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Tutorial Driving DIY cluster gauges with GameDash

Discussion in 'DIY peripherals' started by RacingMat, Oct 9, 2014.

  1. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    Thanks, you're a Winner!

    This small PWU 12V 1A would be fine
    @5$ on DX.com
    https://www.dx.com/p/12v-1a-regulated-switching-power-supply-110-220v-94519#.VEvmjBbYncl

    sku_94519_1.jpg
  2. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    Some progress:

    the LED are VERY small!
    I had to keep the previous LED under a wet tissu to prevent desoldering... when I soldered the next one... :mad:
    soudureLEDSMD(3).JPG

    and it's fragile, i will need a round support:
    soudureLEDSMD(1).JPG

    for the first one, I glued it! with bi-components glue
    soudureLEDSMD(2).JPG
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  3. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    Here is a video!



    It's really fine for a first test with a balsa needle, without optimization.

    To gain more speed, I'll supply the motors with 10V instead of arduino's 5V
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  4. tombo

    tombo Active Member

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    Hi,
    are there some news? Did you ever get it working right? Since my dashboard got aircores which are hard to drive, i think about getting some swites. Currenty a guy is selling some here in germany.
  5. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    Hi! I bought and received some diodes and transistors: I will be able to supply the motors with 10V and see if speed is getting better.

    I've look many DIY cluster videos:
    most of them are only filming the DIY cluster... no comparison


    few have filmed both cluster and game screen, and my results looks good in comparison!


    • Like Like x 2
  6. tombo

    tombo Active Member

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    Hello,
    thanks for your reply i just got some further steps with my air-cores. I can now drive them 360° and manually by turning a Pot. Very smooth and very fast even on 5 Volt. At the moment i only have Richard Burns Rally and downloaded the new Plugin with gauge output, but can't get it working. It shows me always dash1 dash2 like getting no signal. If i can fix this i'll try to get this workin with game dash.
  7. eaorobbie

    eaorobbie Well-Known Member SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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    Servos are easier to setup but do agree you can get smoother movement than they produce.
    Not sure if we have the RBR plugin producing data. First make sure you have turned it on via the Game Manager then check the GameDash again.
    BTW nice progress Mat keen to see it run , the Porsche dash I was involved in ran well.
  8. tombo

    tombo Active Member

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    If i go in profile manager there is gauge data marked. Maybe i'll install everything new. I tried serves some times ago but wasn't happy with the motion. I made a video from aircores. at the moment it's driven by a little damaged Pot just to show how fast it reacts.

    Mabe i've instaalled plugin not right? I just drag and drop it into updater but never had installed one before. No i got some nombers but all are 0

    Last edited: Jan 4, 2015
  9. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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  10. tombo

    tombo Active Member

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    Hi,
    i dont' know exactly what you mean with spring oscillations. They will only occur if it's controlled by Software? Because for now i have absolutly no Problems with Potentiometer. Sounds like you have tried similar things and had bad result?
    I think hardest thing for me to do will be that it accepts data from Gamedash and that i got output on game Dash :)
  11. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    @tombo : sorry for my bad english, I meant oscillations seen on your video from 0:24s
    when the speed is very fast, the needle seems to oscillate at stop
  12. tombo

    tombo Active Member

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    Hi,
    haha I think my english isn't any better :p. But now i know what you mean. If i ad a code where it drives different values, there is no such osscillation. So i hope it get's better when ontrolled via Software. But I'm stillo unable to recieve any Data in Gamedash.
  13. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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  14. tombo

    tombo Active Member

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    Yes i did, i red the game Dash thread many many times but i still cant find the error. All values will stay 0. Maybe i must try another game. Maybe i should try another game instead of rbr. Hopefully dashoutput will work with trial games, because iu don't want to buy a game now :)
  15. eaorobbie

    eaorobbie Well-Known Member SimTools Developer Gold Contributor

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  16. tombo

    tombo Active Member

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    While surfing, i find this. Also based on the gaugette library and using switec steppers. Maybe interesting for someone with access to a 3d printer, beause there are files for the housing avalible.
    http://retro-gauge-lab.openxcplatform.com/

    I ordered some switecsd too now, because the aircore motors would require too mucch electroniccs to drive. The switec solution seems to be much easier.
    • Like Like x 1
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    Last edited: Jan 10, 2015
  17. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    In case people are not aware 3D Hubs provides a handy world-wide directory of those who have 3D printers and can fabricate custom things, for a small fee: https://www.3dhubs.com/
    • Useful Useful x 4
  18. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    @noorbeast : excellent link! I wasn't confident in finding any printer around my location... I found 2: one @3km and another @8 km!
    great! thanks for the link ;)
  19. noorbeast

    noorbeast VR Tassie Devil Staff Member Moderator Race Director

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    I am glad it was of use @RacingMat. The global directory is pretty comprehensive and while it does cost it is a great way to get custom work done as needed.
  20. RacingMat

    RacingMat Well-Known Member Gold Contributor

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    If you want to try or understand how to use the library,
    here a first code which is functional with GameDash

    Code:
    /*
    Analogic Dashboard using Gamedash and Simtools
    and Switec X27.168 stepper motor
    and Arduino with Guy Carpenter's library "SwitecX25"
    by RacingMat 10-2014
    */
    
    #include "SwitecX25.h"
    
    // void stepUp();
    // void stepDown();
    // void zero();
    // void update();
    // void updateBlocking();
    // void setPosition(unsigned int pos);
    
    int TotalSteps = 315*3;  // for example 315 degrees of range = 315x3 steps = 945 steps
    byte Rpm;
    
    
      // declare MotorRPM with total steps and related pins (4-7)
      SwitecX25 MotorRPM(TotalSteps, 4,5,6,7); // the pins are set up to Output by the library
    void setup() {
       
      // run both motors against stops to re-zero
      MotorRPM.zero();  // this is a slow, blocking operation
      //MotorRPM.setPosition(427);
      Serial.begin(115200);
     }
    
    void loop() {
    // compiler l'arduino avec le tweak sur la longueur du buffer Serial pour comparer
    
    /*  // update motors frequently to allow them to step
      MotorRPM.update(); */
    
      // do stuff, call motorX.setPosition(step) to
      // direct needle to new position.
    if (Serial.available() > 0)  {
    //GameDash send RPM as values between 0 and 254
      Rpm = Serial.read();
      Serial.flush();
      }
     //call motorX.setPosition(step) to direct needle to new position.
     MotorRPM.setPosition(map(Rpm, 0, 255, 0, TotalSteps));
      // update motors frequently to allow them to step
      MotorRPM.update();
    
    }
    
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    Last edited: Jan 15, 2015