Car data acquisition & display options?

[Koncretekid]

Thanks, guys,
I glad to know that the serial to USB adaptor doesn't cause problems.  I think the guys on the internet were probably talking about computer logging in real time on a dyno.  I won't be doing any computer logging while riding down the flats @ 150mph or so!  Checking on eBay, there are 1,000s of used computers for sale.  How to get a good one, I don't know.  

Sum,
You say that Innovate have a 1' cord as well.  Do you know the part #?  BTW, with my three gauges I can log AFR, EGT or CHT, MAP, & RPM.

Entropy,
"Oh well, buying the stuff is 1/10th of the battle."  I'd say that is spot on.

Whatever the price of admission to access D. D. warped mind is worth it---but be aware he is not above trying you on with an "intelligence test" ---such as-- do you keep dragging the beer cooler out of the sun into the shade    I passed--lol  

What?

[SPARKY]

My warped mind--  DD likes to drink and debate "things" around a beer cooler  when I had to move the cooler several times---I "jumped his case" as to why-- I was the one who kept dragging the cooler out of the sun, and he never did!  His reply  " It was an IQ test!  I shot back "Well I guess I passed and you flunked, since I was the one who always moved it!"

[Sumner]

Sum,
You say that Innovate have a 1' cord as well.  Do you know the part #?  BTW, with my three gauges I can log AFR, EGT or CHT, MAP, & RPM. ..

The one I use the most with the A/F is throttle position as to me it is important to use the two together.  Lots of times the driver thinks he is WOT but isn't  .   So you want to know what the A/F is on and slightly off throttle and without the TPS how do you know?

The cable deal is a mess as some of the newer products, like your gauges,  use those 4 pin square connectors and the older products the phono plug type and you need to switch between with adapter cables.  It is all making their older products still work with the newer ones in the daisy chain.  Since you are using the gauges, if I remember right they are a fixed length out of the gauge and into the gauge so not sure the short are going to work.  They are to go between devices like the LMA-3's.

Here is the 6 inch one I used (not 12 inch like I thought) but I don't think it is going to help with your situation....

http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16281&cat=0&page=1

... we use it between the 2 LAM-3's and the TC-4.

Here are some other cables they also have and sometimes are needed for different configurations.

http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16187&cat=0&page=1

http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16188&cat=0&page=1

http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16298&cat=0&page=1

http://www.innovatemotorsports.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16339&cat=0&page=1

On the usb/serial adapters I've heard of some that do have problems with some applications and is why I went with the KeySpan as I people that had problems went to it to rectify them, so I just started there 

Good luck,

Sum

[maj]

You can shorten and hardwire any of the cables but you throw away the warranty
i have often done it on the lc1/dl32 combo i used for a few yrs
those connectors do not like salt , just a small amount of contamination will make the receptors in the logger green and useless
I wire the lc1 into one of the dl32  0-5v inputs as the daisy chain and salt are only good once. Trouble is that occupies one of the limited number of inputs
You could try plastic bagging the unit , found that helps with unsealed electronics

Innovate list a db9/usb adaptor that works well

[Koncretekid]

Thanks, Sparky, you had me lost on that one!

And Maj, I wonder if the warranty would be any good anyway, as they'd probably just say that we used them in improper conditions.

So, Sum, the pigtails on the new gauges are all 6" long, one is input, one is output, so the gauges could connect together if they were within say 6 or 8" from each other, no problem.  What logic does it make to have both of them the same gender?  As I've said elsewhere, there are people who are smarter than I am, but they sure know how to screw up a wet dream.

All the interconnecting 4 pin fasteners are described as "Molex" (and the flat connectors actually have the Molex name on them), but the 4 pin connectors have what looks like a backwards RJ on them.  I can't even imagine what language that is.  You might be able to see that from the photo.  The other thing that is baffling about the EGT gauge is that there are 5 wires coming out of the harness, with a 3 pin and a 2 pin flat Molex connector which aren't mentioned either within the included literature or on the internet "instruction manual" for this gauge. 

What they have included with each gauge is a RS-232 connector to a 4 pin female connector that will of course plug into either the input or the output of each gauge.  If I could take two of these apart and get some new pins, I could cut off the output or the input of each gauge and reassemble using new pins and the spare 4 pin connectors.  But as I said, I don't know the manufacturer or the part numbers to order.  I may just cut the wires and splice them together with heat shrink tubing to avoid the 4 foot connector that's available (your last link).  Hopefully someone will recognize the backwards RJ and give me a clue to buying the right connectors.

[maj]

As there not a sealed connector your better off just replacing them both

Dunno about the warranty, any time i tried the unit was returned with absolutely no info, and i still never knew if it were fixed or not untill i tried it

[Sumner]

................So, Sum, the pigtails on the new gauges are all 6" long, one is input, one is output, so the gauges could connect together if they were within say 6 or 8" from each other, no problem.  What logic does it make to have both of them the same gender? ....

Well I owe you an apology    I was remembering that the pigtails were long, but you are right.....



..... they are short and I have one of the long 4 foot patch cables between them.  I have it coiled and zip tied (just went out and looked) as......




..... the gauges are close together, see above.  I don't remember seeing a short 4 pin patch cable just the short ones with the plug on the ends.  I'd call them.  

 For us the 4 foot cable from the right one over to...



... the LAM-3's, TC-4 and PL-1 is ok .  I do agree that the way the wiring is accomplished and the same gender connectors thing could be better thought out.  Before we added to the data logging last year I looked and still couldn't find anything as flexible for the money as the Innovate stuff.  I'm sure there is better out there, but at what cost?

I'm going to use the MegaSquirt on the lakester and think I can data-log almost everything we do now on the stude and if not there are some add-ons to it to that can increase it.  I'd advise people to look into it.  You don't have to use the fuel and spark part of it, but could just use it for data-logging.  You still need someone else's wideband O2 sensor/controller to work with it.  It will work with Innovate's gauges and controllers.

Don't know what to tell you about the EGT deal.  There again I'd call.  They have always been helpful to me,

Sum

[SPARKY]

I am using my Big Stuff 3 for data logging purposes only this year.

[wheelrdealer]

We just signed with a distributor that gets us good pricing on the Edelbrock Data Logger and the AEM data logger. AEM has limits to discounts allowed but we can help with free domestic shipping and no sales tax outside Florida. Unlike the big catalog houses, whenever someone from LSR buys from Parkland Autosport we throw a little coin Slim's way to keep the lights on LR.com. Send me a PM with your part numbers and I will get back with you on prices and shipping.

It will be a while before I get all the AEM Edelbrock part numbers up on the website. Adding all the Dart blocks and Head part numbers this weekend.

BR