Damn, more geeks here than I thought! I've said it before, I'll say it again, I love this forum...
Looks like I'll likely be ordering some Arduino parts pretty soon, I just need to narrow down exactly what I need, and which model Arduino I'll get.
I found a pretty cool GPS module called GeoShield, it includes a GPS, compass, and accelerometer all on one shield. Price seems a bit steep, though.
Right now I'm leaning towards the Venus GPS and a separate 3-axis accelerometer, but I'm still up in the air on choices.
olaaf wrote:Bear in mind most car sensors are resistance measuring devices. The computer sends a voltage to the coolant temp sender, for example, and measures the returning current. Only 1 device can actually “measure” the returning current, so you would have to double up on sensors. So the only option you have is to place your arduino in line to make it an amp meter so that it can measure the same current as the gauge. This will introduce a small error (the resistance of the measuring resistor in the amp meter) to the Gauge but nothing too big. You should also use the arduino to measure the applied voltage (across the sensor) and you can then calculate the resistance.
Excellent points, and something that I was planning on struggling with. I was planning to tap into the aftermarket gauges we have installed on the Sentra, finding the best way to do that without introducing errors and then calibrating the output from the Arduino may be a bit of a challenge.
I need to throw out a question, though. When I was researching this all last year, I came across an alternative to the Arduino, it was similar to one of the models, but it had bright green screw terminals for all of the I/O, and lots of I/O to boot. Problem is, I can't recall what the board was called, and my googling the last few days hasn't turned up anything similar. Maybe the product didn't take off, or it has already morphed into something else? Does this board ring a bell with anyone?
Pucker Factor Racing - Gator-O-Rama, Feb '11, Yee-Haw It's Lemons Texas!, Oct '11
Scuderia Ignorante - Yee-Haw, It's Lemons Texas, Feb '12 (As seen in Car & Driver), Gator-O-Rama, Sept '13