Data Logger

Having data backed decisions is a important part of FSAE and for any engineering and design project. Everything should have a reason for why it is set up the way that it is. Data logging is a important part of this. Having some hard data to back things up is good for you as the engineer as well as for the design component of the competition. 

What is important to log?

For me, some of things that I think are important to log are mainly involved with the shutdown circuit as well as APPS and BPS. These are the main factors that allow the car the drive. By logging this, when the car cuts out while driving, we can see the specific reason why this happened to troubleshoot. Next is performance related characteristics, this can be IMU or INS data. This isn't required but is nice to have from the vehicle dynamics side, to understand where we can gain performance and how the car handles. 

What is required:

The basic of a data logger is that it has to interface with the main system to access data. The easiest method is through CAN bus, where all the can messages can be logged. This can provide enough information for basic diagnostic. 

Another part is the software. Data is valuable, however it is more valuable if it can be put in a more human readable form that is more interpretable. A large ammount of data is meanining less. Often this data is best when plotted out over time.