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 Until recently, effective data logging required a bespoke system, hard-mounted into your car and costing several thousand pounds. The accuracy of these systems was not good either, as they had no independent measurement of speed, so if you had wheelspin, you no longer had an accurate map of your course. The advent of cheap GPS (Global Positioning System) engines has meant a new wave of cheap, accurate and portable systems that can be moved from vehicle to vehicle. Cadence Driver Development use the DL-1 data logger, manufactured by Race Technology in Nottingham as an objective measurement tool to support the driving coach.
At the heart of the system is a GPS engine that measures position and speed 5 times per second. This is backed up by a twin-axis accelerometer which measures actual longitudinal (acceleration and braking) and lateral (cornering) g, 100 times per second. This combination of sensors results in great accuracy. This is supported on our system by a yaw rate gyro which measures the rate of turn and in conjunction with the other sensors allows accurate measurement of radius of turn and sideslip acceleration. We also have a remote starter box
which enables us to put the system in the most appropriate position (at the centre of gravity which is approximately somewhere under the front seats), and still operate it. Rather than using your main battery supply, the system has its own supply which guarantees continuous operation, even if you stall your engine. The system has spare capacity, and if you don't mind having us break into your main wiring loom, it is easy to record engine speed, throttle position, and brake application. With additional sensors fitted to your car there are no limits to what we can measure. We also have the capability to overlay our data over video footage. At the end of a session you can take away a DVD of your drive with speeds and accelerations on screen. For more information click here. | 
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 Unlike track driving, road driving is more about observation, planning and smoothness, as opposed to the generation of the optimum acceleration in the most appropriate direction. Cornering speed is governed by the distance you can see to be clear, rather than the actual radius of the bend. Safety is the primary consideration.
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 All track days have a ban on lap-timing equipment. Our DataDrive™ records a time history of location, speed and acceleration and does not directly measure lap time, so can be used on track days. In any case, measuring a lap time is actually a poor way of determining your performance on track. By definition, track days are non-competitive and it's hard to put together the 'perfect lap' as you are constrained by the need to overtake other traffic, and occasionally, allow yourself to be overtaken. Overall lap time is normally dependent on how often you are able to drive in clear traffic.
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 Figure 1 shows the Bus Stop at Llandow and is a good demonstration of how the line through a sequence of corners can drastically affect cornering speed and elapsed time. The circuit in this area is similar to the old Bus Stop at Spa, although the straight between the two 90º left-right combinations is such that the two right corners can be treated as a single bend. Immediately after the chicane itself is a right hander and the choice of exit line from the Bus Stop drastically affects the speed you can carry through this bend and on to the straight after..
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DataDrive