.VBO Files

►.VBO File Format

VBOX data files are saved in standard space de-limited text format. This allows the data to easily be imported into third party applications such as word processors or spreadsheets. The files each contain a header section before the main data that describes the channel content and information about the VBOX such as serial number and firmware version.

The [column names] parameter specifies the data in each column of the data section.

Below is an example of the format with data explanations.

File created on 31/07/2006 at 09:55:20 'generated from the VBOX internal Real time clock'

[header] 'list of the titles of each logged channel'

satellites

time

latitude

longitude

velocity kmh

heading

height

vertical velocity kmh

trigger event time in clock counts

[channel units] 'lists the units of any input module channels'

[comments]

(c) 2001 2003 Racelogic
VBox II Version 4.5a 'VBOX firmware version'
GPS : SSX2g 'GPS type and firmware version'
Serial Number : 005201
CF Version 2.1d
Log Rate (Hz) : 02.00
Software Version : 1.4.5 (Build 005) 'software version (only present on files that have been re-saved through VBOX Tools)'

Security Code : %//+$%00"0/0+

[column names]

sats time lat long velocity heading height vertvel event1

[data] 'VBOX data in space delimited column format'

137 162235.40 +03119.09973 +00058.49277 000.140 321.85 +00152.58 +000.000 00000

137 162235.90 +03119.09973 +00058.49277 000.220 065.93 +00152.58 +000.000 00000

137 162236.40 +03119.09973 +00058.49277 000.250 356.43 +00152.59 000.072 00000

Explanation of each channel's format in the logged file:

Sats: This is the number of satellites in use in decimal format. 64 is added to this number if the brake trigger input is activated. 128 is added to this number if the VBOX is using a DGPS correction.
e.g. in the file above the sats column shows 137 = 128(DGPS) + 9 sats.
Time: This is UTC time since midnight in the form HH:MM:SS.SS.
Latitude: Latitude in minutes MMMMM.MMMMM +ve = North e.g. 03119.09973M = 51D, 59M, 5.9838S.
Longitude: Longitude in minutes MMMMM.MMM +ve = West e.g. 00058.49277M = 00D, 58M, 29.562S.
Velocity: Velocity in km/h.
Heading: Heading in degrees with respect to North.
Height: Height above sea level in meters based on the WGS84 model of the earth used by VBOX GPS engines.
Vert-velocity: Vertical velocity in km/h. +ve velocity uphill, -ve velocity downhill.
Trigger event time: This is the trigger event time measured in counts up to 11520.
Input Channels: Any channels from input modules are logged in an exponential form, e.g. +1.23456E+02 = 123.456.

►.VBO File Sizes

The table below shows the amount of data logged (standard channels) to a compact flash card over a period of time. You can use the table to work out the right size compact flash/SD card to use when you are using your Racelogic product.

                Note: The figure showed for the Video VBOX is only the amount used by the 'vbo' file not the camera as well. 
 
                            Units
                            10 minutes
                            30 minutes
                            60 minutes
                        
                            VBOX3i (100 Hz)
                            5.3 MB
                            15.8 MB
                            31.5 MB
                        
                            VBOX2sx (20 Hz)
                            1.3 MB
                            3.9 MB
                            7.7 MB
                        
                            Video VBOX (10 Hz)
                            640 kB
                            2.0 MB
                            3.9 MB
                        
                            Drift Box (10 Hz)
                            320 kB
                            960 kB
                            2.0 MB
                        
                From the information above you can work out other running time amounts for example:
6 hours VBOX3i logging time with standard channels would be 6 x 31,440 kB = 188,640 kB so a 256 MB or more CF card would be fine. 

                            Unit
                            10 minutes
                            30 minutes
                            60 minutes
                        
                            VBOX3i (100 Hz)
                            79.5 MB
                            238.5 MB
                            477 MB
                        
                            VBOX2sx (20 Hz)
                            5.5 MB
                            16.4 MB
                            32.7 MB
                        
                The table above shows the same data but when using standard channels + 32 other channels for the VBOX3i and standard channels + 24 other channels for the VBOX2sx.

►Editing .VBO Files

Open Excel (you cannot click on the VBO file and select open with as you will not get the import text wizard to initialize).

Load file into Excel and this import text wizard will appear.

Delimited should be selected automatically so click next to continue.

Step two will require you to un tick the tab option and tick space then next to continue.

Again step three has general already ticked so we can go straight to the finish button. Your file should now be loaded into Excel in a format that can be easily edited to add/remove data or time align.

Once you have finished editing the file will need to be saved out as a tab delimited file.

The software will then ask if you wish to leave out incompatible features and we require the format to stay the same so answer yes to this question. The file will then be saved to the desktop with the file extension .txt.

This file should now be in a format that is readable by VBOX Tools however to get it to load you will need to alter the file extension to .vbo. the icon should change to one of a VBO file.
The data formatting is fine to use with VBOX Tools now but still not identical to when the VBOX produced it however if the data is loaded into VBOX Tools and then saved out again this will correct any discrepancy in the format.