Based on my own limited testing of these apps versus my DriftBox, the results were mixed at best. With all three of the tested apps (Rev2 Lite, Cantrell Motorsports Lap Timer and MaxQData), lap time, speed and positional data (eg. track mapping) were very inconsistent. In fact, the lap timing function failed to recognize the start/finish line as often as 50 percent of the time with these apps and showed speeds as high as 200 mph, even though I never exceeded 100 mph at the test track. As for the g-force readings generated while accelerating, braking and cornering, these more closely resembled the data recorded by the DriftBox but were still surprisingly variable from app to app. Rev2 has software calibration for the three-axis motion sensor, and as a result, its g-force data most closely resembled what the DriftBox recorded, but MaxQData produced far more variable and questionable g-force data perhaps because of its lack of sensor calibration software. These observations and testing are by no means comprehensive or even terribly scientific, but they do raise some interesting questions about the usefulness of the iPhone as a track-day lap timer and data acquisition system. My initial impression is that the iPhone's onboard GPS chipset simply isn't powerful enough to provide the required positional accuracy needed for good on-track data acquisition and that no software work-around is going to fix this hardware limitation. On the other hand, the onboard accelerometer is highly sensitive and with proper software calibration appears to provide some solid g-force data. I have yet to test some of the more fully developed paid apps like Rev2 Pro and Harry's Lap Timer Pro, so perhaps they've achieved a level of accuracy the free apps I tested have not. I'd love to hear from you if you've had a chance to test one of these paid apps against a well-established data acquisition system. Although the interface provided by iPhone lap timer and data acquisition apps like these are easy to use and visually appealing, their accuracy when tested against a Driftbox proved to be less than impressive.Although the interface provided by iPhone lap timer and data acquisition apps like these a This teardown of the iPhone 3G by Semiconductor Insights shows what GPS chipset and motion sensor it's equipped with, allowing us to compare its performance potential to purpose-built data acquisition systems like the Driftbox.This teardown of the iPhone 3G by Semiconductor Insights shows what GPS chipset and motion « | 1 | 2 | View Full Article By David Pratte Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
