Mk1 digital dash project

[PW@Woodsport]

Thought you might like to see the early stages of a mk1 digital dashboard ive been working on.I already pioneered the astra digi dash mod for the mk1 many moons ago,and that is a nice dash but its far too buggy.Ive got two of them sat here and there is at least one fault on each unit,its a shame because otherwise they look great! Anyway i decided to build my own true digital dash replacing as many of the analogue mk1 displays as possible.

It still needs a lot of work but so far ive replaced ....
volts (top left)
oil pressure (top right)
water temp (bottom right)
tacho (middle left)
and an extra gauge which is oil temp (middle right)





The only ones i haven't managed to replace are fuel gauge and speedo.

A quick vid showing it from different angles....

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3B25W3Yeds

I like this dash because it shows the values as actual numbers instead of needles that aren't giving you the full picture,for example i now know exactly what volts my alternator outputs at any given time instead of guessing.

Im planning on making chrome or aluminium bezels for each display to finish them off.

[bobbyh]

i was lucky enough to own a Ur quattro a while back, and that had an ace retro-tastic green digi-dash..

with speaking dash too! for stuff like fuel, brake warnings.. top!

the car even turned the volume up on the radio as you went faster to compensate for road noise.

and, and, you could turn off the a.b.s. for snow/ice. amazing stuff then and now still really.

could also lock the centre and/or rear diff in-car, at speed!

[PW@Woodsport]

cool.... im a fair while away from making this one talk though

[MartG]

cool.... im a fair while away from making this one talk though

Hmmm - MR2 version of KITT ?

[PW@Woodsport]

christ no,just a digi version of the analogues.

[Lauren]

Interesting although I do wonder how easy a digital/numeric rev counter is to read at a glance.

Mind you thinking about it, I tested a formula renault with a numeric rev counter and it wasn't too bad to know where you were with it, so maybe its okay.

[PW@Woodsport]

hi lauren,it's a well proven fact that analogue displays are instantly more readable than digital ones oddly enough,something to do with the needle pointing in an already known location or something like that which your brain can process faster..... there was a study done on it which i can't seem to find right now!

The main aim of these was to get better readings from the auxiliary needles so i have actual figures for oil pressure and temps etc and of course to do something different.

[Lauren]

Hi Paul,

Totally agree it makes perfect and good sense to get actual readings for temperature and oil pressure. Would have liked the combination of digital read outs and to keep the analogue rev counter if that's possible?

[PW@Woodsport]

yeah i could have easily kept the analogue tacho under normal circumstances but unfortunately mk1 tacho's aren't calibrateable (sp?) with v6 engines,which my car has (1mz-fe SC),so i needed to fit a tacho that switched to a 6 cylinder signal,i too would prefer analogue for the tacho as you get a better perspective of what the engine is doing with a rising and falling needle v a digi readout with constantly changing numbers.

I might change the centre display to an analogue aftermarket tacho if it gets on my nerves!

[Lauren]

Ahh I see. Fairplay.

[Jim-SR]

the best digital rev counters dont require the driver to use the numbers anyway. in an ideal world you have a series of LED's (or some other method of display) that tell you whether you are in the correct rev range, approaching a shift point, or at the shift point. you dont really need to know the numbers. anyone with half a brain can tell roughly where in the revs they are on engine noise alone as well, especially in an MR2 where its pretty loud

having digital number readouts on the auxillary gauges is a definite benefit, so long as there arent too many. oil pressure, water temperature, engine revs, speed, boost (in turbo cars), and fuel level is all you really need though. anything more just makes it impossible to tell if everything is working correctly whilst on the move.

[+++Simpson+++]

Here you can see a digital dashboard in a MK2.

[/URL]
[/img]

if you want to see the complete car and details, follow the link in the german MR2 board:

http://www.mr2forum.de/thread.php?threadid=42132

[PW@Woodsport]

this is the mk1 section,off with his head!

[Lauren]

this is the mk1 section,off with his head!

DING! We don't allow the discussion of probes here.

[JMR_AW11]

the best digital rev counters dont require the driver to use the numbers anyway. in an ideal world you have a series of LED's (or some other method of display) that tell you whether you are in the correct rev range, approaching a shift point, or at the shift point. you dont really need to know the numbers. anyone with half a brain can tell roughly where in the revs they are on engine noise alone as well, especially in an MR2 where its pretty loud

having digital number readouts on the auxillary gauges is a definite benefit, so long as there arent too many. oil pressure, water temperature, engine revs, speed, boost (in turbo cars), and fuel level is all you really need though. anything more just makes it impossible to tell if everything is working correctly whilst on the move.

I sometimes log my mk1 with a pda display (eg on a long journey) and some things are best in digits eg if they only change slowly eg coolant and air temp (or mph on a stock mk1 )

Other faster things are better as bar indicators eg rpm, fuel duty and ignition timing.

IMO rpm definitely looks better as a dial or a bar meter. In 4 digit format it can be unreadable if the engine is revved quickly.

So maybe this could be done with LEDs.

The V6 rpm signal could be decoded with a simple £1 AVR/PIC MCU and converted to LED bargraph format (or even to the format for the existing mk1 tacho)

[PW@Woodsport]

....and now with chrome shower curtain ring mod.... seriously they are!

[boyzdad]

Hello PW (sorry not sure of your name).

I am big into PIC microcontrollers, its what I do for my living, I just wondered if you could share your info on your voltage in to values? I am really interested in the voltage coming in on the oil presure sensor, e.g. 1V per 10psi or whatever.

If you need some help on anything, please let me know, I can't promise, but I may be able to help.

Oh and love the shower-rings btw

Out of interest JMR-AW11

sometimes log my mk1 with a pda display (eg on a long journey) and some things are best in digits eg if they only change slowly eg coolant and air temp (or mph on a stock mk1 [Laughing] )

I have tried to contact you via email a couple of times, are you still doing the custom MK1 ECU's? I am still interested, sorry if I have go the wrong person!

Regards


MATT!

[sadako]

Hmm, interesting.

While there are advantages to analogue instruments sometimes, that does look good. Are you planning to add things like red lights that comes on if the temp goes up too high/oil pressure too low so attention is drawn to it before it boils over, breaks?

[boyzdad]

Hadn't really thought, but now you mention it!!! Sounds cool!

Send me any info you have and we can sort it, I think a low pressure "oil light" would be a very good idea, I thought about adding a 2nd switch to the engine, but easier to grab the info going to the gauge A low/high trip point could then be set.

I, personally was thinking of using the area where the clock is for my display, I have recently got hold of an old vac forming machine, I think I feel a project coming on!

How about a nice 2*16 LCD display?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/16x2-Blue-LCD-dis ... 286.c0.m14



Regards



MATT!

[PW@Woodsport]

hi matt,i will give you any readings you want when its up and running on the car.

These digital displays already feature warning lights that come on when temps are high/pressures are low/voltage low/rpms high etc