Computer-Controlled Electronic Brake

Release System for Drag Racing Vehicles

May 8, 2006

Team #3
Manuel Trejo Jr.
Robert Payne
Art Trevino
Craig Davis

An electronically controlled brake release system

activated by a green light optical sensor.
 Overview
Problem Statement
Design Phase Approach
Literature and Patent Research
Market Analysis
Design Constraints and User Requirements
Engineering Codes and Standards
Design Concepts
Product Specifications
High Level Block Diagram
Major Components
Detailed Design
Implementation and Integration
Major Problems
Comments and Conclusion
 Problem Statement
Start time delay and early start are two
critical concerns that can be overcome
by implementing an automatic brake
release system which is activated upon
receiving the green light go signal.
 Design Phase Approach
 Phase 0: Planning and research
 Patent research
 Standards and regulations research
 Requirements and constraints development
 Market analysis

 Phase I: Detailed design

 Optical sensor development
Develop algorithm
Complete circuit schematic using PSpice
Build prototype
Test for functionality and modify design if necessary
Layout using OrCAD
Develop PCB
Populate PCB
Test for functionality and modify if necessary

 IR sensor/ RPM counter development

 Same process as optical sensor
Design Phase Approach Continued
 Develop micro-controller operation
 Develop algorithms and source code to:
 Count RPM
 Calculate speed
 Calculate distance traveled
 Calculate distance remaining
 Communicate with brake system
 Communicate with engine cutoff trigger
 Display data on LCDs

 Phase II: Prototype development

 Install components and connect to micro-controller
 Test for functionality
 Debug code
 Perform final system modifications
 Final test
 Assemble documentation package

Total project time: 179 days

 Literature and Patent Research

No Computer-Controlled Electronic Brake

Release System Exists

Similar Concepts Have Been Developed

Transmission brake release apparatus

 Market Analysis

$1.7 billion annually*

Patent protection and competition
Market domination

*Performance Racing Industry Magazine, 2001 Market Demographics

 Global Design Constraints
 Engineering Standards
 ANSI, IEEE, ASME
 Environment
 Future PCB (printed circuit board) will meet ROHS compliance
 Sustainability
 Long-term sales: product reliability will reduce the number of units needed
 Plan to offset the reduction from new GUI product version upgrade
 Ethical
 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) rules, no ethical issues exist currently
 Safety and Health Standards
 OSHA: no health or safety issues
 Society
 No effect on society: used by race car drivers only
 Political
 No political issues from the product
 Liability
 Manual disabling could cause malfunctions with minimal liability
 No infringements on similar ideas or patents
 Local Design Constraints

 Cost
 Definite constraint until sales start offset cost
 Scheduling
 Efficiency through good management of supplies, transportation
and weather
 Manufacturability
 Local constraint due to anticipated volume
 Engineering Codes and Standards
 Complied with local government regulations
 Ethical
 No ethical issues on local front
 Legal
 No infringement on similar ideas or patents, covered previously
by other members during a patent research
 User Requirements

System shall not alter vehicle performance

Optical sensor shall be able to receive a green
light signal from 10-20 feet away
System shall be compact an unobtrusive
System shall be weather proof
System shall be shock proof
System shall have an override feature
System shall operate from 12VDC source
System shall be easy to operate
 Engineering Codes and Standards

 IEC Std 61131-2 IEC Programmable Controllers-

Equipment Requirements and Tests

 IEEE Std C82.38-1994 IEEE Guide on Electrostatic Discharge

 IEEE Std 1100-1999 IEEE Recommended Practice for Powering

and Grounding Electronic Equipment

 IEEE Std 518-1982 Guide for Minimizing External Electrical

Noise Inputs to Controllers

 OSHA Std 1910 OSHA Standard for Electrical Equipment

 Design Concepts

 Concept #1: Gas powered go-cart

 Concept #2: Electric motor with wheel
and axle
 Concept #3: Ford Mustang
 Design Concept #1

This design concept required the product

to be implemented on a go-cart. A 24V
electromagnetic brake would serve as the
primary braking mechanism. The vehicle
would require rear-axle modifications to fit
the electromagnetic brake assembly as
well as the RPM encoder.
 Design Concept #2

This design concept is the simplest of the

three. It requires an electric motor with a
small wheel axle to simulate the braking
mechanism. The electronic circuit will
drive the electric motor when the green
light is activated. The only specific
requirement or modification is for the
microcontroller to deliver enough power to
drive the motor.
 Design Concept #3

