AIM Solo DL vs Cosworth Pi Toolbox
11-27-2018, 12:26 AM
#1
Tech Contributor
Thread Starter
AIM Solo DL vs Cosworth Pi Toolbox
Finally getting close to having enough miles to take the 2019 Grand Sport out to play at Willow Springs. With my 2013 GS, I used an AIM Solo DL for data collection and the associated software for analysis. It's served me well over the years, the only very minor downside was the need to string the OBD cable out of the way and suction cup the monitor to the windshield. First World problems 
With the 2019, I have the PDR. It looks like the Cosworth Pi toolbox can do the same type of analysis as the AIM Solo.
Would anyone care to offer their experience? If you're using Cosworth Pi, do you bother to mess with AIM Solo DL? Conversely, is the AIM the better of the two such that you don't mess with Cosworth Pi?
With the 2019, I have the PDR. It looks like the Cosworth Pi toolbox can do the same type of analysis as the AIM Solo.
Would anyone care to offer their experience? If you're using Cosworth Pi, do you bother to mess with AIM Solo DL? Conversely, is the AIM the better of the two such that you don't mess with Cosworth Pi?
11-27-2018, 08:06 PM
#2
If you've even heard of Cosworth Pi Toolbox I assume you've found my YouTube channel 
I also put together a web site with some other PDR resources that I'll get back to updating shortly now that the track season is over.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDS...99tg/playlists
https://www.hipodriver.com
In my view the PDR is a way better system than the Aim both in the amount of data it collects off the car, integrated video, and the power of the software. Unfortunately it has a pretty steep learning curve to get started and that's why I started the YT thing. Also, if you want to upgrade to the Plus or Pro versions of the software it is pretty pricey (although I like to think it as about the cost of a fresh set of tires) but you don't have to mess with any hardware.
Once I learned how to use Pi Toolbox I stopped using the Aim Solo DL but I've recently gone back to running it as a second system just to get the predictive lap timer. I don't always run the OBD II cable though because you don't need that for the predictive lap timer. The Aim Solo also has brake pressure as a data channel which the PDR does not (it logs the brake pedal position). When I was troubleshooting some suspected brake fade was the only time I went to the Aim data to try and confirm what I was seeing in PDR. The other thing the Aim software does better is giving you a comprehensive view across all sessions from the lap manager whereas you need to keep a separate log of what was in each PDR file to remember which ones to load (I did a video on my workflow around this).
So I would run both but if I could only run one it would be the PDR. For your actual analysis work use the Pi Toolbox.
I also put together a web site with some other PDR resources that I'll get back to updating shortly now that the track season is over.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDS...99tg/playlists
https://www.hipodriver.com
In my view the PDR is a way better system than the Aim both in the amount of data it collects off the car, integrated video, and the power of the software. Unfortunately it has a pretty steep learning curve to get started and that's why I started the YT thing. Also, if you want to upgrade to the Plus or Pro versions of the software it is pretty pricey (although I like to think it as about the cost of a fresh set of tires) but you don't have to mess with any hardware.
Once I learned how to use Pi Toolbox I stopped using the Aim Solo DL but I've recently gone back to running it as a second system just to get the predictive lap timer. I don't always run the OBD II cable though because you don't need that for the predictive lap timer. The Aim Solo also has brake pressure as a data channel which the PDR does not (it logs the brake pedal position). When I was troubleshooting some suspected brake fade was the only time I went to the Aim data to try and confirm what I was seeing in PDR. The other thing the Aim software does better is giving you a comprehensive view across all sessions from the lap manager whereas you need to keep a separate log of what was in each PDR file to remember which ones to load (I did a video on my workflow around this).
So I would run both but if I could only run one it would be the PDR. For your actual analysis work use the Pi Toolbox.