Why are my sessions starting and stopping so often?

BrianKK · Post by **BrianKK** » Wed Jun 14, 2017 11:23 pm

Used the RCP for the first time a month or so ago.

Installed a [very small] LUA script so that it would auto-start logging.

From ~5 hours of track time from 5-6 actual sessions, I have no less than 42 log files with on-track data. 127 files if you count the time it was sitting in the pits being turned on/off while servicing.

From the 42 log files, the vast majority of them have no more than 1 complete lap - many have just a portion of a lap. Most have a portion of a lap, a full lap, then a portion of another lap. I have not found a single session with more than 3 complete laps, though I haven't yet opened all of them (I've probably been through half of them).

FTR: In reality, the first two sessions were ~2 hours each, then the remaining 3-4 sessions were 20-30 minutes each. This was at Thunderhill near Sacramento - using the full 5 mile track. The GPS antenna is mounted to the center of the roof of the car - close to the windshield.

With that, any idea why it kept starting/stopping so often? I'm happy to upload the 42 log files with data (about 9MB zipped) if it helps

Post by **brentp** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 3:28 pm

Hi,

Can you share your script so we can see how it's designed? Also, what firmware is being reported?

Across a sampling of your log files, if you open them up in a text editor, do you see the interval column starting again from a low number, or do they all keep incrementing? A reset interval will indicate the system is resetting somehow.

Resetting would show up as a temporary interruption of LED activity on the front panel as well, if you were to test around the block or do a static test.

BrianKK · Post by **BrianKK** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 9:51 pm

brentp wrote:Hi,

Can you share your script so we can see how it's designed? Also, what firmware is being reported?

The LUA script in question is this one: https://wiki.autosportlabs.com/RaceCapt ... Powered_On (FWIW, Ryan D was there and helped us get auto-logging working)

I just went out to the car to confirm. It looks like spacing is a little different (not sure if whitespace matters in LUA). This is exactly what's displayed under "Scripting" in the app:

Code: Select all

function onTick&#40;&#41;
startLogging&#40;&#41;
 end

Where do I find what firmware I'm running? It wasn't obvious in the app.

Across a sampling of your log files, if you open them up in a text editor, do you see the interval column starting again from a low number, or do they all keep incrementing? A reset interval will indicate the system is resetting somehow.

Resetting would show up as a temporary interruption of LED activity on the front panel as well, if you were to test around the block or do a static test

Interval is the first column, yes? Seems pretty consistent.

Code: Select all

$ head -n2 * | grep -v Inter
==> rc_10.log <==
5083,0,,,,,,-0.17,-0.35,0.87,3,-2,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_11.log <==
5083,0,,,,,,-0.22,0.44,0.87,-9,0,-1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_112.log <==
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_113.log <==
5083,1495397973429,,,,,,-0.26,0.01,0.76,0,-2,-0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_114.log <==
5083,1495398110116,,,,,,-0.02,-0.91,1.02,19,2,2,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_115.log <==
5084,1495398230167,,,,,,-0.12,-0.53,0.93,11,-2,3,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_118.log <==
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_119.log <==
5083,1495401391422,,,,,,-0.33,0.76,0.94,-24,-2,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_12.log <==
5083,1495301311430,,,,,,-0.21,0.44,0.95,-6,-1,-2,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_120.log <==
5083,0,,,,,,0.2,-0.71,0.87,17,-1,-3,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_121.log <==
5083,1495401791082,,,,,,-0.07,-0.02,0.68,0,-3,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_123.log <==
364,0,,,,,,0.08,0.02,0.82,0,-0,-0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_124.log <==
5084,1495404833147,,,,,,0.51,0.54,0.8,-19,-2,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_125.log <==
5083,0,,,,,,-0.18,-0.65,0.95,9,1,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_13.log <==
5083,0,,,,,,0.14,-1.08,0.95,28,2,2,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_14.log <==
5083,1495301893201,,,,,,-0.35,-0.03,0.87,-0,0,-1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_15.log <==
5083,0,,,,,,-0.04,-0.02,0.94,1,3,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_16.log <==
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_17.log.csv <==
5083,1495304246588,,,,,,-0.19,0.29,1.24,-5,2,-2,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_18.log <==
5083,1495304718012,,,,,,0.35,0.3,0.91,-14,-0,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_19.log <==
5083,0,,,,,,0.1,-0.86,0.95,23,1,-0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_20.log <==
5083,1495306237415,,,,,,-0.34,0.08,0.99,-1,1,-0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_21.log <==
5083,1495306475138,,,,,,-0.2,-0.06,0.86,1,-2,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_22.log <==
5083,1495307094611,,,,,,-0.19,0.73,0.95,-12,-2,-1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_23.log <==
5083,1495307224588,,,,,,-0.05,0.18,0.96,-11,1,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_24.log <==
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_25.log <==
5084,1495308124251,,,,,,0.36,0.51,1.14,-8,1,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_26.log <==
5084,1495309299461,,,,,,0.07,0.87,1.02,-21,3,-0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_27.log <==
5084,1495309690553,,,,,,0.4,-0.39,1.12,6,1,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_28.log <==
5084,1495310338749,,,,,,-0.25,0.95,0.93,-19,-0,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_29.log <==
5083,1495310652703,,,,,,0.12,-0.72,1.12,15,-1,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_30.log <==
5083,1495311091178,,,,,,0.06,0.42,0.97,-9,0,-1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_31.log <==
5083,1495311884131,,,,,,-0.35,0.02,0.92,1,-2,-0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_32.log <==
5083,1495312421688,,,,,,-0.16,0.93,0.94,-20,-1,-0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_33.log <==
5084,1495312828066,,,,,,-0.13,-0.0,0.54,-0,-2,-1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_34.log <==
5083,1495312969220,,,,,,0.52,-0.07,0.94,-1,1,2,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_35.log <==
5083,1495313277296,,,,,,0.09,-0.52,0.93,15,-1,-0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_36.log <==
5084,0,,,,,,-0.07,-0.01,1.11,0,-1,-0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_37.log <==
5084,1495314230565,,,,,,-0.27,0.04,0.75,-0,-1,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_38.log <==
5083,0,,,,,,-0.02,0.5,0.98,-10,-0,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_8.log <==
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

