HAWKS Racing e.V. - Driver Interface Unit (DIU)
For our new race car, the H21, we needed a quick and intuitive way for the driver to monitor critical vehicle data at a glance. In particular, it is essential to keep track of accumulator temperatures and voltages, as well as motor and inverter temperatures.
To provide this information clearly, we implemented a display behind the steering wheel that presents all relevant data directly to the driver.
The system consists of three main components: a commercially available display, a Raspberry Pi, and a custom-developed PCB.
The display is connected to our custom PCB via HDMI and a power supply. The PCB is located inside the low-voltage box on the right-hand side of the vehicle. This configuration allows us to make the best possible use of the limited space behind the display.
The Raspberry Pi serves as an accessible and flexible development platform. While we usually rely on STM-based PCBs for our electronic systems, developing a graphical user interface requires more advanced computing resources. By using a Raspberry Pi, we can take advantage of technologies such as Python and rapidly develop and modify the user interface.
The custom-developed PCB acts as the interface between the vehicle, the Raspberry Pi, and the display. It provides the power supply for both the Raspberry Pi and the screen and includes CAN controllers for the vehicle’s two CAN buses.
During the design process, it was important to leave sufficient space for a cooling fan in the center of the board. The mounting holes were also aligned with those of the Raspberry Pi to ensure a compact and secure installation.
We would like to sincerely thank AISLER for manufacturing the PCBs and supporting us in bringing this system to life. Without their support and fast delivery times, achieving our goals would not have been possible.