Software-Defined AI Roadster Engineering Hub
Comprehensive technical forensic audit, electrical schematics, and modernization roadmap for the converted 1970s MG Midget roadster. Transitioning from raw analog series DC control and unmonitored lithium modules to a deterministic dual-tier AI-Defined Vehicle (AIDC).
CRITICAL FORENSIC AUDIT DIRECTIVE: DO NOT CHARGE THE VEHICLE
High-resolution visual inspection confirms that the traction battery consists of three Chevrolet Volt (Gen 1, LG Chem / GM OEM) Lithium-Ion LMO/NMC modules. The OEM GM Battery Interface Control Modules (BICMs) have been removed, and the cell tap ports are covered in duct tape with zero BMS monitoring or overvoltage shutoff. Plugging in the Elcon onboard charger without cell-level balance and voltage isolation risks unbalanced cell overcharge, internal venting, and violent thermal runaway.
Immediate Triage Required: 1) Quarantine charging operations; 2) Insulate dangling 12V wire ends above Blue Sea fuse block; 3) Replace temporary yellow ratchet strap with rigid containment enclosure.
Briefing Presentation Decks
Comprehensive widescreen PowerPoint briefings prepared for engineering review and project stakeholders.
As-Built Systems Engineering Audit & Technical Diagrams
Rigorous deep dive into the current vehicle state: chassis packaging blueprints, high-voltage single-line schematics, mechanical drivetrain coupling cross-sections, Chevy Volt module pinouts, pre-charge RC inrush physics, and a full engineering FMEA matrix.
- Focus As-Built Hardware, Schematics & Physics
- Battery Identified Chevy Volt (LG Chem / GM OEM)
- Diagrams Included 8 Full Vector Schematics
- Risk Analysis Quantitative FMEA (RPN Scoring)
AI-Defined EV Modernization & Strategic Roadmap
Executive strategy and options analysis detailing the transition to an AI-Defined EV (AIDC): Teensy 4.1 real-time safety VCU, Raspberry Pi 5 + Hailo-8 NPU (26 TOPS), stealth circular Smiths digital cluster, vision ADAS, predictive range neural net, and itemized $2,314.50 BOM.
- Focus Software-Defined EV, Options & Procurement
- Options Evaluated Baseline ($1.4k) vs AI ($2.4k) vs AC ($9k)
- Edge AI Host Raspberry Pi 5 + Hailo-8 (26 TOPS)
- Total Hardware BOM $2,314.50 Turnkey Stack
Technical Schematics & Blueprints
Vector-rendered diagrams detailing the spatial, mechanical, electrical, and control loops of the vehicle.
Chassis Packaging & Spatial Blueprint
Top-down engineering layout of the MG Midget (80.0" wheelbase, 46.0" track). Highlights motor tunnel positioning, firewall electronics shelf, cockpit instruments, and rear boot battery bay with 52/48 weight distribution.
High-Voltage Traction Single-Line Diagram (SLD)
Complete DC power flow schematic: 3x Chevy Volt modules in series (48S total, ~96V-116V nominal) → Bussmann ANN-300A fuse → Albright SW180 contactor w/ Dale RH-50 pre-charge → Curtis 1221B controller → ADC series motor.
Powertrain Mechanical Coupling & Drivetrain
Exploded cross-section: ADC FB1-4001A 1.125" keyed shaft → taper-lock flywheel hub → 0.5" CNC 6061-T6 aluminum adapter plate → 6.5" sprung clutch disc & diaphragm pressure plate → British Leyland 4-speed manual gearbox → 3.90:1 rear axle.
Chevy Volt (LG Chem) 16S Module Architecture & Pinout
Inspection of the amber translucent plastic cell cassettes, aluminum cooling fin plates, and unmonitored voltage tap terminals. Highlights severe unbalanced cell overcharge hazard during charging without an active BMS.
12V Auxiliary Power Distribution & Fuse Block
Duralast ETX18L AGM battery (18 Ah, 340 CCA) connected to Blue Sea Systems 5025 12-circuit ST-Blade fuse block. Details active circuits (10A ignition/contactor, 5A gauges, 15A lighting, 20A DC-DC) and dangling bare wire hazard.
Pre-Charge RC Dynamics & Contactor Inrush Suppression
Mathematical modeling of Curtis 1,500 µF capacitor pre-charging via Dale RH-50 (750Ω 50W) power resistor. Demonstrates RC time constant (τ = 1.125s) and suppression of catastrophic 2,000A+ inrush down to 0.128A.
Cockpit Controls & Driver Interaction Loop
Bowden cable pedal actuation pulling under-hood Curtis PB-6 style 0–5kΩ potbox, Smiths 100mm mechanical speedometer cable drive, and 3-digit LED voltmeter sense loop. Documents severe driver information gaps (no SoC %, no kW draw).
Charging Subsystem & Auxiliary Power Flow
AC grid feed into Elcon/TC 1.5–2.0 kW high-frequency traction charger and EverStart 3A trickle maintainer. Highlights total absence of BMS charge cutoff interlock and why charging in the current state poses a severe fire hazard.
Hardware Specifications & Modernization BOM
Itemized technical register of installed as-built components and the proposed AI upgrade bill of materials.
