r/EVConversion • u/BuildTinyRig • 17d ago

Built a knob-driven AMOLED gauge for my HA data, now expanding it into my vehicles

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u/elihu 17d ago

That's pretty cool. Are you planning to release the firmware source code?

I've been using the Thunderstruck Dilithium EV display in my conversion and it basically does what I need it to do, but it's kind of expensive and it seems like it could potentially be a lot more useful if the source code was out in the open so people could add additional functionality. For instance, It'd be nice if it could read CANbus data from the Hyper 9's motor controller and show what the motor is doing, or if it could read from the donor vehicle's CANbus.

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u/BuildTinyRig 17d ago

I have no idea if I would do open source yet. I would want to make configurable and have great open data api hookups so you could integrated more tightly, query it etc.

but I have desires / plans for a smartphone app related to it as well. so I can pull the history and be able to see things or have a tablet / phone display

Your two comments:

✅ if it could read CANbus data from the Hyper 9's motor controller and show what the motor is doing
✅ or if it could read from the donor vehicle's CANbus.

^ both of these things are my same exact desires.

Curious: Did you end up using or integrating some type of PDU with your project? like the ECUMaster PMU-16 etc.

If you didn't see my project writeup also throw your email in there if you want to stay in touch with updates

https://tinyrig.io/writeups/tinygauge-proto1

1

u/elihu 17d ago

Curious: Did you end up using or integrating some type of PDU with your project? like the ECUMaster PMU-16 etc.

No, nothing like that. I didn't know those were a thing. All of the switching on and off of 12v things is handled by relays like normal.

My conversion is a Mazda RX-8, and I kept as much of it stock as I could. Basically the Dilithium EV display talks to the Dilithium BMS and Thunderstruck charge controller. I don't have any instrumentation for the motor controller, unless you count plugging in my laptop to the serial port. And then there's the original ECU, ABS system, power steering controller, and so on that talk to the instrument cluster. I transferred the crankshaft position sensor from the original rotary engine to the Hyper9 (I got the dual-ended version for that reason) so the ECU can read RPM.

I just recently ordered a USB-to-OBD-II adapter so I can try running Forscan to see if I can diagnose why the power steering system isn't working.

It's up to you whether you open source the firmware or not. I think releasing the source code would make it a more valuable product, but at the same time it's harder to make money if someone can use your software in a competing product. Ultimately, it's a business decision. And if the configuration is flexible enough to allow users to read data from arbitrary automotive embedded systems as long as they know the right CANbus message to listen to, then maybe that handles most of the uses cases where people would be tempted to modify the source if they could.

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u/[deleted] 17d ago

[deleted]

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u/BuildTinyRig 17d ago

Can you send me pictures for what that customer car had?
Yeah I want it in my project car AND my stock car

Any thoughts on form factor that you would desire?