DIY speedometers
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 417
Likes: 2
From: Blacksburg Virginia
DIY speedometers
I have an 84 with the digital dash that is acting up. I don't really like it much and was thinking of going to analogue gauges. But then I realized that the OBD connector outputs all the information I need.
I thought about making my own digital dash from a small tablet computer and using the OBD to USB cable and some software.
All I need to do is take the speed and rpm output and put it on the screen. It would be easy to take the output and create a visual representation of just about any dash I wanted. Heck, with the exception of the odometer, I could output just about anything.
Has anyone ever heard or seen an attempt to do this? Given the price of analog gauges and the falling price of small tablet computers, it wouldn't take much. Heck the darn thing would even be touch screen..
I thought about making my own digital dash from a small tablet computer and using the OBD to USB cable and some software.
All I need to do is take the speed and rpm output and put it on the screen. It would be easy to take the output and create a visual representation of just about any dash I wanted. Heck, with the exception of the odometer, I could output just about anything.
Has anyone ever heard or seen an attempt to do this? Given the price of analog gauges and the falling price of small tablet computers, it wouldn't take much. Heck the darn thing would even be touch screen..
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,556
Likes: 13
Not sure how you would extract the speed signal encoded in the data stream you get from the ECM through the ALDL connector
On your car the VSS signal goes direct to the speedo and then there is a output to the ECM for it's speed related functions.
On '90+ cars it is the other way around ; ECM first then a signal to the speedo
On your car the VSS signal goes direct to the speedo and then there is a output to the ECM for it's speed related functions.
On '90+ cars it is the other way around ; ECM first then a signal to the speedo
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 10,036
Likes: 346
From: Anaheim CA
Too bad you don't have a '96 or newer car with OBD II. I have this guy for my C5:
http://plxdevices.com/product_info.php?id=GSSTWIFI
It converts OBD II to wifi and sends it to an app on my iPhone.
I don't know of a similar product for older cars.
http://plxdevices.com/product_info.php?id=GSSTWIFI
It converts OBD II to wifi and sends it to an app on my iPhone.
I don't know of a similar product for older cars.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 417
Likes: 2
From: Blacksburg Virginia
Too bad you don't have a '96 or newer car with OBD II. I have this guy for my C5:
http://plxdevices.com/product_info.php?id=GSSTWIFI
It converts OBD II to wifi and sends it to an app on my iPhone.
I don't know of a similar product for older cars.
http://plxdevices.com/product_info.php?id=GSSTWIFI
It converts OBD II to wifi and sends it to an app on my iPhone.
I don't know of a similar product for older cars.
I was thinking of using my ALDL to USB cable and importing the data ala winaldl to a cheap tablet computer.....I've been doing only a little bit of reasearch, as this seams like a good indoor winter project for the Vette. There are a couple things out there in the tuner/riceburner markets.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 7,928
Likes: 1
From: More cowbell...
St. Jude Donor '04
I've been having some similar thoughts. I think one way to do it inexpensively, and in a more permanent way would be to use something like a raspberry pi running Linux along with a small (say 7") LCD screen. It would have plenty of horsepower to do what you want to do, and could also log data along the way. Heck, one could even use the GPIO pins to control a small servo motor, and you could rig up a digitally controlled analog gauge.