1. As-Built Component Specification Registry
| Subsystem | Manufacturer & Model | Electrical / Mechanical Specs | Physical Location | Status & Integrity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traction Motor | Advanced D.C. Motors (FB1-4001A / L91) | Series DC, 20–30 kW, 4000 RPM Max, -CW / -N Lugs | Transmission Tunnel | OPERATIONAL |
| Motor Controller | Curtis PMC (1221B / 1231C) | 96V–120V / 400A–500A Peak Armature, 0–5kΩ Input | Front Firewall Shelf | OPERATIONAL |
| Traction Battery | General Motors / LG Chem (Chevy Volt Gen 1) | 3x 16S LMO/NMC Modules (~16 kWh, 48S, ~96V-116V) | Rear Luggage Boot Floor | CRITICAL: NO BMS |
| Main Contactor | Albright International (SW180 / SW200) | 200A Cont / 1000A Inrush, 12V DC Coil, Blowouts | Front HV Junction Box | OPERATIONAL |
| Traction Fuse | Cooper Bussmann (ANN-300 / 400) | Fast-Acting Limiter Fuse, 80V–125V DC, 300A–400A | Front HV Junction Box | OPERATIONAL |
| Pre-Charge Resistor | Dale / Vishay (RH-50 / RH-100) | 750Ω 50W Wirewound Aluminum + 12V SPDT Relay | Front HV Junction Box | OPERATIONAL |
| 12V Aux Battery | Duralast AGM (ETX18L PowerSports) | 12V DC, 18 Ah Capacity, 340 Cold Cranking Amps | Front Passenger Shelf | OPERATIONAL |
| 12V Fuse Block | Blue Sea Systems (ST-Blade 5025/5026) | 12-Circuit Blade Block w/ Negative Ground Busbar | Front Passenger Fender | BARE WIRE HAZARD |
| Onboard Charger | Elcon / TC Charger (HF/PFC 1.5kW–2kW) | 120/240V AC Input, 116V DC Bulk Output | Rear Trunk Well | NO BMS INTERLOCK |
2. AI-Defined EV Modernization Bill of Materials ($2,314.50 Turnkey)
| Part / Component | Manufacturer & Model | Function & Integration | Documentation | Unit Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Management System | Orion BMS 2 or Dilithium BMS | Active 48S cell balancing, CAN telemetry, contactor cutoffs | Manual | $890.00 |
| CAN Current Shunt | Isabellenhütte IVT-S-1000-U3-CAN | High-precision ±1000A galvanic isolated current & Ah count | Data Sheet | $384.00 |
| Isolated DC-DC Converter | Mean Well RSD-300D-12 | 96V traction bus to regulated 12V 25A auxiliary power | Specs | $145.00 |
| Real-Time VCU Controller | PJRC Teensy 4.1 + Dual CAN-FD | Deterministic ARM Cortex-M7 safety VCU & drive-by-wire | Pinout | $44.50 |
| Edge AI Compute Host | Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB LPDDR4X) | Quad-core host for Linux OS, telematics, and display server | Specs | $80.00 |
| Edge AI NPU Accelerator | Hailo Technologies Hailo-8 M.2 | 26 TOPS neural accelerator for YOLOv8s vision ADAS (3W) | Architecture | $70.00 |
| Vintage Digital Gauge | Waveshare 3.4" Round IPS (800x800) | Stealth circular cluster embedded behind Smiths chrome bezel | Wiki | $81.00 |
| Electronic Throttle Pedal | Curtis PMC FP-6 Dual-Hall | Redundant dual-sensor drive-by-wire accelerator pedal | Spec Sheet | $135.00 |
| Vision ADAS Sensor | Raspberry Pi / Sony Camera 3 Wide | 120° FOV Sony IMX708 sensor mounted behind rearview mirror | Data Sheet | $35.00 |
| Enclosure & Safety Interlocks | Custom 5052 AL Box / TE / Blue Sea | Sealed aluminum battery box, vent tube, cockpit E-Stop, wire | Fab Spec | $450.00 |
| TOTAL MODERNIZATION HARDWARE INVESTMENT | $2,314.50 | |||
As-Built Vehicle Photographs
High-resolution photographic evidence captured from the engine bay, high-voltage junction, cockpit, and battery bay.
Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Quantitative risk scoring (Severity × Occurrence × Detection = Risk Priority Number) for the as-built vehicle.
| Failure Mode | Root Cause & Failure Mechanism | Sev (1-10) | Occ (1-10) | Det (1-10) | RPN | Mandatory Engineering Remediation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Thermal Runaway / Fire | Overcharging unmonitored NMC cells; no BMS cell cutoff during charging | 10 | 8 | 9 | 720 | Install Orion BMS 2 or Dilithium BMS; plug in Chevy Volt harness; interlock charger shutoff. |
| 12V Electrical Fire / Short | Bare uninsulated wire ends hanging near Blue Sea fuse block (Quadrant 1) | 7 | 7 | 5 | 245 | Inspect, terminate, or heat-shrink loose conductors; install protective fuse block cover. |
| Contactor Welding on Inrush | Pre-charge relay failure or resistor open-circuit; inrush > 2,000A | 8 | 5 | 6 | 240 | Verify Dale RH-50 resistance; implement automated pre-charge voltage check via Teensy VCU. |
| Motor Commutator Arcing | Excessive sustained current draw with no brush thermal telemetry | 6 | 6 | 8 | 288 | Install NTC temperature sensor on motor brush ring; implement VCU current derating. |
| Battery Pack Ejection / Rupture | Rear-end collision fails single yellow steel ratchet strap | 8 | 6 | 4 | 192 | Fabricate bolted 5052 aluminum containment box with structural floor mount & vent tube. |