Automotive Application Brief

Competitive Racing

The Problem

When you are driving a few hundred miles an hour around a race track, you want to be certain your vehicle is in top shape. Your life depends on having accurate information about its condition. Mark Harrah, president of Jasper Engines and Transmissions, Inc., conducts research on and development of race cars for the Jasper Engine Winston Cup team, both on and off the track. It is his job to be aware at all times of the condition of the cars and drivers on his team so that they can maximize speed and minimize danger while racing in world-class competitions

Precision Analysis of Sensor Data

It is not easy to calibrate a sensitive racing engine. Testing must be done while the car is on the track, so the instrumentation must be durable and portable. The sensor system used on the car must be extensive enough to pick up even the slightest anomaly, so that the vehicle can be fine-tuned to run at its best and keep the driver safe. The software used for analyzing sensor data must be extremely efficient in order to handle data from almost twenty sensors. It must also provide clear display of all information to minimize errors in reading vital indicators.