A newbie needing a little help: Gear Position Indicator

Status
Not open for further replies.

Thread Starter

puretone

Joined May 24, 2014
3
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!
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,283
You should reconsider something like this that's cheap and already built. I know it has a 7-segment display but it looks small and neat. It's likely easier to see the gear position at a glance as opposed to determining which of 7 LEDs is lit in a row.

If you really want the LEDs then you could decode the 7-segment display with some logic (such as a couple of CD4028's) to give the desired LED signals.
 

SgtWookie

Joined Jul 17, 2007
22,230
The site's Terms of Service is here: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/l_tos.html

Unfortunately, your topic has run afoul of subparagraph 6, which reads:

6. Restricted topics. The following topics are regularly raised however are considered "off-topic" at all times and will result in Your thread being closed without question:
  • Any kind of over-unity devices and systems
  • Automotive modifications
  • Devices designed to electrocute or shock another person
  • LEDs to mains
  • Phone jammers
  • Rail guns and high-energy projectile devices
  • Transformer-less power supplies

The rules were established by the website's owners, and the rules are not open to negotiations. This is for your safety; we are not automotive engineers. There are other forums where you might broach this topic; please see the "Electronics Resources" forum.

This thread will be closed when a Moderator sees it.
 

Thread Starter

puretone

Joined May 24, 2014
3
You should reconsider something like this that's cheap and already built. I know it has a 7-segment display but it looks small and neat. It's likely easier to see the gear position at a glance as opposed to determining which of 7 LEDs is lit in a row.

If you really want the LEDs then you could decode the 7-segment display with some logic (such as a couple of CD4028's) to give the desired LED signals.
Those are exactly like the 2 gear position indicators I already have & refer to as the ones I'd sacrifice to hack into. I really dislike the look of the 7-segment display, and want something simple with just illumination of individual LEDs.

The CD4028's you mention, those would be used to "read" what's being sent to the 7-segment display? And based on what it would "read", it would subsequently illuminate the corresponding number of individual LEDs?

I'll go research the CD4028 now and see if I can figure out/understand how it works...

Keep the suggestions coming! :)
 

Thread Starter

puretone

Joined May 24, 2014
3
The site's Terms of Service is here: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/l_tos.html

Unfortunately, your topic has run afoul of subparagraph 6, which reads:

6. Restricted topics. The following topics are regularly raised however are considered "off-topic" at all times and will result in Your thread being closed without question:
  • Any kind of over-unity devices and systems
  • Automotive modifications
  • Devices designed to electrocute or shock another person
  • LEDs to mains
  • Phone jammers
  • Rail guns and high-energy projectile devices
  • Transformer-less power supplies

The rules were established by the website's owners, and the rules are not open to negotiations. This is for your safety; we are not automotive engineers. There are other forums where you might broach this topic; please see the "Electronics Resources" forum.

This thread will be closed when a Moderator sees it.
Oh my bad....I skip over TOS's just as much as pretty much anyone else...

This isn't an automotive modification tho. Then again, to be an obtuse nerd about it, it's for a bike and not a car ;-) Could be regarded as data-logging perhaps...

Haha! Railguns!

How about this:

I edit content so that all I'm trying to figure out / adapt, is to find some way for a generic 7-segment display to be 'translated' so to speak, to illuminating individual LEDs? No mention of what or where the device is for in it's entirety?

BTW, any hint on where I should look for more "automotive-friendly" forums? I've looked a heck of a lot and tend to only come across boards where Honda-kiddies are trying to get their Tachometer to work...or something of that sort :-/
 

bertus

Joined Apr 5, 2008
22,270
Hello,

I am closing this thread as it violates AAC policy and/or safety issues.

Quote:
6. Restricted topics.

The following topics are regularly raised however are considered “off-topic” at all times and will results in Your thread being closed without question:

  • Any kind of over-unity devices and systems
  • Automotive modifications
  • Devices designed to electrocute or shock another person
  • LEDs to mains
  • Phone jammers
  • Rail guns and high-energy projectile devices
  • Transformer-less power supplies
This comes from our Tos:
Terms of Service
There will be enough sites where automotive questions can be discussed :
Member selected automotive forums

Bertus
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top