Thread: My custom motorized screen plan

Originally Posted by Bugbyte

+1 for Arduino. On problem I used to have with my screen was that if the PC didn't boot for some reason, the serial controller wouldn't open it and you couldn't troubleshoot. The Arduino fixes that.

Also, give some consideration to the power supply. My setup uses liner regulators but required 2 in parallel to do the job. With one, it would begin to open and exceed the current limit, cut off, then slam shut, reset, and start to open again. Kind of hard on the mechanism.

Is that thing like a Fusion Brain?

Can you make this a little easier for us and post pictures on your interior so we can get a better idea? I barely remember what the 1990 Fairlady inside looks like, let alone the 1987 model, which was a completely different body and everything.

PS: Never mind I found it..... OMG that is perfect for a 8 inch monitor. Just relocate the AC controls, buy a second bezel so if you have to return the car to stock you still have the original. They go for like $63.00 and that includes shipping!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...d=110473380064

Originally Posted by Bugbyte

+1 for Arduino. On problem I used to have with my screen was that if the PC didn't boot for some reason, the serial controller wouldn't open it and you couldn't troubleshoot. The Arduino fixes that.

Also, give some consideration to the power supply. My setup uses liner regulators but required 2 in parallel to do the job. With one, it would begin to open and exceed the current limit, cut off, then slam shut, reset, and start to open again. Kind of hard on the mechanism.

i get the impression you used the arduino in this application? im thinking acrylic for the housing the. iv got tons of scarp acrylic laying around.

Originally Posted by ZX1Cruizer

Just relocate the AC controls

i though about that. But the only good place in the car would the glove box. It getd freaking hot here in tx and i dont wanna have to reach into glove box to adjust the A/C. But on that note. I have given thought to removing the cigarette trey and lighter and freeing up the space at the bottom. That could fit the bill. But that would void this entire thread lol.

Originally Posted by ZX1Cruizer

I didnt say anything about figure as you go planning.

i didnt say you did. lol. justchat was putting words in my mouth and you went with him and said im insane. I never said i didnt want to do any planning. and i despise people putting words in my mouth.. lol.. i agree with this is getting confusing though.

Originally Posted by ZX1Cruizer

I can measure the casing but I am not taking my baby apart, lol. What measurments do you need? Length, Height, Width?

I was just wondering if there is much wasted space inside the casing where it could be slimmed down. I would never ask you take about your work apart. :P lol. It was more or less if you happend to have opened the casing during your fab. and noticed how the inside was done. But no worries im rethinking things now. And am working out how this will work with the arduino. Iv got a good things going with having the pivot point of the screen be in the center rather then the top or bottom. doing this will make it easy for the servo to angle to screen and should help reduce bounce while driving.

Originally Posted by PatDaRat

I was just wondering if there is much wasted space inside the casing where it could be slimmed down. I would never ask you take about your work apart. :P lol. It was more or less if you happend to have opened the casing during your fab. and noticed how the inside was done. But no worries im rethinking things now. And am working out how this will work with the arduino. Iv got a good things going with having the pivot point of the screen be in the center rather then the top or bottom. doing this will make it easy for the servo to angle to screen and should help reduce bounce while driving.

NO.... there is no wasted space. Reason being is that the VM70 was designed for head rests, which doesnt have much space. They are very thin. What I notice alot of people do, is they take the headrest cover and fabricate that into the dash. That way if they have to change the screen or want to take it out, it does so. Its a very versatile screen.

Originally Posted by PatDaRat

i get the impression you used the arduino in this application?

Yes, I have used an Arduino to control the servo on my motorized screen. I did not install it permanently, though. Just experimented with it. The idea was to program a PIC to do the open/close and the Arduino was used to find the endpoint values for open and closed.

The guy that was helping me lost interest and we didn't get it completed. But the Arduino worked just fine.

Hi PatDaRat,

Did you try using pivots? If you add pivots to the bottom end of the LCD and then have them run in guides (this way it has a guided extend and retract action). Once the lcd reaches the end of the guide, the pivots will reach the point where it cannot go any further.....this will Force the LCD to make a tilt action.

Just an idea......

One more thing.......i also think the cd-rom is kinda weak to push the LCD..........have you tried using an old scanner parts. I know that these have servo motors which you can replace if you don't have a servo controller and you would have more than enough torque to push the LCD cause scanners come with gear mechansims. Good luck......keep us posted.