enginerd4ni's build thread

[SOLRUS]

Parts:
ARB CKMA12 Compressor 9 lbs
Custom Mounting Plate
Hardware: qty:4 M6 x 12mm Flathead Socket head Stainless, qty:4 M6 Washer from ARB kit, qty:4 M6 nylon insert locknut, qty:1 M4 x 6mm Panhead stainless, qty:1 M4 flat washer stainless, qty:2 M8 bolts to mount to the body
ARB Tire Inflation Kit

Reason for Install:
Airing down has considerable benefits on almost all off road surfaces. Airing back up to regular pressures, however, is critical for safe driving at highway speeds. My requirements for a compressor were as follows:
-Air up 4 tires up to 35" within a single duty cycle
-All parts (compressor, tank, regulator, fittings, etc.) must fit in a sensible location

I spent way too much time researching compressors from possibly all available brands. There are awesome compressors out there like the ExtremeAir 007-000 which has a continuous duty cycle. I thought it would be good to mount it in between the passenger side frame rail and slider but a) it is just too large to fit in that location and b) it isn't fully submersible just in case I ford some water. That one also needs to add a tank, regulator, pressure switch, etc. which was just too much effort for something that would likely not fit anywhere I liked without major modifications to the 4Runner. In fact, I couldn't find a reasonably priced yet submersible compressor so my mounting options were somewhere in the cabin or under the hood. Engine heat soak will shorten the duty cycle of most compressors mounted under the hood. However, mounting in the cabin can get pretty annoying. I settled on the CKMA12 because it is a very compact package that contains a 50% duty cycle motor, a reservoir, regulator, pressure switch, wiring harness, and the ability to add on air locker solenoids (if I ever want to put on a front diff locker). After receiving the compressor, taking it apart, inspecting the build quality and design, I've become an ARB fanboy. It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to mechanical design of consumer products as well as documentation and user manuals, but this appears to be a very high quality product. So far I haven't heard of any major negative experiences with this compressor. The compactness of the CKMA12 affords installation near the master cylinder and fuse box so I chose that location for a few reasons:
-It doesn't get direct heat from the headers
-It is easy to access, clean, replace filter, inspect for leaks, etc.
-I plan to put a 2nd battery behind the wheel well arch on the passenger side since I have a smog pump (2013+)
-Making a mounting bracket was pretty easy and cheap
The only thing I don't really like about this bracket design is that it is a cantilever beam and is subject to vibration modes. Given that the compressor vibrates itself like crazy and is mounted on vibration damping legs, I've convinced myself it will be ok. In practice, the .250" plate is more rigid than the body to which it is mounted.
I haven't noticed any EMF effects on neighboring circuitry from the motor so far therefore I think the location is decent.

Now for the custom bracket.

I made this out of some scrap .250" aluminum 6061-T6 I had laying around. If you want to make your own, pick up a plate from ebay or wherever for less than $15. The maximum dimensions are 0.25" X 4.0" X 8.5" and here is a link to a pdf file that you can print out as a template; just make sure it prints to scale!
Mounting Bracket Template

For the install, here is the bracket and the hardware. I ended up only using one of the threaded holes for mounting the relay since the other one was covered up too much by the compressor.

Here is the back side showing the countersink holes and the (optional) slight 0.010"x0.625" counterbores on the holes that mount to the body. The weld nuts have little raised protrusions that dig in to the aluminum when tightened. I chose to give them a little relief but you don't have to. For the countersinks, I am using metric flatheads so I used a 90° sink. You could also use 1/4-20 screws with an 82° sink if you want.

There is quite a bit of rearrangement of the compressor parts to get it into the right orientation. The main thing is to reverse the blue heat sink mount. Start by loosening these black socket head cap screws to be able to loosen the blue heat sink mount.

Then undo the two bolts shown here, rotate the black reservoir bracket out of the way, slide off the blue heat sink mount, reverse it, slide it back on, install bolts.

It should look approximately like this:

Then take the black base bracket off by removing the four shoulder screws that screw into the blue mount.

