Overview
Evaluation of vehicle performance has been made considerably easier since the advent of GPS data logging. Traditional methods which called for the use of a fifth wheel or optical sensor added considerable complexity and time to a typical day's testing, but now VBOX equipment is employed to gather this information with a swiftness and ease that makes the job simple - whether it's just a few 0-60 runs, or something more complicated.
Although all VBOX systems are supplied with analysis software, it may not even be necessary to make use of it as products such as the VBOX Mini output results on a screen; or live data can be viewed on a laptop or tablet PC. For those wishing to extract results in greater detail all data is logged to flash media for later analysis.
Vehicle and tyre manufacturers, tier one suppliers, tuners, aftermarket and fabrication companies use VBOX to assess the performance of their products.
Acceleration Testing
All RACELOGIC data logging equipment is able to perform acceleration tests to determine 0-60, 0-100mph, ¼ mile, VMAX, G-forces data. Data is logged to a memory card and can be analysed with the supplied VBOX Tools software.
Test results are either displayed live on a PC, internal screen or additional display, depending on the product in use. You can get a 20Hz VBOX data logger from less than $500.
A Media Perspective
VBOX equipment is used by a number of motoring publications and broadcast companies. A large proportion of new vehicles are put through their paces by journalists configuring them for increasingly detailed analysis within the pages they create. Straight line acceleration and braking, lap times, cornering g-forces, and many more parameters are easily measured and disseminated for their readership.
Television production companies making programmes where performance timing or speed measurement is a requirement (such Northone TV, who produce the motoring show "Fifth Gear" - and who also filmed the 2014 series "Speed" featuring motorcycle racer Guy Martin - for broadcast in the UK) turn to VBOX data loggers thanks to their ease of use and reliability.
Racelogic has a lot of experience in working with print and television media and we can advise you on the best and most efficient way to capture that all-important data, augmenting and enriching the final output.
System Features
Key Features
Measured Parameters
- Speed
- Acceleration / Braking
- Heading
- Distance
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- Drive lines
- Lap times
- Vehicle signals via CAN or analogue inputs
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Live results
A laptop or tablet PC running VBOX Tools software can be used to monitor the measured parameters in real time, either by a serial, USB, or Bluetooth connection.
This flexible and powerful package also allows for detailed post processing of the logged data in sync with any video footage recorded by a Video VBOX.
Free Data Analysis Software
VBOX Tools Analysis Software is a flexible and powerful package which allows for detailed post processing of the logged files. A laptop running VBOX Tools can be used to monitor the measured parameters in real time, either by a serial, USB, or Bluetooth connection.
Video Integration
Video integration enables engineers to have a graphical representation of the test over live footage, which adds a further dimension to brake testing.
Test Equipment
VBOX Test Systems
Performance testing can be conducted using any VBOX data logger, performance meter or video data logger.
A range of RACELOGIC test systems is shown below:
VBOX 3i
VBOX 3i logs data at 100Hz. It features USB and Bluetooth connectivity, compact flash card logging and audio functionality for voice tagging, brake trigger input, CAN, analogue and digital interfaces.
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Video VBOX Pro
20Hz VBOX GPS data logger with up to 4 camera inputs
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Video VBOX Lite
10Hz VBOX GPS data logger with up to two camera inputs
More
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VBOX Mini
10Hz GPS data logger with built-in GPS antenna, SD card logging and a back-lit LCD screen.
More
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Performance Box / DriftBox
GPS based performance meters that allows you to measure G-forces, speed, lap & split times, 0-60, 0-100, braking distance and many more.
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Customer Profiles
Customer Profiles
Top Gear
The venerable car entertainment show has used VBOX equipment many times since it started in its current format in 2002. Whenever the BBC needs to accurately measure speed, distance, acceleration, or time, they use a VBOX.
Memorable examples include:
- Logging a car's speed to see if it can pass a speed enforcement camera so fast that its image cannot be captured (sadly no longer possible)
- Recording every lap made during the 2007 Britcar 24hr endurance race at Silverstone, where the team powered their BMW with home-grown biofuel
- Various drag races between high-performance cars
- Comparative lap times at a number of race tracks throughout the globe
- Displaying speed whilst driving a 'home-made' convertible around the high speed bowl at Millbrook Proving Ground
Northone TV
The production company who make a wide variety of programmes for broadcast on the UK ITN network use VBOX units in "Fifth Gear", the motoring programme where any number of cars are assessed for performance. They have also used a DriftBox when seeing how sideways the presenters can drive.
In 2013, Northone filmed a series featuring TT Motorcycle racer Guy Martin as he undertook a variety of tasks of ever increasing madness. VBOX equipment was used to capture his speed as he drafted a racing truck, on a specially constructed bicycle, at well in excess of 100mph on Pendine Sands in south Wales.
Car and Driver
In November 2002, Car & Driver published a highly detailed account of their vehicle testing regime, and announced then that they would henceforth be using VBOX systems to further enhance their procedures.
Starting with two VBOX II units, they have continued to ensure that their reputation for balanced and highly scientific testing in the US remains, and they now use a top of the range VBOX 3i amongst their VBOX data logging fleet.
In the opinion of one of their chief staff writers:
"I've used a variety of vehicle testing equipment and the VBOX systems are by far the most convenient of any system out there. They offer a high-degree of accuracy in a package that's a fraction the size of anything else. Thanks to the ability of VBOX to run either stand-alone or with a PC, there isn't a vehicle or race car that it can't be tailored to. We've bought a number of different VBOX systems and are finding new uses for them nearly every week."
More customer examples here.
