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I think AEM has a canbus display and canbus sensors although I dont have experience with them.
I did a complete diy canbus display (and body module and transmission controller) in my project.
I think AEM has a canbus display and canbus sensors although I dont have experience with them.
I did a complete diy canbus display (and body module and transmission controller) in my project.
I really like what you did with the arduino. I’ve looked into doing just a simple gauge readout with raspberry pi but even though it’s supposed to be really simple, all that stuff just seems like I’d be in over my head and not be able to make it what I want. I’ve never done any programming. FAST makes a system, although, not sure of its full capabilities.
The thing I like about the AEM display is that their canbus is not proprietary. They publish a list of all the CAN messages. That means that you can use their sensors or build any of your own to talk to their display. This is probably a benefit to a very small number of users.
What engine and engine management are you thinking about connecting to?
Why? What would that get you??? If your gauges are not working properly, it would be much less trouble and expense to just the them in working order again. They are relatively simple instruments that do exactly what is needed for monitoring your engine and electrical system.
Why? What would that get you??? If your gauges are not working properly, it would be much less trouble and expense to just the them in working order again. They are relatively simple instruments that do exactly what is needed for monitoring your engine and electrical system.
7T1 - If you look at DblTrbl's previous post, I think your question will answer itself. These two seem pretty like minded.
The thing I like about the AEM display is that their canbus is not proprietary. They publish a list of all the CAN messages. That means that you can use their sensors or build any of your own to talk to their display. This is probably a benefit to a very small number of users.
What engine and engine management are you thinking about connecting to?
Thanks for the insight. That’s pretty convenient. I’ll look into their display. I wonder if I’d be able to get my future EFI linked up to the AEM module. I want to make sure I’m forward thinking enough in my journey to be able to incorporate Everything down the line. Fan speed, a/c controls, A/F ration, oil temp, etc... I love the look of analog Speedo and RPM gauges so I’ll probably not incorporate those to the display. I think C10 gauges fit well in the slots without much modification and there are a ton of really classy designs for those. That’s another future post though...
Thanks again. I may reach out for some more advice to you soon if you are willing.
Why? What would that get you??? If your gauges are not working properly, it would be much less trouble and expense to just the them in working order again. They are relatively simple instruments that do exactly what is needed for monitoring your engine and electrical system.
I understand your position. Easy and cheap aren’t much of a concern to me right now. As far as what I gain... Mostly, it gains me Infinite monitoring capabilities as I link up and convert more components (see previous comment) and a reason to create and design. The stock interface and information displayed (imo) is antiquated to my desire to know what is happening on the car.
Plus, displays are dope, yo.
-Stroke
Last edited by Strokemyaxe; 06-05-2019 at 01:24 PM.
Why? What would that get you??? If your gauges are not working properly, it would be much less trouble and expense to just the them in working order again. They are relatively simple instruments that do exactly what is needed for monitoring your engine and electrical system.
I agree that for fairly stock engines and transmissions, stock instruments are fine. Once you start retrofitting more modern engines and transmissions, then you either have to spend money on stuff to make the old instruments work with the new engine and trans or to spend money on something more compatible with the new engine and trans. For example, my 4l80E doesn't have any place for me to plug in the Speedo cable.
If monitoring more parameters gets you the info you need, OK. And, doing everything with digital information (then converting that to analog 'appearing' gauges) is definitely more flexible. I guess I'm just wondering if this effort is more for the 'pizzazz' of doing it than it is for gaining useful information. And that is OK, if that's your goal. Maybe I'm too pragmatic....
As far as digital gauge displays go, I'm all for them. But, I've not seen any that are really user friendly with simple selection of gauge designs, scaling, fonts, colors, parameter type, location, etc., etc. If there is such an item available, I want one for the dash of the hybrid-electric vehicle I'm building. It has a LOT of parameters I need to monitor...and few of them have anything to do with an internal combustion engine.
I'm just wondering if this effort is more for the 'pizzazz' of doing it than it is for gaining useful information. And that is OK, if that's your goal. Maybe I'm too pragmatic.....
It is utility driven, but I will never do anything permanent to the car that I don’t think has that “Wow, that looks really good!” Factor. Anything I do, I want to bring the modern into play. I could spend $1000 on a system that looks great and does what I want, but it wouldn’t be future proof for adding new systems without big changes. So, I’m looking to build a modular system that can expand into LSX territory in the future.
