Would like your thoughts
 

Hey all,

I have been toying with two ideas and would like your thoughts, as there are many folks here in the customization industry on this site.

1. I have been working on a software / hardware package for my 'vette that gives it stability control. I'm reusing the wheel sensors that are normally included with the hubs and the abs modulator, but have my own custom software, IMU, etc.

I would package it up to make it easy to tune (laptop or other device) and install.

2. I have been playing with the "glass cockpit" idea and, instead of regular gauges have an OLED display that fits in the factory dash. With the small computer driving it, the actual display could be tailored with any sort of display (yes, even logos can be included, then transition to the gauges).

If the price was reasonable for these, do you think there would be interest?

:cheers:

Definitely yes on both fronts

Just a bit of follow up.

If you take a look at:

http://www.bosch-motorsport.de/conte.../html/3826.htm

You will find that the setup is very similar to what's in the ZR1. The ZR1 uses a Bosch modulator (GM part number 25994202), has the sensors as part of the hubs, has the yaw sensor (GM part number 25930324) and pressure sensor.

The full manual is at (with wiring diagrams, CAN bus messages, etc.):

http://www.bosch-motorsport.de/conte..._Manual_en.pdf

:cheers:

Would this work in My Xbox.:_paranoid :_paranoid

<GeekSpeak>

Actually, with the XNA facilities (http://mobile.dzone.com/articles/don...uilding-cross), the software could potentially run there.:wow:

The challenge is to get a CAN interface. Apparently, the XBox controller is a USB hub and controller.

With a bit of wiring, a standard USB interface can be had. See: http://www.freewebs.com/bmxfreakride...rolleronpc.htm

Then, take a look at: http://intrepidcs.com/osc_store/prod...roducts_id/103. This is the USB <==> CAN interface.

As long as the XBox would recognize the device and I can gain access to it from XNA, score! :thumbsup:

Hmm... http://www.myremoteradio.com/wordpre.../Doc-Brown.jpg

</GeekSpeak>

XNA is a very bounded sandbox and, with the constraints XNA puts on direct API calls I think I could get the hardware and UI up and working. The challenge would be getting that through the sandbox walls so the software could talk to the hardware.:(

So, who's willing to mount an XBox in their resto-mod and use it to control CAN devices? :lol:

:cheers:

WTHell did you just say??

:_paranoid

All I can say is wow!

If you were to incorporate magnetic fluid shocks into your stability control package you would really have something.

Yeah, what he said.

LOL He said that if he could make them speak the same language he could make it work with the Xbox. It owuld be like when you see the G20 summit and all the diplomats wear ear pieces to translate what ever body is saying in the there respective language. Dont ask me how I know some of this stuff. I hang with too many NERDS at work but the does come in handy every once in awhile:cheers:

Thanks For the translation!!! lol

I would certainly be interested in the ABS/Stability control. I have ZR1 hubs with speed sensors front and rear. and StopTech brakes. I kept the speed sensors in place just in case something workable, affordable, and programable came along. As far as the glass cockpit goes, I'm not a fan. Having spent 30 years as a fighter pilot, flying the latest and greatest with multiple, color multi-functional displays (MFDs), a hud, and a helmet mounted sight, I still went straight to the "round dials" if I got in trouble or was task saturated. There is something comforting about catching a glance of a properly located needle out of the corner of your eye.

Pappy

98ssnova,

Yep, you got it! :lol:

:thumbsup:

:cheers:

Pappy,

Even if the flat glass looked like "round dials"? Or is three dimensional, mechanical the better look and feel?

Your feedback as far as a HUD is interesting. One of the guys I know produces: http://www.virtualhud.com/virtualhud/default.aspx

It's a HUD that projects on the propeller.

More than stability, would you also do forward looking RADAR for collision avoidance? What about lane departure warning?

I was thinking of putting together a modular sensor package and having it displayed on the dash or HUD. So, augment the forward view with a FLIR / RADAR or both up to somewhere around 450 ft.

Just trying to get an understanding of where that edge of what would interest folks is verses going overboard.

Thoughts?

:cheers:

Im not sure Joe, I'd hate to be going 120 around turn 11 and have a red ring of death pop up. just sayin.

Yea, and the game over audio would be in bad taste as well.:lol:

Perhaps the "whip out" part of the Surfaris song? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5D07c0dJuQ
:rofl:

:cheers:

Joe,

I guess I would catagorize the inputs I need as performance and informational. For performance (such as running a road course), you need your head and eyes up -- the vehicle is going to go where you are looking. Performance information that you need at this point needs to allow you to keep your focal length out front of the vehicle (infinity), rather than shifting it to a shorter distance to focus on gages or panels. A good hud (or helmet mounted sight) does this. That information needs to be clear and uncluttered. High performance aircraft often augment the visual with audio -- tones of increasing frequency or volume as you approach a critical performance parameter such as g-limit or angle of attack. This might be mechanized to tell you how deep you are into stability control augmentation or how close you are to a critical yaw angle, for example. Additionally, a verbal warning (we called her "bitching Betty") is transmitted when you exceed an operating parameter such as impending ground collision, engine fire, etc. -- could be oil or water temperature/pressure for a car. You would then shift your prioity to checking other instruments for the offending cause.
As I said before, I prefer round gages with prominate needles that I can monitor in my periferal vision (or a quick glance) for engine operating parameters. The military tried "strip gages" (vertical tapes) on rudimentary flat panels in the 60s, but quickly abandoned them. The most valuable information to me on the MFDs (flat panels) involved improving situational awareness; things like a moving map display, displays of things/threats (other aircraft) around me, or supplemental information regarding other operating parameters that might require my attention. In a car, this might involve a GPS nav panel, a course route of travel for large tracks or open road events, radar or flir depiction of obstacles, or directional inputs of police radars (clock position). As a side note, advanced aircraft systems take the radar or flir information and project a target designator (TD) "box" on the hud or helmet display to take your eyes to the object of interest.

I was an "old school" (too old to re-train?), eyes out of the cockpit guy. When under pressure, I didn't want things that would draw my focal length inside, yet I wanted to be able to monitor critical parameters either aurally or through periferal vision. The other information on the MFDs needed to be easy to interpret, and any function buttons user friendly. Finally, it was nice to have any required switch actions readily at hand (aircraft -- HOTAS = hands on stick and throttle) so you don't have to look inside to change functions. Hope this helps.

Pappy

Joe,

One other thought. Have you seen the NASCAR gages that have back-lighting that changes with conditions -- green for normal operating range, yellow for adverse trend, red for out of parameter, and flashing red as an attention-getter for things that are really bad? You could probably do something like that on a color flat panel, with perhaps an audio warning or a flashing "check gages" light on the hud to call your attention to a problem.

Pappy

Pappy,

Thanks! I have not seen the NASCAR gauges, so I will have to check them out.

Thanks again!

:cheers: