Engine Instruments - Printable Version

Engine Instruments - Printable Version

+- STD (https://www.superturbodiesel.com/std)
+-- Forum: Tuning (https://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/forumdisplay.php?fid=6)
+--- Forum: Engine (https://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/forumdisplay.php?fid=7)
+--- Thread: Engine Instruments (/showthread.php?tid=5360)

Engine Instruments - mach4 - 02-19-2014

After reading this thread on engine instruments (http://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/Thread-Homemade-TURBO-BOOST-RPM-Meter), I thought I'd share my project to add some additional instrumentation to my diesel 107 project.

The design of the project was to add gauges to monitor the following items:

Oil temperature
Transmission temperature
Intake temperature
Turbine inlet temperature (EGT)
Boost
Vacuum
Arduino temperature

Key design elements were to not have ANY wires traverse the firewall, to use an Android platform for data acquisition and to use an old Android phone as the display and above all keep the costs to an absolute minimum. This meant that the Arduino needed to talk to the Android through bluetooth.

I used DS18B20 temperature sensors for all but the TIT, a K-type thermocouple and a MAX31855 amplifier for TIT and standard 1-BAR and 3-BAR pressure sensors for vacuum and boost respectively. The Arduino was packaged in a repurposed relay box from my donor 123.

The beauty of not having to rely on the Arduino to create the display meant that I could have multiple display screens for the data.

The Arduino collects the data, packages it and sends packets to the Android over bluetooth. The Android display app is programmed in Processing for Android.

Here are the current library of screens - note that the "chrome button" on each screen cycles to the next screen when "pushed".

[Image: gauge-01.jpg]

Here's the Arduino wired up

[Image: gauge-06.jpg]

Here is the component cost of the system
Arduino Pro Mini - $4
Power Supply - $3
Temp sensors - $3 ea
TIT probe - $18
MAX31855 breakout - $18
Bluetooth breakout - $10
Misc wires, aluminum, connectors - $4
Android phone - already had

Because the display is portable, there are countless options for mounting - here's one convenient one.

[Image: 118479d1390352450-engine-instrumentation...mount2.jpg]

[Image: 118479d1390352450-engine-instrumentation...mount2.jpg]

New gauge skins can be added very easily.

RE: Engine Instruments - F.R.A.S - 02-19-2014

Waow, nice one mate.

RE: Engine Instruments - Turbo - 02-19-2014

why not use a tablet computer in front of the steering wheel, a friend of mine have it one his racer and it works nice and the screen is bigger then the phone so visibility is good

(02-19-2014, 03:46 PM)mach4 After reading this thread on engine instruments (http://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/Thread-Homemade-TURBO-BOOST-RPM-Meter), I thought I'd share my project to add some additional instrumentation to my diesel 107 project.

The design of the project was to add gauges to monitor the following items:

Oil temperature

Transmission temperature

Intake temperature

Turbine inlet temperature (EGT)

Boost

Vacuum

Arduino temperature

Key design elements were to not have ANY wires traverse the firewall, to use an Android platform for data acquisition and to use an old Android phone as the display and above all keep the costs to an absolute minimum. This meant that the Arduino needed to talk to the Android through bluetooth.

I used DS18B20 temperature sensors for all but the TIT, a K-type thermocouple and a MAX31855 amplifier for TIT and standard 1-BAR and 3-BAR pressure sensors for vacuum and boost respectively. The Arduino was packaged in a repurposed relay box from my donor 123.

The beauty of not having to rely on the Arduino to create the display meant that I could have multiple display screens for the data.

The Arduino collects the data, packages it and sends packets to the Android over bluetooth. The Android display app is programmed in Processing for Android.

Here are the current library of screens - note that the "chrome button" on each screen cycles to the next screen when "pushed".

Here's the Arduino wired up

Here is the component cost of the system
Arduino Pro Mini - $4
Power Supply - $3
Temp sensors - $3 ea
TIT probe - $18
MAX31855 breakout - $18
Bluetooth breakout - $10
Misc wires, aluminum, connectors - $4
Android phone - already had

Because the display is portable, there are countless options for mounting - here's one convenient one.

New gauge skins can be added very easily.

RE: Engine Instruments - Mark_M - 02-19-2014

Very nice

RE: Engine Instruments - mach4 - 02-19-2014

(02-19-2014, 05:39 PM)Turbo why not use a tablet computer in front of the steering wheel, a friend of mine have it one his racer and it works nice and the screen is bigger then the phone so visibility is good

Because one of the design criteria was to use the existing extra Android phone I already have as the display. But your point is well taken, in that any bluetooth enabled Android could be used as a display.

RE: Engine Instruments - raysorenson - 02-20-2014

Looks good. Open source?

RE: Engine Instruments - mach4 - 02-20-2014

(02-20-2014, 09:46 AM)raysorenson Looks good. Open source?

Not really open source, meaning I'm not going to publish the code on line, but I'm not trying to hide anything either. The reality is that the project has very little that would be useful for someone to replicate as it's too custom and there are too many variables. Not only that but the way things are currently, it probably wouldn't be all that much help to someone doing a similar project - this is my first project so you can imagine what the code looks like - it works, but is hardly elegant. Learning Arduino IDE, Processing, microcontrollers, sensors and electronics all at the same time makes for some interesting solutions. But I'm happy to discuss the development process, how I solved various problems and the strategy I used, and even share code snippets...and would love to collaborate with someone else to share ideas and maybe come up with something a little more general.

For now it works, albeit with whatever the equivalent of bubblegum, duct tape and baling wire are in the electronics world...and it was a lot of fun.