Attach the ARB base bracket to the aluminum mounting bracket using your hardware.

Re-attach the black base bracket to the blue heat sink mount using the four shoulder screws. Re-tighten the blue heat sink mount once you're happy with the position it will take in the engine bay. Note that the custom bracket does not sit perpendicularly to the ground.

Before you actually install the bracket to the body, mount your relay.

Now thread your M8 bolts in and tighten with a box end wrench.

As you can see, I positioned the air chuck from the ARB inflation accessory kit to point parallel to the ground. I did this because it saves me from having to mount the compressor lower and also should minimize the amount of debris that falls into the chuck opening. Almost all ARB installation pictures show it pointing straight up but in my area of work, you never want an exposed connection pointing up.

One more picture showing the filter and the relay out of harm's way.

If you plan to install the locker solenoids, you may want to consider how they will be oriented and rotate the reservoir appropriately. There may not be enough room to go straight up without hitting the hood. You could rotate the pressure switch to the other side, or face the solenoids toward the body and the connections facing up or down. Hopefully you get the idea and can figure something out.

I hope this write up helps someone.

Could you please explain, what is the pressure switch for? can I just put hose connector directly to compressor without using T connector that distributes air to pressure switch and hose connector.

Where did you also place compressor on/off switch ? Could you please post a picture of your control panel?

Also where did you connect red yellow wire (supposed to be connected to ignition) and blue white (dash illumination).

I've made plate, installed compressor and stuck at wiring step and where to put on/off switch.

 

[enginerd4ni]

Could you please explain, what is the pressure switch for? can I just put hose connector directly to compressor without using T connector that distributes air to pressure switch and hose connector.

Where did you also place compressor on/off switch ? Could you please post a picture of your control panel?

Also where did you connect red yellow wire (supposed to be connected to ignition) and blue white (dash illumination).

I've made plate, installed compressor and stuck at wiring step and where to put on/off switch.

The pressure switch opens the relay control circuit when the compressor reaches the target max pressure and then closes the relay control circuit to turn on the compressor when the pressure drops below the minimum threshold. You must have a pressure switch somewhere in your pneumatic circuit to prevent the compressor from overpressurizing (unless you happen to be using an open flow air chuck but that isn't the intended purpose of this compressor).

I don't yet have my write up complete for my switch control system but I ditched the entire ARB wiring harness for my own custom setup. If you follow the ARB instructions you should be good to go. For switch operation, I recommend running an "add-a-fuse" from the accessory/cigarette lighter circuit in the fuse panel near the emergency brake lever to power the "ignition" circuit and there are several posts about pulling the dash light from the green wire of the RSCA switch. For Example

Personally, I prefer the look of the OEM style switches from Qing Sheng and sold by AOB so that is what I used for some of my switches.

I wish you the best on your install!

 

[SOLRUS]

The pressure switch opens the relay control circuit when the compressor reaches the target max pressure and then closes the relay control circuit to turn on the compressor when the pressure drops below the minimum threshold. You must have a pressure switch somewhere in your pneumatic circuit to prevent the compressor from overpressurizing (unless you happen to be using an open flow air chuck but that isn't the intended purpose of this compressor).

I don't yet have my write up complete for my switch control system but I ditched the entire ARB wiring harness for my own custom setup. If you follow the ARB instructions you should be good to go. For switch operation, I recommend running an "add-a-fuse" from the accessory/cigarette lighter circuit in the fuse panel near the emergency brake lever to power the "ignition" circuit and there are several posts about pulling the dash light from the green wire of the RSCA switch. For Example

Personally, I prefer the look of the OEM style switches from Qing Sheng and sold by AOB so that is what I used for some of my switches.

I wish you the best on your install!

