Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 22

Thread: My latest electronic project

  1. 30th November 2011, 10:05 PM #1
    alexturner's Avatar
    alexturner
    alexturner is offline Master Subscriber
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    335
    Total Downloaded
    0

    My latest electronic project

    Hey Guys,

    To those who follow the stupid things I do and take an interest in them - here's my latest update.

    So for the last 200litres of fuel I've been chugging around town on straight vegetable oil and I'm loving the freedom. The ability to drive up to a restaurant and take used cooking oil from them (free of charge) and run my car on that is an amazing feeling.

    So in that department all is well and good. On the other hand I am truly amazed as to how Lucas were allowed to develop the electrics to so many english cars (Left Us Cold And Stranded). On my last trip in the span of two days I lost dash electrics, brake lights, indicators, and windscreen wipers. And of course new fuses didn't rectify the issue so I've decided to pull every wire from the car and start from scratch.

    Now that I have given myself the opportunity to start from scratch I thought I'd do things right, the way a german manufacturer would do it. So I'm developing a computer system, that will monitor and control various components of the car and I am oh-so-excited about it.

    Overhead the drivers-side will mount a console (in an attempt to make my dash-board a cockpit) with many switches and a 4" touch screen display. The touch screen will be driven by a programmable IC (Arudino Powered) that will run my own software. From this touch screen I will be able to monitor my: Speed (GPS), Air Temp, Co-Ords, Heading, 4 Veggy Temp readings, Veggy-oil valve states (my landing gear indicators), Flow rates (l/100 as well), engine oil temp, engine oil pressure, gearbox temp, differential temps (f and r), T-box temp, veggy-oil filter pressures, tank contents and temperatures will be displayed on their very own backlit display, and there will be a very pretty screen that will display both battery's voltage current draw and remaining power (in hours based on instantaneous current draw).

    I'm really quite excited about this one and I had to share it somewhere with someone. At the moment I'm all ready to go - the only thing holding me back is the cash (which is coming )

    I'll keep you guys posted and hopefully I'll have something impressive in my car in the next few weeks.

    Alex
    AlexTurner
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  2. 30th November 2011, 11:50 PM #2
    superquag
    superquag is offline ForumSage
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Gosnells
    Posts
    6,148
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by alexturner View Post
    Now that I have given myself the opportunity to start from scratch I thought I'd do things right, the way a german manufacturer would do it...........

    So I'm developing a computer system, that will monitor and control various components of the car and I am oh-so-excited about it.
    If you're running straight WVO, then why not stick with that level of technology and re-wire your car properly, with each circuit totally independant of every other one.... NOT the way Germans do it, with incredible complexity and its attendant unreliability. - My experience with German "Uber-Techno" printing/pre-press equipment.....

    But like the overkill monitoring ! - Should look pretty good.

    Cheers and Good Luck !
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  3. 1st December 2011, 07:26 AM #3
    alittlebitconcerned
    alittlebitconcerned is offline Master
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    sydney
    Posts
    847
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Good luck with the project. eBay have some larger but pretty cheap flip down touch screens that would work with what you want to do. If you decide to add gps or reverse camera latter you could use the same screen.
    If dollars are no option the ducks are the touch screens from xenarc.

    Much respect on the vege oil!
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  4. 1st December 2011, 09:52 AM #4
    Basil135's Avatar
    Basil135
    Basil135 is offline ChatterBox
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Adelaide SA
    Posts
    2,517
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Oh, now THIS I gotta see

    I LOVE electronic overkill.... SWMBO doesn't.

    To give you some idea, evidently setting up the lounge room to resemble the flight deck of the USS Enterprise is NOT an option...
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  5. 1st December 2011, 11:17 AM #5
    Bigbjorn
    Bigbjorn is offline Swaggie Gold Subscriber
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Brisbane, Inner East.
    Posts
    11,178
    Total Downloaded
    0
    And to think I bought a County-Isuzu to get away from excessive automotive electronics, their attendant unreliability, and propensity for instantaneous catastrophic failure, usually at the worst possible time and place.
    URSUSMAJOR
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  6. 1st December 2011, 11:36 AM #6
    isuzutoo-eh's Avatar
    isuzutoo-eh
    isuzutoo-eh is offline TopicToaster
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Near Seven Hills, Sydney
    Posts
    4,342
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm View Post
    And to think I bought a County-Isuzu to get away from excessive automotive electronics, their attendant unreliability, and propensity for instantaneous catastrophic failure, usually at the worst possible time and place.
    I was thinking the same, but more power to your arm Alex! Just make sure every system can be made redundant/bypassed in case of failures and you'll be peachy!
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  7. 1st December 2011, 01:03 PM #7
    alexturner's Avatar
    alexturner
    alexturner is offline Master Subscriber
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    335
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Well said Mark. Every critical function will have an override hiding somewhere. The computer system will act as an aid to display temperatures but also to alert me when something is up (pending gearbox failures). It'll mainly be there for the cool-factor which I believe will be off the charts :P
    AlexTurner
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  8. 2nd December 2011, 12:35 AM #8
    superquag
    superquag is offline ForumSage
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Gosnells
    Posts
    6,148
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Basil135 View Post
    To give you some idea, evidently setting up the lounge room to resemble the flight deck of the USS Enterprise is NOT an option...
    Why not ?
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  9. 2nd December 2011, 12:38 AM #9
    superquag
    superquag is offline ForumSage
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Gosnells
    Posts
    6,148
    Total Downloaded
    0
    Kool - Factor is the best reason to do something like this.... as long as you have total, hard-wired control....
    Go for it !!!
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
  10. 2nd December 2011, 06:52 AM #10
    wrinklearthur's Avatar
    wrinklearthur
    wrinklearthur is offline ForumSage
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    under a rock, next to a tree, at Broadmarsh
    Posts
    6,738
    Total Downloaded
    0

    gearbox monitor

    Quote Originally Posted by alexturner View Post
    but also to alert me when something is up (pending gearbox failures).
    There are sensors available to monitor wear residue in gearboxes.
    Reply With Quote Reply With Quote
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
« New Defender: How can it be better than a Pajero? | How did I get by without them ? »

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Forum Rules

Search AULRO.com ONLY!
 Search All the Web!