Where is the owner manual and tech documentation for the PDR? I looked on the Chevy site, and couldn't find it. I went to the Cosworth site, and it appears everything was for their race version. I wanted to get some detailed info on the menus, and what parameters are measured. I don't have a car with PDR yet, so can't check the software.

Michael

 

The only documentation, at least for 2016, is in the owner's manual. You can download the software from the Cosworth site without the car, I downloaded a copy the day I placed my order through MacMulkin.

I think Cosworth requires a file from a car to display the various parameters but one of us could send you a short file for demonstration if there isn't one on the Cosworth site.

 

Take a look at the info in this video recorded at the Bash a couple years ago:



There are a bunch more videos showing the PDR on youtube, co do a search if the one above isn't enough for you!


BTW - Here's a link to download the Cosworth Toolbox software:

http://download.cosworth.com/downloa...r/GM/Index.htm

.

 

The manuals are here:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...cking-etc.html


PDR stuff starts on pg 148 of the 2017 manual.

 

Thanks guys for the information. I downloaded the software, viewed the videos, and read the owners manual. I am very impressed with what this system can do. The corner analysis, and overlays are very cool. It seems like a great tool to analyze your driving, and the car. The PDR presentation said that it records 30 channels of information, but, surprisingly, I still can't find any information on what all 30 channels are, let alone what the sampling rate is (other than the GPS at 5 Hz).

Since I don't have a car with the PDR yet, would anyone be willing to send me a sample file in Track mode?

Thanks!

Michael

 

Hi Michael

I'm not sure exactly how this google drive thing works, but I think I've uploaded a file of a PDR video around Daytona to my google drive, and it looks like there's a way to email you a link where you can view/download it.

PM me your email and I'll try sending it to you.

Bob

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Bob, this worked great. Thanks for helping me out, and uploading the file. I couldn't have asked for a better file. Bob is doing 185 in his Z06 out on Daytona. Wow!

The file opened right up in Cosworth Toolbox. There is a lot of great information there. I'll summarize all the channels later this weekend when I have more time for anyone who is interested.

Thank you!

Michael

 

You're welcome, Michael - glad that worked for you!

That's the "Track" overlay, and like you saw in the other references, there are other overlays with different amounts of data displayed, or none at all for a sort of dashcam view of nice scenic drives.

I really like the analysis of your track driving that you can do with Toolbox. But there are several things I wish were better.

1. Depending on the track, it can be difficult to "Define Finish Line". You have to touch the screen right when you go over it, and at speed it may still be off a little bit. You can set the finish line anywhere on the track (it has to be a point you'll go over every lap), and some people will set it as they enter the track from pit-out. I prefer to use the actual S/F line of the track, which can be hard to do if you're at speed - plus you need to remember to do it while making a hot lap!!
   
   Toolbox has the neat feature where you can compare laps - and it works great for comparing your own laps against each other. However, if you're trying to compare a video from someone else's PDR, their finish line may well be somewhere different from yours, even if they tried to set it at the track's S/F line it may be off a little from yours when you compare laps.
   
   With my old Traqmate data-acquisition setup in my C6 Z06 you could load in the lat-long of the S/F line to your memory card before ever going to a new track, and that way you didn't need to remember to do it while driving around the track at speed, and everybody's S/F line would be exactly the same. I wish we could do that with the PDR!!
   
   
2. With my old video setup in the C6 Z06 I had it back behind me. The view out of the windshield wasn't as great of a field of view as the PDR, but I could see myself steering and shifting. If there was a wiggle of the rear end I could see if it required some counter-steer or if I kept the steering straight and handled it with brake or throttle.
   
   With the PDR, if I see a wiggle of the car in the video I can't see what I might have done with steering to take care of it. I have seen some videos that have a go-pro inset on the PDR video with the go-pro showing the driver, or the view out the rear of the car - I may have to try that.
   
   
3. Once you edit the PDR video you can't view it in Toolbox!! Always make sure that if you edit it, make sure you rename the edited version and that you save the original unedited version so you can view it in Toolbox.
   
   When I cut down a 30+ minute video (like the unedited version I sent to you), to 2 or 3 laps to post up on youtube, that shorter video can't be viewed with Toolbox. And I imagine that if you add something like a go-pro inset you won't be able to view that version in Toolbox - only the original completely unedited version.

But, overall I REALLY like the PDR videos and the analysis you can do with Toolbox!!!

Bob

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If you look at a PDR video of a "straight line" overlay (sport, performance, no overlay), you'll only have one line of info instead of data for each lap as you would have with a Track overlay.

Actually, even with the Track overlay, if you don't define the finish line, you'll only have one looonnnggg lap, and one line of data - as you can see below.

The pictures below are of a Track overlay video. It was my first track event in the C7 last June at VIR. I thought I marked the finish line the first lap out during the video of the first session.

When you define the finish line for a particular track in your first session there, you don't need to do it again for subsequent sessions. I didn't review my first or second sessions, so I didn't know that my defining of the finish line did not "take" during my first session, so none of my sessions have a track map or lap times.

The screenshots below show info from a 20 minute PDR video of 7 or 8 laps around the track - but you can see there's only one "line" of info:





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Bob, you are a wealth of information on the PDR! I was wondering what happens if you are not on a loop course. I am glad to see it does give you the statistics.

As I was comparing a fast lap with a slower lap, I was thinking to myself that it would be helpful to have the X-axis in distance, rather than time, so I could compare braking and acceleration points. Then I saw the button over in the lower right corner to do just that. Then over on the left next to the charts on the right, you can compare your driving lines with the overhead view of each corner. Awesome! It does seem like you could improve your driving by comparing what you are doing in each lap.

I agree it is hard to visually get a feel of the steering wheel angle. While not a very good video data logger, I do like what Porsche did with the steering wheel graphic to represent steering angle. It isn't as "engineering looking", but it is easier to see. I think one reason why the PDR steering angle is hard to see is they are representing 90 degrees of steering wheel angle with only 45 degrees on the graphic. It's easy to miss subtle adjustments. The numeric angle is a nice feature, though. I have not seen the steering angle in the charts. I think that would be helpful, to see if the car is pushing.

A Tale of Two Video Data Loggers for the Track

I like the idea of being able to load longitude and latitude for the start/finish line. That would be much better for comparing different drivers. It would be great to get files of pro drivers, and see what they do on tracks that you go to.

Thanks, Bob!

Michael

 

For those who are wondering what data the PDR collects, and the free Cosworth Toolbox software displays, I mapped out all the channels. Below is the list. Sorry for the lousy formatting. Spreadsheets don't paste, and the forum takes out all the white space so nothing lines up.

Cosworth Toolbox

Data Streams

Channel # Description Display

1 GPS stream map overlay
2 Speed ? - GPS or speedo stream charted
3 Acceleration Lateral stream charted
4 Acceleration Longitudinal stream charted
5 Accelerator stream charted
6 Brakes stream charted
7 Steering Angle stream not charted
8 Gear stream not charted
9 LF Tire Pressure per lap min/max
10 RF Tire Pressure per lap min/max
11 LR Tire Pressure per lap min/max
12 RR Tire Pressure per lap min/max
13 LF Tire Air Temperature per lap min/max
14 RF Tire Air Temperature per lap min/max
15 LR Tire Air Temperature per lap min/max
16 RR Tire Air Temperature per lap min/max
17 Coolant Temperature per lap min/max
18 Engine Oil Pressure per lap min/max
18 Engine Oil Tmperature per lap min/max
19 Transmission Oil Temperature per lap min/max

Computed Parameters Per Corner/Straight

Max Lateral G's Corner
Min Speed Corner
Max Speed Straight
Time on Accelerator % Straight, Corner
Time on Brakes % Straight, Corner