As far as digital gauge displays go, I'm all for them. But, I've not seen any that are really user friendly with simple selection of gauge designs, scaling, fonts, colors, parameter type, location, etc., etc. If there is such an item available, I want one for the dash of the hybrid-electric vehicle I'm building. It has a LOT of parameters I need to monitor...and few of them have anything to do with an internal combustion engine.
Don't think you're going to find anything off the shelf unless it's made for the mass market. Your hybrid electric build will need some custom stuff. In your case, the display is just scratching the surface of the what you'll need. Controls, chargers, drives. If you want off the shelf. I'm guessing you're going to have to limit features and expectations. If you want a full function, integrated setup, then custom controls and displays are in your future.
There are multi purpose intelligent digital displays that let you more easily control fonts, locations, gauges. buttons, progress bars, etc. I use one from Nextion. saves a ton of work. Some of the Nextion ones also have a processor built in that you can program for limited functionality and inputs.
But you need some processor that interfaces all the sensor info with the display. That's what I did. My display not only shows what's going on, it shows the more important stuff relevant to each mode of operation and it actually allows me (touch screen) to change the way the car is operating in hundreds of ways without having to drag out the laptop. One click of the screen and now my shift points and boost targets, cooling have changed from cruise to sport mode. Another click and it's in burnout mode where all the shift strategies change, rules and operating parameters change as well as the font sizes and gauges. Another click and now it follows the rules for launching at the drag strip. Another click and it's set up for the dyno. Another click and it shows me how all the pwms for the fans and fuel pumps and transmission are running. It's all custom, but my goal was to have a car that does lots of things well.
The stuff I need is already in hand or well planned. The only item that hasn't been defined is the dash display. A panel display with software that could offer variety of gauge parameter could be useful for ALL custom vehicle builds. I just am baffled that someone hasn't done it yet.
The stuff I need is already in hand or well planned. The only item that hasn't been defined is the dash display. A panel display with software that could offer variety of gauge parameter could be useful for ALL custom vehicle builds. I just am baffled that someone hasn't done it yet.
Oh I see. You mean a display that handles its own interface graphics with onboard computing and software? You just send it the CAN codes to and tell it what gauge to use?
Oh I see. You mean a display that handles its own interface graphics with onboard computing and software? You just send it the CAN codes to and tell it what gauge to use?
-Stroke
I have no idea what's what in this world of displays but I have run across these while looking for other stuff
Got a brainstorm. I was just thinking that there are off the shelf displays with gauges that read canbus, and very inexpensive I might add. Except there is one caveat. They display upside down and backwards and are used to create a heads up display. https://www.ebay.com/itm/W02-HUD-Hea...8AAOSwqspcnOi7
I'm thinking of adding a Heads Up Display (HUD) like this to my car, but that would be just a gee whiz gimmic.
In my C3 Vette, the display isn't only to get information, but to control the car. My display is a touch screen and can let me change driving modes, shifting modes, hundreds of parameters including boost per gear in each driving mode, shift points for each gear and driving mode, shift firmness, lockup or no lockup, paddle shifting or automatic, 6 PWM fan settings, PWM fuel pumps, alternator voltage and so on.
It's a fully integrated and customized. Designed to let the car be good at cruising, enthusiastic driving as well as drag racing. Each driving mode has a custom screen, different fonts and information to make it more useful for that mode. For example, when I'm drag racing, i don't want the transmission to shift into overdrive or lock up. Also I want to see bigger fonts and less info, just what's important for that 10 seconds.
Here's a cruise mode screen.
Drag mode screen:
There are currently 8 screens for different purposes. Touch screen lets you navigate from screen to screen and operate any buttons or hot spots.
Now that I'm driving the vette, I find myself changing the features, fonts and layouts. That's probably going to be an ongoing process.
Nice. But I'm a hybrid-type guy....I want analog looking gauges on a digital screen. It's much easier to 'eyeball' an analog gauge to assess that parameter than to convert digits into a meaningful assessment. Can you train yourself to deal with digits? Sure. But I'm too damn old to convert!!
No. I want to buy one instrument...a digital screen....and pack lots of meaningful gauges onto several screens, serving different purposes---rather than to have a huge dashboard with lots of $100 gauges on it. Hmmmm.....
06-04-2019, 11:15 PM
Convert gauges to can bus display
It's much easier to 'eyeball' an analog gauge to assess that parameter than to convert digits into a meaningful assessment. Can you train yourself to deal with digits? Sure. But I'm too damn old to convert!!