Talk to any performance engine builder or tuner and they will tell you there is a fine line between generating horsepower and blowing up an engine. The obvious key to making horsepower is to stay on the side of the line that keeps the engine from blowing up. In order to meet this goal, data acquisition has become a major factor in power production. Due to the specialty equipment and programming needed, often only experienced tuners with dyno facilities utilize data acquisition
The PLX R-500 air/fuel meter computer is the new Robin Hood of data acquisition equipment. Instead of relying on shops with uber-expensive data acquisition equipment, now there's an affordable tool for the rest of us. Finally a computer comes along that gives weekend warriors data acquisition capabilities allowing them to tune their vehicle at the track for maximum performance. The R-500 can monitor air/fuel ratio, exhaust gas temperature (EGT), boost, data log and be used as a real-time dyno. The most useful functions of the R-500 are the abilities to monitor air/fuel, knock and EGT.
Each and every car has a slightly different air/fuel ratio at which it makes maximum power. One engine might make more power with an 11.5:1 air/fuel ratio while an identically built engine might make more power at 11.3:1. Being able to monitor engine knock and exhaust gas temperatures at the same time allows the user/tuner to dial in the engine for optimum performance
The R-500 comes with a Bosch LSU 4.2 wideband oxygen sensor that is compatible with gasoline, diesel, methanol, ethanol, LPG and CNG. The LSU 4.2 Bosch sensor is extremely accurate from 10.0:1 to 20.0:1 air/fuel ratios for precise monitoring. The PLX R-500 also comes available with a K-type thermal coupler for taking exhaust gas temperature measurements. A knock sensor can also be added to the R-500 to monitor knock volts and audible knock detection. A built-in amplifier allows the tuner/user to monitor audible knock sounds with headphones.
However, more importantly than the real-time monitoring capablility of the previously mentioned parameters is the ability of the R-500 to simulaneously display the sensors readouts for up to 90 minutes. The data can also be uploaded to a PC via a high-speed USB port for further analysis using the PLX Logger software. Along with the uploading of stored data the serial data can also be streamed directly to a PC via the USB port for monitoring and recording (sampling rate 10Hz for six simultaneous channels). Aside from the three main parameters (air/fuel, EGT and knock), the R-500 is capable of monitoring up to six inputs (two speed and four analog) that can be used to monitor any number of items, including: TPS, air intake temp, MAP, injector duty cycle, vehicle speed, ignition pulse, etc.
The PLX Logger is fully customizable to display any gauge the tuner/user selects. When interfaced to the R-500 the gauges will monitor engine vitals in real time. Besides the real-time gauges the user is able to view the inputs in both 2D and 3D logger with cursors, zooming and planning.
The PLX R-500 is fully upgradeable with a firmware reflash card. With a built-in 32-bit microprocessor integrated into the R-500 the R-series controller can be upgraded with new firmware and additional features when they becomes available through PLX. Just attach the reflash card to the R-500 and the other end to PC's parallel port and you are able to upload new firmware into the controller.
Pushing the envelope is what every performance enthusiast needs to do to reach that next level on the track. The PLX Devices' R-500 gives enthusiasts the tool to accomplish this. Key features of the R-500 enable the tuner/user to capture that much sought after horsepower gain.