Technikum Mittweida Motorsport: Putting Reliability to the Test
From Development to the Race Track
After a successful 2025 season, our main goal for 2026 was clear: improve the reliability and robustness of our race car, the “Golden Serpent.” In Formula Student, performance only matters if the car can reliably complete the dynamic disciplines. We therefore set ourselves a clear target: participate in at least 75% of the dynamic disciplines.
A particular focus was placed on our electrical systems and PCB design, especially electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).
Learning from Last Season
One of the most important lessons from 2025 came from an EMC issue affecting our Tractive System Active Light (TSAL). During Endurance in France, electromagnetic interference caused an unintended activation of the indicator, ultimately resulting in a disqualification.
For 2026, we analyzed the root cause and fundamentally revised the affected electronics. External digital signals are now galvanically isolated using optocouplers, while their low-pass characteristics help suppress high-frequency interference. We also separated filtered internal supply domains from unfiltered external supplies and changed several signal paths from voltage-driven to current-driven transmission.
The PCB layouts and cable routing were revised with EMC in mind. Instead of treating EMC as an additional consideration, we made robustness part of the design process from the beginning.
More Data, Faster Diagnosis
Reliability is not only about preventing failures. When an issue does occur, being able to identify and understand it quickly is just as important.
Our new diagnostic system collects significantly more vehicle data than its predecessor. An ESP32-S3 reads both vehicle CAN buses directly. Combined with Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity, this allows our team to monitor vehicle data during testing and competition and provides more information for analyzing potential issues.
Testing Before Racing
Before our first competition, we put the redesigned systems through extensive testing. During the testing phase, the car completed around 350 km on the test track.
The aim was to expose the vehicle to demanding conditions and identify weaknesses before they could become failures at an event. The collected diagnostic data helped us investigate unexpected behavior and continuously improve the systems.
Compared with our previous vehicle, we saw a significant improvement in the robustness of the electrical system during testing.
Putting Reliability to the Test in Switzerland
Our first major competition was Formula Student Switzerland. TMM achieved 3rd place in Efficiency and 4th place in Endurance, completing the demanding 22 km race, and finished 8th overall.
Most importantly, we completed 100% of the dynamic disciplines. We were also the only team among the 21 competitors to achieve a valid result in every dynamic discipline.
The Challenge of Formula Student Germany
Our next event was Formula Student Germany, one of the largest and most competitive Formula Student events, with 80 teams competing and particularly demanding technical inspections.
We again completed 100% of the dynamic disciplines, finishing 19th in Endurance, 14th in Efficiency, and 34th overall.
Successfully completing every dynamic discipline was an important confirmation that our focus on robustness and reliability was having a tangible impact on the race track.
Reliable Hardware for Reliable Performance
Our experience this season has shown that reliability is the result of many individual engineering decisions — from system architecture and EMC design to testing and manufacturing.
This is where our partnership with Eurocircuits plays an important role. As our PCB manufacturing partner, Eurocircuits provides the quality and consistency required for the demanding conditions of electric motorsport. Their support allows us to turn our robustness-oriented PCB designs into reliable hardware that we can trust on the race track.
Our original goal was to participate in at least 75% of the dynamic disciplines. After completing every dynamic discipline at both Formula Student Switzerland and Formula Student Germany, we not only reached our target — we achieved 100%.
The next challenge is already ahead: Formula Student Poland at the end of August.
Für weitere Informationen besuchen Sie bitte Technikum Mittweida Motorsport Website.
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