discomikey Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 i believe it was because he is tied to a contract which ensures the distributor he signed with gets so many percent of all profit from his products. you can't really get out of a contract like that too easy, its normally easier to set up a new company which can take over. Luckily Si has the benefit of all of us members understanding that this new company is basically X eng, and not some other new lr modification company. so startup shouldn't be as slow as the first time around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I still own the trademark for X-Eng - but my agreement with Steve / Foundry was that they could have exclusive use of it for as long as they want and I'm not one to go back on a deal! Part of it is that I wanted to move on from X-Eng. Although it was great in many respects, I think in others I had boxed myself into a corner. The scope of it was too narrow and it never really made enough money to grow / expand in the way I hoped. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Ahh . Thanks for the explanation Si! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid_From_Hell Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Y_Eng God I need a lie down now after all that brain stormin ' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Poore Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Just need to come up with a company name which has not been registered and the domain is available. No, Y-Eng is not going to fly! I've registered Armour-Tech as a stop-gap. Y_Eng God I need a lie down now after all that brain stormin ' Hmmm... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Let me run a product idea by you...... I used to sell the MadMan gauges which were good - but I was frustrated with the lack of flexibility of them. I felt they should have been user programmable, but that's just me! What I always (really) wanted was a universal gauge that I could use, for example, as a speedo or a clock. I've recently sourced a nice little microcontroller with a stupidly high quality white OLED screen (Made in USA) which, if I buy enough of them is viable for this. What I propose is a basic gauge which will monitor all the usual temperature, pressure, coolant etc. It will fit in a standard 50mm hole in your dash using the same fixings as Smiths type gauges (to make it easy). Instead of buttons, use a capacitive touch sensor or two - so you touch the panel below the display, or the metal surround to change functions. I'd like to see: Engine Block Temperature / Coolant Temp (if they are different, you have a problem with the cooling system) Oil Temperature Battery 1, 2, 3 voltage Battery / Winch Current (you can see if the winch is being overloaded) Winch Motor Temperature 1,2,3. EGT Ambient Temperature Gearbox + Transfer Box Temperature. In addition to sensors, provide a plug in (serial) GPS / magnetometer. This then enables Speedo, Time/Clock, Lat/Long/Compass displays. Provide another Cellular/GPRS module which enables tracking & alarm functions. Provide an OBDII module which will then read whatever it can (speed, temperature, fuel etc) from the OBD port and enable the appropriate displays. This might be good on a D3/RRS which has no indication on the dash that the headlights or Fuel Burning Heater are on/off. Provide a pulse output as standard to drive a Td5 Speedo directly from GPS / OBD if required. The speedo could be used just for speed - but could also be used to show voltage or other things with the display just saying what the speedo is showing. For each of the sensors, set a high / low point where if reached it will switch on/off a digital line (to switch relays etc). Normally the display will remain static on one function or cycle through each of the sensors. If one of the sensors reaches it's high / low set point, that display will be highlighted to warn you. What this gives you is a single gauge you can use completely in isolation as a digital dash, with a Td5 Speedo or as an add-on to your normal instruments. Lastly, provide a Wifi interface so you can configure all this through a nice web based user interface (the gauge acts as the web server) on your phone / Computer. This will be a lot easier than trying to do it on the gauge itself. Why Wifi not Bluetooth? Your phone will likely be connected to your hands-free set on BT. With WiFi, it can connect to both at the same time. If the gauge detects that you are connected - it can disable the alarm / tracking / geofence functions which will automatically enable when you walk away from the vehicle. (For Nigel!) Make the underlying code Open Source and provide a programming lead (FTDI Interface) so anyone can hack to their hearts content! Sound like a good plan? Si 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertspark Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 It does sound like a good plan but how big are the guages you are thinking of 50mm or 80mm and 100mm ? Like the modular approach I have a similar plan (half the work done last year whilst on holiday with nothing better to do with idle time) to use 7" LCD screens with a arduino Due to display such information but across two or three displays (two landscape in front of the driver) and one portrait in the centre of the dash on a stand Using UTFT library and an SD card to load the background images Etb instruments have the digi dash which has been around a little while now but is not oled. Seems to have done well in kit car field R Edit oops rtfm .... 50mm. I'd like a quicker and easier approach to what I was or am trying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 It does sound good, what's the price point? EDIT: Could you run master/slave so you can have multiple displays of the 50mm gauges? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inigo Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Super Gauge sounds great - put me on the list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94Discovery Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Can all the features be migrated also to a bgger screen to replace the dash speedo? I find it a great idea i searched allot for 1 gauge that do everything found one that can display 4 at a time price was 250$ plus each module . How will you price yours ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 It does sound pretty cool. Pretty similar to a RacePak then? Modularity would definitely be a plus, have it all use CANbus so you can just plug in extra sensors and gauges? I would vote against touchscreens, actual buttons are much better to use in a vehicle IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad_pete Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Sounds good to me, looks like a large scope. What would be the price point ? As mentioned maybe leave options open on multi gauges and a big screen option. I'd be good with using my iPhone as the gauge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderzander Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 Sounds brilliant - Ive wanted something like this for a while for a td5. Options seemed to be madman - but not configurable and ugly - or fit a nanocom into the dash, which falls at the first hurdle of helping people steal your car. Count me in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Sounds pretty cool! Configurable pulse outputs for speedos/cruise control etc. is a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Can all the features be migrated also to a bgger screen to replace the dash speedo? I find it a great idea i searched allot for 1 gauge that do everything found one that can display 4 at a time price was 250$ plus each module . How will you price yours ? Don't know yet! I've still not built a prototype until the displays arrive. A bigger display is pretty easy, as is daisy chaining other displays / gauges. Probably the simplest option is to leave an I2C port exposed which you can hang pretty much anything off and allow people to write their own code for whatever they need it for. Hopefully in time it will, like Megasquirt, have a load of different add-ons / options that other people have developed. