Tutorial Modification of a Smart (450) SE-Drive Unit / Sequential Shifter

Ladies and Gentlemen,

besides my 2DOF Project https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/diy-2-dof-racing-seat.12774/
i want to show you how to modify the above named "SE-Drive".
Well, it was not my idea but i think that there are not soooo many building threats, so one more or less...

First things first:
The Shifter came from a german dealer for used Smart spare parts https://shop.smartparts24.de/

After a short inspection of the Shifter there was a horrible smell. It was the Knob itself. I think the former owner of that car must have been a kind of Perfume loving beeing. I tried so many things to get that smell off, but at least i think this part will have to be burnt in my blacksmithing Forge at nearly 1300 Degrees (Celsius).

Really, you cannot image...

The other issue is, that the housing is really messed up. Means, it is filled with grease and oil. Even the PCB is completely covered with grease. So theres a littele bit of cleaning to do, before i can really start with that project:

The SE-Drive is "dirty" anyway, so i took an old bucket and filled it with water...



And a bit (enough) dish soap...


From the bottom it looks quite good...


Just to remove the first layer of grease and oil...


The SE-Drive will be completely disassembled and every single part will be cleaned properly.
Actually there are two options for later usage. Of course it will always be a sequential shifter...
I mean, the SE-Drive works normally with Hall Sensors. So i could use the original PCB or i will remove it and put in an own PCB with (e.g.) reed switches in. I think that a new PCB including the wiring (i will use a breadboard) will be much faster to build, than measuring out the old PCB.
Last, but not least: At the bottom of the SE-Drives stick theres an Magnet mounted...
Bye

ML

Looks better already...



The whole PCB was covered with this grease. As long i am working with these parts i want it clean. Later the mechanical parts will be greased again.
You can already see the Hall Sensors on/in the PCB.



The disassebled SE-Drive looks "new". Theres also the original Ignition switch mounted. I could use it to start the Engine (ingame) but i want to do that with a separate knob. Something fancy, red... Maybe


Exepting the PCB all parts will be used again.

If there´s anyone who wants to have this PCB, please send me a message. I dont use it. I think it is really easy to measure out the wiring. It´s a dual layer...



As written above, i will use a breadboard. I´m not sure if i will use the black terminals. If there will be an issue, it will be easier to remove...
I will have to figure that out.



The breadboard will be cut and drilled, so it will fit onto the original mounting place. I will do that next week, as soon as i get the reed switches,
cables etc. i want to use.
The new switches are bigger than the Hall Sensors, so i am not sure if there will be bigger modifications to make...



So that shall fit...


ML

Before getting into detail, i drilled a 10mm hole for the cable glant.
Maybe there are better places fo this glant, but i think it shall be away from moving parts. So the space for mounting this part is very limited


10mm hole


And the installed cable glant

Here we see the SE-Drive from underneath without the most parts. The Case was on a diet (its nearly grease free).
The loose Parts were cleaned, too, and will be reassebled.
Of course you can work with hands full of grease ond oil, but i don´t like that. So every "touched" part is clean.
At the bottom of the Shift Stick you can see the magnet. With this magnet the Reed Switches will be switched (later).


Let´s start to install the parts. Theres is a square hole...


...which will fit with the shown part below.


It shall look like this. Feel free to turn the spring


The small bearing will have to slide on a guided track as shown below.


The bearing will slide over this part, so it is important to install the bearing in the right way.

Here we have a Sliding "thing". The SE-Drive will work without it.
If you want to use the original ignition switch, theres a mechanism which will lock up a bolt. The locked bolt itself will sit in that "semi-round" gap.


The sliding part will be installed like this.


And the rubber ring...


...will fit there. The rubber ring is (in my opinion) to soften the shifting procedure. The ring will touch the sides of the guided track.


If everything sits in is right place, it shall look like this.


And the lower bracket (with the guided track) will be reinstalled.
There are braces on the Case, which will have to fit. You can/will hear it...


If everything went right, it shall be possible switching the lever.

In order to show you how the SE-Drive works (audible) here are two short clips...
Within the "SE-Drive Bottom" Video you can see the moving shift stick. The Magnet at its´end will move over the Reed Switches. I think those switches will be soldered at the right position (onto the breadboard) and finally the PCB will be fixed instead of the old/original PCB.

See you

Hi,

i´m still waiting for some parts.
But here a few pictures...

The reed switches were soldered at the right position.
I used MK06-5-C switches.



They is no gap left between switches and cradle.



And everything was fixed with hot glue. I´m not sure if that´s the best way but we will see. If not, i will fix the PCB mechanically.

The cables (Ölflex) just arrived.
But before i can work with these, i will have to clean the chicken coop.

Hi,

here we have the cable used for the SE-Drive.
It´s an Ölflex Classic 110. With 7x0,5 mm² (i think it would be an AWG20 with 7 wires)
The 3 G 0,5 (shown below)is the one for the Pots.



The Cable has 7 wires which are all numbered from 1 to 7. 6 and 7 were cut, due to theres´no need to use them


Cut to length


It this way i fixed the cable inside the Shifters´cradle


And thats the way i soldered cables to the PCB

The cable glant i wanted to use first had to be replaced. There was no way to get the cable through.
So the hole was enlarged to get the new cblae glant fitted.



At least i had to change the layout of the reed switches. ATTENTION: The markings onto the PCB are not right !
There were issues during testing the SE-Drive with OSHStudio https://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/diy-pedals-buttons-controller.8867/
OSHStudio works fine but due to different distances from the Magnet of the SE-Drives stick to the reed swithes, the switches itself had to be turned. The effect in OSHStudio was a kind of a bouncing switch. In my opinion it could be really annoying during gameplay...
Actually i want to use the SE-Drive with Assetto Corsa (hopefully soon). I don´t know if i will need the extra N (Neutral) and/or R (Reverse).
So for now "N" and "R" are switches to off (not used in OSH)



An here is the STM32F PCB i will use later. It will be mounted into a separate housing from Hammond. The Mini DIN Connector (PS/2) will be mounted there, too.
Due to i am an (so far) Arcade gamer i will have to figure out if thers´a use for more buttons.
There are a lot of different switches i can use. But, as you know, first things first...



This pictures was already shown in an earlier post. This part of the SE-Drive made a big noise when shifting.
As i wrote above, theres no need to use it. It´s just there if the original key lock will be used.
And yes, you are right... i will not use it...
And now the shifting feels a little softer. Well, i think that feeling is made by my ears...


Bye

ML

And here is my memory aid...
Don´t forget: The layout is not following any rules. Feel free to intechange. It was just for me...

Nice project! it reminded me of one of my first DIY projects, in 2013/14, of a BMW Steptronic shifter.

Thanks !
Yes, i have also seen some of these BMW Shifers. AND, the BMW ones look far nicer than a Smart Shifter...

ML