Selfmade speedometer

Axel

Active Member
Hi,

...My Ridgeback is in the garage and it´s lousy cold outside. So, it´s time for a new toy, a speedo with a touch screen for my Ridgeback. This might help me to survive the Christmas time. I already bought a cheap display from Nextion and made a small controller board what is hanging on the rear side of the display. I already have play a few pics from the internet on the display and made a bit software. So, the controller board and the display already know each other and talk together. I attach a few pics of the momentary progress:

PB290075.jpg
The speed is indicated at the right side and the engine rpm is indicated at the left side. The display will change to the following pic when pressing the "nose" of the skull:
PB290076.jpg
The right and left direction indicators are ready. I made it with 2 bone hands. Here is an example of the left flasher indicator, what works already fine:
PB290078.jpg

However, it still a bit work in the next weeks and I even don´t know yet where to put it at my bike beside of the question how to make a case what is waterproof...

My question are: Does somebody knows the number of pulses from the speedo sensor per meter or foot and how many pulses per full engine turn come from the EFI module or the ignition? My bike is covered with blankets in the cold garage and I would feel a bit uncomfortable to hang in the garage at low temperatures and make measurements at the bike. It would be great if you have some infos about the signals. Thanks a lot!

All the best!
Axel
 

Th3InfamousI

Administrator
Staff member
That's pretty cool axle! Need to make it round so it fits in the stock housing!

I'm sure you'd have some prospective buyers! Haha.

There should be 49440 pulses in a mile that's all I know



Sent from my 2PS64 using Tapatalk
 

Jwooky

Well-Known Member
^yes, 49440 pulses in a mile and I cant say for fact but most only use #1 cyl for tach pulse so 1fire/2 revs
 

Jersey Big Mike

100K mile club
Hi,

...My Ridgeback is in the garage and it´s lousy cold outside. So, it´s time for a new toy, a speedo with a touch screen for my Ridgeback. This might help me to survive the Christmas time. I already bought a cheap display from Nextion and made a small controller board what is hanging on the rear side of the display. I already have play a few pics from the internet on the display and made a bit software. So, the controller board and the display already know each other and talk together. I attach a few pics of the momentary progress:

View attachment 37837
The speed is indicated at the right side and the engine rpm is indicated at the left side. The display will change to the following pic when pressing the "nose" of the skull:
View attachment 37839
The right and left direction indicators are ready. I made it with 2 bone hands. Here is an example of the left flasher indicator, what works already fine:
View attachment 37840

However, it still a bit work in the next weeks and I even don´t know yet where to put it at my bike beside of the question how to make a case what is waterproof...

My question are: Does somebody knows the number of pulses from the speedo sensor per meter or foot and how many pulses per full engine turn come from the EFI module or the ignition? My bike is covered with blankets in the cold garage and I would feel a bit uncomfortable to hang in the garage at low temperatures and make measurements at the bike. It would be great if you have some infos about the signals. Thanks a lot!

All the best!
Axel
Very ionterested in what you are doing as I am getting ready to start my project that is very similar.
What are you using for a controller? Arduino? Raspberry Pi? other?

I currently thinking about using a cheap android phone in the center for GPS and MUSIC (4.5", bluetooth) and putting .5 7segment LEDS for speed etc.

Have you checked how readable that screen is in direct sunlight -- most are pretty bad. Only phone I could ever read mo matter what was my Nokia 1520 - fantastic screen (might fix that for the GPS/Music for that reason.

I'm also looking at reading the injectors (time on) to do a gas gauge, or using an miltone egauge in the tank, or a flow meter on the gas line (which would work efi or carb).

Mike

Mike
 

Axel

Active Member
Hi,

Thanks for the info. This is very helpful. I´ll put the 49440 pulses inside and will try it out.

Mike, I use a microchip Pic, but evey mc will work pretty good as the communication is very simple. Here is the schematic:

Speedo.png

I have used a switch mode dc converter on the board (LM2594) cause the display need a bit power for the led light and I fear that a cheap 7805 will burn after a while. The display is the Nextion NX4024T032_11 what cost about 20,-. You can download a free editor from their website what makes putting pics on the display very easy. It tooks me 2-3 hours until I had the first pics on the display (My 12 year old daughter, who plays sometimes with her Arduino had need only 45 minutes until she had her first horse pic on the display and she is average in the shool and too often very immun against lerning, I´m getting old...)

