Analog gauge cluster tech

[Ivan141]

@Uzelac: The original gauge faces are printed in layers of white and black. The white paint is semitransparent. Both the front and the back of the acrylic are printed, the back has a pattern for light dispersion (blocks light in brightly lit areas so the overall lighting is even seen from the front).
This last feature is why I want to make my own... I'm putting my LED backlighting in there one day, which doesnt suffer from localized bright spots as much.

About working with Arduino: I use it often, my RGB led backlight board runs an Atmega AVR with arduino bootloader. To what purpose did you intend to use one?

@demee: Moman's stuff is fairly priced, but I dont need the electroluminescent elements and I'd like something more classic looking (by my own design).. Do you have some more pics of the way those faces are built (on what material, what thickness, are they printed or do they use decals?)

[demee76]

Hi, here is a pic of the back.

Don't know if it works without the electroluminescent system but I think it can. Don't remeber exactly but I think they were printed. What about thicness, it's the same than the oem one (only difference is that it's a single piece, oem is in 2 pieces).

[Uzelac]

(03-10-2015 09:50 AM)Ivan141 Wrote:  About working with Arduino: I use it often, my RGB led backlight board runs an Atmega AVR with arduino bootloader. To what purpose did you intend to use one?

So, they take transparent acrylic, paint it white (semi transparent) and yellow/red (whatever needed) and then print black to cover all ?

Regarding arduino, i use Mega to control custom gauge/cluster for my cars. 2004 LCD screen, few steppers and some LED display to show all needed info.
It is pretty much all operational, few more features to go. What I did not know are faces, will try your metod.

btw. where can i get that green layer which sperads the light ?

Regards

[Ivan141]

That green layer is electroluminescent material.. it's not for light dispersion. Notice the power plugs going to the green bits?

OEM printing is a bit more selective than just a layer of white covered by black.. you can see quite well where the colors overlap as there is a step in the black paint there.

Any pics of your cluster? Sounds fun.

[Uzelac]

Can it be cut to "any shape" ? Looks like.
I thought it got some leds at the edge and it is dispensing light of it. Stupid

Arduino cluster is still a sketch in looks, for now only jumpers and dupont wires + breadboard and arduino.
Like the look of Stack cluster with central tacho and display at bottom, but need more info so... this is kinda alfa preview



AE86 purist won't like it, i know, but I striped my interor long ago and made few custom parts inside so i'm far away from AE86 feel. Good or bad, don't know

[Ivan141]

I would make it fit the stock cluster housing somehow and also include a speedometer, but otherwise it's a cool project. Not sure about the 7-segment displays though.. they are not that convenient to read.

[Uzelac]

I like the looks of LED, and i will put one 4 digit in tacho for sure.
Bottom part is still work in progres, but i prefer LED over LCD, think it is easier to read in all possible conditions. If i could find 2004 or 1602 LED it would be great. Also 5+ shiftlights need to go in this, but i think it will be seperate part, so i can mount it wherever i like.

You know for sure, stock analog gauge can be easily made with arduino, Switec steppers are like 4USD per piece, Arduino Mega can drive 10+ of them easily without extra electronics and lots of lamps/diodes. So, stock cluster wont cost more than 50 USD.

For all those who changed gearbox, with arduino, calibrating speedo is piece of cake

[Ivan141]

I have some stock of those 7-seg displays in my basement, but they're old and probably too big.
I would also avoid an LCD display.. you can get pretty cheap OLED displays these days... much much better for in-car applications. Most of those in LCD display sizes only have character display, but if you can find a graphical OLED display you could get rid of some 7-segment readouts and use bargraphs.

[Uzelac]

Don't like yellow color, beside OLED's are way to go . Just kidding. Most of them are graphical, at least aliexpress/ebay, and in format that i can't fit, or i would have to use few of them.

About graphics, i'm not so strong in programming field. Numbers, conversions, using common libraries yes, but display programming... hmm

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Mm.. this large boy would fit fine i guess.. even though it is yellow

http://www.winstar.com.tw/products_detai...&ProID=385

18cm in lenght... much could be showed on it

[ditn]

any update on this,would still need one