Motorsport Data Acquisition System and Live Telemetry using FPGA based CAN controller

The paper describes the design and working of a motorsport data acquisition, logging, live telemetry, and display system developed using the Controller Area Network (CAN) communication protocol as the backbone of the arrangement. The main controller of the CAN system is the myRIO which was programmed using LabVIEW. A Formula One car hosts over a hundred sensors during each of its races. The data acquisition/logging system, although does not directly affect the car's performance, is indispensable when it comes to the testing and design phase of the car. Designers can validate their assumptions and calculations, real-time data during testing can be a safety indicator and it provides insight to the driver about the performance of the vehicle. The FPGA-based controller for CAN is designed for data acquisition and live telemetry system with the interest of the formula car team in mind. The design choices were made to improve and deliver a more effective system than the pre-existing ones. All choices of controllers, sensors, formatting were custom made for the requirements of the team. All programmable devices were coded individually to suit the system and the graphical user interface was designed internally. Data acquired by the proposed system helps in making sure that the car achieves the goals that were envisioned when it was designed.