Thank you, I was driving this am and looked at the left switch dash where is low to high voltage switch located and now I know and have a vision where its going to be.
At some point got so discouraged that decided to buy CKMA12 but portable version. But not anymore, not looking for easy solution :amen:

 

[enginerd4ni]

Icon Stage 6 Suspension

There are plenty of install how-to threads for Icon so I won't bother detailing each laborious step. I took my time on this install to make sure things were right and to be honest, it took me almost 4 days to complete. If it weren't for KDSS, I think a single day would be more appropriate. I love how KDSS feels on the road at speed and on the trail but boy is it a pain to work around. I'm now second guessing whether I made the right choice to add KDSS when I ordered my 2013. I have a ridiculous amount of "KDSS lean", nearly 2 inches in the back at times, and have not yet been able to find a good solution so I'll keep you posted with what I figure out later. ***Please don't turn my build thread into a battlefield of "KDSS ran the baja so it must be awesome sauce" vs. "I'm smarter than you because I ordered my trail without it and now my life is bliss". Save those discussions for the existing threads. ***

So here's a few interesting details from my install that I thought I would share:

Staging the stage 6:

Ground down a harbor freight tool to just fit the arms:

Let me just say right now, getting the KDSS lined back up and bolted was extremely frustrating and I ended up using several jacks pressing in different ways on the geometry along with ratchet straps, clamps, unicorn powder, and other assorted things to get it in place.


The front driver remote reservoir required grinding off a bracket that holds the wheel well flexible liner out where the KDSS lines come through. Whipped out the angle grinder and then some chassis paint.

The front looks pretty good all shiny and new:

I had a few issues in the back.

I got the expedition springs which are dual rate. Without much weight in the back, they are annoyingly bouncy but loaded up on a trip, they are amazing on the dirt roads. Getting these super tall springs in was also very challenging and required spring compressors, jacks, more unicorn powder, etc.

Some of the design choices by ICON were a little frustrating and the best answer I could get out of them was that they used the same parts on other vehicles and didn't want to create a new design that flipped things around to make on-vehicle adjustments doable for the 4Runner.

The adjustment bolts of the upper rear links are uncomfortably close to the gas tank but so far it doesn't look like it is rubbing. (If I install it upside down, the grease fitting isn't accessible) so I'm keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't contact.

Rear lower links must be dropped to grease:

Track bar must be lowered to be adjusted. This could be prevented if only the bolts faced the other way:

KDSS rubs slightly on track bar. I need to get this resolved soon.

Overall, I'm really happy with the product and have since been able to test it in the desert of west Texas. Performance is exactly what I wanted and this stood up to 106° heated trails at decent speed. Also, seeing the way the rear end articulates, I'm glad I decided to go with the upper and lower links with heims rather than bushings.

 

[enginerd4ni]

Wheels and Tires

The factory tires were finally wearing down to the bars so after completing the suspension, it was time to upgrade the tires.

But I can't stop powder coating everything black, so 10 hours and 5 rims later...

And I also made some center caps out of water jet cut aluminum with brackets and essentially set screws that hold onto the lip inside the rim. The down side to this is that they are not very quickly removed. (I have to take the wheel off the truck and bust out my set of allen wrenches) I tried a design using ball spring plungers but I was afraid of it rotating and coming off at highway speeds thus causing someone else some major damage.

New meat: Cooper Discoverer ST/Maxx 285-70-17

Pretty happy with the look

And before hitting the dusty trails:

After:

I'm very happy with the tires, they are excellent off road, surprisingly really good in the rain (extra silica in the compound?) and don't make tooooo much noise on the road. I'll have to wait until winter to see how they do in snow.

 

[enginerd4ni]

Air Compressor Line

With my previous compressor setup, I found that opening up the hood to air up was somewhat annoying but livable. However after airing up, the hose connection gets really hot and you need gloves to disconnect. When I moved the little ARB compressor and the smog pump to behind the passenger wheel arch, I decided to run a stainless hose to the front of the truck and mount a quick disconnect. No more hood, no more gloves. I aired up my 285s from 16 to 38 psi in about 5-7 minutes in the 100+°F heat and the compressor didn't hit thermal cutoff so I am really pleased with the performance. I've seen a lot of negativity about using this compressor for anything other than lockers. If you're running 35's and/or don't want to wait 5-7 minutes, try the double ARB version. For my needs and space constraints, this thing is perfect!

