I'm putting together an LCD dash that will be run off a carpc. At the moment I'm hooked up to my laptop. Looking for graphic ideas or suggestions. This is my first skin.

I have two Fusion Brains tied into the car and operational for my car PC dash. Video of it in action. Inexpensive ebay monitor turns out to have nice Hitachi screen in it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC0jt9ptSKY

That's a pretty cool idea. Don't know if I had the fab skils to make a dash to fit a screen though

This is a really coo idea. Exactly what I've been thinking. I've been thinking of modifying a 4th gen dash for something like this. I'm barelly in the research stage right now. Will have to wait for the start until I've moved to Texas.

Awesome skins, I gotta spend more time making my interface to the ECU look good. What are you using to make those skins? What app is interfacing? Check out my dash over on the fab section, it is one way to put a screen in a (not so stock) dash.

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/fa...ml#post4455033 (Post up pics of your custom dash!)

I'm drawing them with Gimp. The MDX application software is specific for the Fusion Brain i/o boards. Lot of nice fabrication work in your dash. Last thing I need is for the wife to have her own set of gauges. Lord knows she wants her own brake pedal.

The one thing I keep wondering is about how accurate or reliable they'll be. I keep imagining the windows crash screen or frozen screen and then I'm screwed. I will have to have some kind of back up gages.

That is a common concern. As I've only driven my car up and down the private road that is a valid concern. Some people carry an extra HDD with them. A convienent reset button is a good plan. I hope your car is in a good enough state of repair that a back-up speedometer would get you home worst case. Mine is not a daily driver so I'm not worried about it. I intend to invest in a SSD and max RAM to improve reliability.

My conventional car hard drive quit working after 5000 driving miles and racing at Pocono. I picked up a SSD, and no problems after 54 miles at Summit Point.

Yeah mine won't be a daily driver either, I've actually just gotten an lt1 from a corvette installed in the car. I'm trying to figure out the dashboard. Where did you get the software you're using to create those skins. Does it work on windows 7 or is it better to create the skins using the carputer that will be installed in the car instead of creating it on a different computer and then transfering the file to the carputer. I really like that first skin.

Good to know, thanks.

Software is free, but designed specifically for the Fusion Brain hardware. It has a Virtual Brain function that allows you to play with it before you buy anything. http://www.fusioncontrolcentre.com/F...g/software.php No reason not check it out.

I think they worked out the 7 issues on mp3car. The skin files are easy to move around. No problem transferring.

Thanks for the link. I downloaded the file. I need to do a better search on that site. It's giving me a hardtime on windows 7. I believe it having to do with this computer being 64bit vs 32bit as stated on the website. So tested your lcd screen while driving?

In Windows7 the program has to be run as administrator. 64bit is a problem:
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/fusi...in7-32bit.html

Monitor testing: Not really. Always something to do. Daughter's Jimmy wouldn't start last weekend, had to drag son's STS home last night. Will be looking for his oil leak this weekend.

How's your progress coming along?

Programming: I have Ride Runner and MDX talking to each other quite well now (COMs). Blower fan control is in. Auto on headlights is nearly done with center touch screen override control. I also have a good start on touch screen power mirror control. I'm thinking of moving fuel pressure, MAP, AFR to a skin on the center screen so dash screen isn't so crowded.

Designing. I guy wanted a quote for a complete system that forced me to better research PSU, CarPC as well as design improvements for some one-off components and packaging. My HD tuner arrived.

Nothing in the car. Still worried about the monitor?

Are you accomplishing all of this with the fusion brain? I can't work on any of this until I'm done moving to texas. Can't wait to get started.

ACCLR8N, That first skin looks really great. I was thinking of adding a gen IV dash and a carpc with a screen that would be located where the radio and heater controls are. After seeing what your doing you have me rethinking my plan. Keep it up!!
I do have one question though as I'm not familiar with the hardware you mentioned, Is your system windows or linux based?

I believe the system he's using is windows based.

I was just talking to someone about this. It would be great to replace the digital display on my Camaro when it goes out. Could you explain how the speedometer and RPM signals are hooked up?
Was the speedo analog or digital?

I don't have any ground breaking suggestions for a design. Maybe something taken from an older Corvette display?

