Luke76 Posted April 28, 2018 Author Share Posted April 28, 2018 Thanks for the explanation, Luke. I'll make sure I think through how to drive any displays I install so I can keep the lead length short. Or, chose a display with RS232 capabilities. (Boy, does typing RS232 take me back. And, if I remember correctly, it is actually RS232-C that we use.) So far my expected uses are: Match the Bricknose sending units to the Bullnose gauges Battery voltages - both primary and auxiliary, with low limit alarm Coolant temp, with high limit alarm Oil pressure, with low limit alarm On-board air pressure - to monitor that to-be Techumseh-driven system Potentially to data log the EEC-V EFI system I'd been planning on using an Uno, but will look at the Teensy. But I need shields to sink the almost 1 amp that the fuel gauge can draw, so will have to bone up on Teensy and its optional shields. As for the display, I really do want to use the clock openings, making it look as factory as possible. And I'm thinking I want a pushbutton in the first opening, much like the factory clock, that would let me toggle through the various things being monitored, which would be displayed in the middle and right openings. This way I won't need the hard to see under dash add-on gauges. But finding displays that will work there has been difficult since I need alpha as well as numeric (7-segment) to tell what is being displayed as well as to show whatever just went into alarm. Any ideas? Gary, since you are planning to interface quite a few peripherals with your project the Uno may be a better choice in terms of shield availability. If you only plan to drive a 7-segment display or your run of the mill LCD/VFD, then you won't need any especial processing power - that is really only nice to have with the graphical displays. I also considered a screen in the clock area but searched in vain for a suitable one. I bought this one to test since it is more or less the same color, but it is actually almost too small to be practical, and also can't be dimmed which could be troublesome at night (it is really quite bright). Good luck with your project, I'm sure you'll come up with something unique and interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Gary, since you are planning to interface quite a few peripherals with your project the Uno may be a better choice in terms of shield availability. If you only plan to drive a 7-segment display or your run of the mill LCD/VFD, then you won't need any especial processing power - that is really only nice to have with the graphical displays. I also considered a screen in the clock area but searched in vain for a suitable one. I bought this one to test since it is more or less the same color, but it is actually almost too small to be practical, and also can't be dimmed which could be troublesome at night (it is really quite bright). Good luck with your project, I'm sure you'll come up with something unique and interesting. Luke - I'd looked at that display briefly before and decided that it wouldn't work because the characters are just too small. But, I did a bit more reading and found the pic shown below, which proves that you can actually create characters bigger than the little ones their library produces. Yes, they are via brute force as they are really pictures of characters. I don't think it would be hard to create pics of all of the possible display's I'd need, but they might take up a lot of storage. And, it would be tedious. But, it could be done. As for dimming, I wonder if you could vary the duty cycle to achieve that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke76 Posted April 29, 2018 Author Share Posted April 29, 2018 Luke - I'd looked at that display briefly before and decided that it wouldn't work because the characters are just too small. But, I did a bit more reading and found the pic shown below, which proves that you can actually create characters bigger than the little ones their library produces. Yes, they are via brute force as they are really pictures of characters. I don't think it would be hard to create pics of all of the possible display's I'd need, but they might take up a lot of storage. And, it would be tedious. But, it could be done. As for dimming, I wonder if you could vary the duty cycle to achieve that? Yes, you can use larger custom characters. I haven't gone digging but I suspect that is already part of Adafruit's graphics libraries. However even so the display is still awfully small, you need to see one in real life, it's literally one inch across. A font of legible size, still even smaller than your standard 7-segment display, would probably only allow 4-5 characters across. Unlike most other displays these little OLEDs do not have an input for backlight so there is no duty cycle to modify. Looking at Adafruit's library I see a "dim" command that you can send digitally but it is true/false, not variable. Not sure exactly what effect that would have. You could however use the old fashioned way of dimming displays, which is to put a piece of colored lexan in front of it (permanent