[DMCForum] Re: DeLorean Video Dashboard

["natesky1980" <ncskalsk@xxxxxxx>]

Next level of technology? If this was 1998, I could almost buy that.

I took a picture of the prototype I built in late 2002 and put it 
in "MCU driven instrumentation" folder in `files'.   It runs off of 
3.3volts (12v in regulated down to 3.3volt), draws about 240mA and 
has no moving parts.  The instrument panel is all self contained, and 
about 1 inch thick.  This is what I consider mid-90's technology, but 
I think it illistrates what a engineer would build vs. a hobbyist.   
It uses a USB-enabled ASIC to receive firmware and gauge definitions 
(reads USB drives).  It contains two accelerometers (for dead 
reckoning) and a serial GPS interface), an ISO OBDII interface 
circuit, 56MB of electrically erasable permanent read only memory, 
and a 2-wire touch screen overlay for each gauge module and a analog 
to digital video encoder (for rear view/front bumper cam).  The grand 
total was about $125 worth of hardware (minus cams).  My point, it 
shouldn't be all that expensive to make a 'dynamic' 'video-based' 
instrumentation implementation.

<constructive criticism>
It's incredibly wasteful to build a instrumentation system that is 
driven by a 32bit PC, a TFT LCD, huge amount of unnecessary 
operational circuitry, 3 levels of data storage, and lots of support 
circuitry.. All for functionality that could be driven from a DSP or 
16-bit processor with very minimal circuitry.

No one is going to wait for their dash to boot, and if you're going 
to use a PC in the first place your probably going to use a PC 
operating system too... just for a couple measly GUI API's and a 
simple programming platform?  I see a lot of scope creep already.

By using a PC architecture, your accepting unjustifiably high start-
up latency, queue based timing, demanding power requirements, What 
happens when your LCD is used in near freezing temperatures?? Will it 
crack, will the dramatically increased refresh latency be dangerous, 
can you see it in the bright of day? What if the underlying OS is 
loaded with malicious code, or is by design incorrectly displaying 
data? Liability? If the thing is kept in suspend mode, battery 
drain?  Is the bus/processor going to be cooled properly?

If you're using a PC a 4-wire resistive touch screen overlay (~$20) 
is nothing in terms of cost...unless you are unable to write code to 
drive it, in which case a developer's kit is still only $150.

If information is to be relied upon in real-time, use a real-time 
system - something not found in your PC..totally different design 
paradigm.

Equally important for something like this is that it must provide 'on 
demand' (as IBM likes to say) information flow, meaning there should 
be no booting.  All the operating data should be contained within non-
volatile memory (EEPROM,ROM,EPROM,etc), diffidently not magnetic 
media.  


</criticism>,  take it for what its worth to you. I think that if 
your going to spend time working on something and going to get the 
Delorean community excited, it should at least have a hope of 
succeeding first.


-Nate
11501


--- In DMCForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Jim" <starbuck@xxxx> wrote:
>
> What would be cool is when you put the car in reverse a rear view 
camera
> image would show up on the dash.
> 
> Jim
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: DMCForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:DMCForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
> Behalf Of Bob Brandys
> Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 5:51 PM
> To: DMCForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [DMCForum] DeLorean Video Dashboard
> 
> The idea behind doing this was to bring dashboards to the next 
level of 
> technology.
> 
> For older cars, you can go to LED gauges-e.g.  Dakota Digital.  
> However, video display screen are in almost all electronic devices 
> today.
> 
> This is the next level in electronics.
> 
> Consequently, we went to the next level.
> 
> We are looking for any and all ideas for the graphic displays for 
the 
> DeLorean dashboard.
> e.g A BTTF theme?  All linear gauges?  The D currently has analog 
> gauges.
> How about gauges modeled after airplane displays?  Got any good 
pics?  
> Sound outputs-"you are going too fast"  "go buy some gas dummy!"
> 
> Bob
> 
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> 
> 
> 
>  
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>

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