Who wants an Arduino-based Aux Instrument Panel?

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
Regarding adding additional sensors:

The Mega2560 has sixteen analog input and numerous (26?) digital in/out lines free, so could be used to monitor user-installed 5-volt analog sensors. For example, mounting an IR thermometer sensor on the front strut aimed at the brake rotor and running the output back to the cab (keeping this sort of sensor clean could prove a challenge?)

-dave
 
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sassmatt72

2006 high top long, Fully converted by me
did a good long drive from Marin to San Jose, on way back )up hills) seeing sump low and all temps climbing to 201 mark or so, then oil temps climb to yellow alert.

so love this info tool, pulled over added a bit of oil. bingo oil and other temp all fell. sump # better...
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
Use a surface contact thermocouple under a bolt head on the caliper? Would adding a sensor be limited to 5V analog signals? In theory I could run a k type thermocouple through a 0-5V amp card like this and monitor my TIT through the nautabox? https://www.reveltronics.com/en/products/egt-k-thermocouple-amplifier-type-k-0-5v
Electronics aren’t really my area, but the Arduino environment has a native ADC accessed by the analogRead() function. This tests the voltage on any of the Mega’s 16 analog input pins, returning a value between zero and 1024. The allowed input level range is 0 to 5 volts, so any sensor output must be electrically scaled to fit this range. Eight input pins are blocked by the display shield, with some of these used by the touch screen interface, but 8 are vacant (though I have used one for the light sensor, which I had hoped to use for backlight control before abandoning that due to other hardware limits).

-dave
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
No, the display is 8-bit parallel across most of the standard UNO headers, with touch screen on the lower Analog pins (A3/A4?), then the real-time clock is on SDA/SCL at pins 20/21... It’s the SD card that is on the SPI bus, using pins 50,51,52 (cs on 49) to avoid physical conflict with the display’s circuit board. Odd numbered pins are easier to access; even pins can rub a bit on the edge of the board... easily dealt with.

The Mega’s end-header (with pins 22-53, 5v, gnd) is otherwise wide open, so there would be no physical conflicts and limited extra program size to extending the utilization of the SPI bus.

Dipping further into the weeds:
Run-time memory is already pretty tight, with free stack around 500 bytes at some points of my code (so less when calling deep function chains?). My k-line library is the little program that grew and is likely due for refactoring? It has some data duplications, so could give back a few tens of bytes here and there, but the big VRAM user remains the GUISlice library components... the display elements’ major definitions are now up in program flash, but there is still a large heap footprint for their runtime variables. I’m not familiar enough with embedded systems to wrestle with where the compiler is locating everything, so there are likely additional RAM savings available? The inability to directly read the ATMega’s program flash address space complicates any effort to relocate constants, since the read instructions all change for the compiler... there are macros that ease the relocation of C strings, so perhaps it’s possible for other types too but I haven’t looked into that.

-dave
 

calbiker

Well-known member
It might be good to design a new Arduino system that connects to user installed sensors. This design wouldn't be limited to T1N.
 

RJV

Active member
I've had my unit for over a month but today was the first chance I got to use it in earnest. Really amazing tool, worth every penny. I did have one strange occurrence though and wanted to share here to get your opinions and to see if anyone else has noticed anything similar. I've tried my best to keep up with the thread, so if I missed this being addressed previously I apologize.

Drove from PHX to Tucson this afternoon. Outside temps were about 65F the entire way. Majority of the drive was on cruise control at 68mph, no yellows or reds other than oil sump on acceleration/deceleration which has been discussed previously. That is until I had arrived at my destination, and I noticed the ATF temp showed red and was reading 315F(while in drive and going about 10mph) on my way into the campground. I have an AP200, so while I was slightly freaking out I pulled into my site and was about to swap out to the AP200 to compare reading, but before that I switched the Nautabox on/off and it now read 159F, which made a lot more sense( and coincidentally is about half of 315). My ATF and filter were changed about 2000 miles ago by me, so I know the job was done correctly.

I guess I'm just throwing this out there to see if anyone else has noticed the same hiccup.
 

RJV

Active member
To follow up on my previous post: the 2hr maiden voyage with my Natuabox on Tuesday was going great until the end of the ride, as I mentioned above. Wednesday I ran some errands around Tucson to get supplies and the NB seemed to work fine.

