Permanent mounting location for data acquisition system
 

I am looking to find a good permanent stable location for a data acquisition system (I built one - but physically similar to DL1 Products » Data loggers » DL1 SPORT - Racing - Race Technology Ltd - Automotive Technical Excellence). I can 3D print custom mounting structures too.

Wondering if somebody has found a good location and mounting method for a permanent install - free of spurious vibrations etc (have been mounting my system on the dash and it is not a good idea, requires a lot of filtering to clean up data - which also removes some of the details in the data of interest) - please let me know if you have any suggestions too. I am mechanically challenged :banghead:

What are the dimensions of your item? What type of wiring needs to run to it?

So the dimensions are pretty similar to the DL1 (Products » Data loggers » DL1 SPORT - Racing - Race Technology Ltd - Automotive Technical Excellence) -- right now I don't have any sensors in the engine bay but would be nice to have access options for future installations of oil temp/pressure sensors etc. Fow now only intend to hook it up to the CAN bus (through the OBD port) and will route the GPS antenna accordingly.

:lol: so now you want me to look up the dimensions of that product? Good luck.

Sorry about that - I really appreciate your time. What I meant is my home built product is roughly the size 15cmx15cmx5cm. I have also attached a photo of what I have now. I have flexibility with 3D printing a new housing and mounting structures etc.

What I would really appreciate is comments on a location and a mounting idea - I will work on the details of how to adapt my box to that location. Thanks a lot for your time.

There is room underneath where you have it now because you do not have the factory navigation system. But it does look a bit larger than the product you linked and the only way to verify if you can get it in there is to try. Other than that the glove box would be your next best option. Or if you buy a OBD extension cord it would fit in the pass thru storage between the rear seats.

If it were me, I would just mount it under the passenger seat or driver seat.

I was thinking under the dash right there also

Thanks for your ideas !

The dash area has too much vibrations which corrupts the data - these can be removed but affect the data of interest.

Mounting under the driver or passenger seat seems a better idea - I will look into mounting structures which can be bolted on to the same points which hold the seat. Wondering if people might have already tried this mounting location - any particular mounting method etc

Mine is in the center console. Allows for easy routing of wires and you don't have to look at it.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7390/...9f2b2f53_c.jpg

Thanks ! Is it just placed there or is it bolted in there? Because the accelerometers in there need to be rigidly mounted - so wondering how that is taken care of.

I thought about that area but I'm not sure yours would fit. You can easily mount something there though with fasteners or just remove the fabric liner and use quality hobby store velcro.

Not really the same thing, but for anyone with an AiM dash display

https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1417662571

https://www.rx8club.com/attachments/...or-mxl_036.jpg

Hey Arvind, good to see you got your data system built! I don't remember if you ever saw my DL1 mounted, but I put it in the radio cluster behind that black plastic trim piece under the volume knob. I had to pull the radio out to do it, but it looks really nice and when I don't want to see all the flashing lights, I can just snap the trim piece back in and you'd never know it was there. I apparently don't take any pictures of the inside of my car, but you can see the lights and the logging button in this crop from a video frame:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-b...151%2520PM.jpg

One downside to it is that it's tilted forward a little, but that's easy to compensate for in post, and when I want to add inputs, I have to pull the radio out again, but I can do it in just a couple minutes now.

The DL1 comes aluminum angle brackets, which I riveted to the center console with some aluminum washers on the other side. But like 9k said, you could remove the fabric and just use double sided tape / velcro / whatever...

P.S. Team, that is badass

velcro firmly to carpet works - under seats are out of the way but I also like that storage bin solution as well.

I had my Traqmate dash in a similar location to Team in my old car, and have a spare steering column surround in route to do the same with the R3. Team - did you find that placing a dash there obstructed any warning lights that could be useful? I guess since you have the engine data routed through it you could use the dash itself to make up for it though?

Mine is attached to the roll cage but it sounds like you have all interior in place. I like Broda's solution.