==> rc_9.log <==
5084,0,,,,,,-0.24,0.07,0.52,0,-1,-0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

FWIW: because of it's mounting location, I can't see the LEDs while in the car (it's located on the center console, next to the driver - just out of sight)

Post by **brentp** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 10:03 pm

Hi,

Firmware is reported in the upper right of the app after it connects. It should show "RaceCapture... X.Y.Z"

BrianKK · Post by **BrianKK** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 10:32 pm

2.11.0-rc1

Post by **brentp** » Thu Jun 15, 2017 11:47 pm

Hi Brian, Try upgrading to the 2.11.0 firmware release, found here:
https://wiki.autosportlabs.com/RaceCapt ... e_Firmware

Your script seems sane, but I would personally replace it with something that triggered off of speed or battery voltage, just so you don't get needless logs. Examples:
https://wiki.autosportlabs.com/RaceCapt ... g_Examples

BrianKK · Post by **BrianKK** » Fri Jun 16, 2017 12:44 am

Will upgrade the firmware.

Unfortunately, it's not a street car, so I can't test it around the block.

Just so we're on the same page, from the logs, it appears to be resetting, yes?

Post by **brentp** » Fri Jun 16, 2017 4:23 pm

It does appear to be resetting.

After upgrading firmware, you could also pull the unit out and power it over USB with a USB charger or battery, and run it in your street car for a while. It's not Apples:Apples testing since you're not in the race car, powered over 12v with any sensors you have connected, but it could be a baseline test at least.

Let us know what you find out!

tfriest · Post by **tfriest** » Mon Jun 19, 2017 6:37 pm

You can do conditionals and also do steps outside of onTick()...

My script is based off the example to turn logging on when the car is moving (I added a check so if I stop for a short time, like from a spin, it doesn't turn logging off)...

The example is at https://wiki.autosportlabs.com/RaceCapt ... g_Examples (the gps speed one).

--------
if isLogging() == 0 and getGpsSpeed() > 0 then
startLogging()
end
--------

would work and avoid any bug about starting logging over and over.

Post by **brentp** » Mon Jun 19, 2017 8:42 pm

thanks for that. there's a ton of different useful approaches, which makes the Lua scripting so powerful.

Worth noting, startLogging() and stopLogging() are both idempotent, so you can safely call them repeatedly without any issues.

BrianKK · Post by **BrianKK** » Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:35 pm

Correct me if I'm wrong, but because the unit is resetting, it doesn't matter what the trigger is -- be it power on, GPS speed, engine on, or launch. I would still get multiple logs, as the trigger is not the thing that's at fault.

Post by **brentp** » Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:44 pm

Correct. Something else is causing the repeated logs / re-setting, not the repeated "startLogging()" .