D
ATA
M
AXX
Installation:
For accurate readings, it is important to properly mount your accelerometer. For single axis
accelerometers in drag racing applications, simply make sure that the arrow on the accelerometer points
exactly straight forward. Mounting the accelerometer away from the center of gravity of the car will
introduce false readings because “yaw” (mere rotation or spinning) is misperceived as acceleration
(changing direction of motion or cornering).
Find a suitable mounting location where the sensor will not be supseptable to excessive vibration. It is
also helpful to use 3M foam tape to securely adhere to a surface. Now run the wire to either the Main or
Analog module, and connect to a free Analog input. Connect the white wire to “A- WHT”, black wire
to “GND BLK”, and the red wire to “5V RED.” The green wire is not used and can be cut off.
Calibration:
To configure, open the Calibration/Configuration window, and click on the “configure” button for the
specific channel that you have plugged the sensor into. You can now change the type of sensor to
“Accelerometer”. Note that if you want the accelerometer to be zero when you launch, open the
channel properties, select the filter for your accelerometer channel, and select the check box for
“Automatically zero reading just before launch.”
Testing:
With the accelerometer wired but not mounted, tilt it so that the arrow points straight up toward the sky.
A reading close to one should result. This indicates one earth gravity or one “g” of acceleration. If you
point the arrow straight down toward the earth, the reading should be minus one. If you hold the sensor
level, the reading should be close to zero. Now, permanently mount the sensor. It is OK if the reading is
not perfectly zero, as the software will automatically set it to a zero value at the appropriate place.
Copyright c 2008 Computech Systems Inc. 28