Windows based, Fusion Brain USB I/O boards to interface the car to the computer, Fusion Brain uber MDX software to interpret information and provide for graphic display. I've also linked this to another software called Ride Runner to run on second center mounted touch screen for music, climate control, power mirrors, GPS...

Speed VSS digital signal is sent through a frequency to voltage board that converts it to a 0-5V analog signal the Fusion Brain can understand. Same for the Tach.

Ahh, I get it now. Thank you.

I went to mp3car and I see that it can be controlled with Linux. I love your graphic designs, very cool. Was it a hard to get control over the heater and AC? I was thinking of using PWM to control fan speed for infinitely variable speed control. Haven't got any farther than that though.

Have you ever seen the speedo on a 69 olds toranado? It had a lens with a line horizontally thru the middle. the numbers where on a drum that rotated behind the lens. that would be one variation that would fit in your design.

Another Idea is the military style where things that tend to be static at cruise all aline so you can tell at a glance if anything is amiss. i. e. water temp, oil press, batt volts. makes busy displays easier to read.

Just a couple of ideas to give you something to think about.
Your back ground is really nice. Looks like a cross between brushed brass and carbon fiber.

HVAC is in progress. Blower fan is 4 relays to simply stay with the '87 setup. Chickened out on PWM. Vacuum lines will be a solinoid manifold somebody else found to use. I need get part number and source it. Problem: Cable actuator for temperature flapper. Worst case is a linear actuator (AutoLoc) and some position switches. A stepper motor might be cheaper, but don't know offhand how to control it.

Thanks for the ideas. The military one would be a small file size to produce. One stationary image and one variable location image to add. The three skins I have take a little bit to load already and I still have Auto HVAC logic to add to the file. I'm starting to worry about file size.

The simplest method to control the cable might be a gear reduction motor with an arm attached to the output shaft in conjunction with the infrared positioning sensor from the fusion brain site. It should give you enough power and still keep the size down. An other option might be a vacuum actuator to just change from heating to cooling but then your are back to the PWM for the blower motor for temp control or an even more complex system with an electronic water valve and a variable orifice.

Did you look at any of the climate controlled GMs in the bone yard? might find some ideas there and the weather is getting nicer!
You might be able to pull the whole system and just control the inputs through your computer/fusion brain setup. that should cut down on the programing chores and file sizes. maybe look at a few system schematics to find some likely candidates. That's what I was thinking of doing when I get that far.

The '84-'86 Berlinettas came with electronically controlled AC. Not sure on the specifics, but you may be able to use some of the lower AC control parts as they may be a direct fit. The control pod itself won't fit even if it were a standard Camaro because the dash and cluster surround is not the same. But you may also be able to use the control pod as a means of activating the HVAC as mentioned above.

Brilliant! $9 Gear motor (Allelectronics DCM-276), $25 IR distance, $55 Vacuum solinoid manifold (ACDelco 15-72182) all new parts and I have full control and position sensing on the HVAC. Just have to fab a lever for the gear motor.

Glad I could help on such a cool project. Hope it works out.

Any up dates....I have been wanting todo something like this, ever sents I saw the first episode of knight rider lol

I've changed up the design. Decided the 7" was too small for everything and I didn't want to try fitting an 8". I'm doing a Ferrari style set up now with a custom graphic speedhut tach and smaller VDO speedometer. I have my carPC built and have done some bench testing but have not put it in the car yet. The hardware for the HVAC has been gathered. Developed some night skins.

This is very cool.....I have a friend to help with the pc stuff but he is not a car guy.....something I'm going to need help with would be the pc to car interface .......I was thinking about doing the OBD II conversion that s10wildside did.....but they want just over $2000 for the kit.....I'm not saying its not worth it.....but I have the iroc in the garage now.... getting some fiberglass fixed....I thought with the OBD II it would be easier to interface the pc to car...but you said something about power mirrors and your heater controls from the touch screen????? How did you do that????

The OBD II isn't going to provide you with stuff like oil pressure, fuel level, high beams. I'm using a product called Fusion Brain for the interface. The new V6 ones have 31 digital outputs used to operate relays such as Fan low speed on, passenger mirror up. You go through the outputs pretty fast, lots of little relays. They also have 15 analog inputs. These are used for sensor input, right turn signal is on, check engine light is on. All this through a USB cable and powered from the 12V car battery. I'm running three of the older V4's to meet all my needs.

