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Re: LCD Dash: Can It Be Done??

Could I just say right now that I appriciate comments from anybody who
wants to give them,whether good or bad!
The reason I'm asking about doing this is because I wanted to find out
how the people who have modified or owned Sciroccos felt about this type
of mod.Part of me is saying, yeah sure,no probs,dinny see why not,yet
every time I look more deeper into it, as to be expected with doing a mod,
problems and issues arise.Personally,I think it is possible to a LCD
in there.My original idea was fitting a laptop keyboard (without the
monitor),linked that to a monitor somewhere in the dash and control things
like my stereo (which is a fairly good set-up),temps inside and out,but
basically do nothing.Then I thought about putting a small LCD into
the Rev counter area,to show info almost in my direct vison,rather than
take my eyes off the road and look at a monitor.Then I remembered
Solely VW's "16V Nitros Caddy" with a "Digital Dash" from an early
Vauxhall Astra.This dash looks smart,but its not what I would call digital,
but more a numerical display,with speeds showing in primarily in large
easy to see numbers (segment leds) and two small rows of lights graphically
showing speed and engine revs (if I remember they were leds aswell,though
maybe dot matrix). 


			========================  Speed (yellow)
		================================  Revs  (red)
	================	*****	*****
================		* * *	* * *
========			*****   *****
				* * *	* * *
				*****	*****
				
As far as I know,these dashes were around in the eighties and are
legal here in Britain.This would be the sort of "speedo" I'd be
looking for,which to me, compared to the Astra's 5000 leds,would
be just as easy,if not easier,to program on an actual LCD screen,
rather than on the Astras dot matrix/segment LED displays.This
also tells me that if you can program leds and dot matrix to do
this,why can't it be done through a LCD?Mileage could be recorded,
although I'm not sure how,but even if you had to "hide" an analog
mileometer somewhere in the car.Everything else in the dash would
be alot easier,as every where I look at my work,water temps,pressures
and electrical systems are all controlled through workstations.
As far as cosmetics ie colours,locations of displays are concerned,
it's, to me anyway, as simple as adding some open windows type software
where fonts,colours background etc are being changed,not the application
you are running.The Speedo and Rev counter (and anything else that 
requires it) could be "locked" onto the screen,yet could be moved 
around and colours and fonts changed.I think what we have to remember
here is that its not the LCD thats doing all the work,it's the
processing,which would be carried out by a laptop type comp which
is desgined (more or less) for graphical information on a LCD screen,
with the problem being running everything at the same time.It may
be as simple as adding more processing power and memory (simm) or
maybe even a high speed CD ROM.

The technology is there to do this and prices are not that bad.I can
get a 9.4" (Screen size = 260x183x10 lxbxd) Colour F-STN transmissive 
with CFL background lighting,complete with power supply,controler card 
for 450.00 GBPounds ($765.14),only requiring an interface to be purchased.

Honestly guys, do you really think it will be that difficult or is it
me thats living in some kind of technology bubble full of great and
exciting new worlds opening up to us......christ could you imagine
me sending this mail to this list 10 years ago on a computer???

Anyway,sorry for the size of the mail,but I've decided to go for this
and I wanted to explain what I was talking about.My Dad wants me to
give him a list of everything I would expect this laptop/monitor(s)
to do and then he's going to go through each part and work out

o Parts list (ie drivers,senders,interfaces etc) 
o Cost - I expect this overall to be expensive
o Software - What software he would need.

So I'll let everybody know how things progress and hopefully I'll teach
the whizz kids out there how out of touch they are! :)

Do any of you have any ideas on types of software control systems
that would benefit a Scirocco/car?Let me know!

Once again, any comments are welcome, good or bad! (It takes a woman to
really hurt me!) :) and thanks to everybody who has commented already.

Cheers,

	Ewen.

	To: brads@mindspring.com
	Cc: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
	Subject: Re: LCD Dash: Can It Be Done??
	X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 0,2-11,13-19,27-28,30-37
	From: skerocdriver@juno.com (Shawn C Meze)
	Mime-Version: 1.0
	
	
	On Mon, 19 Oct 1998 10:18:32 -0700 Brad Sheridan <brads@mindspring.com>
	writes:
	
	> So then I should blow sunshine up his ass...-snip-
	
	
	You told me you were fresh out of sunshine, Brad?  :-P
	
	
	>-snip-
	>simpler first. I am familiar with this stuff, and if he has specific
	>questions, he can ask me about it, I don't mind helping out, I just
	think
	>he should know what he's getting into by planning something like this.
	>
	>Brad
	
	
	
	As much as I hate to say it, "I think Brad is right". I didnt see his
	post as one with an agenda to dismay anyone from trying something
	exciting and new. Anyone is free to attempt any project they like. When
	they post a question which asks how difficult it is to do task "A" and
	somebody like Brad replies with his opinion then the poster got the most
	honest anwser he could want. Brad never verbally attacked him or called
	him names either i'll note. (He only calls me names and attacks me, ive
	noticed....Hmm..)
	
	Did I mention that Brad hit the wall HARD and was there? (and I laughed
	so hard I almost crashed myself!)
	
	
	              Shawn Meze
	86' Jetta GLi           82' Scirocco GTi
	The Fastest, Quickest, Cleanest and
	best looking Scirocco in all of San Diego!
	http://www.Geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/1308/index.htm
	
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