This final design concept best incorporates

the final product as it would be used in
competition. The system will be
implemented on a Ford Mustang with an
automatic transmission brake system.
Pugh Matrix
 Product Specifications
12V DC Battery Operated
Maximum 15 range for optical sensor
Directional up to 15 degrees of field of view
5V Digital Logic I/O Signals
User friendly hardware interface
System Arm/Reset capability
Manual override
Multiple microcontroller I/O ports
RS232 connectivity
BASIC programming language
Quick-disconnect electrical connections
Temperature resistant
High Level Block Diagram
Flow Chart
Major Components
 Control Panel

Easy-to-use user interface

Features ON/OFF, ARM/RESET, override switches, status
indicator LEDs, LCD, and speed control
 Electric Motor & Encoder

Power antenna motor used to simulate transmission

brake release interface
Crank shaft angle sensor used for I/R encoder assembly
 Microcontroller

 Manage all incoming and outgoing signals

 Receives green light signal, outputs 5V signal to relay
 OOPIC-R microcontroller used due to availability, cost, popularity
and interfacing
Initially the MSP-430 was eliminated because of high cost and
complexity
Detailed Design
(Hardware)
 Amplifier/Comparator Circuit Cont.
Voltage Output for Sunny Conditions Voltage Output For Overcast Conditions

800
y = 1.2137x + 118
700
716 720
700 690
685
600 y = 1.19231x + 300 590
600
610
581 580
568 570
560
606 606 546 549
600 595 592 598 536
580 582 528
575 512 519
560 564 504
y = 1.1593x + 115 500 496 491

Ouput Voltage (mV)

468 465
458
y = 1.13846x + 284
Voltage Output (mV)

500 449
435
424

400 393 398

373
400 358
380 338
370 370 333
340 352 355
350 319 313
333
300 300
284
298
300
243 241
235 231
200 200
Green Light Vout (mV)
118
Green Light Vout (mV)
115 Yellow Light Vout (mV)
100 100
Yellow Light Vout (mV)

0
100 195 195 295 298 300 400 482 484 490 495 500 590 596
0
250 264 276 296 320 357 385 396 412 426 438 453 468 471 480 500 510
Base Voltage (mV)
Base Voltage (mV)

Voltage Output (mV) for Indoor Lighting Conditions

Output Voltages Under Low Light Conditions
700
y = 1.20455x + 496
655
700 y = 1.16783x + 476 618 623
642
612
631 639 643 600 600 595
628 582 581
605 610 572
600 569 569 579 579 582 588 600
567 546 552
565
546
560
562 526
537
545 544 545 545 519 523
524 528 526 528 530 508 510
516 514 500 501 y = 1.12121x + 447
Output Voltage (mV)

510 508 512 496

500 476 465 466
486 487 497 496
466
475
490

451 453 456 458

y = 1.12587x + 406 447
456

Voltage Output (mV)

431
406
400 400

300
300

200 Green Light Vout

Yellow Light Vout 200
100 Green Light Vout
Yellow Light Vout
Linear (Yellow Light Vout)
100
0 Linear (Green Light Vout)
7

0
35

39

40

41

42

43

45

46

47

49

50

393 404 411 425 433 440 451 461 473 480 492 500 512 525
Base Voltage (mV) Baseline Volatge (mV)
 Detailed Design
(Software)
OOPic R uses object oriented programming
Develop basic programs
BASIC chosen for simplicity of use
Virtual circuit created for solenoid output
Subroutines for time delay, timer and LCD
readout
Integration and Implementation
Hardware
 Hardware

Input Output

Delay observed at local IHRA event Tested system delay

Successful results
Tested with 1Hz/5V input square wave signal
4.8 ms delay measured from input to output
 Major Problems

Software
Running nested loops resulted in longer running time of code
execution
Displaying multiple sets of information on the display
Delaying the brake for 10 seconds without delaying the code
Using the real time clock string data as integers
Parsing the data from the code
Truncation of numbers

Hardware
LDRs susceptibility to heat damage
IC adaptor mounts installed in reverse
Design flaw in placement of power switch
Insufficient current to activate the relay
 Comments and Conclusion

Improve optical sensor with more complex optical lens array

Increase field of view
Increase sensitivity
Automatic ambient light detection

Use digital image processing for optical sensors

Use multiple microprocessors to handle various tasks simultaneously

Re-design for efficiency and performance

Design for hands-free user interfacing (i.e., voice commands)

 Summary
Problem Statement
Design Phase Approach
Literature and Patent Research
Market Analysis
Design Constraints and User Requirements
Engineering Codes and Standards
Design Concepts
Product Specifications
High Level Block Diagram
Major Components
Detailed Design
Implementation and Integration
Major Problems
Comments and Conclusion
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