Flash based gauges?

**stonestatue** · 08-21-2008, 12:59 AM

Here is a copy of an e-mail I sent to the creator of WinALDL, a program that pulls data from the OBD1 port:

Hello there. I own a 1993 Chevrolet G20 conversion van, and I want to put a computer in it so I can do many things, such as play mp3 files, run GPS software, integrate my cell phone, etc. All of the stuff a "carputer" can do can be found on http://www.mp3car.com.

Among the things I want to do is completely replace my instrument cluster with a digital dashboard, which shall run through the computer. It will be an LCD monitor I'll put in place of the old instrument cluster. The computer will display the digital gauges with some sort of program, and the program will send the information to the gauges by pulling the data from the ECM.

That is where WinALDL comes in. I was hoping that since WinALDL already pulls most of the gauge data from the ECM, that the software responsible for sending the information to the digital dash would be able to just communicate with WinALDL somehow. Here is a text diagram of what I am talking about:

ECM -> WinALDL -> program for digital dash -> digital dash

There are programs out there that do this sort of thing, but they only support OBD2. My ECM is OBD1, so that wouldn't work. I have yet to find a program that can do this, so I was thinking of writing up a simple flash script that would animate the gauges and I would program them to react based on data from WinALDL. Can you tell me how feasible this is? Thank you for your time.

I e-mailed him to see if I could obtain the source code for his software, or at least some guidance. I am by no means an expert programmer, but I have fair knowledge of HTML, so I figure I could take a stab at writing a flash program that would animate the gauges based on the data it reads from WinALDL, or from fusion brain if I want to create a custom gauge.

How hard would this be to do?

**malcom2073** · 08-21-2008, 04:56 AM

ALDL is a fairly simple protocol, but if I recall WinALDL only runs 160 baud, which is the old style ALDL, being a 1993 your vehicle should have the new style, at 8192 baud. You need another ALDL library which can run at 8192 baud (which is what your ECU likely runs at).

Unfortunatly I abandoned work on my ALDL project when my Camaro died, but if are fluent in c++ I can send you some of the relavant source code, I essentially had digital gauges: [media]http://www.interforcesystems.com/probe/obd2/obd1.JPG[/media]

If I were you, I would not replace your gauges with a computer, if you want to replace them then go the microcontroller route, much less likely to leave you stranded with no gauges if your PC decides to take a crap on ya (Which they inevitably do).

**keyvan** · 12-22-2008, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by malcom2073

ALDL is a fairly simple protocol, but if I recall WinALDL only runs 160 baud, which is the old style ALDL, being a 1993 your vehicle should have the new style, at 8192 baud. You need another ALDL library which can run at 8192 baud (which is what your ECU likely runs at).

Unfortunatly I abandoned work on my ALDL project when my Camaro died, but if are fluent in c++ I can send you some of the relavant source code, I essentially had digital gauges: [media]http://www.interforcesystems.com/probe/obd2/obd1.JPG[/media]

If I were you, I would not replace your gauges with a computer, if you want to replace them then go the microcontroller route, much less likely to leave you stranded with no gauges if your PC decides to take a crap on ya (Which they inevitably do).

Hey I want to do something similar, except on my motorcycle, an 09 Kawasaki Ninja... I want to remove the current analog gauge cluster (RPM, Speed, Gas level) and there's no OBD port on my bike... Could you please elaborate on "microcontroller route" and how this would work? I still do not know exactly how the analog gauges work--but if they are not a purely mechanical in nature--meaning there's an electrical signal that the analog gauge uses in order to move, then i think it would be possible--I dont know but please elaborate a bit

**joeyoravec** · 12-22-2008, 07:22 AM

Originally Posted by keyvan

Hey I want to do something similar, except on my motorcycle, an 09 Kawasaki Ninja...

Does your motorcycle have a data port? My 2006 Buell was non-OBD2 but there was still a serial port from the ECM. See here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buel...77/397655.html

**84RegalRider** · 12-22-2008, 02:18 PM

My ALDL was in Java.

its pretty straight forward.

read serial data.
group the bits, match them to the values.
output.

**ikon240** · 12-27-2008, 03:56 PM

Here is an open source flash-based gauge component:

http://blog.everythingflex.com/2008/...uge-component/

I'd love to see a java OBD-II/CAN app like JDash built as a daemon to support Flash based gauges... it would need to run on a mac or pc or linux. Anyone know of such a project already?

-ikon