RE: Engine Instruments - CRD4x4 - 02-20-2014

This is fantastic! I love it!
I've got a first gen droid in my sons toybox that I might have to take back.
Forgive my ignorance, but how does arduino work (in lay terms please)?
Is this something that a complete electronics noob could achieve?
Could it be used across different platforms? Signature vehicles (see below)?
Is there any lag or is it real time?
Thanks for sharing!

RE: Engine Instruments - mach4 - 02-20-2014

(02-20-2014, 03:18 PM)CRD4x4 This is fantastic! I love it!
I've got a first gen droid in my sons toybox that I might have to take back.
Forgive my ignorance, but how does arduino work (in lay terms please)?
Is this something that a complete electronics noob could achieve?
Could it be used across different platforms? Signature vehicles (see below)?
Is there any lag or is it real time?
Thanks for sharing!

The Arduino is an open source microcontroller system designed for the hobbyist. It basically takes sensor input and operator input and does stuff with it, outputting something as determined by software to motors, displays, lights etc. In my case, the Arduino takes input from temp and pressure sensors and sends that data over bluetooth to the Android phone. The display program is running on the Android phone which takes a raw data stream and converts that to meaningful information on various screens that have been programmed in Processing. The Arduino is hard wired to the vehicle, but if I had systems running on multiple vehicles the Android display would connect to whatever one I was in.

RE: Engine Instruments - willbhere4u - 02-21-2014

I thought a tablet could make a nice gauge cluster in a hot rod with a similar set up. molded in to the dash permanently except the speedometer would only work with GPS that might be sketchy.

RE: Engine Instruments - mach4 - 02-21-2014

(02-21-2014, 01:34 PM)willbhere4u I thought a tablet could make a nice gauge cluster in a hot rod with a similar set up molded in the dash permanently except the speedometer only work with GPS mite be sketchy

Something like this?

[Image: ipad-car.jpg]

RE: Engine Instruments - willbhere4u - 02-21-2014

Yea just need to automate it to turn on and launch the gauge program with keyed power. I think you could have a 100% digital gauge cluster for less money than conventional aftermarket gauges. And it's 100% editable put the gauges anywhere you want on the screen night and day displays/colors and possibly even on dash navigation. all blue tooth no wiring involved just the arduino under the hood and go

and GPS speedometer saves a lot of time with sensors. Just have to have good GPS signal Big Grin

old tablet's or smart phone are cheap you could Evan rig up voice commands for phone calls or what ever

hell night vision camera and night time driving display like the new Mercedes have

RE: Engine Instruments - this_guy - 02-21-2014

I'd be interested in the Processing source. Im gonna send ya a PM.

RE: Engine Instruments - Eric78 - 02-22-2014

(02-19-2014, 03:46 PM)mach4 After reading this thread on engine instruments (http://www.superturbodiesel.com/std/Thread-Homemade-TURBO-BOOST-RPM-Meter), I thought I'd share my project to add some additional instrumentation to my diesel 107 project.

The design of the project was to add gauges to monitor the following items:

Oil temperature

Transmission temperature

Intake temperature

Turbine inlet temperature (EGT)

Boost

Vacuum

Arduino temperature

Key design elements were to not have ANY wires traverse the firewall, to use an Android platform for data acquisition and to use an old Android phone as the display and above all keep the costs to an absolute minimum. This meant that the Arduino needed to talk to the Android through bluetooth.

I used DS18B20 temperature sensors for all but the TIT, a K-type thermocouple and a MAX31855 amplifier for TIT and standard 1-BAR and 3-BAR pressure sensors for vacuum and boost respectively. The Arduino was packaged in a repurposed relay box from my donor 123.

The beauty of not having to rely on the Arduino to create the display meant that I could have multiple display screens for the data.

The Arduino collects the data, packages it and sends packets to the Android over bluetooth. The Android display app is programmed in Processing for Android.

Here are the current library of screens - note that the "chrome button" on each screen cycles to the next screen when "pushed".

Here's the Arduino wired up

Here is the component cost of the system
Arduino Pro Mini - $4
Power Supply - $3
Temp sensors - $3 ea
TIT probe - $18
MAX31855 breakout - $18
Bluetooth breakout - $10
Misc wires, aluminum, connectors - $4
Android phone - already had

Because the display is portable, there are countless options for mounting - here's one convenient one.

New gauge skins can be added very easily.

Would it be possible to make this work with an in-car computer running Linux or Windows CE & the Centrafuse touchscreen engine?

RE: Engine Instruments - mach4 - 02-22-2014

(02-22-2014, 12:20 AM)Eric78 Would it be possible to make this work with an in-car computer running Linux or Windows CE & the Centrafuse touchscreen engine?

The biggest problem on the project was getting it running on Android through bluetooth. Getting it running with USB on a Linux computer... or even a M$ one for that matter, would be, by comparison trivial. At one point of greatest frustration I started investigating going with a Raspberry Pi but the choices of displays was an issue - it's either composite video or HDMI. If you were to go with a full-on computer, as opposed to an Android device, most of the thorny issues just go away.

Here's a couple of shots of the system running in the car

[Image: gauges-a.jpg]

RE: Engine Instruments - lgreeley83 - 02-22-2014

Looks real good.

Does it keep a log?

RE: Engine Instruments - mach4 - 02-22-2014

(02-22-2014, 03:56 PM)lgreeley83 Does it keep a log?

No, but it could very easily. I could either write the data to an SD card on the Arduino end, or write it to a file on the Android end. Maybe in a second generation project I could add a GPS, altimeter, OAT, accelerometer, and data log everything. What I'd really like to do is add a pitot-static system and get headwind/tailwind data by comparing ground speed to air speed.