Shift Light

[Davidbolam]

Does anyone know how to make a simple circuit to make an adjustable shift light. preferable a sequential one with a row of LED's. a single big red one will do thought!

I want to make one to link into the MX5 rev counter wire.

It needs to be really easy as im a liability with a soldering iron!!

David

[Stot]

Does anyone know how to make a simple circuit to make an adjustable shift light. preferable a sequential one with a row of LED's. a single big red one will do thought!

I want to make one to link into the MX5 rev counter wire.

It needs to be really easy as im a liability with a soldering iron!!

David

Not sure Id be attempting it if your soldering skills are that bad but a couple of scematics here. (http://www.buellxb.com/Buell-XB-Forum/Buell-Lightning-XB12S-XB12Ss-CityX-XB12Scg/Homemade-shift-light)

Cheers
Stot

[skov]

I designed a sequential one a few years ago, mostly sold them to VW Corado owners as it integrated into the dash nicely (sorry awful quality video!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7MNOMVfMng

Stopped making them ages ago and don't think I have any left though. There was never much money in it :rolleyes:

To be honest a single big light is probably more useful than sequential.

[CTWV50]

I designed a sequential one a few years ago, mostly sold them to VW Corado owners as it integrated into the dash nicely (sorry awful quality video!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7MNOMVfMng

Stopped making them ages ago and don't think I have any left though. There was never much money in it :rolleyes:

To be honest a single big light is probably more useful than sequential.

Bloody hell! That was you. I remember Mr. Beige selling them. How is the Beige one?

[skov]

Bloody hell! That was you. I remember Mr. Beige selling them. How is the Beige one?

Ha ha, yeah that was me! I designed and built them and Mr Beige sold and fitted them.
I forgot you knew the Beige one. I think he's alright, haven't seen him in ages though, sort of lost touch when he left Cambridge. I think he's working for McLaren now.

[Davidbolam]

All the diagrams I have found look very involved. I was hoping to use a variable resistor, a transistor and an led..

David

[alga]

I made one out of an Arduino. Overkill, I know, but it cost under £10 in parts, anyway, and it's infinitely tuneable ;-).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3j_aek5Y-0

The outputs are just LEDs connected to the output pins with 560 Ohm resistors.
The input is a stabilizer with a 1K resistor and a 4.7V zener. I can sketch the schematic if anyone's interested.

For the "production" version I used a $10 Arduino Pro Mini. Here are some pics of the final product without the 3d printed box it's in now:
http://imgur.com/a/IHBOv

Also, I added a 7805 stabilizer for power feed, as Arduino Pro Mini is rated only up to 12V, and in the car it can get more than that.

The code is available here: https://github.com/alga/shiftlight

The circuit used to work perfectly with Ford's ECU, but after the MS3 install it catches some interference and blinks sometimes. I can't get around to hanging a low-pass filter capacitor on the input.

[loony]

Alga - this is what I was looking for ;) Simple sequential shift light.
So - can you sketch schematic ? My electronic skills are even worse than mechanic skills ;)
Hope your code (after modification) can handle 12000rpm...

Is it complicated to modify code to set rpm for first LED by button, then other LED will light up with 500rpm increments from "set" value ? I never played with such electronics...

[Ben_Copeland]

Maplins do a super cheap shift light. Goes green then red.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/26mm-redgreen-led-cluster-pd00a

I run mine off my megasquirt.

[alga]

Lukasz, here's the schematic:

http://i.imgur.com/8R3ifn9.png

You can use Arduino Uno or whatever to test, but then to embed something smaller like Nano or Pro Mini is more convenient.

If you look at the source, https://github.com/alga/shiftlight/blob/master/shiftlight.ino , you'll see that the pin numbers of the input and outputs, as well as RPMs for each led and for the blinking warning are spelled out in the constant definitions.

In order to set the switchover RPMs on a button press you'll need to add a button that grounds one of the free input pins, set the mode for that pin to INPUT_PULLUP, and in the loop check if the pin is LOW, and if it is, fill in the thresholds array with the new values based on current RPM. You'll need to delete the const specifier from the variable definition in order to be able to modify the array. Piece of cake.

