(5) beta testers sought for new technology

Pedal Logic · May 22, 2017

Hi daiske99,
We will ship all orders this week using USPS Priority Mail, which is usually 2-day service to most points in the US. When we print the outbound label, the system kicks out an automated email to the recipient with a tracking number. Look for that later this week.

The only hold at this point is that we wanted to get a last software update into the release. Thanks for your patience.

Marc

daiske99 · May 22, 2017

Oh I see. Thank you for the update!

Prodigyplace · May 23, 2017

Pedal Logic said: ↑

The short answer is "no." But because of the importance of the topic and because questions about safety comes up periodically in this thread (check out posts #12 and #21, for example) I always like to include more detail, so apologies in advance for the length of this reply.

The goal is never have a failure that leaves a vehicle by the side of the road. To meet that goal, there are at least three aspects of safety that come into play--and maybe four or five:

The system contains feedback circuits. These circuits re-read what Smartpedal just sent to the vehicle to ensure that the actual values transmitted match what it intended to send. This is important because electronic components can vary in tolerances and outputs over time. If the system detects this type of variation, it self-corrects, taking the change into account to adjust future outputs. Essentially the system is smart enough to address "correctable" errors.

Smartpedal also contains a pass-through circuit that can be activated under certain circumstances, such as when it detects an "uncorrectable" error. An example of an uncorrectable error might be the complete failure of a resistor on an output circuit. In a situation like this, the CPU engages the pass-through circuit: all corrections stop and the original pedal signals are forwarded to the engine.

Who watches the watcher? The pass-through circuit relies primarily on the CPU to detect an error and for engagement. CPUs sometimes hang, as anyone who has ever used a computer knows, so we have a hardware-based monitor that constantly checks CPU health. If it detects a malfunction (such as faulty loop-control, faulty interrupt or AD/DA circuits), the watchdog circuit reboots the CPU. During reboot, the pass-through mode is re-engaged. The entire process is designed to be seamless to the driver.

All of the above comes into play primarily when components begin to fail or completely fail on a PCB. As such, the best route is to avoid or mitigate that possibility. We do that by using true automotive-grade resistors, capacitors, and inductors. I'll post a picture of the circuit board at some point so you can see how physically large these components are compared to non-automotive grade: probably a 2x-6x size difference in most cases. These larger (and of course more expensive) components have significantly lower failure rates than industrial components and are specifically designed to operate healthy for years despite the stresses caused by the transient currents in vehicles.

Proof of performance is important. In February we completed a 1.3 million mile test on 37 vehicles operated by the City of St Louis transit authority. No vehicles left by the roadside or any safety issues whatsoever. This is important to cities because dead buses on the roadside generate passenger complaints to the local councilman's office and cost a lot to haul. These vehicles continue to travel about 150,000 miles a month, so we are probably close to 2 million miles of road time (with passengers) just on that group alone. We've done a lot more testing than this, which you can read about in earlier posts.

Closer to home, we shipped pre-production units to members of Priuschat in December 2016, which have been in continuous use with some software updates ever since. There have been no vehicles left by the side of the road. We also have a solid track record overall: in the six-year history of the company, we have never had a safety event of any kind whatsoever.

This is possible because of rock solid design and true prioritization of safety over all other goals.

Marc
Click to expand...

Other than reduced economy is there any indicator alerting to a failed unit?

Pedal Logic · May 24, 2017

Prodigyplace said: ↑

Other than reduced economy is there any indicator alerting to a failed unit?
Click to expand...

Hi Prodigyplace,

Yes. The PCB contains a multi-color LED that is visible through a portion of the housing made of a clear plastic. This LED shows both the driving mode and the health of the device.

Incidentally, after boot up completes we previously used to turn off the LED unless their was an error or the driver pushed pedal to metal. We discovered that having the LED off created a mis-impression for about 1 in 4 users that their device was DOA. So now in addition to showing mode and operating state, the LED flashes a green "heartbeat" every couple seconds.

That and one other small software change were both driven by this pre-production testing process with the group. We consider it a really good investment.

Marc

Prodigyplace · May 25, 2017

Pedal Logic said: ↑

Hi Prodigyplace,

Yes. The PCB contains a multi-color LED that is visible through a portion of the housing made of a clear plastic. This LED shows both the driving mode and the health of the device.

Incidentally, after boot up completes we previously used to turn off the LED unless their was an error or the driver pushed pedal to metal. We discovered that having the LED off created a mis-impression for about 1 in 4 users that their device was DOA. So now in addition to showing mode and operating state, the LED flashes a green "heartbeat" every couple seconds.

That and one other small software change were both driven by this pre-production testing process with the group. We consider it a really good investment.

