Bosch Motorsport has undertaken to simplify the installation and operation of telemetry in race cars through the development of its RaceConnect product, a cellular network based system that it calls an end-to-end telemetry solution. Timo Blon, director of portfolio strategy and systems engineering at Bosch Motorsport, said the system provides teams with a “live transmission, storage and processing solution that is not tied to a particular location”.
To use the telemetry system, teams must integrate an LTE65 telemetry modem from Bosch in their vehicles as the transmitter unit. The compact and lightweight module is connected directly to the vehicle electronics using a standardized Ethernet or RS232 interface. The modem then uses the LTE cellular network to transmit all the required data using end-to-end encryption to Bosch’s RaceConnect cloud.
From there, the data is then sent – via LTE and with end-to-end encryption – to the data engineers and racing team for further processing. A single LTE65 modem unit is needed per vehicle and teams can operate as many modems in parallel as they like.
Each telemetry modem can be configured and managed in the cloud via user interface. Bosch maintains the firmware and keeps it up to date so customers can always deploy the very latest version on their system via regular updates. Bosch also has a support team to help customers with configuration and any issues that may arise when operating the telemetry system.
The company says it has specifically designed the LTE65 modem for use in motorsport. “The electronic systems we develop and manufacture in-house offer features like low latency and extremely reliable data communication even at high vehicle speeds and in situations in which the cellular network coverage fluctuates,” noted Blon.
The system measures only 114 x 65.5 x 22mm, weighs 180g, and provides protection against dust and water ingress with an IP67 rating. It is fully compatible with diagnostic tools and has a built-in emergency power supply that can bridge temporary voltage drops in the vehicle’s electrical system. The system meets all data security requirements and is, of course, certified for use in the LTE cellular network.