Yesterday/Thursday: Pulling out of camp this occurred: https://youtu.be/DJdMX_aH-Kc --This was taken 2 min after starting the van and I was going 5-15mph out of the campground(the speed and ATF readings are haywire). Flipping the on/off switch didn't solve the issues. I turned the Nautabox off, turned the van off, and unplugged/re-plugged the box, started van, flipped box to on. Drove for 45 min at 65mph and all was well until the ATF temp started reading extremely high and showed red. Switching the NB on and off didn't solve issue. I pulled over, plugged my AP200 in, and it was reading significantly lower than the NB was reading(AP200 90C and NB 125C). Continued to next campsite.

This morning/Friday, I pulled out of camp to head south. The NB had issues from the start. At first the ATF temp was reading super high again, then the entire screen read zeros. I tried all of the on/off tricks, restarting van, unplugging NB, etc. The issue of reading zeros persisted, and while it was reading zeros it would not allow me to switch display screens. At one point it seemed to kick itself into action and everything was reading as it should. A few minutes later I got this: https://youtu.be/7B6KQ3M6hdQ (again, speed and ATF temp issues).

I want to make it clear that in no way am I upset with or calling out Dave or this product--it is truly amazing and I plan on buying a 2nd NB for my other T1N so I don't have to switch back and forth. That said, I am reaching out for any insight into why this may be happening to my van in particular if no one else is having similar issues. Is there something going on with my van that I need to look into?

Thank you Sprinter friends.
 
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Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
Have you tried removing the OBDII connector, and spraying a bit of contact cleaner in? Could be an intermittent connection at the port.
 

RJV

Active member
Have you tried removing the OBDII connector, and spraying a bit of contact cleaner in? Could be an intermittent connection at the port.
I have not, but in the coming days when I am closer to civilization I will find some contact cleaner and try that. I was thinking similarly that the ATF temp issue might be that fluid wicked up to the TCM(although I just changed the 13pin connector and didn't see any O-ring issues), but checking that will have to wait until this trip has concluded.
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
Seems like all of the transmission numbers are wonky... 944 foot pounds of torque? Nope!

I’m going to guess that the NB’s k-line board (which talks to the TCM) is noisy or (more likely) that something has gone wrong with the Arduino’s incoming serial port, delivering bad data to the program.

I’m still knee deep in parts (I’m holding at half-way done: thirty shipped and thirty more names on my wait list...) so let me send you a replacement next week and we’ll see if it does the same thing or solves your problem.
Still at same address?

-dave
 

Cwhite87

Member
This morning/Friday, I pulled out of camp to head south. The NB had issues from the start. At first the ATF temp was reading super high again, then the entire screen read zeros. I tried all of the on/off tricks, restarting van, unplugging NB, etc. The issue of reading zeros persisted, and while it was reading zeros it would not allow me to switch display screens. At one point it seemed to kick itself into action and everything was reading as it should. A few minutes later I got this: https://youtu.be/7B6KQ3M6hdQ (again, speed and ATF temp issues).

I want to make it clear that in no way am I upset with or calling out Dave or this product--it is truly amazing. That said, I am reaching out for any insight into why this may be happening to my van in particular if no one else is having similar issues. Is there something going on with my van that I need to look into?
That said im glad i wasnt the only one that experienced this issue. I too have been experiencing the same issues within the first 30 mins of use. Speed posting 340 mph, Torq at 684, ATF bouncing between -54 and 345. I was a hour into my trip Wed 26th to Charlotte when i pulled over. I restarted the van, unplugged the connector making sure it reengaged smoothly into the DLC, flip the power off then back on. Took back off then screen presented all zeros for a solid 20 miles. I pulled over and hooked up my Autel MD802 to make sure everything was okay. took screenshots of the incidents.

I absolutely love the Nauta box this is the koolest project ive had the pleasure of owning. Im not trying to be negative or dishearten any one whos invested in this as i would again. Dave has been a wonderful person to talk to leading up to receiving this and even taking my questions of installment due to over caution. would just like to know whats going on with the little box.
 

