Datalogging with MS?
 

I'd like to get some datalogging for my autocross car to improve myself as a driver. Trying to understand what i can get out of MS and how.

What do you guys use for datalogging, especially for autocross? What hardware, which software? How do you connect to MS?

The MS2 doesn't have any spare inputs for datalogging. What is logged and is useful in your case, is RPM, TPS, MAP, clutch/neutral.

The MS3 only has 3 more analog inputs and vehicle speed.

I would recommend that you go with a dedicate box that has onboard sensors or can accept accerometers, at least a z-axis gyro, and a GPS.

if you have an android phone or tablet, I think you can log everything, including accelerometers and gps with shadow logger when connected to megasquirt through bluetooth. correct me if I'm wrong as I haven't actually used it, but I've at least downloaded the app :P

As long as you use the android accelerometers as relative values, not absolute. Comparing accelerometer data like latG with other systems won't work out well. There is a 0.4G difference between my TrackMaster data and the 5000$ calibrated accelerometers I use now (borrowed from work).
The phone sensors work great to compare your own performance from corner to corner and the minimum speed in corners from GPS is good enough to allow comparison with other drivers using different dataloggers.

If you have the money buy a DL1 - Products » Data loggers » DL1 Mk2 / Classic » Description - Racing - Race Technology Ltd - Automotive Technical Excellence

If you don't have the money for that buy an AEM AQ-1, harness, GPS sensor for around 590$
http://www.aemelectronics.com/data-l...ata-logger-67/
350 for the aq-1, 150 for the harness, 90 for the gps unit.

When it comes down to it you want a whole package that will work with you right out of the box, software and hardware.

Dimitris, I'm talking about outputs, not inputs :) In other words, I'll end up with some dedicated box. Some of them can connect to and read RPM and a number of other things from OBD2. The question is - can I connect MS2 to a box like that (say, DL1, MaxQ or similar) and not run separate sensors or wires?

Tech and other guys, I might start with an iPhone or small Android phone/tablet just to see what's involved. It's my understanding that I'll need a separate GPS unit to get better data as the regular phone unit is at 1Hz or so - not fine enough. But, again, I'm trying to see what data I can easily get from car's sensors.

TPS, brake, rpm, VSS, steering angle if equiped, or build something.
I use the AEM AQ-1 myself

Where would these (TPS, brake, tach) signals come from?

brake comes off the brake pedal switch for the brake lights.( siwtched to ground ) it will be on\off deal but its still very helpful. TPS will just come off the TPS signal wire, ( 0-5v analog )
Tach will either come from the coils or the ecu output

OK, after looking at a few things over the weekend, let's try a different tack. The RS-232 output from MS carries several signals I'd like to interface to a datalogging device. There's RPM, TPS, probably intake temperature, possibly other things.

Has anyone interfaced that signal to a simple iPhone-based datalogging device or to something a little more elaborate?

Several people have - check out this article for what's out there.

Using Third Party Displays and Data Loggers with MegaSquirt

Thanks! I'm thinking more towards Harry's Lap Timer which is a pretty highly rated iPhone app.

But... why WiFi only for MS2? Can't USB interface be used? It talks to laptop over USB, why not a phone?

From what I've heard from the guys who wrote the programs, very few phone OSs actually let apps use the USB for anything.