Performance Box GPS Data Acquisition Meter

PerformanceBox is a version of DriftBox, which was launched in early 2006 to wide acclaim. Subsequent to this success it was decided that a version of DriftBox which does not include the yaw rate sensor, and which therefore cannot measure drift angle, would be a worthy addition to the Racelogic product range.

As a result we are now able to offer a comprehensive package of performance meter and data logger. In addition there is a vehicle power calculation mode, and accurate speed display which will also display Points of Interest.

How Does PerformanceBox Work?
Housed inside the PerformanceBox is a high performance 10Hz GPS engine, which measures Speed, Postion, Acceleration and Heading ten times a second.  PeformanceBox is equipped with an MMC/SD Flash memory card socket. This allows 10Hz logging of Time, Distance, Speed, Position, G-force, Lap Times, and Split Times.  Data logged to the MMC flash card can be analysed in detail using the PC software provided. For convenience, PerformanceBox can be connected to the USB port of a PC compatible computer to download information stored on the memory card.

Not only is the new PerformanceBox the most sophisticated Performance meter on the market, but it is also one of the simplest to use, with many features normally found only on professional test equipment. You can quickly measure the acceleration, braking and cornering performance of your car without having to set anything up beforehand, and there is no need to perform any calibration. Because PerformanceBox is based on GPS, you get so much more for your money than just a simple performance meter.

PerformanceBox uses a GPS system with an update rate of 10 samples per second, which is the fastest GPS engine in its class. From this you get a very accurate speed (±0.1kmh), cornering g-force, acceleration g-force and a very accurate distance measurement (±10cm in 400m).

PerformanceBox is based on VBOX technology, which has been used all round the world by the majority of motor manufacturers for a number of years to measure speed, distance and aceleration.  Using PerformanceBox as a performance meter could not be simpler, you connect it to your cigar lighter socket, wait a few seconds to get GPS lock, put it into 'Performance Mode' and drive!

To swap between the 6 different performance meter screens, simply press the up and down arrows.

Performance ranges and units are fully user adjustable, which means if you want to measure a specific acceleration or deceleration range, for example 35-65, then this is very easy to do.

Performance meter features:
 - Speed kmh or mph
 - Distance metres or feet
 - 4 accel ranges - 2 adjustable
 - 2 decel ranges - 2 adjustable
 - 4 distance ranges (1/4 mile etc)
 - 1 foot rollout option
 - Peak g-force
 - Top speed
 - Average speed
 - SD card logging
 - Quarter mile testing

Using PerformanceBox to measure your 1/4 mile is very easy, simply scroll the screen to the 1/4 mile screen, and then go! The elapsed time and trap speed are then both displayed in real time on the PerformanceBox screen. You can choose to make this measurement either with or without the NHRA 1 foot rollout method.  The 1/4 mile times measured by PerformanceBox are accurate to within 0.1s. After an acceleration run, you can download your data from the SD card and overlay a previous run to see where you lost or gained time.

Who uses PerformanceBox?
PerformanceBoxes are now being used by to measure acceleration, braking, and lap times by many car and bike magazines, such as EVO, AutoExpress, Autocar, Redline, Max Power, Banzai, Japanese Performance, Performance BMW, Car & Driver, Performance Bikes, Ride, to name only a few.

Using the supplied software and an SD flash card, you can download the speed/time/distance/acceleration data from PerformanceBox via USB and analyse it using the PerformanceTools analysis software.  Another very powerful feature is the ability to export your PerformanceBox position files to Google Earth, allowing you to plot your vehicle's path onto a satellite image of the area.  Because PerformanceBox uses a fast GPS engine, it knows precisely where you are every 1/10th of a second. Using this information, it can compare your current position with a number of stored reference points and use this information to trigger a lap timer function.

Setting it up is very easy and only has to be done once. Just put PerformanceBox into setup mode, and drive over the point you wish to define as the start/finish line. This point is then converted into a line at 90 degrees to your direction of travel, and stored in the internal memory.

Up to 6 Splits can be defined in a similar manner, and you can freeze corner exit speeds by using the Speed@Split function, making it more than just a simple lap timer.

There is a 99 lap memory, with every lap and split recorded to the SD card for later analysis.

As usual with PerformanceBox there are a host of other features such as modes for slalom courses, a one-shot mode for Sprint circuits, different options for split times, and you can load and save all start / finish and split points to a file on the SD card.

No other lap timer combines all of these features in one easy to use and affordable unit.  For drivers keen to improve their laptimes and get valuable feedback on technique, PerformanceBox includes a sophisticated, fully functioning Data-logging package. Dedicated data-loggers with similar features normally cost more than the PerformanceBox itself, so the inclusion of this feature is worth the purchase price alone!

To use the Data-logging, simply insert the 64Mbyte SD card (which gives up to 53 hours of logging) and drive. Once you have finished the test, either plug the PerformanceBox into a PC via the USB cable provided, or remove the SD card and place it in a suitable reader.

Full Data Logging Software:
The data is then read into the PerformanceTools software, which is installed from the CD supplied. This software allows graphical analysis of acceleration, braking, cornering and lap times. You can overlay up to four files, and you get an accurate track map to compare your driving line between different laps. Make no mistake, this is not just token data-logging, this is the real deal!

PerformanceBox can help you to measure the power developed by your car’s engine, either at the wheels or flywheel. Having set the vehicle weight, results are calculated from the measurements taken by the fast GPS engine to give you useful guidelines to the car’s brake horsepower or kilowatt output.  Because these calculations are made from the GPS data rather than accelerometers, your results are likely to be more consistent and accurate.

 - Measures acceleration to give instant power output at the wheels
 - Losses runs are used to calculate power output at the flywheel
 - Runs can be carried out in second gear at relatively low speeds
 - An effective tool for those wishing to evaluate tuning modifications

There are two parts to the testing process: the acceleration run, which gives you the power at the wheels minus the losses caused by tyre and air resistance. The second part of the test measures these losses and also estimates gearbox losses. The Power Mode is also an additional tool for car tuning, where access to a chassis dynamometer is not possible.

Read Our Comparison Between the DriftBox and PerformanceBox Here

Downloads:

Data sheet - PDF

User Manual - PDF

Download software - ZIP 

Download firmware - ZIP

Firmware instructions - PDF

Need More Support?  Visit the Official DriftBox Forums Here.