right click on “properties” – it should say “waiting for connection”.

12. Set up the router to use ASY0 as a Device Initiated Realport, and enter the hostname that you use (eg myhostname.no-ip.org).

13. If your monitoring laptop is not directly connected to the Internet (eg, connects through a router) then you will need to set up the routing tables in the router so that incoming TCP connections on port 8771 go to your monitoring PC. This may require that this machine has a static IP address on your local network.
14. Set up the static IP address client with your host name and verify that it is working correctly.

15. At this point, the router should be able to connect to your monitoring PC. If you are using a separate laptop to connect to the router over Ethernet, you should be able to see your monitoring laptop by typing “telnet myhostname.no-ip.org 8771” and verify that a connection is made.

16. Looking at the Device Initated COM port in Device Manager, you should after some time (less than a minute) that it becomes connected.

17. Save the settings in the router so that it starts up with these settings next time.

Now we have a serial connection, we need to connect the functions we need at each end.

18. Set the Adaptronic “Second Serial (in) port” setting to “Zeitronix Black Box Logger”.

19. Connect the Innovate cable between the D9 port on the router and the “Serial In” port on the ECU (Select ECUs) (or use a straight through D9 male to female cable and use the secondary port on an e420c).

20. Download and install the Zeitronix ZDL software on your monitoring PC, and run it. Select the COM port for the Realport device.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qZZCasoSJ8 - my test bench setup
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_FvDvOZOHY - a bit more step by step on how to do it

[bradtpt]

I watched that video this morning, that's a great use of commodity equipment to achieve a specialist result.  I did something similar last year at a race meeting by using an Asus eeepc notebook permanently installed in a client's racecar paired to an 802.11g wireless access point I had setup in the pits area where we were located.  Using my other laptop it allowed me to remote desktop to the laptop in the car from the comfort of my makeshift work area to do things like start/stop logging with WARI and make tune changes when necessary while the boys were doing other things with the car.

By having the logging folder on the eeepc shared I could using megalogviewer on the laptop in the pits realtime stream (Trail Live File) the log file being generated on the eeepc and to my suprise the latency was quite good, only around the 300ms mark from memory.  The caveat being of course the range is limited to about 30mts (only using standard built in antennas) whereas with your GPRS solution it should let you cover an entire racetrack given you have adequate network coverate.... Oh and your solution doesn't require a computer to be left in the car    Much more elegant!

[Andy]

Yes, I looked at other solutions like using Wifi, or using a direct radio modem and so on and I thought this would have the best chance at success, especially at some of the larger tracks.

[Cobber]

Well done, I like this very much.

This starts to put top end technology in reach for the race teams that could only dream about it before.

Live broadcast via the web etc etc.

[Andy]

Yeah, I'd really like to team up with people that do satellite tracking for fleet vehicles to see if we can stream our data with their data and see it on the web. That would be awesome.

[crans]

Andy can you please post up a link where we can buy the Innovate cable.

Any chance you could sell this or a 2.5mm to rj45 cable from your web site.

I've made one up my self but it's a little dodgy and would prefer to use something of quality.

I have DB9->RJ45 converters of the innovate cable will work fine

[Andy]

Hi Jason,

I keep them here. We haven't put them on the online store yet; I'll email you