Formula 1 steering wheel teardown - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2012, 10:24:05 pm
content: Hi chaps,I have run across these pictures while cleaning up my mobile phone.I took them while repairing a steering wheel a few months ago to help keeping track of screws and part locations.It was one of the 2006 season Red Bull wheels if I remember right.As usual, communication to the onboard ECUs are via several 1Mbps CAN busses.It uses a monochrome plasma display that had some minor problems (as in being completely dead.)The wheel is not designed for maintenance or repair so was real pain to pull apart.Plasma screen was glued to the carbon fibre shell, etc.Most of the parts are carbon fibre and aluminium. Note that serial numbers of all parts are mostly single numbers - that's why they are so expensive. And because they wheel is part of the onboard ECU network the car without the wheel is essentially dead weight.Anyway, I hope this is of some interest.CheersLeo

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2012, 10:25:34 pm
content: more...

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2012, 10:28:53 pm
content: more

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 29, 2012, 10:29:52 pm
content: last few

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 01:12:07 am
content: I bet it has a kind of oily raw metal smell? It's a shame you can't transmit that over the interwebs...

author: Short Circuit
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 01:20:56 am
content: Rather impractical idea to use the steering wheel as a keylock...

author: dtfgator
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 04:22:09 am
content: Is it just me, or does that PCB look like an Autorouted hunk of junk?

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 05:34:14 am
content: Quote from: dtfgator on August 30, 2012, 04:22:09 amEven in the F1 costs cutting has begun

author: itdontgo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 05:46:30 am
content: Does anyone know why they use thin traces with extra material around the vias? I dont mean why is there extra material around the vias I mean why use a thin trace when there is space for a thicker one. Is this the work of an autorouter?

author: poorchava
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 07:20:35 am
content: Best guess would be that thin traces + teardrops are easier for autorouter

author: cxcjohn
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 08:28:42 am
content: What does the display show when it's on?Any chance of replicating it for a next-gen SLI?

author: T4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 09:11:41 am
content: Quote from: cxcjohn on August 30, 2012, 08:28:42 amNvidia's SLI?

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 10:30:14 am
content: Quote from: cxcjohn on August 30, 2012, 08:28:42 amI couldn't test it fully without the car which was on the continent at the time. Here is the startup screen.I assume the display has been designed by the PI Research. They were bought by Cosworth if I am not mistaken.

author: hans
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 10:42:10 am
content: Graphical displays have been long phased out of F1. They have a ton of rotary switches, buttons, shift lights and a few alphanumeric display showing split times.My best guess this wheel is from 2005. I know from my CTPD mods in rFactor the 2005 Ferrari had a very big display in the car, where it was substituted for ingame menu's. I never drive redbull, so I don't know exactly when.Furthermore in 2006 McLaren Electronics makes the generic F1 ECU, meaning they can't put in so many bits as before.Now my question is ; how in the name did you get this?Edit:So it is 2005. (Red Bull RB1)

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 11:07:09 am
content: Quote from: dtfgator on August 30, 2012, 04:22:09 amThis stuff was usually designed for one season in quantities of a few dozens on a very short notice. It does not make sense to spend a lot of time perfecting the layout.It's not high speed stuff either so I can see the temptation.Leo

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 11:16:12 am
content: Looks sort of like a game controller...I expected the ECU to be a Motorola/Freescale as they do a lot of automotive stuff. ThatEpson controlleris for both a text and graphics display, interesting to come across it in this application.

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 11:21:01 am
content: Quote from: hans on August 30, 2012, 10:42:10 amThis is the very wheel:http://www.motorsport.com/f1/photo/main-gallery/steering-wheel-of-the-red-bull-racingI am based on Silverstone circuit and do odd motorsport jobs from time to time.Leo

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 12:24:31 pm
content: Here is few more odd things I have in the junk box.GP2 wheel display. It's double-stacked with a regular graphics LCD display. I have kept the original LCD and re-designed the logic board. So I have them left over.