Per Lap Parameters

Time Total
Speed Average and Meximum
Lateral Accelertion G's Maximum
Time on Accelerator Percentage
Time on Brakes Percentage
LF Tire Pressure Minimum/Maximum
RF Tire Pressure Minimum/Maximum
LR Tire Pressure Minimum/Maximum
RR Tire Pressure Minimum/Maximum
LF Tire Air Temperature Minimum/Maximum
RF Tire Air Temperature Minimum/Maximum
LR Tire Air Temperature Minimum/Maximum
RR Tire Air Temperature Minimum/Maximum
Coolant Temperature Minimum/Maximum
Engine Oil Pressure Minimum/Maximum
Engine Oil Temp Minimum/Maximum
Transmission Oil Temp Minimum/Maximum

Highlights of All Laps Combined

Fastest Lap Time
Maximum Speed
Max Lateral
Distance Traveled



Michael

 

Thanks, Michael - that's a great breakdown of all the info Toolbox will give you.

In that Tale of Two Video Loggers, I'm surprised that the Porsche version was so far behind ours!!

When are you going to have a PDR of your own, in your own C7?? Is it on order, are you lookin', thinkin' 'bout it....???

I think you've definitely decided it will have a PDR!!

Bob

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Subscribed

 

GM really got the jump on Porsche on this one.

I am getting close to putting in an order for a 2018. The $1800 price for the PDR is giving me pause, but I will likely order it. It will be a daily driver. After getting the front end of another car I own clipped by a driver illegally blasting down the dedicated left turn lane, and then being blamed for the accident, I would use the PDR everyday as a dash cam, too. I wasn't even moving when he hit me. A dash cam would have saved me. The seminar link you posted said the PDR can be turned on with two button presses after starting the car.

Speaking of 2018's, according to the GM Ordering Guide, the 2018's add the following channels to the PDR/Toolbox:

LF Wheel Speed
RF Wheel Speed
LR Wheel Speed
RR Wheel Speed
LF Wheel Displacement
RF Wheel Displacement
LR Wheel Displacement
RR Wheel Displacement
Yaw Rate
Intake Air Temperature
Ambient Air Temperature

Michael

 

The vid only records up to 100 minutes and the PDR doesn't tell you when recording stops. The 100 minutes is the limit of the file size on the SD Card (~4GB). You're dealing with a 32 bit system here.

 

I appreciate this input. I see the problem here. They are using a FAT32 file system. I wonder why they are using such an outdated system.

Michael

 

Take a look at the thread linked below. (Edit: actually I see you already posted in that thread!!)

In there you can see that in post# 1 it's reported that the PDR quit for two different recordings at the 4G limit. It says

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ize-limit.html


So....that's probably the limit for all of us. You can't run a track session that long (I come off the track after a 30 minute session with less than 1/4 tank of gas!!), so you could easily stop/restart the PDR.

Like you said "it doesn't tell you when recording stops, so if you're doing a long scenic drive, set the alarm on your phone at about 1-1/2 hours to prompt you to stop/restart recording.

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So I am wondering how to expand the chart's X-axis. The map expands for a corner map, but I am not seeing how to expand the chart. I see what appears to be a double arrow button that I thought might expand the X-axis, but it doesn't do anything.




Michael

 

If you put your cursor on the right side of the chart, it will allow you to slide the right edge left or right. It didn't do much for me - maybe because of the limited size of my laptop screen.

In the picture below there's a red circle/arrow where you can put your cursor, then drag it left/right.

I've already done it, so the little <-> is gone - it disappears when you have moved the right side of the chart.

 

Thanks, Bob! That explains what those double arrows indicate.

Expanding the chart size horizontally wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. I would like to zoom in on sections of the X-axis, so, for instance, one corner would fill the entire width of the chart. I want to get a closer view of the data. This is a feature I have seen on other track analysis software. If you have a lot of turns, at some point you will just be looking at a bunch of spikes if you can't zoom in on sections.

Michael