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CwazyWabbit Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Nice, when can we expect MegaGauge then? 6 months? a year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zim Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Si, have you seen a scangauge ? Basically a device with a small screen that plugs into your obd ii, and then will display 4 readings of your choice (whatever your ecu can output can be selected. They work really well. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Shiny. I want. Be a good time to register on the defender2 forum too Si. Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Shiny. I want. Be a good time to register on the defender2 forum too Si. Mo I am a member of Defender2 - but Martin (the site owner) thinks anything I post is commercial and wants me to sign up as a sponsor. He thinks X-Eng is (was) much bigger than it actually was and just wanted too much money for it's worth! I like it here anyway! I agree about touch-screens not being ideal (particularly when the display is only 40x20mm). However, using a pair of capacitive touch sensors behind the front panel as two discrete 'buttons' works from a water (mud) proofing point of view. Keep the button interface very simple - scrolling through screens etc. All the configuration would be done from your phone / computer. Using CAN to attach sensors & stuff is worth looking at. Also a breakout board which you can locate in the engine bay with connections for multiple sensors but a single wire connection back to the gauge would make the wiring tidier / simpler. OBDII is more definite as there is a lot of info you can read easily without having to add loads of sensors. Not so applicable to most Land Rovers, so it needs discrete inputs as well. 3D Print for Prototype. Another application one of my friends suggested last night (Thanks Simon) was, if you have the Tracking module, allow two of the gauges to connect together so you can real-time track another vehicle with a direction arrow + distance on your dash. Might be good if you wanted to 'repossess' your vehicle after it has been stolen - or even just following someone else on the road. Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 would br great for greenlaning convoys when they get split up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Sounds good, what about measuring boost aswell? will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 I agree about touch-screens not being ideal (particularly when the display is only 40x20mm). However, using a pair of capacitive touch sensors behind the front panel as two discrete 'buttons' works from a water (mud) proofing point of view. Keep the button interface very simple - scrolling through screens etc. All the configuration would be done from your phone / computer. As long as there's some form of tactile feedback that your finger is on the button, that's fine. I just don't like having to look down to find a button. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Sounds good, what about measuring boost aswell? will. I'd planned for it to be completely open - so you can add pressure, temperature, current, voltage or anything else sensors. For each decide what kind of meter to display and the text for the label (what it is + units). In addition, some calibration information: minimum voltage, maximum voltage, multiplier and damping That way, you can specify the range of input that equates to the range of movement of the meter and the multiplier required to put it in the required units. Damping just specifies how fast the gauge reacts. For a fuel gauge, you don't want it wobbling around whenever you drive over a bump whereas with pressure you want to see more immediately. There are other options like a trace which shows the highest reading in the last few seconds and Average which shows a second pointer with a lot more damping than the main one. All the inputs inside will read 0-5v with 10bit accuracy which suits most off the shelf sensors. For EGT, it would need a separate Sensor Amplifier - this is one of the lowest cost I can find: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EGT-AMP-Exhaust-Gas-Temperature-amplifier-CNC-BILLET-K-type-/281486206462?hash=item4189e2a5fe To turn the 30mV sensor output to 5v. It makes more sense to have this separate than build in and add that cost for everyone. Most of the other temperature sensors are just a resistor that varies with temperature. Reading these is easy so long as you can find the data on resistance / temperature. Once you start to dig in to all the options with sensors, it becomes quite complicated! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Once you start to dig in to all the options with sensors, it becomes quite complicated! This is the main reason I suggested connecting sensors via CAN. This allows you to keep all the sensor reading circuitry separate, and the "main" unit only receives homogenous values. Of course you can still provide a few simple inputs (as many as your microprocessor can handle) for normal temperature sensors etc, that don't require an extra box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertspark Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Canbus is for robustness speed and volume of data transfer that needs to be addressable or read by many nodes at once could use modbus given most of the sensors will slaves and data traffic not that great and little required to be addressable I have been using max6675 via spi for ktype thermocouples Maybe for flexibility the ability for multiple interface options so you could connect to i2c spi canbus (with optional module), modbus serial or even Ethernet? (Very easy to wire then...) Modbus is very easy component wise, canbus I would have thought would be harder from scratch to develop the software side unless you reuse the megasquirt code implantation What do you use Si for your PCB design. I've been using designspark Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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