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 12:31:51 pm
content: Superleague formula steering wheel display.

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 12:45:55 pm
content: Formula 3 steering wheel.

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 02:17:58 pm
content: These things obviously don't have very many turns of the wheel lock-to-lock then? Holding a wheel like that you wouldn't wan't to have to ever turn it more than +/-90 degrees. Must be twitchy to drive.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 02:25:51 pm
content: Quote from: GK on August 30, 2012, 02:17:58 pmMost assuredly. Those cars don't have any slack or give in the system anywhere. The driver's hands are directly connected to the track and the tiniest movement will cause the car to respond.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 06:11:27 pm
content: Looking at the connector socket brings back bad memories of changing those pins in a similar location. Unscrew backshell from control column, take up the 10cm of slack from the bottom loop and then carefully extract each pin socket, cut it off, strip the PTFE wire,crimp on a new one, solder the crimp for reliability replace in the new socket in the right position and repeat 18 times then screw back down to the stick, and go to the next plane. All this while on a ladder leaning in over the cockpit, with a big sign next to you saying Martin Baker, and knowing that the chair will not go through the roof, but will happily chop you in half as you are.Instrument mechanic, sometimes no so affectionately known as pump jockeys - wash the windows, polish the dashboard, pump the tyres and stick in the fuel. Also have a special dispensation in that we are not allowed to polish our work shoes.

author: krenzo
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 10:34:17 pm
content: How do the drivers keep track of their lap time? Do they manually say when they crossed a checkpoint, or is there an automated system that keeps track of that?

author: Leo Bodnar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2012, 10:59:12 pm
content: Quote from: krenzo on August 30, 2012, 10:34:17 pmEach car usually has one or more timing transponder units fitted in.When the car crosses the finish or sector line the transponder data get captured by timekeepers and relayed to the teams.On a simpler systems the main ECU, wheel display or onboard data-logger has a digital input that when toggled freezes and displays/stores the lap time. So a simple infrared receiver / transmitter is often sufficient.P.S. Here is system from McLaren electronics:http://www.mclarenelectronics.com/Products/Document/Lap%20Triggers%20Application%20Note

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2012, 05:48:05 am
content: Quote from: GK on August 30, 2012, 02:17:58 pmHere's what one of them looks like in use:You can see that the stops are at +/- 180 degrees, but at the normal speeds of these cars they never turn the wheel that far.

author: poodyp
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2012, 06:44:33 am
content: Never thought I'd see a MAX7219 on a steering wheel of all places.

author: hans
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2012, 08:48:22 am
content: As I am involved with quite some F1 simulator driving (as a hobby), indeed.. you don't always turn the wheel very far. Usually +/-45 degrees is enough for most corners. Only the hairpins and slower corners (i.e. less than 150km/h) can be taken at full lock. Some slow tracks like monaco also use different steering racks for even more steering lock than normal (although - inside the car it's the same, but the wheels on track steer further).The only other time when full lock is required with correcting oversteer (so when the back of the car is sliding), but then it's often called opposite lock.More insight in understeer/oversteerWhat a coincidence, I recognize that steering wheel!Anyway, as I thought.. F1 steering wheels are in terms of electronics decent but not ultra high tech. I am actually surprised the people used 2 Atmel proccesor chips in the superleageu wheel.. I'd say that getting data to 1 bigger CPU and controlling everything is more efficient.Unless it's there for some kind of back-up (although I don't know how much dependance one would have on steering wheel data - shift lights are useful, but all other data can usually be transferred via radio).

author: redtails
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 31, 2012, 02:59:57 pm
content: These things almost look like expensive toysI wonder who does the layout of those buttons

author: GK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2012, 01:27:51 pm
content: Quote from: amyk on August 31, 2012, 05:48:05 amHmmmm... OKNice find!

author: derfix133
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 31, 2021, 12:10:30 am
content: Do you still have it?