My display device (TouchScreen,SDcard) ** NOW OPEN SOURCE **

[93white3400z]

Hi,

I would like to share with everyone my winter project. I'm making a display device for my Megasquirt. The software part is pretty easy for me (but pretty time consuming still) as I'm a Web developer, but I don't know much about hardware so I had a lot of fun learning how to make this. I could have bought a MegaView but personally I didn't really like it and it looks like the developement for it is close to none. Also, I really wanted to try to make my own and for the price I paid for all the hardware, it was definitly worth a try!

I guess a video or two will help you guys see where I'm at with this project

First video I made of it is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKf61zBj ... ature=plcp
That was when the communication with the Megasquirt wasn't done yet so the display was running in demo mode (random value).

Second video I made today have the communication with the Megasquirt working great: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKN3gsY9cbM

Hardware:
- chipKIT Uno32 (32-bits Arduino clone), I'm using an Arduino since I don't know much about eletronics, that was the easiest choice
- 4d Systems µLCD-32PT(SGC) LCD screen (3.2")
- SparkFun I2C to UART board (since there is not enough UART port on the chipKIT)
- FCE Eletronics Serial RS232 to UART board

Software:
- C++ with the ChipKIT libraries, using a premade library to communicate with the LCD and graphs and everything else made by me.

Currently working with my MS3 alpha15 firmware (but not using the new serial protocol yet, serial communication seems really good on the bench tho). When you connect the device to the Megasquirt, it just takes a second or two to connect and same when you disconnect it.

Next plan for this is continue working on making it better, fix a few random bugs and try to extend the feature set. I also ordered a blue tooth adaptor so hopefully I can make that work too. If it works, I will also buy a battery pack for it so the device can be 100% wireless. There is also a micro-SD card slot under the LCD screen that could be used for config file and datalogging eventually. Right now, I use it to store a picture of my car that is displayed as a splash screen when the device is started (not much of a use I know).

It would be very easy for someone to replicate this for around 120$ if they have my code (or at least the .hex file to upload on their chip). I'm not sure if I wanna share the code yet (I'm not even sure if there is any interests either), but it could be interesting if people really want to contribute and help me with it. I don't really want my code to be used by people that will sell the device while I have nothing in return.

Questions/Comments/Flames all welcome!

[Matt Cramer]

Looks like it's off to a pretty promising start.

[tpsretard2]

I like the idea of putting it int he open.
More so since i have an arduino and a display knocking around.

But i do understand your worries about someone making something off of your hard work.

[indio84]

this looks 100 times better then what is curruntly out there, and for a price range 120-150 it would sell like crazy.

looks very good, keep it up

[ianferrell]

We've started a very similar project... I was going to use the same display as you.... I'd imagine that with Dave's hardware and your graphics code there's a pretty awesome solution waiting to be born.

http://code.google.com/p/ms-can-display/

[93white3400z]

Yeah I was thinking about making it support CAN but it looked more complicated so I gave up

[James]

I like the idea of putting it int he open.
More so since i have an arduino and a display knocking around.

But i do understand your worries about someone making something off of your hard work.

To be fair— isn't this how MS works?

Lots and lots and lots of people are using MS— which the people who do the hard work don't really get a proper deal from.

If it's for MS, in my opinion, it should follow the MS ethos— otherwise you're making money yourself off the guys who put in the all the original effort.

Does that sounds fair?

[dontz125]

Yes and no. The B&G boards and daughter cards are patented, and some small pittance is received by them for each sale. Little to no money is allocated to the devs for MS1/x and MS2/x (a donation fund has been set up to address this), but IIRC the development of these codes was done on something approaching a 'hobby' basis, with the various coders working on someone else's hardware, basing it on existing code for their own benefit (and incidentally to the great benefit of everyone else in the process).

What this fellow is talking about is closer IMHO to what Jean Belanger has done with his IO-Expander, in that he has recognised a potential accessory for use with the MS line, then developed the hardware and firmware himself. In this case, he should entirely expect to benefit from his efforts and sell this for a profit.

[93white3400z]

My god, it's hard to post something on here without getting that conversion about B&G and the license and all that BS I'm pretty I will never sell one of these but if I do, since this is 100% my work, 100% of the money will go in my pocket, I can tell you that The closest relation it have with B&G is the fact that it's a display device for their device, if anything, it makes their device better/nicer. That's where the relation end

[Matas]

Very nice work

[Black99rt]

I started working on my own aruino based display. I'm using the standard liquidcrystal library and a 20x4 lcd for now. I've only got a few hours into it so far. If at anytime people want to see my code, just email me. So far the hardware costs about 44 dollars- 35 for the arduino and 11 for the 20x4 lcd. Permanent solution wouldn't include the arduino- just the ATmega328.

