Digital Gauges Via Video Spliter

darkhalo · 08-04-2004, 04:44 PM

Hey, this explenation is a little long so bare with me please

I want to make my own racing gauges like these: http://www.f150online.com/forums/arc.../142682-1.html
except with little 2.5" LCD's displaying OBD-II data, insted of the real gauges.

Im sure you guys are familiar with four channel quad video processor.They merge the signals from four inputs and output a single signal that is divided into four quadrents. Each quadrent displays on of the signal inputs. http://www.allthings.com.au/Catalogu...uad-bw507.html

For my project i need to find something that does the oposite of this. I need a box that gets one signal and divides each quadrent into a different output signal.

And for this to work i would need a software that displays information evenly on the four quardents of the screen so that when the video is split up, each part can display something useful.

I don't know if what i am looking for even exists im hoping you guys can help me out. THanks

Link to LCDs: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

Ricky327 · 08-04-2004, 05:16 PM

Ok let me get this right...so you want to have one video source displaying 4 different video images of each guages?

This single output carries the multiplexed video is then fed into a "magic box" that then reconstruct it back to the one of the four video images of the guage?

Not sure if they are around, but it can be done somehow

If Im still correct with my assumptions then :

You will need to somehow synchronise each video so that only that particular guage displays it. Lets say frame1 carries the image of gauge1 then the second frame carries guage2 and so on. The receiving end must therefore receive a sync signal to indicate that frame1 is being transmitted and so must display it on the LCD for guage1.

Hmm...

Hope you get what Im on about

Ricky327 · 08-04-2004, 05:23 PM

How about buying a video card with 4 VGA outputs? Not sure if you can even buy with 4 composite outputs otherwise you need to buy VGA to composite converter aswell...its aint gonna be cheap.

...is it really worth it? just for the sake of guages.

DjBac · 08-04-2004, 05:28 PM

Are there video cards with 4 VGA outputs???

Any links??

Ricky327 · 08-04-2004, 05:33 PM

Are there video cards with 4 VGA outputs???
Any links??

Yup

http://www.matrox.com/mga/products/qid/home.cfm

I used to have one from work, its an old PCI quad output matrox card. Never used them so I dont really know how good they are...but one thing I know is they are not cheap at all.

Ricky327 · 08-04-2004, 05:37 PM

http://www.bcpi.com/product.asp?pf_id=QID%2DQDA8X128

$535

darkhalo · 08-04-2004, 05:46 PM

ok let me explain futher...
I want to have the computer spit out one composite signal. The video that the computer sends is going to have one gauge on each quadrant of the screen.(square of course). then i want that signal(with the four quardrants) to be split into for into four signals.( by the "magic box"). then each of the four outputs will display one quadrant of the original output. Take a look at this pic.

Its basically just spliting one image into four parts.

PS. i think we wont need vga couse the lcds will just display gauges or just big numbers.

Adam432823 · 08-04-2004, 05:50 PM

I don't get it.

Why don't you use a real guage to show what you want. I'm not a gear head, but I have to imagine they make a guage to show what you want.

Why are you using a video display to output text? Even if you have to go the route your planning it would be much eaeier to output the information you need on a character LCD or VFD.

darkhalo · 08-04-2004, 05:53 PM

so you see this way we can do it without a 4 output vga video card. we can just get one composite output and divide it four ways.

THere is already OBD-II software that displays four gauges on one screen. Its just a matter of centering the gauges a bit.

Now all we need is to find that "magic box", some kind of video processor that will slice one signal into four different signals.

darkhalo · 08-04-2004, 05:57 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Adam432823

I don't get it.

Why don't you use a real guage to show what you want. I'm not a gear head, but I have to imagine they make a guage to show what you want.

Why are you using a video display to output text? Even if you have to go the route your planning it would be much eaeier to output the information you need on a character LCD or VFD.

I know i can get real gauges to show what i want but this is just a project i want to do just for kicks. you know, for the technical challenge.

There are just too many yuppies driving around with extra gauges and i just want to have something different. even if its harder to make.

Ricky327 · 08-04-2004, 06:01 PM

Ahh I get it now

I still think the solution is too expensive though for what you are trying to achieve. As been suggested yes why not use char LCD. The OBDII software need to output its guage reading on a serial port then the controller send the text to the LCD.

Its cheaper solution but you do need to have the programming/electronics skills. Even a PIC MCU should be able to do this easily.

KKDZ28 · 08-04-2004, 06:04 PM

I have wanted to do a full LCD gauge cluster for years. Have the Speedo, tach, everything on a set of LCDs in the dash in place of the stock ones. Hope you find a way. Why do it? Because its different and a nice challenge.

god_of_cpu · 08-04-2004, 06:07 PM

What OBD II Hardware are you using for this?

The reader I have can't update more then 2.5 times a second, which split between 4 varibles means you'll be getting updates once every 2 seconds or so which would seem to make this mod completely impractical with it.

darkhalo · 08-04-2004, 06:13 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by KKDZ28

I have wanted to do a full LCD gauge cluster for years. Have the Speedo, tach, everything on a set of LCDs in the dash in place of the stock ones. Hope you find a way. Why do it? Because its different and a nice challenge.

THANK YOU!!!

As for the price, here is an estimate:
2.5" LCD Screens $70 x 3 = $210 (real gauges cost about the same)
My motherboard already has composite output so i don't need another video card.So the final thing would be the video processor. I don't even know if this exists yet, or if it can be made.

If anyone has information on this please send me an email at eric@x-trememachines.com

thank you

Adam432823 · 08-04-2004, 06:17 PM

I get it now... I know what you need. Have you ever gone to the mall or a concert and you they have 4 or more tvs all stacked up to show one giant picture. Well thats just exactly what you're trying to do. Cept your tvs aren't 2x2, they're 4x1. But that won't matter because your video display will still be in 2x2 format.