dSPACE data Loggin solution for automotive

Are you using a data logger to develop autonomous vehicles or smart machinery? More often than not, the major bottleneck isn’t the hardware—it’s the real-time data logging software.

While many providers have mastered high-end data logging hardware, most fall short on the software side—offering minimal tools or none at all. As systems grow more complex, this gap becomes more evident.

 

When Software for Data Logging Matters More Than Ever

With autonomous and automated systems surging ahead, sensor fusion is becoming a pillar technology. In this context, development teams are expected to:

 

• • Collect large volumes of synchronized data from diverse sensors.

• • Guarantee precise time-stamping for reliable postprocessing and analysis.

• • Define and trigger smart recordings, so only relevant data is captured (saving storage and reducing noise).

• • Add new sensors or scale systems flexibly across multiple platforms.

• • Prevent data dropouts even during real-time logging.

Traditional tools—open source, custom scripts, or legacy software—often struggle under these demands, especially when it comes to user experience, modularity, and speed.

 

The Growing Demand for Turnkey Solutions

What’s becoming clear is the need for complete data logging ecosystems: not just hardware, but the full stack, including real-time software and interfaces to sensors and I/O devices.

Such turnkey solutions accelerate deployment, reduce integration effort, and cut the overall cost and risk of data acquisition campaigns.

 

RTMaps: A Low-Code Platform for Real-Time Logging

Enter RTMaps (Real-Time Multisensor Applications) — a powerful software platform for synchronized data logging, software development, data replay, and deployment. Originally developed by Intempora (now part of dSPACE), it’s well-trusted across the automotive, robotics, agriculture, and mining sectors.

Whatever the sensor types—lidar, radar, camera, GPS, IMU, CAN, Ethernet—RTMaps offers accurate, real-time logging with minimal configuration.

 

Key Capabilities of RTMaps

 

1. 1. High Data Throughput
      

       

      • • Engineered for ultra-low latency, RTMaps can log terabytes daily without dropping packets—essential when you’re merging data from multiple high-bandwidth sensors.

1. 1. Smart Logging & No-Code Development
      

       

      • • The drag-&-drop interface supports over 600 sensors and I/O devices out-of-the-box.
      • • You can define triggers (e.g. start/stop conditions) to filter what gets recorded.

1. 1. Accurate Timestamping & Synchronization
      

       

      • • RTMaps ensures that data streams from multiple sensors remain synchronized—crucial for reliable fusion and analysis.

1. 1. Scalability & Integration
      

       

      • • The platform supports a wide variety of sensors, buses, and hardware platforms.
      • • It offers easy integration with frameworks like ROS, ROS2, MQTT, DDS, etc.

1. 1. Cross-Platform Support
      

       

      • • Works on both x86_64 and ARM architectures—independent of OS (Linux or Windows).

 

Real-World Use Cases

 

• • CEESAR (France): Used RTMaps to log millions of kilometers in autonomous driving tests.

• • ALADIN: Deployed RTMaps for high-precision time-stamping and multisensor synchronization.

• • KLAS: Users can quickly set up sensor arrays and achieve writing speeds up to 100 Gbps using RTMaps.