Help. I have got a LONG way into a project to build the following on a Teensy 3.5 for my race car...
- GPS Lap timer
- Tyre temperature monitor/logger
- Brake temperature monitor/logger
- Digital dash with data from ECU (canbus) and other sensors (like brake, oil pressure, fuel level) through direct analog inputs.
It's all working, and working well... Check this out.
BUT, and it's a huge but... I can't find a screen that works well.
I have a Nextion 7" screen on the car in the video above, and it's unreadable on track, even with the sun visor. Apart from that, the project creation, programming ease and update speed is all good.
I bought a 4D systems "Superbright" display and it's catastrophically unsuited. EVERY graphic element is read from a microSD card every time... That tachometer that is 720*82 pixels, updating at 10Hz? That takes over half the pixel bashing bandwidth BY ITSELF, and it's choppy to boot. It won't work.
"Sunlight readable displays" and "LCD for car dashboard" google results are hopelessly polluted with people thinking that putting a standard LCD in a car will work, and "Automotive LCD" gets me links, but nothing I could actually buy.
So here's the question...
Does anyone know of a legit sunlight readable option that I could drive from a Teensy? I am prepared to dediate a Teensy to JUST that task and send it commands via UART if required. I have tried a 20*4 large LCD display, and it was readable but I have need for more data to be displayed. a 128*64 LCD dot matrix is also too small. It needs to be at least a 5" (preferably 7") 800*480 display at least.
This is what my current display looks like in the garage...
I am considering going down the path of just building Bluetooth in and outputting everything as CAN data to use an external display (like any proper digital dash, or something like Realdash on a nice bright phone), but my preferred option is a dedicated colour sunlight readable display.
And no, I am not looking at it while racing in any great detail. I use it during warmup to check tyre and brake temps, on the straight to check engine temp and oil pressure, and immediately after the race to check engine state and temps. I will have a race mode with a sector time delta and idiot lights for "tyres too hot" or "engine gonna go boom". I have a row of ultrabright LEDs above the display for RPM and shift information.
I have spent quite some time looking and it's incredibly frustrating - not least because the Google results are so full of people sticking a tablet to their dashboard and claiming a digital dash!
Cheers - N
- GPS Lap timer
- Tyre temperature monitor/logger
- Brake temperature monitor/logger
- Digital dash with data from ECU (canbus) and other sensors (like brake, oil pressure, fuel level) through direct analog inputs.
It's all working, and working well... Check this out.
BUT, and it's a huge but... I can't find a screen that works well.
I have a Nextion 7" screen on the car in the video above, and it's unreadable on track, even with the sun visor. Apart from that, the project creation, programming ease and update speed is all good.
I bought a 4D systems "Superbright" display and it's catastrophically unsuited. EVERY graphic element is read from a microSD card every time... That tachometer that is 720*82 pixels, updating at 10Hz? That takes over half the pixel bashing bandwidth BY ITSELF, and it's choppy to boot. It won't work.
"Sunlight readable displays" and "LCD for car dashboard" google results are hopelessly polluted with people thinking that putting a standard LCD in a car will work, and "Automotive LCD" gets me links, but nothing I could actually buy.
So here's the question...
Does anyone know of a legit sunlight readable option that I could drive from a Teensy? I am prepared to dediate a Teensy to JUST that task and send it commands via UART if required. I have tried a 20*4 large LCD display, and it was readable but I have need for more data to be displayed. a 128*64 LCD dot matrix is also too small. It needs to be at least a 5" (preferably 7") 800*480 display at least.
This is what my current display looks like in the garage...
I am considering going down the path of just building Bluetooth in and outputting everything as CAN data to use an external display (like any proper digital dash, or something like Realdash on a nice bright phone), but my preferred option is a dedicated colour sunlight readable display.
And no, I am not looking at it while racing in any great detail. I use it during warmup to check tyre and brake temps, on the straight to check engine temp and oil pressure, and immediately after the race to check engine state and temps. I will have a race mode with a sector time delta and idiot lights for "tyres too hot" or "engine gonna go boom". I have a row of ultrabright LEDs above the display for RPM and shift information.
I have spent quite some time looking and it's incredibly frustrating - not least because the Google results are so full of people sticking a tablet to their dashboard and claiming a digital dash!
Cheers - N