Arduino programmer: InfoGauge Vanagon project

[mrfusn]

I haven’t posted in a while, and it’s not directly related to the recent reply, but I thought I’d give an update on my fresh water / aux voltage project. It’s by no means complete, stable, durable, or beautiful, but I’ve been learning a bunch of skills along the way to make it better.

I borrowed time on a Glowforge laser cutter to make a faceplate out of acrylic.

I popped in some LEDs and switches.

In my water tank, I have a piece of PEX tubing with lead wires down it that hooks into my circuitry.

I wired and finished it up, but based on the fact that I’m expecting to make a nicer panel at some point, I just put it on an enclosure that’s hidden from view inside near where I fill my water tank.

And then it’s all set. It powers on or off, and the right switch changes between showing either fresh water level or relative voltage of the aux battery (taking into account that “empty” is at about 50% since it’s a lead acid).

I also have a small buzzer on here and a program which can do things like blink various lights and make sounds for full or empty conditions such as filling or near running out.

It’s been fun and I hope to keep making it nicer! More as I get there...
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‘86 GL 2-knob Syncro Weekender w/ Subaru EJ25
'85 GL sunroof turned pop top w/ WB 2.1

[boroko]

Sorry guys, the project got put on the back burner for a while. I have been thinking about reviving it again.

The sensors: I found some compression fittings for tubing that fit the DS18b20's. If memory serves, they were metric and I got them off Ebay. They have a stop ridge in the bottom of the connector that is meant for the tubing to bottom out in when used conventionally. I drilled them out so that the sensor would slide all the way through.

I have been driving the van all summer and haven't taken the time to install it, so positioning is still up for discussion.

As I resurrect this project, I will post it here.

One of the things I was busy on was a paying Arduino project all summer, and I have learned a bit more than I knew when I started this. Hopefully, that will help make it better. Also, I'm considering making the remote radio linked instead of with a CAT5 wire to make installation easier. It will also allow more remotes with less trouble. We'll see how that goes.

bo
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'87 SyncroWesty: Smokey the Turtle, '85 SubiWesty: Chappie, '84 GTI, '86 GTI in full Rally trim,
previous: 2 Syncro tin tops, 2 Vanagons, 3 busses, 3 Ghias, 2 Jettas, a 411, a gas and a diesel Bunny and about 25 Beetles, one that only drove left.

[mainstreetexile]

[mrfusn]

Just finding this post. In between the time that I made this post and now, I’ve been getting pretty heavily into Arduino, as well as replaced my instrument cluster blue foil with the GW kit and been intrigued. I have been considering building up some software gauges.

As stated in the link, I’ve got 20 years of software engineering experience, the last seven of that in maps/GIS, specific to mobile applications. Mostly I did backend networking, performance, and heavy-duty graphics stuff, but I can do frontend work as well.

I’ve got some time to work on things right now, too.

If the OP or anyone else is interested in syncing up and collaborating, let me know?

I’m pretty new to Arduino and “physical computing” but have been messing around this week with a fresh water level sensor:

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‘86 GL 2-knob Syncro Weekender w/ Subaru EJ25
'85 GL sunroof turned pop top w/ WB 2.1

[boroko]

Sodo,
The things I'm learning on other projects might allow me to add datalogging.
The current project is specifically a datalogger to an SD card with a radio for downloading the info. Very specific function for race cars.
So far, I just need to get the InfoGauge out there. We can add enhancements as we go. Also, remember that each one of these changes adds an surprising amount of work.
Anyway, its not forgotten.

bo
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'87 SyncroWesty: Smokey the Turtle, '85 SubiWesty: Chappie, '84 GTI, '86 GTI in full Rally trim,
previous: 2 Syncro tin tops, 2 Vanagons, 3 busses, 3 Ghias, 2 Jettas, a 411, a gas and a diesel Bunny and about 25 Beetles, one that only drove left.

[Sodo]

Bo this would rule. I hope yuou can find the time (and support) to get this together. Also would like a datalogger capability to timestamp some "temperature events".
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'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[boroko]

[flomulgator]

Are these displays dimmable? I've found that to be a big hurdle when trying to use non-automotive display systems for use while driving.

I love the idea though, and wish I knew how to program these things.
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She's built like a steakhouse, but she handles like a bistro!

[Sodo]

Me too.

and, as said earlier:

\

[gchristensen]

would love to see this come to light. I have a diesel I would love to attach something like this to.
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Joining now is our new 1982 diesel. This is an ongoing project under construction.

[Paulbeard]

I agree, a $40 dollar gadget is not that big a deal but I wonder how much of the functionality of that could be replicated in an Arduino or Raspberry Pi. From probing the one I have, it seems to have a small linux-like kernel (it does IPv4, has an http listener and sql database) as well the hardware/telecom functions (GPS, cell service). But it's closed.

