01 Getting Started

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This page covers handy information for when you initially receive your VBOX 3i Single Antenna (v3-v4) unit and what you need to know before you start using it.

Registration

Please register your VBOX unit so that Racelogic can continue to provide you with notifications about the latest software releases and firmware upgrades for your Racelogic product, and offer technical support.

Register your device here.

What is in the box?

When you purchase a VBOX 3i Single Antenna, you will find the following items when you open the box:

Product Code	Quantity	Description
VB3i-V4/VB3i-V3	1	VBOX 3i Single Antenna unit
RLVBACS020	1	Mains Power Supply (UK)
RLACS156	1	GPS/Glonass antenna
RLCAB071-4	1	Antenna cable (4 m)
RLACS098	1	4 GB Compact Flash Card
RLCAB001	1	VBOX Serial PC cable (5-way LEMO to 9-way D-type serial cable – 2 m)
RLACS119	1	VBOX 3i Bluetooth Antenna
RLACS120	1	VBOX 3i Audio Headset
ADC25IPCON	1	25-way D-type connector
RLCAB066-2	1	USB ‘A’ to Mini ‘B’ 2-m cable (USB Configuration)
RLCAB010LE	1	2-way LEMO power lead to 12V cigar lighter – 2m
RLACS163	1	USB multi card reader
VBFMAN	1	VBOX File Manager unit
RLCAB005-C	1	VBOX to VBOX Module power cable (5-Way LEMO to 5-Way LEMO) – 2m
ANTLOCSTKRL1	2	Antenna Location Sticker
RLVBACS013	1	VBOX Padded carry case with foam spacer
RLACS091	1	VBOX Tape Measure
RLCALUKAS	1	Certificate of Calibration – UKAS Accredited

Power Supply

WARNING

You can connect your VBOX 3i to other Racelogic input modules, including the ADC03, ADC02, TC8, FIM02/3 and multifunction displays. The voltage supply to Racelogic modules connected to the VBOX unit will be at the same level as the VBOX unit's power input. Therefore, when you are using any of the Racelogic peripherals with VBOX 3i units, the input voltage must not exceed 15 V. If you input a higher voltage, you can damage the module and possibly the VBOX unit.

The primary source of power to VBOX 3i units is the Power Supply - LEMO 2-way Plug. This is terminated in a 2-way connector and mates with the 2-way PWR socket on the VBOX unit.

VBOX 3i units can, however, be powered from a wide range of voltage sources. If you are considering batteries as a power source, note that the minimum operating voltage of a VBOX 3i unit is 7 V and that the maximum operating voltage input must not exceed 30 V DC. If you use voltages that are outside these ranges, you can damage the VBOX unit.

If you are running the VBOX 3i unit from a battery pack, the unit will sound a warning tone to indicate when the battery voltage is reaching the minimum operating voltage level. You must recharge or replace the battery pack when you hear this tone.

The VBOX 3i units have been designed to generate as little heat as possible and have a wide operating temperature range. However, it is good practice to mount your VBOX unit in a position where it has sufficient airflow around the case.

Note: You must connect the GNSS antenna to the VBOX unit before you connect the power. The VBOX unit will look for a connected GNSS antenna on power-up and will automatically adjust its gain for optimum performance.

External RACELOGIC modules operate from a 12 V vehicle supply. Therefore, the VBOX supply must not exceed 15 V DC when you are using external modules.

Compact Flash Memory Cards (CF Cards)

The VBOX units will store logged data onto CF cards. The CF cards that are available from Racelogic are already optimised for use with the VBOX units, and as such, they do not need to be formatted before use.

Should the CF card need formatting due to card errors, and the card is smaller than 32 GB, you can do this through Windows. If the card is larger than 32 GB, you must use third-party applications to reformat them. You can find more information about how to format a large Flash card in FAT32 here.

Note: You can purchase CF cards directly from Racelogic and our distributors, or you can contact us to confirm card compatibility.

IMPORTANT
Do not remove the CF card or power down the VBOX unit while the unit is logging (CF LED is flashing). This can lead to data loss or corruption. Press the LOG button to stop the logging first.

USB

VBOX 3i units have a USB 2.0 connector that you can use to configure your VBOX unit and output real-time serial data at the full 100 Hz data rate.

Before you connect your VBOX unit to your computer, you must make sure that you have downloaded and installed the VBOX Setup software. This will install the required USB drivers on your computer.

The software installation will place the VBOX USB drivers in the following location on your computer. C:\Program Files\Racelogic\Drivers.

When you connect a powered-up VBOX 3i to your computer with the supplied USB lead, your PC will recognise the presence of new hardware and open the typical Windows install window for new hardware. Follow the on-screen prompts and point the Windows installation to the location of your drivers.

You can also download USB drivers for VBOX 3i from the Drivers and Utilities section on vboxautomotive.co.uk.