I use RideRunner software with the touch screen. The MDX software included with the FB is good for logic, but I found its "buttons" twitchy with my touch screen. I have them talking back and forth with COM objects, but there are always other ways.

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Ok so let me see see if I understand this........
I need a fusion brain....you are running 3 V4's ......so if I wanted I could run 2...3..or 4....V6 fusion brains??????
And all I have todo is cut the buttons & switches and run the wires to the brain and hook a pc to the brain with a usb .......and then let my friend do his thing with different skins and programming

Probably only need one or two of the new V6 FBs. I'm a fan of the older V4 as they are 5v based for the analog inputs, the new ones are 3.3v based.

You replace buttons and switches with relays (the smaller the better). The Fusion Brain outputs control the relay. Anything you can operate with a relay you can control from a software skin.

Ok looks like the computer guy, that I work with as no interest in helping with something like this.....As I said he is not a car guy and thinks this is one big mess waiting to happen.....alright then I under stand about replacing everything with a relay....my question about that is.....would I need 4 relays for each power mirror???? Up/down/left/right.....and I saw where you said something about haveing heat and ac controls on the bench and was working on that......so how do get the speedO tac and gas....I think not a 100% on this but .... cars like olds 98 and Buick park avenue form late 80's to mid 90's had a digital heat panel and the flaps inside behind the dash worked off of small servos and not vacuum ......and thanks for taking the time to talk about this

Your friend is wise.

Yep, 4 relays for each mirror. You pick up small 12V PC pin relays for this that are 1-5 AMP. The typical 40 AMP automotive relays end up drawing too much power if you have several coils energized at once.

Speed and Tach with frequency to voltage converters, they are about $10. I had the most trouble getting these work correctly. When I did, I changed my mind and am now running regular gauges for this. Odometer is a challenge.

Most gauges are resistance based. Our fuel senders are 0-90ohms for instance. When you want to measure a variable resistance, you build a voltage divider circuit. Each Fusion Brain input is three pin. A fixed 5V, Ground and the Analog in. The voltage divider circuit knocks the 5V down depending on the resistor values. A $13 bag of resistors from Radio Shack will provide a lifetime supply for making these.

You can get an electrically controlled (more relays) vacuum manifold from many late 80'2-90's GM cars. ACDelco 1572182 get a used one with a connector pigtail. These are $70 new without a connector plug.

Well I'm not telling him that, he already has a big head..lol...He is going to help with a touch screen....I ordered a " Tire pressure monitoring system " form jegs .$139.99 ( 699-p4095 ) it comes with its one monitor.... he is going to make it so I can get rid of the monitor that comes with it....and tie it in to what ever touch screen that I buy....also I sent a email to s10wildside... I asked him if he could look over this thread and give some thought on the subject

If you can read the OBDII datastream...
You will have PIDs available for vehicle speed, tachometer, coolant temp, oil pressure, system voltage...the list goes on and on. Basically, anything you could want for a guage cluster.

If you cannot read the OBDII datastream...
You'll have to rely on sending units.

For more about how the datastream is handled, the following have plenty of knowledge about the topic...
EFILive http://www.efilive.com
HPTuners http://www.hptuners.com
Drew Technologies http://www.drewtech.com

Your LS1 PCM has PIDs for oil pressure and fuel level? Is this OEM or something you've added in through unused pins?

The LS1 PCM (and newer PCMs/ECMs) have sensor inputs for both fuel level and oil pressure. These PIDs are available through the OBDII datastream if your scan tool will show them.

When we run engines on the test stand, we install the oil pressure sensor to read oil pressure through the datastream using EFILive. I've seen applications where the DashDAQ would not show the oil pressure PID...but EFILive would.

Well like I said, I'm doing a lot of fiberglass right now......but my next big project will be a OBD II conversion along with a in car computer.....I wish there was something I could do, to help with some kind of computer control for the heater/AC ...in-between layers of glass I'm gonna start planning my dash layout .....if I could find a monitor 4 or 5in x 10in. That could be fit in the dash for gauges .....and a second monitor under the center dash vents to control every thing...

Thanks s10wildside for responding so quickly....
When I get that OBD II, I'll drive my iroc there and pick It up...