[TheArf]

I was at Demon Tweeks yesterday, I noticed the omex shift lights £132 plus the vat hey man Dick Turpin wore a mask, what happened to listening to the engine and using a rev counter, they will tell you when to change gear.

Arfon

[alga]

The idea is that when racing you don't have time to look at the rev counter, and the shift light is essentially a rev counter you see with your peripheral vision. For me though it was mostly an interesting DIY project.

[Stot]

How about a seriously lo-tech shift light?

Replace the tach needle with a tach 'disc' that has a hole in it or a pie segment missing. Mount an LED or two in the tacho face that are always on but are in the position of where you want to change gear. Rev up, hole in disc over LED. Shift. ;)

Cheers
Stot

[flyerncle]

Audible(spelling ?) You hear it in F1 Shift with the beep,something less complicated than lights possibly with vol control and earpiece.

Comments on a postcard......

[TheArf]

Just remind me, how many roadsters are there in F1

[flyerncle]

I did say "on a postcard" :p

got too spoil it !;)

Answer to your question, None.

[baz-r]

i run a white led on the dash (like indicator repeter) direct from my fidle ouput on my megasquirt.
works great hillclimbing
also use it as a cold engine warning light.

[flyerncle]

Regarding cost of shift lights commercially I was quoted £50 to get them made in China with printed pc board.

[PorkChop]

Regarding cost of shift lights commercially I was quoted £50 to get them made in China with printed pc board.

I'm sure Digital Speedos do a shift light for about that sort of money.

[CTWV50]

http://www.digital-speedos.co.uk/4-level-race-shift-light-129-p.asp

[CTWV50]

Lukasz, here's the schematic:

http://i.imgur.com/8R3ifn9.png

You can use Arduino Uno or whatever to test, but then to embed something smaller like Nano or Pro Mini is more convenient.

If you look at the source, https://github.com/alga/shiftlight/blob/master/shiftlight.ino , you'll see that the pin numbers of the input and outputs, as well as RPMs for each led and for the blinking warning are spelled out in the constant definitions.

In order to set the switchover RPMs on a button press you'll need to add a button that grounds one of the free input pins, set the mode for that pin to INPUT_PULLUP, and in the loop check if the pin is LOW, and if it is, fill in the thresholds array with the new values based on current RPM. You'll need to delete the const specifier from the variable definition in order to be able to modify the array. Piece of cake.

We've just started a new lad in work to help out part time with smart phone part replacement and diagnosis along with customer service but he's also doing a combined electronics and technology course at JMU. I might ask him for a bit help putting something like this together. :D Another little project to keep me busy.

[CTWV50]

Alga, I have a limited knowledge of electronics, but I've bought a mini pro. It has a 12v raw connection for power which cuts out some of the electronics. I have resistors but need to purchase the diode what wattage 4.7v diode should I use? 1w or 0.5w? Thanks Chris

[alga]

12 V raw, yes, but a charged battery gives around 13 V, and the alternator gives some 14 V, plus there can be some noise spikes even higher. I'd rather not risk burning the chip, so I added a stabilizer circuit. As for the diode, I used the smallest one, it's 0.5 W I believe. With the 1K resistor on the input and assuming 12V signal, the current through the Zener will be 12 mA maximum.

[CTWV50]

12 V raw, yes, but a charged battery gives around 13 V, and the alternator gives some 14 V, plus there can be some noise spikes even higher. I'd rather not risk burning the chip, so I added a stabilizer circuit.

Ah yes, I forgot about that.:rolleyes: My friend at work pointed that out too.

As for the diode, I used the smallest one, it's 0.5 W I believe. With the 1K resistor on the input and assuming 12V signal, the current through the Zener will be 12 mA maximum.

Thanks for that info.

[flyerncle]

Out of interest,what is the output from coil to shift light.
Ie pulse or just varying voltage.