Re: LCD Dash: Can It Be Done?? [LONG!]

[Christopher Mende <csmende@neubayern.net>]

Perhaps this might shed a little bit of light as far as an effective
approach goes. Linux/LCD/Car application...but this is basically so you
can play mp3's in your car. Perhaps something can be gleaned from this:
www.empeg.com

On Tue, 20 Oct 1998, Brad Sheridan wrote:

|At 03:38 PM 10/20/98 +0100, you wrote:
|>On Oct 20,  1:52pm, Ewan Marshall - Frans Maas Linlithgow wrote:
|>Which brings us to the next problem - you are now in the realms of real-time
|>systems. If you are running a conventional PC / Windoze combination to drive
|>this dash, you will get latency problems (hourglass comes up as you take off
|>from the lights - how fast are you going?). This is because Windoze is not a
|>real-time OS. You would need Linux or something like that (if you want a PC
|>platform - you could use pSOS or VxWorks if you were to use an off-the-shelf
|>SBC). Unfortunately, the nice graphical interface suites are not available
|for
|>Linux, AFAIK.
|
|  Linux is great(I use it at home), but it isn't inherently a RTOS. I
|believe there are versions of it that are. And there are Linux GUI design
|toolkits, as well as X-Windows(the original windowed GUI, before Windoze)
|available,
|I only mentioned the windoze one that I knew head analog type instrument
|display, but was for VBasic. But you bring up a good point, Windoze is
|wholly unsuited for the task, especially with an older laptop. It would be
|quite annoying having to constantly reboot your dash. Linux is very stable.
|And although it isn't a RTOS, it actually can multitask well, possibly well
|enough to handle many functions and still have them all appear to be "real
|time". It is much better at this than any Windoze, which are all big jokes
|to me.
|
|>Nope. Bargraph displays are much easier than scanned LCDs. Note also that
|many
|>bargraphs don't have the resolution they purport; oftem you will get multiple
|>LEDs tied together to give the semblance of high resolution, but in fact
|there
|>are about a dozen discrete displayable values.
|
|This is 100% correct, this is why the last time I did a dash display type
|project, I didn't do a full out graphical LCD. I instead went with a serial
|LCD, which isn't too much harder than a bunch of LEDS. But serial LCDs
|would suit your project.
|
|>STN displays are dogs. If you want any kind of clarity (remember this is a
|>display to be glanced at), you need TFT at the very least. 
|
|Yes, even the TFT dim out significantly in bright sunlight. To get an idea
|of how bright it'll be, remove the black instrument bezel, stick it to your
|laptop screen(sealing the edges) and look at it in varying light
|conditions. It'll get pretty dim.
|
|>> Do any of you have any ideas on types of software control systems
|>> that would benefit a Scirocco/car?Let me know!
|>
|>TCS and ABS.
|
|I definitely wouldn't do either on the same computer doing the dash
|display. These really are suited for embedded projects. Pick up a copy of
|Circuit Cellar(electronics mag), and you can find lots of people willing to
|sell generic boards for embedded design.
|
|Brad
|
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Christopher Mende           FederalExpress            Work: 719-262-1022
www.neubayern.net     Distributed Systems Support     Page: 888-786-1344
www.fedex.com              Colorado Springs           Home: 719-264-8132

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