LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

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Reverant
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Post by Reverant »

rabiddeity wrote:You know, I'm curious... these are all great designs on monochrome displays, but how much does a color LCD run these days? d*** if it wouldn't be cool to have color gauges, maybe on a screen large enough to display useful info but small enough to fit inside a dash.
Color LCDs are great and somewhat cheap these days, but difficult to read under sunlight (like in in-dash). Also, the lcd with the least bits I could find was like 18bits, 6 bits per RGB channel. If you have a serial connection to the mcu, it will be slow. If you have a parallel connection, you will need lots of I/O lines. I myself will switch to a green/black LCD with LED backlight once everything is ready, the LED backlight controlled with a photodiode via PWM.
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MegaScott
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Post by MegaScott »

Crystalblue,

Nice work, a few good ideas that wouldn't be all that hard to implement on the LCDash with the Atmega processor in future board revisions, it is also using the popular Toshiba type controller LCD. Eventually there will be an Odometer and fuel gauge among a few other non-Megasquirt derived inputs.
Reverant
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Post by Reverant »

Scott, the mcu I use is actually a Mega128. I had also designed a 320x240 version but the mcu isn't fast enough at 16MHz to keep up with demand (12 samples per second).

Btw, did I mention that whatever is displayed is from MTS (Innovate log chain) and only 4-5 channels are from the mcu's own ADC? :)

Jim
The man behind MS Labs
2005 Audi A3 2.0L TFSI DSG AWD - Extreme MS3
2002 Mazda Miata 1.8 6sp - Enhanced MS3 1.4.0, sequential injection, sequential ignition, big turbo, lots of boost
BenGTT
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by BenGTT »

Hi,

I have just bought one of these touchscreen dashboard for testing.

Is this project still alive ? Are firmware update discontinued ?

I have the last 2.0 fw with VE editing, but the dev team are speaking about a 2.1 with spark advance editing.

I send a mail on their wikidash website but I received my e-mail back, looks like the address is no more existing ?

If somebody have any information.

Thanks.

Benjamin
devojet
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by devojet »

Hi Ben,

I can send you 2.1 but it doesn't have spark tuning. VE tuning is far as they got with it. I don't beleive they are doing any more devlopment on it. I have added some of my own features (odometer, fuel gauge, layouts).

PM me your email address and I will send you 2.1 and some contact details of the developers.

Cheers

Daniel.
26 Chev hotrod with a 1UZFE and MS3x, Flex fuel, GPIO Transmission control and LCDash.
Twin turbo LS3 powered Race boat with MS3pro and GPIO.
MS2 on a 22r in a Hilux (mates car).
MS2extra on a turbo EF Falcon (brothers car).
Toyota Supra 1jz MS2extra, COP.
13B Turbo MS2extra.
BenGTT
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by BenGTT »

Thank you Daniel !

I'll PM you.

Benjamin
onslack
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by onslack »

BenGTT wrote:Hi,

I have just bought one of these touchscreen dashboard for testing.

Benjamin
can you still buy these? I had a a look on th wiki link to diyautotune and the page/product can't be found,any help would be great!

Cheers
Terry
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BenGTT
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by BenGTT »

Hi,

I don't know if the LCDash is still available. As I can see, it is not available from DIYautotune now :(
onslack
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by onslack »

BenGTT wrote:Hi,

I don't know if the LCDash is still available. As I can see, it is not available from DIYautotune now :(

yeah thats the same error i get,i cant seem to email matt/scott either as my yahoo account seems to be messing around! :cry:

how long ago did you buy yours?
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BenGTT
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by BenGTT »

Almost 3 months.
devojet
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by devojet »

Have you tried emailing Mike? his email is on the wiki. I emailed him a few months ago for some help fixing my Lcdash and he replied to me.
26 Chev hotrod with a 1UZFE and MS3x, Flex fuel, GPIO Transmission control and LCDash.
Twin turbo LS3 powered Race boat with MS3pro and GPIO.
MS2 on a 22r in a Hilux (mates car).
MS2extra on a turbo EF Falcon (brothers car).
Toyota Supra 1jz MS2extra, COP.
13B Turbo MS2extra.
onslack
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by onslack »

No I've not tried to email him yet,I saw the diyautotune link and went straight to it,I'll do that today :D
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Tjabo
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by Tjabo »

So do we think this device is still viable, or has it died (a potentially untimely death)?

