Power OpenDrift
Turn the car on, open the WiFi page on the Waveshare display, and tap WIFI ON if required.
OpenDrift v1.0.5 blackbox guide
Record the run.
See what the car felt.
Blackbox records steering, throttle, chassis motion, and controller output while you drive. Version 1.0.5 keeps the newest run data in fast PSRAM so logging no longer pauses the controller to write internal flash.
01 · Before the run
Enable logging while the car is parked.
Open the configurator
Join the OpenDrift network using password opendrift, then browse to http://192.168.4.1.
Enable Onboard Logging
Find Blackbox Log, enable onboard logging, and save. OpenDrift records at 20 samples per second whenever a valid steering signal is present.
Keep the car safe while configuring.Park the car before connecting over Wi-Fi. Keep clear of the drivetrain and steering while the receiver and vehicle are powered.
02 · Capture useful data
Drive normally, then repeat the problem.
A useful log contains normal driving before and after the behaviour you want to investigate. For an A/B test, change only one setting and repeat the same line.
Drive a few clean entries, transitions, and sustained drifts before provoking the problem.
Try to capture the hunting, spinout, hesitation, or slope response more than once.
Use separate runs for a setting, surface, tire, alignment, or suspension change.
Write down the approximate order of events and whether throttle input was connected.
No manual flush is required in v1.0.5.Samples stay in PSRAM while you drive. The controller does not stop to write a CSV into internal flash.
03 · Save the run
Download before switching the car off.
Park the car
Finish the run and leave OpenDrift powered. Do not power-cycle the board yet.
Reconnect to OpenDrift Wi-Fi
Turn Wi-Fi on from the display if it timed out, join OpenDrift, and return to http://192.168.4.1.
Download CSV
Under Blackbox Log, select Download CSV. The board converts its compact records to CSV during the download, so allow the browser to finish.
Confirm, then clear
Open or save the downloaded file first. Use Clear RAM Log when you want the next test to begin with an empty buffer.
PSRAM is volatile.Turning the board off or resetting it erases the current blackbox recording. Always download the CSV before removing power.
04 · Circular storage
The newest data always wins.
Version 1.0.5 reserves about 4 MB of PSRAM for blackbox records—roughly 18 minutes at 20 Hz. Once full, the logger overwrites the oldest samples and continues recording the newest part of the run.
Approximately 22,000 samples, or about 18 minutes of driving data.
Recording continues; the oldest samples are replaced first.
The recording is cleared because PSRAM does not retain data without power.
Blackbox no longer performs continuous filesystem writes while the car is driving.
05 · v1.0.8 diagnostics
See exactly where correction was limited.
gyro_requested_usThe signed correction calculated before Max Correction is applied.
gyro_limited_usThe correction remaining after the fixed Max Correction ceiling.
gyro_applied_usThe correction actually available after gyro and driver steering are combined.
correction_saturatedSet to 1 when either Max Correction or the final normalized steering range clipped the request.
gyro_lpf_mode identifies matched filter tests: 0 is 24 Hz, 1 is 120 Hz, and 2 is hardware LPF Off.
06 · Troubleshooting
If the log is missing or will not download.
| What you see | Check this |
|---|---|
| No samples recorded | Confirm Onboard Logging is enabled and the receiver has a valid steering signal. |
| Wi-Fi network disappeared | Open the display's WiFi page and tap WIFI ON. It turns off after 40 seconds when nobody connects. |
| Browser cannot open the configurator | Stay connected to OpenDrift despite the no-internet warning and use http://192.168.4.1, not HTTPS. |
| Beginning of a long run is missing | The circular buffer filled and replaced the oldest samples. Download between shorter test sessions. |
| Log vanished after shutdown | PSRAM clears when power is removed. The run cannot be recovered after a reset or power cycle. |
Log saved
Pair the data with what the driver felt.
Share the CSV with the surface, tune, chassis changes, and a short description of the run. The numbers are most useful when they have context.