Mini-Project: New GPS Speedo
When I added the new front end from the ZX6R I lost the ability to run the cable from the front wheel so I needed another method. Since I did not want to deviate from the original look of the tach and speedo I started to look for what I could.
When searching for Alternative Speedometers I can across a Arduino build a guy did for a SIM flying game. So I started learning about Arduino.
Arduino for those that dont know .... Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. Arduino boards are able to read inputs - light on a sensor, a finger on a button, - and turn it into an output - activating a motor, turning on an LED. You can tell your board what to do by sending a set of instructions to the microcontroller on the board.
Phase 1
So I built one using a reed sensor to read a magnet on the wheel and send that output to the Arduino. Then I replaces the Odometer and Trip with snall OLED displays only .96" across.
Had to learn the software language and develop code but I already had experience with coding so was not to bad.
Below is a shot of one of the boards. Used this to develop the code with then used a NANO Arduino to build the unit for this first development phase
[img][IMG]https://www.kzrider.com/images/gallery/details/kz_750_fours_8/1981_kz_750e_mods_20240317_1600848957.jpg[/img][/img]
This is the Built up speedo with the Nano board
this is the OLED display
This is the side view of the X27.168 GM style Stepper Motor
As you can see I used the housing (metal part) from the original speed as a base and mounted the stepper motor to the bottom.
I did change some of the Screen outputs as I move forward in the process and the top screen now shows the speed and the needle moves and matches it.
And to be honest this took months of coding, wiring it re-wiring it. Frying a Nano board as I hooked it up wrong. Having to get new needles as I broke one after so many on/off for testing. But the major drawback came from when I went to try and mount the Sensor and magnet to the wheel. This turned out to be more difficult than anticipated and I didnt like the extra wires being fed down the forks. I started to do more research and found that a GPS speedo is not much harder than what I had built so far. The stepper motor and displays would still be used just a different input from the GPS and that is Phase 2 (next post)
Hope this reads well enough with enough details to show what I did. Again any questions let me know.