Hello All!
Disclaimer: I'm a bit of a lay person when it comes to electronic circuitry voodoo. Forgive me if this is soooo simple to do & I'm defore a total doof.
I'm a quick learner though & can take on close to anything with a little help from a genius.
Here goes my question:
I've been meaning to obtain, or build in this case, a simple gear indicator for a motorcycle. Nothing fancy, and it isn't truly required, I've been riding bikes for the better part of 3/4's of my life...I generally know what gear I am in based on feel...but alas, I wish to add a nifty little device just for the sake of vanity. I'm relatively certain there's more folks out there whom wish for something similar.
The easy/popular/simple/cheap choice for a gear indicator involves the following:
- 2x Hall-effect sensors.
- 1x rare-earth magnet, or any other strong magnet I suppose.
- 1x bundle of wire, to flop about with & get into knots.
- 1x 7-segment LCD/LED display
- 1x Little board where voodoo, witchcraft, sorcery & Gremlins live.
Good example (with pics & diagrams) of what I'm on about is this: http://electronics-lab.com/projects/automotive/006/index.html
I realize you guys might be disappointed that there's no sign of the elusive, intrepid, crafty little bugger's that are the venerable Gremlins, but I assure you they are there. No it's not the Absinth...although, perhaps...hehe
In any event, I've tried to teach myself how to crudely hack into one of these things, but the voodoo has proven to be too all I encompassing.
On to the meaty part. What I'd like to achieve is to have a circuit (with whatever else it might need) that will illuminate a single LED per gear...instead of that 7-segment display thing. Why you ask? I'm trying to achieve a sleeker look. What I have in mind is a skinny/thin little row that has 6 or 7 total LEDs. I'm thinking of mounting it somewhere near/inside the gauge cluster of the motorcycle.
The reason for 6 or 7 LEDs: the bike has 6 gears and 1 neutral. The neutral LED is simple enough and can be tapped into from the motorcycle's wiring harness...as it already has 1 LED dedicated for this purpose. The other 6 LEDs would be strictly for the gears.
I'm thinking there is probably 2 options:
A) illuminate a single LED per gear by itself (so 1st gear is LED #1 by itself and the rest off, 2nd gear is LED #2 and the rest off etc). And go back down the LEDs as gears are down shifted.
Or
B) illuminate & accumulate each LED as gears are selected. By this I mean: 1st gear illuminates LED #1, 2nd gear illuminates both LED #1 & #2, 3rd gear illuminates LED #1 & #2 && #3 etc And of course subtract LEDs as gears are subtracted as well.
Could any of you smart cookies tell me, show me, instruct me how to achieve this? I have a pair of those gear position indicators with 7-segment displays on hand to sacrifice & hack for this purpose. I don't mind at all if I end up frying the thing by my shear idiocy or accident...they are after all the sacrificial candidates.
I imagine it might be very possible or in some sense easier to hack one of these 7-segment gear position indicators, instead of building from scratch...though building from scratch is possibly more fun.
I'm very handy with a soldering iron & repairing electronic s. I'm no stranger when it comes to fixing simple things in mobile phones for instance. Or personal computers etc are also cake for me.
Any ideas, suggestions or guides will be HIGHLY APPRECIATED. I'll offer a case of beer to whoever has the best/workable/practical/elegant solution to my conundrum...that is if it is allowed by this board or other applicable laws...hehehe.
Thanks & much appreciation!
Disclaimer: I'm a bit of a lay person when it comes to electronic circuitry voodoo. Forgive me if this is soooo simple to do & I'm defore a total doof.
I'm a quick learner though & can take on close to anything with a little help from a genius.
Here goes my question:
I've been meaning to obtain, or build in this case, a simple gear indicator for a motorcycle. Nothing fancy, and it isn't truly required, I've been riding bikes for the better part of 3/4's of my life...I generally know what gear I am in based on feel...but alas, I wish to add a nifty little device just for the sake of vanity. I'm relatively certain there's more folks out there whom wish for something similar.
The easy/popular/simple/cheap choice for a gear indicator involves the following:
- 2x Hall-effect sensors.
- 1x rare-earth magnet, or any other strong magnet I suppose.
- 1x bundle of wire, to flop about with & get into knots.
- 1x 7-segment LCD/LED display
- 1x Little board where voodoo, witchcraft, sorcery & Gremlins live.
Good example (with pics & diagrams) of what I'm on about is this: http://electronics-lab.com/projects/automotive/006/index.html
I realize you guys might be disappointed that there's no sign of the elusive, intrepid, crafty little bugger's that are the venerable Gremlins, but I assure you they are there. No it's not the Absinth...although, perhaps...hehe
In any event, I've tried to teach myself how to crudely hack into one of these things, but the voodoo has proven to be too all I encompassing.
On to the meaty part. What I'd like to achieve is to have a circuit (with whatever else it might need) that will illuminate a single LED per gear...instead of that 7-segment display thing. Why you ask? I'm trying to achieve a sleeker look. What I have in mind is a skinny/thin little row that has 6 or 7 total LEDs. I'm thinking of mounting it somewhere near/inside the gauge cluster of the motorcycle.
The reason for 6 or 7 LEDs: the bike has 6 gears and 1 neutral. The neutral LED is simple enough and can be tapped into from the motorcycle's wiring harness...as it already has 1 LED dedicated for this purpose. The other 6 LEDs would be strictly for the gears.
I'm thinking there is probably 2 options:
A) illuminate a single LED per gear by itself (so 1st gear is LED #1 by itself and the rest off, 2nd gear is LED #2 and the rest off etc). And go back down the LEDs as gears are down shifted.
Or
B) illuminate & accumulate each LED as gears are selected. By this I mean: 1st gear illuminates LED #1, 2nd gear illuminates both LED #1 & #2, 3rd gear illuminates LED #1 & #2 && #3 etc And of course subtract LEDs as gears are subtracted as well.
Could any of you smart cookies tell me, show me, instruct me how to achieve this? I have a pair of those gear position indicators with 7-segment displays on hand to sacrifice & hack for this purpose. I don't mind at all if I end up frying the thing by my shear idiocy or accident...they are after all the sacrificial candidates.
I imagine it might be very possible or in some sense easier to hack one of these 7-segment gear position indicators, instead of building from scratch...though building from scratch is possibly more fun.
I'm very handy with a soldering iron & repairing electronic s. I'm no stranger when it comes to fixing simple things in mobile phones for instance. Or personal computers etc are also cake for me.
Any ideas, suggestions or guides will be HIGHLY APPRECIATED. I'll offer a case of beer to whoever has the best/workable/practical/elegant solution to my conundrum...that is if it is allowed by this board or other applicable laws...hehehe.
Thanks & much appreciation!