This open source tracking system looks like it does much the same as the one that comes with these little boxes (the TK 10x). I'm going to see what else it does, once I get my device added to it.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[boroko]

Hi PaulBeard,
I haven't seen that before. It looks interesting, but I doubt it will run on
Arduino. You would have to add another system, and at that point, a $40 dedicated system looks nice and easy.
Maybe I'm missing something here. Could you expound on what you've found that makes it appealing? I'd like to know more.
bo
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'87 SyncroWesty: Smokey the Turtle, '85 SubiWesty: Chappie, '84 GTI, '86 GTI in full Rally trim,
previous: 2 Syncro tin tops, 2 Vanagons, 3 busses, 3 Ghias, 2 Jettas, a 411, a gas and a diesel Bunny and about 25 Beetles, one that only drove left.

[Paulbeard]

[boroko]

Very nice!
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'87 SyncroWesty: Smokey the Turtle, '85 SubiWesty: Chappie, '84 GTI, '86 GTI in full Rally trim,
previous: 2 Syncro tin tops, 2 Vanagons, 3 busses, 3 Ghias, 2 Jettas, a 411, a gas and a diesel Bunny and about 25 Beetles, one that only drove left.

[drj434343]

Not intending to hijack, but instead to augment, here's my camping oriented Arduino based screen system.

Intended for camping related info instead of driving, it runs from the house battery and is in the rear cabin next to the counter.[/img]

[boroko]

As I said earlier, I have a scan gauge and it's useful for what it is. My beef is that there a lot of things people want to watch that aren't part of OBD. Especially on our Vans, and even more so on a camper. To that end, I wasn't happy with gauge pods everywhere in a vehicle I'm in to relax. Want to be able to know what's going on when I care, and ignore it when I don't, and let it alarm when something out of the ordinary happens. Fairly unobtrusive but informative.
By making the code available, people can use it as a template of sorts and do what they want to with it. If there is interest, you could just get code from someone else that has customized something that suits you and with a small bit of familiarization, upload it to your hardware. Maybe a dream, but within reach.

bo
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'87 SyncroWesty: Smokey the Turtle, '85 SubiWesty: Chappie, '84 GTI, '86 GTI in full Rally trim,
previous: 2 Syncro tin tops, 2 Vanagons, 3 busses, 3 Ghias, 2 Jettas, a 411, a gas and a diesel Bunny and about 25 Beetles, one that only drove left.

[Zeitgeist 13]

Thanks for the updates. I'm just interested to see how folks are integrating Arduino/Raspberry Pi projects into vehicles. I'm particularly focused on building an Arduino interface that allows me to use a Mk4 cluster in my van, even though I have no ECU from which to gather the inputs. I'd be interested in your InfoGauge for my EV as an option to buying a Scangauge.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[boroko]

Rereading the entire thread, I realized it wasn't fair to say there was no interest. There was in fact, quite a bit. What I should have said is that no one took the ball and ran with it and developed a super slick software package.

I have learned a few things since I took this on, and they will help me develop and produce it further. Alas, it is down on the list for the time being. I will resurrect it as time allows, and other projects near completion.

Like I have said in the past, its out there, and the hardware only matters on the final implementation, so it shouldn't stop anyone from polishing up the interface in the mean time.

Thanks to all who have shown interest, and I'm sorry I may have slighted those that did.

bo
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'87 SyncroWesty: Smokey the Turtle, '85 SubiWesty: Chappie, '84 GTI, '86 GTI in full Rally trim,
previous: 2 Syncro tin tops, 2 Vanagons, 3 busses, 3 Ghias, 2 Jettas, a 411, a gas and a diesel Bunny and about 25 Beetles, one that only drove left.

[boroko]

Hi Zeitgeist,
The project is still on the bench, mostly working. I have instead been building a pole barn and equipping it to rebuild my '87. Along the way, I got busy designing another board that will interest a number of people. You'll likely hear about those from a trusted source very soon. There are a number already quietly installed and we have just been refining the options and testing before releasing it publicly.

The InfoGauge isn't dead, I just needed a running van to install it in and further develop it. Along those lines, I will be picking up an '85 Westy in the coming days and that will become the test bed while I rebuild the Smokey, the SyncroWesty. I was going to leave today to go get it, but it was -7 here last night, and I'm driving like 7 hours to get it. Knowing the possibility of breakdowns, and the general misery of working in sub-zero temps, the owner and I decided to put it off a few days.

Thanks for bringing it back up. I hadn't seen a lot of interest and it became a personal project, but who knows, I may dust it off and put it out there after I have some time with it in a running van.

bo
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'87 SyncroWesty: Smokey the Turtle, '85 SubiWesty: Chappie, '84 GTI, '86 GTI in full Rally trim,
previous: 2 Syncro tin tops, 2 Vanagons, 3 busses, 3 Ghias, 2 Jettas, a 411, a gas and a diesel Bunny and about 25 Beetles, one that only drove left.

[Zeitgeist 13]

Are there any updates to this project?
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?