Do you mean this post in the RBR thread? I was in the process of replying to it when i saw your post here and my thoughts were very similar to yours ...
nzjrs wrote: ↑26 Jun 2021, 09:46
"Any sensor systems may only act passively" is such a weird definition. What is an example of a passive sensor? How does adding a delay relate to the enforcement of "passive sensors"?
I guess a button is passive? Is a torque sensor non - passive? Is that the distinction they are trying to make?
Why don't they just enforce the passive definition?
Here's what i had written:
I only know that sensors can be categorized as active and passive ... so the phrase of a sensor "acting passively" isn't uncommon, but it's apparently different in this context.
From what i've learned a passive sensor would be one that can't create a signal on it's own and needs an (electric) input in order to create a useable output, i guess there's solutions to measure torque which could be active or passive.
The interpretation here however seems to be that the sensor (whichever type they use) should only measure something (like the torque) and then 'passively' give a signal (which in itself is theoretically an "active" act if you want to be nitpicky) without being put into a further loop/system where it would actively trigger the "done" signal to the computer which then gives the go signal once every wheel is tightened.
Passively acting sensor: only give a cue to which the mechanic has to
react via button press
Actively acting sensor: take away the above act from the mechanic and do it itself instead
One does not have to define a button as an active or passive element in this context, i believe.
edit: The delay would ensure that it's actually a reaction to the cue from the sensor, but it also takes away the possibility to pre-empt even without any 'active' sensor trickery.
edit2: I just saw that the race thread is also full of posts related to the matter