During this international exhibition MTA will present the Phoenix dashboard with TFT screen capable of integrating data acquisition, designed for professional racers. Available in two models, with or without data acquisition, this dashboard is characterized by a color-display TFT screen with user-selectable screen setup.
Two are the graphics currently available – in other words, the same dashboard can be configured for either one of the two graphic display to suit racer needs. The new Phoenix features a carbon front panel in line with the growing demand for lightweight components for racing cars, that also lends it an aggressive “racing” look. Phoenix also incorporates a GPS module and a three-axis accelerometer. As a result, a single product provides display unit, data logger, GPS and accelerometer, making for enhanced compactedness, less weight and simplified wiring. In cars with a carbon body, Phoenix can be interfaced with an external GPS to overcome shielding problems. Thanks to its comprehensive configuration options, incorporated data acquisition may be expanded with other modules, such as Cobra and Lizard – also manufactured by MTA – to achieve highly professional performance, and the display unit can be coupled to the Data Visus data logger outlined in further detail below.
MTA will also show the Data Visus, an evolution of the Visus, that tops incorporated audio and video signal acquisition with proper data logging functionality. This way, it incorporates all functions except data display, that can be achieved using Phoenix. Equipped with a very powerful microprocessor that provides ample calculation capacity, Data Visus takes up one fourth of the space required by its predecessor, with the added benefit of corresponding weight reduction. This makes it suitable for motorcycle racing applications, too. Its hardware has been entirely developed in-house by MTA, and uses components specifically developed for racing application, offering high processing capacity, expandable memory and excellent sturdiness. The most attractive capability of Data Visus – and one that makes it unique in the market – is the simultaneous acquisition of data and video images. Once data is downloaded, it can be fully analyzed, establishing all kinds of comparisons and correlations to identify any errors made during a lap and improve driving style and car set-up to optimize lap time and driving styles. Data and video download is very fast thanks to an Ethernet line.There will also be the Data Viewsoftware for data download and analysis, that now implements new functions and has been remarkably simplified compared to the past. This software tool allowed great freedom of configuration, designed as it was for telemetry specialists. To meet the needs of a wider range of users engaged in minor racing series, MTA is now presenting a software tool that does offer less configuration options on one hand, but is undoubtedly easier and safer to use on the other. In addition to this new approach, it is being expanded with many new functions. These new, special functions do not rely on measurements taken by sensors, but rather on quantities calculated by algorithms. Here are a few examples: internal and external tire temperatures, tire pressures for less fuel consumption and improved yield during a race, best lap calculation for pole position qualification. In addition to the functions associated with mathematical models, Data View enables a comparison of track trajectories during different laps or by different racers, race track mapping using Google Earth, oversteer and understeer (yaw) calculation, and calculation of fuel quantity for optimal car weight.
MTA Corse offers a broad range of racing products for the motor racing market ranging from engine ECUs with related setup system, data and video acquisition systems supplemented with a software tool for data download and analysis, supported by various modules such as GPS 10 and 5 Hz modules, accelerometers, analog interfaces, digital interfaces, Can-Can modules, Beacon, through to the Dashboards, as well as interactive Steering Wheel Nodes. These systems are based on powerful HW and SW architectures, capable of handling real-time mono- and bidirectional communications between car and pit. MTA systems are brand-leading products in this sector and are used both in F1 and MotoGp, as well as in minor racing series.