Photosensor Lap-Trigger DAQ
Designing the sensing and acquisition path that turns a beam break at the start/finish line into a timestamped lap on the team's telemetry, with board work in Altium and weekly CAN and embedded design reviews.
- Stack
- C++Embedded SystemsCAN BusAltiumPCB DesignSensors
- Impact
Level 2 (600V)
HV system cert
CAN
Vehicle bus
- Highlights
- Lap-trigger DAQ with breadboards and photosensors
- Level 2 High Voltage (600V) certification for 600V system maintenance
- Weekly CAN bus and embedded control design reviews
The problem
Lap times only matter if the car can capture them reliably at the line and fold them into the rest of the telemetry stack — not as a stopwatch on the wall.
Approach
Sense, then timestamp. A photosensor beam break at start/finish becomes a clean event into the acquisition path, then a lap record on the team's telemetry chain. The current prototype uses breadboards and photosensors to detect the vehicle passing the line.
Vehicle realities. Work goes through weekly CAN bus and embedded control reviews. Board work is in Altium. Level 2 High Voltage (600V) certification covers safe maintenance around the car's 600V system.
Status
In progress with MRacing FSAE (Level 2 High Voltage (600V)) — iterating the sensing and acquisition path against the car's real harness and review cadence.