MoTeC

MoTeC is a professional motorsport data acquisition format. B4Racing can import MoTeC .ld telemetry files, primarily used with Richard Burns Rally via the NGP2MoTeC converter.

What is MoTeC

MoTeC is the industry standard for motorsport data logging. Their .ld binary format stores high-frequency telemetry data with support for variable sample rates per channel.

In the sim racing world, MoTeC files are commonly generated by the NGP physics plugin for Richard Burns Rally, which records telemetry and converts it to .ld format using the ngp2MoTeC tool.

What MoTeC Files Provide

Data Type	Description	Used For
Session metadata	Driver, vehicle, venue, datetime	Session identification
Telemetry channels	Speed, throttle, brake, steering, GPS, and more	Full telemetry analysis
Rally stage structure	Lap boundaries mapped to stage runs	Stage-by-stage analysis
Vehicle dynamics	Tire temps, brake temps, suspension forces	Advanced vehicle analysis

Available Channels

MoTeC files from RBR/NGP contain rich telemetry data:

• Core: Speed, throttle, brake, steering, gear, RPM
• Position: GPS latitude/longitude, X/Y/Z coordinates
• Tires: Temperature, pressure, wear (per wheel)
• Brakes: Disc temperature, wear (per wheel)
• Suspension: Spring force, damping force, travel (per wheel)
• Engine: Coolant temperature, radiator temperature

Variable Sample Rates

MoTeC supports different recording frequencies per channel. For example, GPS may record at 10 Hz while engine RPM records at 100 Hz. B4Racing handles resampling automatically.

How It Works

Data Pipeline

RBR + NGP Plugin → .tsv (raw telemetry) → ngp2MoTeC → .ld file → B4Racing

1. NGP physics plugin records telemetry during your RBR stage run
2. ngp2MoTeC converter transforms the raw data into MoTeC .ld format
3. B4Racing reads the .ld file and extracts all channels and metadata

Using MoTeC Files with B4Racing

Point B4Racing at your MoTeC file or directory:

• Single file: Analyze one specific stage recording
• Directory: B4Racing recursively discovers all .ld files, sorted by date (newest first)

What You Can Analyze

Once imported, MoTeC telemetry supports all B4Racing analyzers:

• Rally-specific: Stage profile, rally braking, handbrake technique, coasting detection
• Vehicle dynamics: Tire analysis, brake thermal, suspension forces, friction circle
• Driver inputs: Throttle control, steering smoothness, pedal overlap, input harmony
• Visualization: Track heatmaps, telemetry overlays, wheel temperature maps

Comparison with Garage61

Aspect	MoTeC Import	Garage61
Data format	Local .ld files	Cloud API
Sims supported	RBR (via NGP)	iRacing, ACC, and more
Channel depth	80+ channels (NGP physics)	~7 core channels
Setup required	NGP plugin + ngp2MoTeC	Garage61 client
Authentication	None (local files)	OAuth 2.0

Troubleshooting

"No channels found in file"

• Verify the .ld file was generated by ngp2MoTeC (not an empty recording)
• Check that the NGP plugin was active during the stage run

Missing GPS data

• GPS channels require NGP physics plugin v7+
• Older recordings may lack position data; track map features won't be available

Channel name mismatches

B4Racing automatically maps MoTeC channel names (e.g., Ground Speed) to standard names (e.g., speed). If a channel isn't recognized, it may be from a non-standard MoTeC source.