University of Toronto Formula Racing Team

The university of Toronto Formula Racing Team is a fully student-run undergraduate engineering design team which competes in Formula SAE, the largest collegiate engineering design competition in the world. Every year, UTFR fully designs and builds a new small, electric - and now driverless capable - formula-style race car to compete against other universities from around the world. With changing FSAE regulations, improving technology, and bigger goals to reach for as a team, we must not only design, build, and complete a new car, but also reimagine its success each year.

Transitioning to a fully electric vehicle has created numerous challenges that the team has worked hard to overcome. One such challenge is monitoring battery temperatures, which is accomplished using PCBAs. Insegment PCBAs measure cell voltages and temperature sensor outputs, directly from cell modules, which are then transmitted using an innovative differential I2C bus to the Accumulator Control Module, whose microcontroller records the measurements and determines whether they are acceptable readings.

Rev1 of the Accumulator Control Module

Over its twenty-five year history, the University of Toronto Formula Racing Team has established a reputation for ruthless competitiveness and unique design concepts. We are committed to our team’s core values of achieving maximum performance in competitions, breaking boundaries in innovation and design, and most importantly, encouraging and fostering the development of our students.