The communication to the main board is serial with 2 wires. I still use the 9600 baud option what is fast enough in my opinion for this application. The display is easy to read at day time. Only some angles of direct sun light will reduce the contrast. However, I´ll add an ldr resitor for the night time when the display starts to blind. You can dim the lcd just with the syntax "dim 60" what will dim it to 60 %. It´s easy. A page change is simple as well. So, a middlefinger or a nacked ass is no problem if I drive too fast or too slow ;-) By the way, I had put a small push switch on the controller board what allowed me to adjust the wheel diameter:
PB290077.jpg
This function was only avaliable via pressing the button. However, I can kick out this function now cause the 49440 pulses are much easier for the calculation. Thanks again for this info !!!

Mike, just give me a message if you are interested in the c code. I´m not very good in programming but the frame is ready and you just need to change the settings and the header for your own controller if you want to use this display type for your own application.

I´ll keep you inform about my toy.

All the best!
Axel
 

mjsk9

Well-Known Member
Hi,

Thanks for the info. This is very helpful. I´ll put the 49440 pulses inside and will try it out.

Mike, I use a microchip Pic, but evey mc will work pretty good as the communication is very simple. Here is the schematic:

View attachment 37864

I have used a switch mode dc converter on the board (LM2594) cause the display need a bit power for the led light and I fear that a cheap 7805 will burn after a while. The display is the Nextion NX4024T032_11 what cost about 20,-. You can download a free editor from their website what makes putting pics on the display very easy. It tooks me 2-3 hours until I had the first pics on the display (My 12 year old daughter, who plays sometimes with her Arduino had need only 45 minutes until she had her first horse pic on the display and she is average in the shool and too often very immun against lerning, I´m getting old...)

The communication to the main board is serial with 2 wires. I still use the 9600 baud option what is fast enough in my opinion for this application. The display is easy to read at day time. Only some angles of direct sun light will reduce the contrast. However, I´ll add an ldr resitor for the night time when the display starts to blind. You can dim the lcd just with the syntax "dim 60" what will dim it to 60 %. It´s easy. A page change is simple as well. So, a middlefinger or a nacked ass is no problem if I drive too fast or too slow ;-) By the way, I had put a small push switch on the controller board what allowed me to adjust the wheel diameter:
View attachment 37865
This function was only avaliable via pressing the button. However, I can kick out this function now cause the 49440 pulses are much easier for the calculation. Thanks again for this info !!!

Mike, just give me a message if you are interested in the c code. I´m not very good in programming but the frame is ready and you just need to change the settings and the header for your own controller if you want to use this display type for your own application.

I´ll keep you inform about my toy.

All the best!
Axel
Incredible! You are very talented!
 

Axel

Active Member
I had a bit time to work at the speedo within the last days. I have sorted the buttons a bit and finished the basic functions. I have mad a small (not very professional...) video, cause otherwise I´ll need to make too many pics for a describtion. Just feel free to look at:

.

However the lines on the display are not visible in the real world. I think there are some indifferences with the led light. I´ll continue...
I wish you all a good start in 2017!

All the best!
Axel
 

Th3InfamousI

Administrator
Staff member
Very cool! I didn't understand you except for "high beam" but I followed it! Haha

Neat idea wirh the wheel diameter! You think of everything Sir! Now if we can just get it to fit the stock round housing! Haha

Hope you had a nice holiday and happy New Year.

Sent from my 2PS64 using Tapatalk
 

Jwooky

Well-Known Member
Very awesome.

I have my cell phone mounted to my bars at times for music and maps. There is a GPS speedo available that works pretty well.

I have considered removing the stock speedo and put the phone in its place, but choose not to because I would loose tach and the turn/neutral/oil lights etc.

I would love to have a solution for that, An app and interface for those items.
 

Jersey Big Mike

100K mile club
Very awesome.

I have my cell phone mounted to my bars at times for music and maps. There is a GPS speedo available that works pretty well.

I have considered removing the stock speedo and put the phone in its place, but choose not to because I would loose tach and the turn/neutral/oil lights etc.

I would love to have a solution for that, An app and interface for those items.
I've considered that approach for my design I am working on but have not found many phones that have adequate display during the day to use for speedo. Currently my thought process is LED's for speed,odometer and tach and phone in center for GPS, music and aux display info maybe. Will keep everyone posted.
 

Axel

Active Member
Great, I like the idea with the phone :) It would be possible with a bluetooth module in combination with a small controller like Arduino , Microchip etc. The engine turn speed and a "backup speed indication" if no gps signal is present shouldn´t be a problem with it. However, I have no glue how to program an app what will overwrite a gps surface with the signals if required.

All the best!
Axel
 

Jersey Big Mike

100K mile club
Well at the moment I don't know the specifics of it either but will figure it out when I get to that point (doing sensors first).
First iteration will be the speedo/odometer and a burner phone in the mount using the phone for music and gps only, then I'll work on aux display onto phone.
 
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