This new project can be utilized in any of our cars that have an ECU, either carbed or FI.
In my case, I will use the engine signals as read by the Megasquirt controller and will use the display to keep track in real time of the most important ones, like Engine Speed, MAP, Coolant Temp, O2, etc. But combined with my OBDZ it could be adapted to any 3geez.
I added a couple of buttons in the PCB to be able to scroll up and down through all the available readings.
As background I need to say that this is intended to give some intelligence to the megasquirt. So it will blink or do something if a value gets out of specification. It's going to be like the CEL light.
Why...? Why not?
Well, the truth is that the other day during an experiment with my setup, the MAP hose got accidentally disconnected and I got a failure where my car was slightly shaking and lost some power, but it was firing up and running acceptable good. It was until I got my fuel tank emptied in 1/3 of the expected mileage when I realized how bad it was.
Of course I first blamed the changes I was making to my car and had to reverse everything, and it was until I hocked my computer to the car that I saw the MAP was reading nothing. Then I said, if I had this display thing telling me the readings I would avoid the extra work I did to catch the failure.
But besides that, a CEL light for my car has always been in my to do list. Its time to get it done!
Fucking awesome! Can't wait to see this in action!
So cool man, I am looking forward to this too!
Ok, I've got to ask. What do you do for a living?
I'd say electrical engineer...
Originally Posted by Buzo
Why don't you just drive around with a laptop in the passenger seat like most MS users?Isn't that why we have cars; so we can drive around tuning them all the time? What else would they be for?
You know what you should do for this display though, is use the CANbus to communicate with the MS instead of the serial port. This way you don't have to unplug the display to tune with the laptop. Some sort of auxiliary display is on my extended TODO list for the MS. Either that or just replace the entire gauge cluster with a couple of small netbook type color LCDs run by a carputer. This way I could build a totally custom dash in TunerStudio and use that instead of the regular gauges. Too many other things to finish first though.
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you know this lil project doesn't sound bad. i wonder if it could work with the knock sensor. that would be awesome to have and i would like to purchase one if ya make more with how to's, wouldn't hurt to have a display for every CEL we get and plus we won't have to type in the search anymore for fixes haha. im guessing it has its own board? or is gonna be hooked up in the ecu?
You keep amazing me with these project, I can't wait to see it finished.
I'm wondering the same thing.
I am electrical engineer with a lot of spare time.
I ran the first test in the car, and currently I get only the raw data from the MS to my LCD, so I'm in the process of converting that raw data to a human readable values.
I'll be on vacation from work during the whole Easter's week, so I should be able to complete this project by then and post the pics of the progress.
It has its own board and microprocessor, and when I had the stock ECU in my carbed car I put a splice in every cable going to the ECU, then I was using the laptop to log all the solenoids in action during my daily trips.
In a FI car it would be something similar, counting the times the CEL blinks and converting it to the corresponding text would be an *easy* task for this board.
Could you please tell me more about your knock sensor idea?
I consider my car is better tuned now, so I plug the laptop less and less often every day. And also its not only a pain to plug it every time, but unplug it and put it into the trunk if you stop in a store. They use to break the windows of the car if they see an unattended laptop in the seat.Why don't you just drive around with a laptop in the passenger seat like most MS users?
You know what you should do for this display though, is use the CANbus to communicate with the MS instead of the serial port. This way you don't have to unplug the display to tune with the laptop. Some sort of auxiliary display is on my extended TODO list for the MS. Either that or just replace the entire gauge cluster with a couple of small netbook type color LCDs run by a carputer. This way I could build a totally custom dash in TunerStudio and use that instead of the regular gauges. Too many other things to finish first though.
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So this display is only a way to see how things are moving under the hood, I like your idea of a 7" LCD also, I will start with this one to practice the data conversion and see what else can be done from there.
Yeah, I wouldn't leave a laptop in the car unattended either. Learned that lesson the hard way.
I wish I could find a fairly cheap 7" display that has a regular VGA or HDMI input.
