Thank you for the update. It sounds like you are making some headway. I will get the information you ask for concerning the equipment and the need to have it connected to a constant power source. I would be interested to know if you have found any one item or group of items that cause the battery to go dead. We had several new cars this year that would sit outside for months with no problem, once we started to install equipment (which I'm told only draws very small amounts of power when not in use) the cars would go dead in a few days or a week while others had no problems. The real puzzling part for us is the problem has not been consistent.

Thanks Matt
>>> <jkulick@nd.edu> 1/22/2007 1:37 PM >>>

Dear Mr. Chlebowski,

Hello and Happy New Year! I am writing to update you on the current state of
the police cruiser power project. Over the fall semester, our group worked
primarily on researching possible solutions and their implementation. The group
and Dr. Schafer decided to design, manufacture, and install a power monitoring
and management system. Basically, a microprocessor will receive sensor input on
the car's power consumption and have the ability to activate or deactivate
subsystems based on priority. This system will also be useful in diagnosing
problems since all power consumption will be monitored. Currently we are
testing individual hardware components and beginning initial software
development for the system.

We are aware that there are some systems which are critical and must be 100%
active, but are interested to learn if certain other systems could be safely
taken offline. Turning off equipment when not needed (for example, if car is
parked for the weekend, overnight, etc.) will be an important step in
eliminating unnecessary power draw. Would it be possible for the SBPD or fleet
management to characterize the following list of equipment relative to it being
able to be de-activated or not? If this can't be done through email, we would
gladly meet with you in person to further discuss/explain what we need in order
to write appropriate code.

.2-Way Radio
.GPS
.Video Camera System
.Light Bar
.Computer/Printer Port
.Flashlight Re-Charger
.Siren/Loudspeaker
.Side Spotlight

The general idea is that we will have separate categories relating to the
importance of the device, and monitor the power draw by grouping comparable
devices together. While we are nearly certain the radio should be independent
and never come off unless specifically turned off by the officer, other pieces
such as the camera system or printer, etc. could perhaps be "timed out" or shut
down if the car is not running. This is the type of prioritization we would like
to have in order to design an optimally effective and safe system. Thank you for
your assistance.

-Jason Kulick