Lateral Aquaplane

Introduction

The ‘Lateral Aquaplane’ test is a plugin for the VBOX Test Suite software.

The test itself allows the user to measure the lateral aquaplane performance of a given tyre based on speed and attained lateral acceleration. This allows the user to compare the performance of different tyre tread patterns.

Ribbon Bar

The Lateral Aquaplane test has a tailored 'Test Setup' ribbon bar, from which the test and test area can be configured.

VBTS Test Setup Ribbon Bar 5.png

Note: Ribbon bar icons may move/ resize dependent on the Software window size.

Test

VBTS Test Setup Test.png

Configure

The 'Configure' button displays a pop up window whereby the parameters of the test can be defined.

Report

The 'Report' button creates a report from the current test results. This button is only available when a run or run has been selected from the test results window.

Save Settings

The 'Save Settings' button will save this individual test setup and will appear in the ‘Saved Settings’ area of the ‘Add Test’ window.

This test will also be added to the list of Lateral Aquaplane tests under the 'Tyre' icon on the 'Home' tab for easy switching of the current test.

Gate

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Start of Test

Allows the start of the test to be defined in the chart and map windows at the point of the cursor, indicated by a green coloured line which turns to a dark blue coloured line when selected. Once the start of test has been defined, the width can be specified.

IMPORTANT - When adding a gate, the vehicle must be travelling greater than 0.8 km/h in order to ascertain the heading of the gate.

Start of Bath

Allows the start of the water bath to be defined in the chart and map windows at the point of the cursor, indicated by a blue coloured line which turns to a dark blue coloured line when selected. Once the start of bath has been defined, the width can be specified.

IMPORTANT - When adding a gate, the vehicle must be travelling greater than 0.8 km/h in order to ascertain the heading of the gate.

End of Bath

Allows the end of the water bath to be defined in the chart and map windows at the point of the cursor, indicated by a red coloured line which turns to a dark blue coloured line when selected. Once the end of bath has been defined, the width can be specified.

IMPORTANT - When adding a gate, the vehicle must be travelling greater than 0.8 km/h in order to ascertain the heading of the gate.

Export/Import

These functions are not applicable to this test.

Edit Data

the 'Edit Data' button allows the user to enter session specific data such as driver name, track facility and weather data.

Test Configuration

Selecting the 'Configure' button will display a pop up window where the user can define the parameters of the test. These include the start and end conditions, as well as the pass conditions.

Use the up and down buttons to the right of the parameters to Expand and Collapse the parameter headings.

Lat Aq Settings.png

Test Period

Start Offset (m)

By default, the test will start on the crossing of the ‘Start of Bath’ line, however it is possible for the user to offset the start of test by a specified amount from the start of the water bath.

Test ends at

Allows the user to specify whether the test will end on the crossing of the ‘End of Bath’ line, or after a specified distance.

Lateral Acceleration Source

By default the lateral aquaplane plugin will use the lateral acceleration value generated from an IMU 'Y_Accel' (if available) as this signal is usually less noisy than the lateral acceleration generated from GPS. If the user enables IMU integration on a VB3i, then the GPS acceleration will be smoother than the IMU signal and so Racelogic recommend selecting the ‘Lat_Acc' option from the drop down in this case. You can also use the drop down menu to select a CAN source for the Lateral Acceleration.

Smooth lateral acceleration

This option can be selected to apply a smoothing level to the lateral acceleration signal used in the results.

Smooth level

Sets the amount of smoothing that will be applied to the lateral acceleration channel.

Interim result(s)

The software allows the user to display intermediary results called ‘Interim results’. The Interim results are determined by adding in ‘Interim Conditions’.

Pressing the '+' button will add a new interim result. It is possible to have this line appear at ‘Every’ instance of the value (e.g. Every 10 km/h), ‘At’ an instance of a value (e.g. Only at 10 km/h) or 'Between' values (e.g. Between 30 km/h and 50 km/h).

When 'Columns' is selected, each interim result is shown as a column within the right hand side of the results table, if 'Separate Table' is selected, each interim result is shown as a row in a separate table next to the results table.

Pre-Test Entry Conditions

To ensure that the driver enters the water bath in a steady state, it is possible to add ‘Pre Test Entry Conditions’. The Pre test entry period starts from when the user crosses the ‘Start of Test’ line and ends on the crossing of the ‘Start of Bath’ line and the user can define a tolerance limit that a specific channel must not be exceed during this period. If the user exceeds this limit, the test will be classed as a ‘fail’ by highlighting that run in red.

It is possible to add more conditions by pressing the ‘+’ button.

Pass Conditions(s)

VBOX Test Suite allows the user to specify a channel that can be used to easily identify if certain parameters have exceeded a set threshold, and as such will highlight the run red to mark it as ‘Failed’. The pass conditions can be set so that the run fails whenever the threshold is exceeded, either at the start of the test, at the end of the test, anytime during the test or averaged during the test.

To do this, the user must select a channel from the drop down list and specify a low and high threshold value. More channels can be added by selecting the ‘+’ button.