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I like what you are doing man!
I have been thinking on a device like the one in the link (below)
http://www.colven.com.ar/productos.asp?pid=23&lang=2
A "brain" that stops the engine when temperature or oil pressure go beyond safe levels would be very nice for those who suffer "dashboard blindness" (a.k.a. women)
If it ain't broke... I fix it!
After (almost) completing an extensive honey-do-list in my vacation, I am ready to install the message center in the car.
I have two minor issues with communicating with both, MS and the Display.
1) MS.- it sometimes don't respond to the initial request for data. I need to plug it and unplug it, but once it starts up OK, the stream of data is constant.
2) Display.- If I command it to go to a "X" line and put it in a loop, 99% of the time it will go to the "X" line, but 1% will go some other place.
Everything else, including the proper unit conversions are done. I'll say the only problem is that you see the data scrambled in the display from time to time, and returning to normal.
I have been escaping from my assignments at home to work in this project, but I believe I will have more time starting today to fix above issues and try it in the car.
There is a third option, convert from S-video to the RCA type of input.
I have a Dell laptop with this port, and I have used it before for my karaokebut I can't find the little cable to give it a try. I'd use my portable 7" LCD screens. Oh shut, I should put more attention to your project, It looks more promising than my little 4x20 LCD.
There is a third option, convert from S-video to the RCA type of input.
I have a Dell laptop with this port, and I have used it before for my karaoke
The 4 line display is cool if you just want to monitor a few parameters and don't want to take up much space.
I did find this though:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ght-_-24185013
It's a 7" USB driven display. It doesn't require any external power or other signals besides the USB. And you can use more than one! I also figured out that two of these side by side is just about a perfect fit in the gauge cluster in my Prelude (obviously they would need custom mounting and such). I bet they would fit in the Accord cluster as well. It's a bit pricey but not bad considering what you get.
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that's awesome. I want one for my car! a little screen like that would be better than a bunch of big bulky gauges
The tuning program for Megasquirt lets you create you own customized dash displays. Look here to see what people have created:
http://msextra.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=122&t=36862
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I read the thread, its very interesting! I liked the one that put the LCD behind the original instrument cluster.
I found my S-Video cable adapter and this is the preliminary result. A bigger resolution screen may be needed. Or I'll try to put a couple of indicators only and a lot of numeric indicators.
And from my LCD project, this is the result so far. I made the PCB too big but I can still cut the edges.
The MAP reading is not changing, so I need to ask in the MS forums which is the real variable for the MAP. I also want to include the O2 reading instead of the advance.
All the readings got fixed and properly scaled, including the MAP and O2, which were the main goals of this project.
I will go to the YJ tomorrow and see if I can find a couple of things, one center console to fit my Message Center and hide my MS, and a spare Cluster Instrument so I can start playing with the 7" LCD.
Now that I learned how MS outputs the data through the RS232 port I could use the official MS software, (but I don't want to pay for the full version...) or create my own digital display things using LabView, for free.
For now this project has been completed. I put the display in a project box and I need to paint it gray or black and install it somewhere in the center console.
The box got almost the size of the MS itself, so if I can't get a center console I am thinking in separating the PCB from the Display and put the PCB inside the Instrument Panel and run the connector for the display to somewhere besides the cruise control sw.
What is the advantage of this 4x20 LCD vs the 7" LCD? well... this one is computer-less & therefore 300 USD cheaper.
Hey, you just gave me a great idea! I will install the LCD in the same place other guys put their boost gauges, between the windshield and the driver's window. I'll see what I can build tomorrow with a dremel and some epoxy.
Wait until this is finished and then, if you still want one I can build it for you. Something that you just connect to the ECU wires you want to monitor, including the CEL light and it will decode the failure for you.
I want one too!
I created a couple of extra screens where a horizontal bar is filled in proportion to the value of the MAR, RPM, TPS, etc.
I changed my mind on the location as you can see, but I still would like to somehow blend it to the Instrument Panel.
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