Lil' Blackbox

General => Installation => Topic started by: Cody_h12v on October 10, 2018, 07:22:53 PM

Title: Thinking about going this route, need more info
Post by: Cody_h12v on October 10, 2018, 07:22:53 PM
So what's install like? No hardware wise but software wise? What pins does it use with the Arduino? Can I use a screen with this? Can I use an Arduino mega? Is the little black box even available for purchase still?
Title: Re: Thinking about going this route, need more info
Post by: hakcenter on October 10, 2018, 10:33:24 PM
Should still have units for sale, there's quite a few sitting on my desk
Title: Re: Thinking about going this route, need more info
Post by: Cody_h12v on October 10, 2018, 11:58:28 PM
Quote from: hakcenter on October 10, 2018, 10:33:24 PM
Should still have units for sale, there's quite a few sitting on my desk
Excellent, could you help me with some of my other questions, I want to expand on the program a little bit more and documentation is decent but does not answer the questions I have
Title: Re: Thinking about going this route, need more info
Post by: Cody_h12v on October 11, 2018, 12:27:39 AM
Guess it would help if you knew what the plans were. Trying to make a gauge/tuner system using a Arduino and the lilbb. Want to be able to tap the screen and change it from a fuel efficiency mode to a race mode. And add an engine brake also since I'll have that capability, plus some other goodies.
Title: Re: Thinking about going this route, need more info
Post by: Rx7man on October 11, 2018, 09:08:00 AM
I used a Mega with it, but I had to shuffle some pins around (SPI interface pins are different) and that meant I needed another board between the two.. Sparkfun has some little Arduino proto boards that did the job nicely.   
for screens, if you're looking at like the 3" color TFT touchscreens, I don't know how well they'd work, they take a whole lot of pins on the Mega, and it would also be a lot of processing power needed..

If you're well versed, or have the ambition to really learn the software/coding side of things there are all sorts of ways to work around it.. you already have CAN bus, so you could have a completely separate unit that does the display and transfers commands to, and receives data from the Lil'bb.  That way a slowdown because of high display workload doesn't affect operation.
I just have a switch that changes modes.. If you had a dedicated display controller you could use a rotary encoder with a pushbutton to do all sorts of things.
Title: Re: Thinking about going this route, need more info
Post by: Cody_h12v on October 11, 2018, 05:04:12 PM
Quote from: Rx7man on October 11, 2018, 09:08:00 AM
I used a Mega with it, but I had to shuffle some pins around (SPI interface pins are different) and that meant I needed another board between the two.. Sparkfun has some little Arduino proto boards that did the job nicely.   
for screens, if you're looking at like the 3" color TFT touchscreens, I don't know how well they'd work, they take a whole lot of pins on the Mega, and it would also be a lot of processing power needed..

If you're well versed, or have the ambition to really learn the software/coding side of things there are all sorts of ways to work around it.. you already have CAN bus, so you could have a completely separate unit that does the display and transfers commands to, and receives data from the Lil'bb.  That way a slowdown because of high display workload doesn't affect operation.
I just have a switch that changes modes.. If you had a dedicated display controller you could use a rotary encoder with a pushbutton to do all sorts of things.

Hmmm thinking I might just use a raspberry pi to put the gauges on a screen and just have the arduino send info there. I already kinda started this project with a raspberry pi and had the pressure sensors and screen working, but could not find a canbus for it. this method might also be able to better split up the processing power
Title: Re: Thinking about going this route, need more info
Post by: Rx7man on October 14, 2018, 03:22:41 PM
you can get a canbus adapter for them for like a buck on Ebay.. I think the R-pi itself has a built in CAN controller.. now if there's a library to use it, I don't know for sure.

I have an R-pi 2 and loaned it to a friend to play with.. don't have the energy to learn how to program that as well right now.