Report Analysis

This area specifies the start and end speed that will form the boundaries for an ‘area under the curve’ calculation in the final report.

Completing a Test

To start an online test, the user must first select the correct COM port from the ‘Online’ drop down menu in home tab. Once connected to a VBOX, the dashboard will change to show the 'START', 'STOP' and 'RESET' buttons.

Setting Start Lines

Before the software can begin to produce results, the user must first set the ‘Start of Test’, ‘Start of Bath’ and ‘End of Bath’ lines. To do this when connected to a VBOX, the user must drive to the required point on the track and press the relevant button on the ‘Test Setup’ tab. Once pressed, the software will require the user to drive away in a straight line to understand the direction of which the line should be set.

To set the start lines in a previously recorded file, the user must position the map cursor on the correct part of the track and then press the relevant button on the ‘Test Setup’ tab.

No matter whether the user is connected to a VBOX or not, Racelogic recommend that the saving of test settings once the lines have been set. This will allow the user to repeatedly recall these test lines without having to set them individually for each test.

Starting, Stopping and Resetting a Test

By pressing the 'START' button, the software will add a tab to the Test Results area ready to be populated with results once the start and end criteria have been met. The 'START' button will also change to a 'PAUSE' button, allowing the user to pause the test. To resume the test, simply press the 'RESUME' button.

To finish a test, simply press the 'STOP' button. This will stop all open tests. Once the stop button has be pressed, future results cannot be added to that results tab. Pressing the 'START' button will open up a new results tab, however once the stop button has been pressed, the user will be required to calibrate the wheel speeds again (if wheel speed channel(s) are selected) before a new test can be started.

If, for any reason, a mistake has been made during the test, it is possible to restart the test by pressing the 'RESET' button and again this will require a calibration of the wheel speeds.

Test Results Area

The test results area is the area that displays all of the results from the current test. Within this area it is possible to include/exclude results from the chart area, display the average/max/min values and also easily identify any runs which have not met the pass criteria.

Every time a new test is started (via the 'START' button on the dashboard), or a new file is loaded, a new tab will be added to the test results area, allowing the user to switch between separate tests or files and compare runs from each. A session can be removed from the results area by pressing the ‘x’ icon on the tab.

Session Data

By pressing the 'Edit Data' button steering_wheel1 (11).jpg next to the name of the file/run or in the ‘Test Setup' ribbon bar, a new window will be displayed whereby the user can add various different pieces of vehicle and test information, such as:-

Vehicle
- Vehicle Model
- Vehicle Number
- Driver Name
Wheels/Tyres
- Wheel Dimension
- Tyre Make
- Tyre Dimensions
- Tyre Model
- Tyre Pressures
Test
- Test Date
- Test Track
- Test Facility
- Comments
Conditions
- Weather
- Temperature
- Track Temperature
- Humidity
- Wind Speed

When in 'Offline' mode, this information will be saved into the .vbo file meaning that this information will be recalled every time the file is loaded into VBOX Test Suite.

When in 'Online' mode, a newly-created session will be populated with session data from the previous session.

This information will be included in the test report to allow the user to understand which result applies to which tyre.

Note: This data is purely optional and has no effect on the test or test result.

To save time, it is possible for the user to import and export the session information for use in other sessions.

Once the session information has been completed, it is possible to export the data to a .vbses file. This file will contain all the session information that can then be imported into the open session information field.

Result Columns

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Along the top of the Test results area are some default columns. These columns are:-

Run – Indicates which run number the results relate to, with run one being the first run completed. There is also a selection box that, when ticked, includes that run in the graph and into the Average/Max/Min/Standard Deviation calculations. Once selected, a coloured square will appear to indicate which colour this run is displayed as on the graph.
Note: If you are loading a file offline, all valid runs are ticked automatically.
Pre Test var. – Indicates the total variance of the channel specified in the test setup. If this variance is outside the designated limit, this column will be highlighted red.
Time – The total time the run has taken.
Entry Speed – The speed at which the test started.
Lateral Accel (min) – The minimum absolute lateral acceleration achieved during the test.

Adding a Column

It is possible to add columns to the test results area by selecting the ‘Add’ button on the ‘Test Setup' tab in the ribbon bar. Selecting this button will display a drop down list of all available channels which the user can select to display as a results column. By default, this value is displayed as an ‘At End’ value, whereby the column will display the value of that parameter at the end of the run.

It is also possible to right click anywhere in the test results area and select the ‘Add’ option from the dropdown menu.

To remove a column, simply select the ‘x’ icon that appears when you hover over the column title. If a column has been removed, it can be added again by selecting the ‘Add’ button and choosing the desired channel.

Editing a Column

As default, a column is added as an ‘At End’ condition. It is possible to change this by selecting the column title you wish to edit (once selected, the column will be highlighted in yellow) and changing the condition in the ‘data column’ area in the ‘Test Setup’ tab of the ribbon bar.

