Real-Time Dashboard & Telematics in Solar Car
Case Studies / Acentauri
Acentauri
Acentauri is a Belgian solar car racing team that designs and builds solar-powered vehicles to compete in endurance races across Europe.
What problem did you solve?
During our solar car race in Belgium, real-time data monitoring was crucial for optimizing vehicle performance and safety. We needed a reliable way to log and transmit data from our vehicle's CAN bus system-including the motor controller, PV monitoring, and battery management system. Given that the racetrack spans a region of over two kilometers, ordinary transmission methods were not suitable. In addition to live performance tracking and remote diagnostics, we also wanted real-time visualization of GPS location and key metrics like motor power and battery temperature.
How did you solve it?
We integrated the CANedge3 data logger into our vehicle's CAN network to automatically log and transmit data via 4G LTE. Thanks to strong cellular coverage at the racetrack, data transfer was seamless. Using the built-in GNSS module, we also captured precise GPS positioning data alongside our CAN signals. The data was uploaded continuously to our cloud storage and visualized using the Grafana-Athena integration. We set up dashboards to display key vehicle parameters in near real-time, such as motor power, battery temperature, and GPS location.
"The CANedge3 has significantly improved our ability to make informed decisions during both testing and racing. Real-time visualization helped us quickly identify potential issues and optimize control strategies on the fly."
What benefit has this led to?
The CANedge3 has significantly improved our ability to make informed decisions during both testing and racing. Real-time visualization helped us quickly identify potential issues and optimize control strategies on the fly. The GPS tracking enhanced situational awareness and enabled precise lap-based data analysis. Sharing data between on-site and remote team members was seamless, which reduced turnaround time between test runs and increased collaboration. The system has directly contributed to improved vehicle performance, safety, and reliability.
Why did you choose the CANedge?
We chose the CANedge3 because it provided a compact, rugged, and affordable solution that met all of our technical needs out of the box. Its support for GNSS and LTE-based data upload allowed for reliable remote access to both telemetry and GPS data. The open-source tools, Grafana integration, and detailed documentation made it easy to set up dashboards and custom analytics workflows. Support from CSS Electronics was responsive and helpful throughout the process.
— Dario Hug, Engineer
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