RacecaptureApex hardware install

Installation

Mounting Orientation

The default and recommended mounting orientation is flat with indicators facing forward for visibility.

!!mounting orientation pic

• Mount as flat as possible for best performance from the built-in accelerometer / gyro.

Alternative Mounting

You can mount the system in other orientations. For best accelerometer and gyro performance, it's recommended you mount in an orientation that's square to the orientation of the car.

• Example:
  • Upside down
  • Vertical / on edge

If an alternate mounting orientation is chosen, you should re-map the accelerometer and gyro channels to reflect this change.

Connections

Main Connector

The main connector provides access to all power, sensor and communications for the RaceCapture/Apex system.

RaceCapture/Apex connector pinout

Power
Connection	Color
12v	Red
Ground	Black
Frequency / RPM sensor inputs
Blue	Frequency / RPM input 1
Blue / White stripe	Frequency / RPM input 2
Blue / Green Stripe	Frequency / RPM input 3
Blue / Orange Stripe	Frequency / RPM input 4
Voltage Reference
Yellow	+5v reference
Analog Sensor Inputs
White	Analog Input 1
White / Black Stripe	Analog Input 2
White / Orange Stripe	Analog Input 3
White / Blue Stripe	Analog Input 4
White / Gray Stripe	Analog Input 5
White / Green Stripe	Analog Input 6
White / Red Stripe	Analog Input 7
White / Brown Stripe	Analog Input 8
General Purpose Input / Output (GPIO)
Gray	GPIO 1
Gray / White Stripe	GPIO 2
Gray / Blue Stripe	GPIO 3
Auxiliary Serial Input
Purple / White Stripe	Auxiliary RS232 Serial TX
Purple	Auxiliary RS232 Serial RX
CAN Bus
Orange / Blue Stripe	CAN 1 High
Orange	CAN 1 Low
Orange / Green Stripe	CAN 2 High
Orange / White Stripe	CAN 1 Low

Plug Connector Type

The standard Deutsch DTM connector system is used:

• DTM06-12SA
• DTM06-12SB
• Matching wedge lock (WM-12S)
• Pins 0462-201-20141

GPS

Connect the included GPS antenna to this port.

• Note: Tighten this connection to 5-6 inch/lbs (just beyond finger tight). Do not over torque

Cellular Telemetry

If optioned with the 3.5G real-time cellular telemetry module, connect the cellular antenna to this port.

• Note: Tighten this connection to 5-6 inch/lbs (just beyond finger tight). Do not over torque

SIM card installation

RaceCapture/Apex requires a micro SIM from a GSM provider, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, FreedomPop, or many other worldwide providers.

Install the micro SIM in the card slot behind the rubber flap at the rear of the unit. The SIM fits in the bottom position of the card holder; the Micro SD installs in the top position.

• More Info:; See the Real-time telemetry guide for additional setup instructions

Antenna Placement Guide

GPS

For optimal GPS reception, install GPS antenna with a clear 360 degree view of the sky, such as on the roof of the vehicle.

Cellular antenna

For optimal cellular performance, install the cellular antenna on the roof of the vehicle, using the roof as a ground plane.

Antenna separation

It's recommended you separate the GPS and cellular antennas as reasonably far apart as possible, such as mounting at opposite ends of the roof.

• Note: - about 3 foot / 1 meter separation is ideal.

Powering

Connect RaceCapture/Apex to a 12v source, ideally switched with main power or via ignition power.

Power requirements

Power requirements

Voltage	12-24v
Fused circuit	5A max

Sensors

Analog Sensor inputs

9 analog sensor input channels are provided: 8 are available for dedicated sensors, plus a 9th internal channel assigned to battery voltage.

Analog channel specifications

Voltage Range	0-5v
Input Impedance	Greater than 1M ohm
Voltage protection	400v (intermittent)
ADC precision	12 bit SAR
Maximum Sample Rate	1000Hz (logging to SD card)
Mapping supported	Raw voltage / linear formula / interpolated map

Connecting Sensors

Connect each analog sensor to the respective analog sensor input on the main connector.

Guides

• See our comprehensive Sensor Guide for information on connecting various types of analog sensors.
• Also see our guide on Calibrating an Analog Sensor

Frequency / RPM sensor input

You can connect RPM, wheel speed and other pulse-type sensors to RaceCapture/Apex frequency input pins.

Frequency channel specifications

Voltage Range	0-12v
Input Impedance	Greater than 1M ohm
Voltage protection	400v (intermittent)
Maximum Sample Rate	1000Hz (logging to SD card)
Mapping supported	RPM / Frequency / Period

Signal input quality

Verify the source provides a relatively clean, pulse signal that transitions between 0 and 5-12 volts.

Special note about RPM inputs

For best performance and reliability, it's preferred to obtain a clean RPM signal from the engine's ECU.

• Verify if the signal you're tapping is driving the ignition coil directly, or if it's feeding into an igniter. If it's powering the coil directly, use the CoilX module to buffer / filter the high voltage signal.
• If uncertain, visualize the RPM signal using an oscilloscope - you should see a relatively clean square wave as the source.
• If your only source for RPM is the trigger wire driving the ignition coil primary winding, then you will need the CoilX module to buffer / filter the noisy, high-voltage component.

Connecting Sensors

Connect each sensor connection to the respective frequency sensor input on the main connector.

See our RPM connection guide for more information connecting and calibrating these frequency / RPM channels.

GPIO

RaceCapture/Apex provides 3 General Purpose Input Output (GPIO) ports which you can use to control devices (Output mode) or read switches or high / low states of electrical signals.

Specifications

GPIO channel specifications

Output mode type	Open Drain (connects ground when activated)
Output current capacity	1A, inductively clamped
Input mode voltage range	0-12v
Input voltage protection	0-40v - inductive protection up to 1A

Input Mode

When configured for input mode, the RaceCapture/Apex sensor input will register a '1' when the input passes a voltage threshold of approximately 3v, and '0' when the input is low (close to 0 volts).

Important Note: when sensing large inductive loads, such as sensing brake light state or sensing the on/off state of a motor, connect a 10K 1/4 watt resistor in-line with the GPIO input to protect RaceCapture/Apex from a large inductive spike.

Output Mode

When configured for output mode, RaceCapture can drive a 1A load per port, suitable for driving indicators, relays, sending signals to other systems and driving small devices.

Output Behaviour

• When the port is active, the port will connect to ground.
• When the port is inactive, the port will be an open circuit.

GPIO Connections

Controlling GPIO Ports

GPIO channels in output mode are controlled by the logic you create with the on-board Lua scripting capability.

• See the GPIO section of the Lua Scripting reference and collection of Examples.

Communications

CAN Channels 1 / 2

Two CAN channels are provided on the main connector as well as on the RJ45 connector.

See the CAN bus / ECU integration guide for information on integrating CAN bus communications and CAN channel mapping

CAN channel specifications

CAN channels	2
CAN Baud Rate	125K, 250K, 500K, 1M Baud
CAN Filters	14 per channel
CAN bus compatibility	CAN 2.0 compatible, 1M baud
CAN termination	Software controlled

Connections

Auxiliary Serial

One Auxiliary RS232 compatible serial port is available on the main connector. You can use this to communicate with external devices that uses RS232 serial for communications.

Control and communication of this Auxiliary serial port is provided through Lua Scripting, where you can control and receive data from external systems and map received data to virtual channels that can be provided in the telemetry stream.

• See the Lua scripting guide and Examples