newb LCD question

**Lebult** · 02-07-2007, 12:39 AM

I'm not very knowledgable when it comes to LCDs, so I figured I'd ask the gurus around here.

I'm in ths process of designing a 'paddle shift' system for my car (Mazda6), and I noticed that when I have both hands on the wheel (in the 'paddle shift' position), my hands/arms often block the little numerical LCD that shows my gear. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, except that the tranny will automatically gear DOWN when speed/RPMs drop too far. There's been a couple times when I'm coming through a corner thinking I'm in the 4th, and when I drop to 3rd, the tranny beats me to the punch and I hit 2nd gear (and redline

).

My idea is to fab up a HUD, like that found on the older Grand Prix GTPs to reflect my gear off the windshield.

My questions is ; How hard would it be to connect a numerical LCD to the existing LCD WITHOUT losing the existing one.

I don't know what the connections are like, and I've never worked with these before so I don't know if its a simple 'splice' or needs something more complicated.

This is what the LCD looks like. Just a basic numerical LCD that needs to show 1 - 5.

I guess the title should be more descriptive, but it won't let me edit :s

**turbocad6** · 02-07-2007, 01:17 AM

doing it with the display is a possibility, but probably a bit complicated too... I would sugest considering the fact that you really don't need a numerical indication in your periferal anyway to give you gear indication.... I would consider just leds, like a bar graph... getting the signals for this should be a bit easier as the tranny probably has a ground circiut for each gear that could be tapped easily enough...