I'm needing something for my van so that I can have a tach at the minimum, and something like this could be great. The PCS Datalogger (dash) is nice, but at $800 it's pricey, and I don't know if anyone has used one with MS at this point anyway....
--'98 Dodge Neon ACR Turbo - MS3 beta test car - Sold
--'97 BMW 540i/6spd - Single Front/Top Mount Turbo 550+ HP - MS3+MS3X V3.0 - Sold but ripping in Vegas
--'97 BMW 328i 5.3 L33/TH400 Swapped drift car - MS3+MS3X V3.0 Full Sequential - Turbos And Radiator In the Trunk 9.6@144 on a 1.55 60ft
onslack
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by onslack »

ive emailed both the guys that designed/made it and not had a reply back yet!! :cry:

DIYAuto Tune dont stock them anymore either :cry:
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Matt Cramer
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by Matt Cramer »

Tjabo wrote:So do we think this device is still viable, or has it died (a potentially untimely death)?

I'm needing something for my van so that I can have a tach at the minimum, and something like this could be great. The PCS Datalogger (dash) is nice, but at $800 it's pricey, and I don't know if anyone has used one with MS at this point anyway....
I'm afraid it is dead at the moment. They were a pretty slow seller, and production runs were expensive. Plus, we never really did have very much info on troubleshooting them and had to rely on Mike and Chris for any problems that cropped up. We couldn't really justify keeping them in stock.

I suspect the future of MegaSquirt displays lies in the area of carputers running TunerStudio.
Matt Cramer -1966 Dodge Dart slant six running on MS3X
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by racingmini_mtl »

Matt Cramer wrote:I suspect the future of MegaSquirt displays lies in the area of carputers running TunerStudio.
I would tend to agree. The cost of developing and making a dedicated display is disproportionately high compared to the available solutions with netbooks and the upcoming tablets. And it also has the advantage of allowing tuning with the familiar (and complete) interface. But there is the issue of poor visibility in high ambient lighting situations.

What would be interesting would be to have custom analog gauges. I've been looking into this and it's not difficult but the issue is to have a volume sufficiently high to get the needed custom parts such as the casing and the needle.

Jean
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Tjabo
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by Tjabo »

That's cool, I just wish one of you smart guys would figure out a way for us to have a nice dash that could show some stuff that we want to see. To me it seems like setting an LCD screen relatively deep into a gauge cluster so it didn't get much direct sunshine would be easier and better than anything else, but I really haven't looked into the issue much yet. The whole carputer thing is okay as long as it would self-boot, and communicate to a netbook sized display screen (or smaller) in my gauge panel, and allow me to configure my gauges! Hah hah. . .

I found this thread to be of interest, it seems to be even more hopeful than a carputer type deal:

http://www.msextra.com/forums/viewtopic ... 9&p=267549
--'98 Dodge Neon ACR Turbo - MS3 beta test car - Sold
--'97 BMW 540i/6spd - Single Front/Top Mount Turbo 550+ HP - MS3+MS3X V3.0 - Sold but ripping in Vegas
--'97 BMW 328i 5.3 L33/TH400 Swapped drift car - MS3+MS3X V3.0 Full Sequential - Turbos And Radiator In the Trunk 9.6@144 on a 1.55 60ft
devojet
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by devojet »

I still think a dedicated LCD like the LCDash is the better solution for a perminant dash (ie to replace you origonal gauges). It requires far less hardware to be installed and you don't have the boot time etc of the PC. It does appear dearer than a netbook, but have you compared it to the price of a full set of aftermarket gauges or the other LCD dashs from the other ecu companies?

If you just want it for additional gauges on top of your factory gauges then a carpc is probably more attractive. For my 1926 chev hot rod I found the LCDash was the perfect setup. I have modified the firmware to add an odometer and fuel gauge as well as a new gauge layout. I have no other gauges in the hot rod besides the LCDash.

I like the idea of custom analogue gauges. I assume they would connect via CAN.
26 Chev hotrod with a 1UZFE and MS3x, Flex fuel, GPIO Transmission control and LCDash.
Twin turbo LS3 powered Race boat with MS3pro and GPIO.
MS2 on a 22r in a Hilux (mates car).
MS2extra on a turbo EF Falcon (brothers car).
Toyota Supra 1jz MS2extra, COP.
13B Turbo MS2extra.
Matt Cramer
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by Matt Cramer »

racingmini_mtl wrote: What would be interesting would be to have custom analog gauges. I've been looking into this and it's not difficult but the issue is to have a volume sufficiently high to get the needed custom parts such as the casing and the needle.

Jean
You might be able to get the mechanical parts off the shelf from a gauge company - some of them do private label gauges.
Matt Cramer -1966 Dodge Dart slant six running on MS3X
prof315
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Re: LCDash -Graphical LCD Digital Dashboard released!

Post by prof315 »

Something else to look at might be some of the new factory instrument clusters..... I had a new 2011 ford Edge in the shop this week and except for the Analog Speedo, normal style warning lights (brake, charge, seatbelts and so on) and normal PRNDL everything else was LCD graphics and could be cycled through via a pushbutton on the dash. Really good looking too!
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