To work around the connectivity issues, and to be able to support various test configurations, many data loggers on the market use fast Ethernet (10 GbE and faster) interfaces and specially designed Measurement Test Units (MTUs) to connect different car sensors.

MTUs basically convert the sensor’s native automotive interface, such as Texas Instruments FPD-Link III or GMSL high-speed serial interface from Maxim Integrated, into data packets suitable for Ethernet communications.

This data logging approach may be disadvantageous in several ways. MTU development is fairly complex, costly and lengthy, and may raise interoperability issues with equipment from different manufacturers. Aside from mentioned technical and business issues, the harvested data quality may be lowered due to inescapable data conversions.

Xylon’s logiRECORDER Automotive HIL Video Logger does not require external MTUs and provides best-in class raw data interfacing through various I/O modules. It is modular and based on programmable FPGA chip technology that enables central timestamping and precise data manipulation out of reach to PC-based data loggers.

The current selection of twenty (20) interface I/O modules includes video modules, such as FPD-Link III and next generation GMSL, automotive network modules like CAN and LIN, smart accelerators for e.g. local TAPI parsing, utility and Ethernet module boards. Such a rich selection of boards can support many versatile test configurations, and can be re-used in different testing and validation programs. Furthermore, the flexible hardware platform, which is fully developed and controlled by Xylon, can be easily expanded by new additional modules for new interface types.

Within the test car, the logiRECORDER can work in human-operated or self-standing mode. Raw test data is harvested in the industry standard MDF4 or open ROS formats, which enable easy data use in third-party software installations.

Sophisticated triggering and filtering options, as well as easily inserted markers, enable precise data refining during test drives.

The recordings replicate original sensory data, which is of crucial importance to obtaining the most realistic HIL simulations and tests.