Side Project: Arduino Based Info/control Center

Mustang5L5

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
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Massachusetts
#1
Geek Alert here....


I've gotten into messing with Arduino's in creating programmable control modules for various projects. Right now I'm building one for my Reef Aquarium, but it got me into thinking about one for a car.

There are plenty of kits for OBD2

http://arduinodev.com/


But not much for OBD1. I just wonder what sort of info you can interface with the EEC and get out of an EEC-4 car? Probably nowhere near the same as OBD2.

I did find this guys setup though.

http://www.instructables.com/id/1990-Mustang-GT-Info-Center/

It displays good info, but he also uses is as a fan controller directly interfacing with the ECT sensor. I wonder what else you could do with it. Anyone familiar with the arduino knows the possibilities are endless. Use a larger 3.2", 5" or 7" touchscreen and you can put it in the HVAC location. Unsure if you could actually control the heat though...but nice to dream.

Anyone else play with these?
 

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#2
I think you're talking to the wrong crowd here haha
I know very little on the subject but I think if you've got some know how it could be very cool. I'm sure OBDII opens the possibilities up a lot though
 
#3
I guess so. I've seen some guys here do some cool tech stuff, just didn't know if anyone dabbles with electronics on this level.

I might try to build one after I finish the controller for my Reef tank. If i do, i'll make a thread
 
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#5
I've been wanting to jump into this for a while... picked up a 2560 Mega about 6 mo ago... but between the wife, 4 kids, work, home/property, blah, blah, blah... I haven't made much progress.
My plan was a simple variable speed fan.
I had the design laid out, and all the components purchased... not even sure where in the garage it is right now though.

I also have an uno sitting around, which I purchased with LabVIEW software.

I did contact Moates, and they sent me a ton of information on how I could interface directly with the Moates/factory ecu.
Something to consider.

Thanks for posting the links,
 
#8
Here's a good tutorial webpage

http://tronixstuff.com/tutorials/


Basically to make a long story short, it's an open source microcontroller that you can upload a program to. The arduino is the Mustang of the electronics world in terms of aftermarket support. You can find various sensors and stuff to hook up to them, LCD screens, temp sensors, baro pressure, water temp, relays, clocks, etc etc.

What can you do with them?

http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Projects/
 
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#12
Sounds like one more thing I could get really sucked into. Pretty awesome.

I'm still waiting for somebody to figure out a way to interface with the EEC through a smartphone or tablet. Even if it were something simple like being able to carry a tune and datalog. If it means I don't have to drag my laptop out in the car with me, I'm all about it.
 
#13
NIKwoaC said:
Sounds like one more thing I could get really sucked into. Pretty awesome.

I'm still waiting for somebody to figure out a way to interface with the EEC through a smartphone or tablet. Even if it were something simple like being able to carry a tune and datalog. If it means I don't have to drag my laptop out in the car with me, I'm all about it.
Click to expand...


If you search OBD1 Arduini, you'll find a few threads from guys interfacing with their OBD1 cars. I guess someone needs to try this on a Mustang.

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/63...33-how-scan-your-obd1-6-5-less-than-10-a.html

I'd do it but still working on my reef tank controller. It is fun learnin what you can do with these things. I got an LCD hooked up to mine, and waiting for a PH probe and temp detector to show up so I can wire those in. Then it's pretty much what else can I add?
 
#16
hoopty5.0 said:
The actual writing of the code turns me off. It seems like simple "If, then" statements, but if you miss one character in a thousand.... whew.
Click to expand...

That's what's slowing me up a bit.

The nice part is that it's open source, so you find wiring and code examples everywhere. The tricky part is splicing all the code examples you find together to make it do what you want to do.

Doing an OBD1 reader for a Mustang might be fun. I realize there already is a $20 scanner that does this well, but I like the idea of incorporating GPS, a fan controller and maybe adding an Intake temp sensor or other sensors if i can't get data from the computer
 
#17
Pretty sure there are already guys out there tuning their moates quarterhorse on tablets.

As for a display like the one being discussed....
I think the best bet would be to use a quarterhorse to interface with the stock EEC. Then you basically work with the USB output from the quarterhorse and run it into the arduino.

That was my plan anyway... And moates was very willing to share some pretty in depth detail on the QH output.

Not using the QH would mean you need to learn the EEC programming language at a pretty detailed level... So that you could read the EEC data directly into the arduino.
 
#19
But for those of us without a QH, that's not really an option.

I don't think you will be able to tap directly into the EEC here. If this as an OBD2 car it would be easy, but for the most part any additional values you wish to display might need their own senders (or tap into the factory ones...but I think that may cause innaccuracy).

Even with manually routing each sensor, you could put the info all in a display and have it do all sorts of things like displaying RED leds if water temp goes to high, or oil pressure drops, or activating a fan relay.You can even do a tach, and set shift points to blink an LED.

Another cool project

http://www.edsjunk.net/Blog/Entries/2011/1/24_arduino_powered_jeep_WRANGLER.html


I don't really have a good spot to put such a display. I do like the suction cupped bare board on the windshield though. A little eye candy, but fdrom the looks of things I'll have to run wires unless i created some sort of bluetooth transmission between a receiver unit and the display onthe dash. The more and more I look into it, the more possibilities that could be done. The bigger question is what should it do?
 
#20
Mustang5L5 said:
But for those of us without a QH, that's not really an option.

I don't think you will be able to tap directly into the EEC here. If this as an OBD2 car it would be easy, but for the most part any additional values you wish to display might need their own senders (or tap into the factory ones...but I think that may cause innaccuracy).
Click to expand...
Exactly what I was getting at.
For the fox body crowd, the best bet is to tap into the already established moates output.
Buy the QH and build from there...
 
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