VBTS Edit Column.png

It is possible to choose the following conditions for the main results:-

Avg – The mean average of the parameter during the run.
Max – The maximum value of the parameter during the run.
Min – The minimum value of the parameter during the run.
Delta – The difference between the start and end value of the parameter.
Std Dev – The standard deviation of the parameter during the run.
At Start – The value of the parameter at the start of the run.
At End – The value of the parameter at the end of the run.
Gate – The value of the parameter at the crossing of the specified gate line (e.g. Start of Test).

It is also possible to change the displayed parameter, by using the other drop down menu on the ribbon tab and selecting the desired parameter.

Copying Cells (Ctrl+C), Rows or Columns

Individual results cells can be copied so that they can be pasted into another piece of software. To copy a cell, select the required cell, right click and then select ‘Copy’ or use the keyboard shortcut 'Ctrl+C'. To select multiple cells, either left click with the mouse and drag or hold down the 'Ctrl' when selecting. To select all cells between 2 cells, hold down the 'Shift' key when selecting.

It is also possible to copy an individual row, column or the entire results table. This is achieved by right clicking the required row or column and selecting ‘Copy Row’, ‘Copy column’ or ‘Copy all’.

Average/Max/Min/Standard Deviation Values

It is possible for the software to automatically calculate the Average/Max/Min/Standard Deviation values of all relevant runs by ticking the selection box next to the relevant run number.

Once more than one result has been selected, the average, maximum and minimum values will be displayed, and once more than two results have been selected, the standard deviation of the selected runs will be also be displayed.

Selecting the tick box next to the ‘Avg’ line will add a moving average ‘best fit’ curve to all of the selected runs.

Interim Results

Columns

When Interim result(s) have been specified in the Test Configuration as 'Columns', each interim result is shown as a column within the right hand side of the results table in the order it has been specified. If multiple 'At' or 'Between' conditions are met within a run, only the first result will be displayed.

To change the channel used for an interim result(s), select the result and click on the existing channel used within the ‘Test Setup' tab in the ribbon bar or right click on the result and and selecting the existing channel from the dropdown menu. Selecting this will display a list of all available channels.

It is also possible to add columns to the interim result(s) by selecting the result and clicking on the ‘Add’ button on the ‘Test Setup' tab in the ribbon bar or by right clicking on the result and and selecting the ‘Add’ option from the dropdown menu. Selecting this will display a list of all available channels which the user can select to display as a results column associated to that particular interim result.

To remove a column, simply select the ‘x’ icon that appears when you hover over the column title.

Note: If a channel has been changed or extra columns have been added to the interim result(s) and the Test Configuration is then Saved, the changed or extra columns will be applied to all interim results when that file is then reloaded back in to the software, not just the results specified.

Separate Table

When Interim result(s) have been specified in the Test Configuration as a 'Separate Table', a new window will appear in the results area that will display the interim results from a selected run. If multiple runs are selected, this window will display the interim results from the last selected run. As well as displaying interim results, the start conditions are also shown.

The standard columns in the Interim Results window are:-

Description – This will explain why this line result was reported.
Speed – The speed at the time the line condition was met.
Distance – The distance travelled from the start until the line condition was met.
Time – The total time from the start of the test run until the line condition was met.
Distance (Delta) – The distance difference between the line result and the previous line result.
Time (Delta) – The time difference between the line result and the previous line result.
Speed (Delta) – The speed difference between the line result and the previous line result.

Columns can be added, edited and sorted in the same way as the results window can be, however the Line results have slightly different reporting conditions. These are:-

Avg – The mean average of the parameter during the run.
Max – The maximum value of the parameter during the run.
Min – The minimum value of the parameter during the run.
Delta – The difference between the start and end value of the parameter.
At Line – The value of the parameter when the line condition was met.

Dashboard

Along with the usual dashboard functionality, the ‘Lateral Aquaplane’ test has some extra options that can be displayed to the user.

By selecting the 'Add Gauge' button from the dashboard tab, a drop down menu will appear whereby the user can select 'Test' and then the desired parameter to be displayed. On selection, a gauge will be automatically added to the dashboard. Any gauges displaying a result of a test, such as an average or maximum value, will have a 'Result' icon VBTS Dashboard Guage Result.png to the left of the gauge name to indicate that it is either a result of the previous run if viewing live data, or the currently selected run if viewing a saved file.

All Result Column parameters are also available as a gauge.

Showing Test Results on the Dashboard

It is possible to display the time, entry speed and lateral acceleration test results from the last run completed as a gauge on the dashboard.

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It is also possible to show the current run number on the dashboard to give an easy, clear indication of the amount of runs completed. An 'OK Runs' gauge can also be added to indicate how many runs have met any specified pass conditions.

VBTS Run Ok Runs Gauge.png

Creating a Report

VBOX Test Suite allows the user to turn the results table into a custom report whereby the user can easily compare and display the results from their Lateral aquaplane test.

This report will include all of the previously entered session data, along with a table of results from each test and also a graph of all selected data that shows entry speed vs Lateral acceleration

The user can then choose to print or save this report. A sample of this report can be seen below:-

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