The VIA Em-ITX form factor is the embedded platform that I refer to as LEGO-inspired. You take the VIA EITX 3000 board and then, if you need to, you can plug in smaller boards to add more features. This project, however, proves that the EITX-3000 is just as valuable on its own.
Students from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Lakehead University in Canada, built a race car to compete in the Formula SAE competition. 2010 was there second entry and second car, and their design is impressive.
The Lakehead University car can go from 0-100km/h (60 mph) in just four seconds! The 600CC engine was designed for a Honda motorcycle but they adapted it for use with the steel tube space frame that the team designed and constructed. The drive train is 6 speed short geared, chain drive, with a spool differential. It’s also decked out with suspension.
What’s particularly unique about the car is that there’s a little VIA PC inside all hooked up for engine adjustments, fuel monitoring, driver communication, GPS tracking and more.
The VIA EITX-3000 has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two RS-232 and two RS-232/422/485 ports and six USB ports, giving ample room for all of the diverse connections the team needed.
Allan C. Pan who worked in the Electrical Team said that the VIA board was used for:
1) Real-time Engine control for both monitoring and on-fly perimeters adjustment
2) Real-time Air-Fuel Ratio for both monitoring and on-fly perimeters adjustment
3) Real-time GPS vehicle tracking over google earth and other map software
4) two Real-time Video and Audio feeds (one over see the the driver+road ahead and other one over see the suspension system)
5) two wireless networks, 1 for peer to peer connection using VPN, other one to connect other open/provided wifi netowrk for internet data access
6) WiMax network
7) dual Bluetooth PAN network, one for host system peripherals, the other one for data accessing
8) video streaming over LAN and WAN with compression
Many, many different crew members can be monitoring, tuning and communicating with the car and the driver, all at the same time, thanks to the VIA EITX-3000 board.
Earlier this month the team competed in the FSAE Michigan 2010 and they cam 39 out of 120 – not a bad showing at all!
You never know where you’ll find a VIA embedded board!
Students from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Lakehead University in Canada, built a race car to compete in the Formula SAE competition. 2010 was there second entry and second car, and their design is impressive.
The Lakehead University car can go from 0-100km/h (60 mph) in just four seconds! The 600CC engine was designed for a Honda motorcycle but they adapted it for use with the steel tube space frame that the team designed and constructed. The drive train is 6 speed short geared, chain drive, with a spool differential. It’s also decked out with suspension.
What’s particularly unique about the car is that there’s a little VIA PC inside all hooked up for engine adjustments, fuel monitoring, driver communication, GPS tracking and more.
The VIA EITX-3000 has two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two RS-232 and two RS-232/422/485 ports and six USB ports, giving ample room for all of the diverse connections the team needed.
Allan C. Pan who worked in the Electrical Team said that the VIA board was used for:
1) Real-time Engine control for both monitoring and on-fly perimeters adjustment
2) Real-time Air-Fuel Ratio for both monitoring and on-fly perimeters adjustment
3) Real-time GPS vehicle tracking over google earth and other map software
4) two Real-time Video and Audio feeds (one over see the the driver+road ahead and other one over see the suspension system)
5) two wireless networks, 1 for peer to peer connection using VPN, other one to connect other open/provided wifi netowrk for internet data access
6) WiMax network
7) dual Bluetooth PAN network, one for host system peripherals, the other one for data accessing
8) video streaming over LAN and WAN with compression
Many, many different crew members can be monitoring, tuning and communicating with the car and the driver, all at the same time, thanks to the VIA EITX-3000 board.
Earlier this month the team competed in the FSAE Michigan 2010 and they cam 39 out of 120 – not a bad showing at all!
You never know where you’ll find a VIA embedded board!
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