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RJV

Active member
Seems like all of the transmission numbers are wonky... 944 foot pounds of torque? Nope!

I’m going to guess that the NB’s k-line board (which talks to the TCM) is noisy or (more likely) that something has gone wrong with the Arduino’s incoming serial port, delivering bad data to the program.

I’m still knee deep in parts (I’m holding at half-way done: thirty shipped and thirty more names on my wait list...) so let me send you a replacement next week and we’ll see if it does the same thing or solves your problem.
Still at same address?

-dave
Yes, same address. I’m in AZ now with my 2006 but I’ll bring this NB back to WI with me next week and try it out in my 2004 and see if there are similar issues. Also, I’ll try cleaning the OBDII ports in the coming days and report back. If I can get this one working and you send me another I’ll happily pay you for it—like I said above I’d like one for each van. We’ll figure it out. I appreciate your help.
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
Clayton: If a simple swap fixes Rob’s issue then I’ll trade units with you too. It may be something I missed/fumbled during assembly? There are a lot of solder connections to get right...). It may also be something between the box and your TCM such as the connection under the driver’s seat? K-TCM is the small blue wire on Pin 1.

I have been testing all the units in my own van before shipping them out, taking them for a five minute drive around the block and hitting all the touch-screen zones... I’m sorry you’re experiencing problems.

-dave
 

sassmatt72

2006 high top long, Fully converted by me
I love my box, such a great tool....
so happy to get in on the beginning.
I'm really hoping the it continues to get better (it is great already), and hope the those of us out here with knowledge to help out can work together to make it incredible...

(switchable audible high/low value alarm, maybe if hi value holds past a # of data cycles?)
Thank you for making this marvelous tool happen, mine has already saved me much stress and maybe even from an overheating event, old fluids low in range and driven' hard, alarms then top-off oil/ cool down time= all good, and all other fluids going down in running temp too. I would seem that one low fluid reduces the heat holding/dissapating value to that fluid AND all the others.)).
 

Nautamaran

2004 140” HRC 2500 (Crewed)
You are echoing how I’ve used mine since the beginning.
My long trips tend to be westward to the BC coast - lots of mountains, and the drag race that is the Coquihalla summit.
Seeing a high engine temp is an obvious cue to back off, but having access to the OIL temp has been an eye opener, and being able to watch and gauge the heat saturation of the whole drive train has been REALLY useful. A higher than normal MAF accompanied by surging power and turbo settings was a hint of my impending boost hose split, so the LHM event that followed wasn’t so much an “Oh no!? What’s going on?” feeling as it was an “Boost is leaking. Hope it holds... but THERE it goes.” Patched the hose, cleared the code, drove on.

It continues to be a fun project for me - it’s nice to be contributing something to the wealth of knowledge that the folks on this forum continue to share so freely. I benefited beyond measure when I first bought my van. Seems only fair to give back?

-dave
 

Eamon

New member
I would love to buy one of these if you are still fabricating them... sorry if not this thread is long ?....
 

ClyneSnowtail

Active member
Awesome! Well, that tells the story then. If I have a MAF reading, and no MPG, then I must have no O2 voltage. Ill order a new O2 tonight, and update once I get it in.
I got the new O2 in, didnt fix it. Have you made the adjustment to print O2 voltage onto the detail screen? I ask so if you have then I need the updated programming, so I can load it in.

Also, how does the switch on the front perform the on/off function electrically? I ask because Ive been having trouble getting it to turn on. I flip it on and nothing happens. I turn it off, wait a few minutes and turn it back on, nothing happens. Its very intermittent. This afternoon I just kept flipping it off-on-off-on rapidly until the screen turned on.
 

sassmatt72

2006 high top long, Fully converted by me
I got the new O2 in, didnt fix it. Have you made the adjustment to print O2 voltage onto the detail screen? I ask so if you have then I need the updated programming, so I can load it in.

Also, how does the switch on the front perform the on/off function electrically? I ask because Ive been having trouble getting it to turn on. I flip it on and nothing happens. I turn it off, wait a few minutes and turn it back on, nothing happens. Its very intermittent. This afternoon I just kept flipping it off-on-off-on rapidly until the screen turned on.


sounds like you may have a loos connection/bad wire in you OBDII port?
 

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