dimming). Â Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Yes, you can use larger custom characters. I haven't gone digging but I suspect that is already part of Adafruit's graphics libraries. However even so the display is still awfully small, you need to see one in real life, it's literally one inch across. A font of legible size, still even smaller than your standard 7-segment display, would probably only allow 4-5 characters across. Unlike most other displays these little OLEDs do not have an input for backlight so there is no duty cycle to modify. Looking at Adafruit's library I see a "dim" command that you can send digitally but it is true/false, not variable. Not sure exactly what effect that would have. You could however use the old fashioned way of dimming displays, which is to put a piece of colored lexan in front of it (permanent dimming). I'm thinking that the readout could take the form of: "12.8 V1" for the main battery "13.4 V2" for the auxiliary battery "195 F" for coolant "40 PSI" for oil pressure But, it would be so much nicer to be able to make it "12.8 Main Battery". Or "Batt 1: 12.8". Anyway, I'll keep looking for the display. A fluorescent one would be cool as it would be period-correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke76 Posted May 3, 2018 Author Share Posted May 3, 2018 I'm thinking that the readout could take the form of: "12.8 V1" for the main battery "13.4 V2" for the auxiliary battery "195 F" for coolant "40 PSI" for oil pressure But, it would be so much nicer to be able to make it "12.8 Main Battery". Or "Batt 1: 12.8". Anyway, I'll keep looking for the display. A fluorescent one would be cool as it would be period-correct. The eBay auction is live: CLICK HERE Reserve is set at $10k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 The eBay auction is live: CLICK HERE Reserve is set at $10k Worth many times that. I have it on my watch list. This I have to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Cecil Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 The eBay auction is live: CLICK HERE Reserve is set at $10k Well shooooot....I'll give ya $10,000 right now!! Watching, and bidding!! I am Chevy59ss on Ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 The eBay auction is live: CLICK HERE Reserve is set at $10k Well shooooot....I'll give ya $10,000 right now!! Watching, and bidding!! I am Chevy59ss on Ebay. I hope you get it! And, when you come after it drop down and show it to me. Plus, bring it back for the show in Sept. PLEASE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Cecil Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 I hope you get it! And, when you come after it drop down and show it to me. Plus, bring it back for the show in Sept. PLEASE! Gary...I will have to tell my wife tonight....somehow...that I am bidding on it. Well, she was born in Wichita KS, so maybe that'll score me some points? Its not too far from you and our family in your area, so.... I went and got cash out last night to buy Holly a used Tahoe. The one we looked at was nice, and I just about started to negotiate. Then I started noticing some things not adding up...and I started asking questions. The guy got real rude and Holly and I looked at each other, gave each other the mental telepathy treatment, walked to our car and said nothing but "good luck buddy." The guy was really rude to us. Anyway, so I am trying to convince my wife, right now, that we go visit her birthplace, swing by Bartlesville OK and see her family, then go see Gary Lewis and check on our rent house too while we are there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 I hope you get it! And, when you come after it drop down and show it to me. Plus, bring it back for the show in Sept. PLEASE! Gary...I will have to tell my wife tonight....somehow...that I am bidding on it. Well, she was born in Wichita KS, so maybe that'll score me some points? Its not too far from you and our family in your area, so.... I went and got cash out last night to buy Holly a used Tahoe. The one we looked at was nice, and I just about started to negotiate. Then I started noticing some things not adding up...and I started asking questions. The guy got real rude and Holly and I looked at each other, gave each other the mental telepathy treatment, walked to our car and said nothing but "good luck buddy." The guy was really rude to us. Anyway, so I am trying to convince my wife, right now, that we go visit her birthplace, swing by Bartlesville OK and see her family, then go see Gary Lewis and check on our rent house too while we are there. Good plan, Stan! I'll have to compare notes with Holly as to where she lived in Wichita. We lived there 6 years and I was born 55 miles southeast. As for a used vehicle, the next door neighbor has an Avalanche he says he's going to sell. They bought it new and recently replaced it with a new Tahoe, but haven't sold the Avalanche. Don't know anything about it, but can ask if you are interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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