Design, Software Engineering and Implementation of an Embedded Telemetry System for a Solar-Powered Racing Car

Diplomarbeit von Thorsten Jungmann

Abstract:

An embedded telemetry system has been designed and implemented into the solar-powered racing car „Mad Dog 3”. The system shall assist strategists in making decisions during a solar car race. It delivers input data for a computer simulation model and for reconstruction of situations when failure occurred.

System requirements have been analysed and the scope of solutions on the market has been explored. As a result, the choice of hardware and peripheral components has been made in favour of a microcomputer-based system.

Strategy-relevant quantities in the solar car are measured by transducers and at the same time displayed on panel meters in the cockpit.

Measured data are transmitted via a bus system to the central processing unit, which consists of the world’s smallest PC. From the sensor signals the car’s performance data is computed.

As a result of computation, sets of performance data are sent to a laptop computer in one of the support vehicles by a pair of wireless modems.

For safety reason, the system has been designed redundant. There is a digital device and a second – analogue – instrument for all key measurements.

Communication equipment between the solar car driver and support staff has been reviewed and recommendations have been given.

The project has been completed successfully, i.e. project aims have been reached. This was confirmed during a test drive. The range of the wireless modems has been proven satisfactory. CB radios have been shown not to be appropriate.

There is a wide scope of additional investigation and supplementary features, due to the flexible nature of a microcomputer-based system.

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