So far I have one gauge style function written, a simple readout in MAT:120F format with the value padded for right justification. I have it overloaded to accept nearly every data type, since I didn't do the communication part yet. I intend to use CAN so it doesn't block the serial port for tuning.

MS was the reason I got interested in open source software, and the more I learned, the more I disliked the licensing in the project! But that's a different story.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/ ... 52_635.jpg

If anyone with MScan experience could help write an arduino library for can communication, that would be awesome for a lot users I think. Whether for running a display or simply acting as a translator. Megasquirt needs more dash options to compete with main stream standalones, or at least, easier ways to translate MS can to other vendor's styles to piggyback on those solutions. Stack, autometer, racepack etc.

I also intend to write more functions for different style gauges, and have multiple "pages" of display the user can toggle through with a push button. Like most OEM solutions for dashboard readouts.

[93white3400z]

I started working on my own aruino based display. I'm using the standard liquidcrystal library and a 20x4 lcd for now. I've only got a few hours into it so far. If at anytime people want to see my code, just email me. So far the hardware costs about 44 dollars- 35 for the arduino and 11 for the 20x4 lcd. Permanent solution wouldn't include the arduino- just the ATmega328.

So far I have one gauge style function written, a simple readout in MAT:120F format with the value padded for right justification. I have it overloaded to accept nearly every data type, since I didn't do the communication part yet. I intend to use CAN so it doesn't block the serial port for tuning.

MS was the reason I got interested in open source software, and the more I learned, the more I disliked the licensing in the project! But that's a different story.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a319/ ... 52_635.jpg

If anyone with MScan experience could help write an arduino library for can communication, that would be awesome for a lot users I think. Whether for running a display or simply acting as a translator. Megasquirt needs more dash options to compete with main stream standalones, or at least, easier ways to translate MS can to other vendor's styles to piggyback on those solutions. Stack, autometer, racepack etc.

I also intend to write more functions for different style gauges, and have multiple "pages" of display the user can toggle through with a push button. Like most OEM solutions for dashboard readouts.

For some Arduino MS CAN code, you can look here: http://code.google.com/p/ms-can-display ... AT90CAN128

Looks like you have a good start. You should use a graphic touch screen LCD so we could share some code

[Black99rt]

It's not much, the standard libraries make it pretty simple. I'm not a programmer by any means. I will check out what you linked, thanks.

I don't plan to attempt any tuning. I am removing my factory pcm and cluster, so I this will compliment some aftermarket analog gauges to make my new cluster.

Last night I got software backlight brightness control working, next up is contrast. I might toss it in our temperature chamber to see if temperature compensated contrast is warrented.

[Ballistic]

Any more progress/updates?

I'm definitely an interested party as I have an Arduino in my 'squirted vehicle and am working on another project that would really benefit from being able to access sensor data for an LCD display.

Edit:
Specifically interested in whether Black99rt has CAN communication working or whether the linked image is just showing that you have the LCD display working.

Also, is the ms-can-display code something that would work on the standard Arduino or is it specific to the display driver they're using?

[93white3400z]

Mine is working fine, it's now completly wireless with bluetooth and a battery pack. I'm working on an enclosure and some other random stuff. Might do an update video eventually.

[grom_e30]

will you be making and selling these it looks so cool

[93white3400z]

Unfortunately, I doubt I will.

[grom_e30]

really not, id be well up fore one of those.

[93white3400z]

So since this thing seems to generate so much interest (got a lot of PM's here and on YouTube about this ), here is an update.

Spend quite a bit of time on the display today. Since the last video, I finally put all this rat nest into an enclosure (I might need to learn how to do a PCB next ), added a battery pack and Bluetooth module so it's totally wireless. You can check the video to see how it looks but basically its a simple aluminum enclosure with an on/off switch and a USB port for battery recharge and firmware upgrade. The firmware still need some work, too sluggish for my taste at time but overall it's getting there Start time is kind of slow because sometime the Bluetooth thing can take like 10 seconds to connect for some reason :/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEpW9m4Fqn0

[[L'e$kro]]

Very nice! Would love one as well..
Your bluetooth dongle looks similar to the one suggested for use with ShaddowLogger, isn't it?
Nico