Marc
Click to expand...

Thanks.
I assume the lights are easily visible without having to put your head under the dashboard.

Pedal Logic · May 25, 2017

Hi Prodigyplace,

To be candid, you will likely never have need to look at the lights again after the first week of install. It's not the sort of technology that needs fiddling or minding.

If you are curious, we experimented with several variations over time, including versions that were wireless or had remote access via a cable. We tossed them all, ultimately deciding in every case that, among other things, the incremental cost to the customer would not be worth it after... about the first week.

In any case, for the history majors in the group, I'm going to put online a visual archive with the USB, wireless, SDcard, and Canbus versions. We made lots of prototypes before deciding on this design.

Marc

Pedal Logic · May 26, 2017

Hi daiske99 (and Everyone else who ordered),

We can ship all orders today with the software that has been tested for the last month. We also have a new version of the software that we think will perform better. We can ship that instead, but it needs to be proven in the field first. That process typically requires about three weeks.

This means you have a choice to make: would you like us to ship today, or do you want to wait for the new software? Apologies for pulling you into the horns of a dilemma, but at least both options are positive.

You can post here or pm me if you have questions about the above.

Best,
Marc

Prodigyplace · May 26, 2017

Is the product software field upgradable?

Pedal Logic · May 26, 2017

Would be lovely but unfortunately no. Production units are sealed for water and dust resistance.

Tande · May 26, 2017

Pedal Logic said: ↑

Hi daiske99 (and Everyone else who ordered),

We can ship all orders today with the software that has been tested for the last month. We also have a new version of the software that we think will perform better. We can ship that instead, but it needs to be proven in the field first. That process typically requires about three weeks.

This means you have a choice to make: would you like us to ship today, or do you want to wait for the new software? Apologies for pulling you into the horns of a dilemma, but at least both options are positive.

You can post here or pm me if you have questions about the above.

Best,
Marc
Click to expand...

I'll wait......

daiske99 · May 27, 2017

I will wait too.

Raytheeagle · May 27, 2017

It's worth the wait .

The latest fix is to something that you experience when you go over railroad tracks and after going over them, there was a slight delay in response where you would apply more throttle through the pedal. It led to a higher rev when it was recognized. Now nice and smooth.

Here's the latest data after getting the new updates last Friday:

Prior to install I was at 48.2 mpg, so still doing well. There was a strong delta breeze this week and I was heading to work early and leaving late, so no real traffic which contributed to faster speeds and lower mpg .

@Pedal Logic , it was nice to meet Attila when we did the PCB swap. His Dodge Challenger definitely had just a bit more power than my Prius and it showed when heading west on highway 4 .

Pedal Logic · May 27, 2017

Hi Raytheeagle (& Everyone),

I think it is worth the wait, but I wanted to give people the choice since we made a commitment and it's not safety related. We pulled the Extremis units off the price sheet and intend to use them just for special occasions. This is one of those occasions, so we'll send that out to the folks who ordered. Thanks for your patience.

Marc

qdllc · May 30, 2017

I'm willing to wait too.

hackenfort · Jun 8, 2017

I pre-ordered a while back, and eta on shipping?

daiske99 · Jun 8, 2017

Had to brag about my recent mpg. Average 60mpg so far. The number is getting better and better.

bobzchemist · Jun 9, 2017

So, Marc...those folks who pre-ordered and are choosing to wait will get the Extremis units? Or are those for the folks who want theirs right now? Or both?

Also, I'm taking a 1,600 mile round trip on the 22nd - is there any chance the update will be ready by then?

Bob

swapper · Jun 11, 2017

Hi.

The Priuschat discount code is still valid ?

Thanks.

Pedal Logic · Jun 11, 2017

daiske99 said: ↑

Had to brag about my recent mpg. Average 60mpg so far. The number is getting better and better.
Click to expand...

Hi daiske99,

I think that's great. You previously gave permission for us to quote you on our website. Can you send a small picture of you standing by your car to include? These get shrunk down to a minuscule 120x120 pixels, but I'd like to work with a larger original for cropping. We'll likely use it with the Kickstarter campaign too.

Marc

Pedal Logic · Jun 11, 2017

bobzchemist said: ↑

So, Marc...those folks who pre-ordered and are choosing to wait will get the Extremis units? Or are those for the folks who want theirs right now? Or both?

Also, I'm taking a 1,600 mile round trip on the 22nd - is there any chance the update will be ready by then?

Bob
Click to expand...

Hi Bobzchemist,

Likely to ship end of this week with new software. We ship exclusively via USPS Priority Mail, which is 2-3 day service to most parts of the US.

Marc

(5) beta testers sought for new technology

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(5) beta testers sought for new technology

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