Simplified electronic gauge format

I have worked my way through the Arduino tutorials, next step is going to be to order a magnetic sensor and play around with getting it to work through the little LCD character display that came with my starter kit. After than, I'll move on to an LED or OLED digital display and the indicator smart LEDs. But it will take a while as this is just one of many projects and I only have limited non-work, non-family time.

 

Hi,
if I can help you with something about Arduino and LCD let me know my current progress is following:


I have written functions for all kind of bar graphs which you can see on picture then main part of code is pretty clean.
Also all sensors and realtime IC is working with except rpm sensor that's little bit tricky.

Regards
Stepan

 

duplicate

 

Hi Zoom, and members of the forum;

My name is Philip, I have been working on the same kind of project that you are. Although, I have not been putting a lot of time and effort into it here in the past few months. I feel that I may have something to contribute. At the moment, my plan is to implement a stand alone unit that stays with the airplane, and either a Bluetooth interface or a simple Graphical and/or Character based display. I also own 2 airplanes, one is being flow regularly and the other is still under construction. My purpose for my project is that I have had old analog instruments fail, or were unreliable, and the instruments used in our project has costed me a small fortune. I feel that I can build the entire system for less than I have in my Tachometer (Stewart Warner).

Currently I am working on the code and designing a PCB to carry all sensors. The "Brain" is an Arduino MEGA 2560, specs are: 8 thermo-couple inputs, 4 analog- one oil pressure- one oil temp or water temp- 2 Aux for fuel level or whatever, airspeed, altitude, clock & Bluetooth. Basically a universal system, and if I ever get a prototype built, it will be test flown. So any comments, question or ideas, maybe we can help each other out.

 

I was thinking same way - Bluetooth. But with one difference I would like to use android tablet and BT serial connection for transferring the data. My current board has 4 thermocouple to 1wire converters, 2 dallas 1wire thermometer, oil temp and pressure sensor, current and voltage, fuel level and consumption, realtime clock with backup, propeller rpm, flaps position, and pins for 40pin LCD whole PCB is in standard arduino dimensions so it can be easily plugged directly on arduino as a shield. I'm using arduino DUE due to fast rendering on LCD.

Stepan

 

Have you found an affordable daylight readable display?

 

The OLED displays seem pretty good in terms of readability. The best would likely be the Sharp Memory Display in it's non-reflective HR-TFT version, see the clip below.

 

How big are those?

For a single instrument display I would want at least 3.5 inch diagonal.

 

These are definitely smaller than that. I have actually been looking at OLED displays only about 1" diagonal as they are only intended to show the numerical value -- 273° for example -- with eight or 16 LED lights at the compass points to provide an analog indication of North.

 

I already tested my LDC and must say that at 95% situation I was able to read out data on LCD without head movement. Under very specific angle of view and with combination of sunlight there is really problematic to read out LCD but when you little bit move your head problem disappear. So no issue for me btw only for sure I want to make little sun shield on top of LCD. Display is 7inch anti glare without reflections.
BTW it's look like my test LCD is dead by my guilty. I touch LCD PCB when was powered on and most probable in so bad way that something died.I will buy another but only 5inch because 7inch is unnecessarily large for my need.

I want to test something like this one 4D Systems | uLCD-220RD they have some tool to build graphics fast and connect it directly to IO and AD pins which are on board. Its look like very easy way for simple gauges like for measuring temperature, pressure, etc...

Stepan

 

Hi just quick update,
I decide to use raspberry pi and standard 7inch display thanks to raspberry I can use some nice javaFX gauge library.

Stepan

 

The topic you are discussing here is helpful to learn the development of the electronic gauge of aircraft. I am new to these field and want to work on the development of this field.
I want to ask from where should i start. Is there any simulator to start work? What hardware it requires to start?

 

I like that decision. I have used the raspberry to build a full set of automotive gauges (A/D conversions done via a PIC micro controller plugged into USB) and a wind anemometer display driving a GPIO pin via PWM. Very reliable performance so far.

 

Is the display readable in bright sunlight?

 

all here is a suggestion, use a cheap Android Tablet say 100, with built in GPS, Best Buy has it. Digiland model, 10 inch display, download and install Avare app (foreflight clone), then figure out how to show the critical items on top of that view or around its perimeter. giving you a GPS / compass solution with moving map, and if you get the tablet with cellular connection Avare can show weather as an overlay option. (if i remember correctly)

just tie in the other necessary sensors / inputs for engine monitoring, and temperatures.

Just a though, so for less than about 250, you could have a whole instrument panel on the cheap.
(im looking to go this way as i learn the devices)

Robert

 

Try this
Simple gauge view like speedmeter in android? - Stack Overflow