New Firmware TrakBox V1.013 - Sept 1 2026
The development team has released a new version of the firmware for the Racing TrakBox. It should run on all current pre-production units. This version is TrakBox V1.013
Find the new version here:
My Race Data’s GitHub repository
Note:
To run this version, you must flash the ino firmware file and replace the index.htm file
This version includes several improvements in code structure aimed at efficient code execution with the overall goal being increasing logging speed. Preliminary results show approximately 60 Hz logging speed (60 lines written to file per second). The changes include using the getVector method from Adafruit’s BNO055 library which directly pulls data from the sensor’s registers. The I2C bus speed has also been overclocked by setting it to ‘fast mode’ which runs at 400 kHz.
The gyro sensor now returns data in drift-corrected angular velocity in Radians per Second (rad/s)
The accelerometer now returns data in gravity-removed acceleration in Meters per Second Squared (m/s^2)
Both sensor readings use the BNO055’s fused data delivered by the onboard data fusion engine.
The phone display now only shows speed in GPS derived miles per hour. This was changed to increase logging speed. Previously the display had also showed gps coordinates and the time. This change requires swapping the web page file located on the TinyFS in the Data folder - see below.
This version uses the ESP8266 LittleFS Filesystem Uploader Plugin you must install the plugin to upload the web page file to flash memory on the micro-controller. Find the plugin and installation instruction here:
More information about the LittleFS filesystem can be found in this topic
For users who wish to alter the web page shown on the phone the following information is provided. The web page used for the dash display uses the template processor feature of the Arduino async web server to insert live data into the web page. More info here:
The file output is as follows:
millis, MM/DD/YYYY, hh:mm.ss, lat, long, gps speed, altitude, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, linear accel x,y,z, angular velocity x,y,z
Scales of the readings in the above order
millis is as emitted by the crystal of the microcontroller and is not exactly accurate in milliseconds
month day year per RTC
hour minute secons per RTC
Latitude per GPS
Longitude per GPS
speed in MPH per GPS
altitude in feet above sea level (calculated from BME180 atmospheric pressure)
temperature in Celsius per BME180
humitity in percent per BME180
atmospheric pressure in h/PA per BME180
linear acceleration in meters per second squared (m/s^2) on the X axis per BNO055
linear acceleration in meters per second squared (m/s^2) on the Y axis per BNO055
linear acceleration in meters per second squared (m/s^2) on the Z axis per BNO055
angular velocity in Radians per Second (rad/s) on the X axis per BNO055
angular velocity in Radians per Second (rad/s) on the Y axis per BNO055
angular velocity in Radians per Second (rad/s) on the Z axis per BNO055
the firmware uses the BNO055’s on board fusion engine to use all the sensors combined to provide linear acceleration with the normal force of gravity removed and the angular velocity is drift corrected. This makes the output strictly from the forces acting on the vehicle and therefore can be used to analyze the outright performance of the vehicle.
The BNO055 captures sensor reading for linear acceleration and angular velocity in three axis each. In the X axis, acceleration is output as a positive number (greater then zero) and deceleration is output as a negative number. As such the data shows both acceleration and braking performance. Linear acceleration in the Y axis shows Left and Right turns the same way as one positive and one negative and can be used to show outright cornering ability.
Angular velocity shows how much the vehicle is pitching fore and aft in the X axis and how much the vehicle is rolling from side to side.