I also added some Rigid DOT approved fog lights which work well but are not very bright compared to the D2 (no big surprise there).

The rubber cap fits snugly and just pulls off when you are ready to access the quick disconnect. I haven't tried fording water/muck to see if the fitting gets gunked up but worst case, I can still quick disconnect it at the pump.

 

[Dark Lord]

With my previous compressor setup, I found that opening up the hood to air up was somewhat annoying but livable. However after airing up, the hose connection gets really hot and you need gloves to disconnect. When I moved the little ARB compressor and the smog pump to behind the passenger wheel arch, I decided to run a stainless hose to the front of the truck and mount a quick disconnect. No more hood, no more gloves. I aired up my 285s from 16 to 38 psi in about 5-7 minutes in the 100+°F heat and the compressor didn't hit thermal cutoff so I am really pleased with the performance. I've seen a lot of negativity about using this compressor for anything other than lockers. If you're running 35's and/or don't want to wait 5-7 minutes, try the double ARB version. For my needs and space constraints, this thing is perfect!

I also added some Rigid DOT approved fog lights which work well but are not very bright compared to the D2 (no big surprise there).

The rubber cap fits snugly and just pulls off when you are ready to access the quick disconnect. I haven't tried fording water/muck to see if the fitting gets gunked up but worst case, I can still quick disconnect it at the pump.

I really like this setup. How long is the hose you used? Did you just get the parts from a local hardware store?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[enginerd4ni]

I really like this setup. How long is the hose you used? Did you just get the parts from a local hardware store?

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Thanks, I get most of my stuff from McMaster-Carr. The hose is 72" 321/304 stainless with a black zinc plated brass 45° elbow and a stainless quick disconnect. I figured stuff in the front of the vehicle should have good corrosion resistance.

 

[HerT4R]

I'll have to wait until winter to see how they do in snow.

get a lot of snow up in Austin? lol. you could always take a yearly trip to somewhere with snow but i am just wondering if you routinely see any snow in Austin.

also welcome back. I love your thread and will continue to come back for more ideas and awesome walkthroughs.

:cheers:

 

[enginerd4ni]

get a lot of snow up in Austin? lol. you could always take a yearly trip to somewhere with snow but i am just wondering if you routinely see any snow in Austin.

also welcome back. I love your thread and will continue to come back for more ideas and awesome walkthroughs.

:cheers:

Haha, maybe once every two years the meteorologist predicts snow in Austin and then the entire area shuts down without a trace of accumulation. I only see substantial snow on my yearly trip to Ouray for ice climbing season.

I have a lot of stuff in the pipeline but not enough time to post it all. Thanks for the patience and hopefully people can benefit from ideas and pictures like I do from the talented folks on this forum.

 

[Dark Lord]

Thanks, I get most of my stuff from McMaster-Carr. The hose is 72" 321/304 stainless with a black zinc plated brass 45° elbow and a stainless quick disconnect. I figured stuff in the front of the vehicle should have good corrosion resistance.

Oh snap, I just realized you're in Austin! I live up in Leander. We'll have to meet up sometime!

Anyway, I just got my CKMA12, and prior to buying it I read all about the heat and having to wear gloves to disconnect the fill hose. I have a Demello front bumper shipping currently, and once I get it installed I'll install the compressor with this mod in mind.

By the way, what battery are you winching with?


Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[enginerd4ni]

Relays, Fuses, and Switches, Ohm I

In my experiences designing electronics products that need to survive harsh environmental conditions such as high and low temperature, shock/vibration, and ingress protection from the elements, I've decided to apply some of those principles to the mods in my 4Runner. This post will discuss my approach to underhood fuses and relays as well as switches residing on the other side of the firewall.

Step 1: Define system requirements and features
I considered as many of the electrical systems I thought I might eventually want over the next 5 years and made a list of current (amperes) requirements and switching requirements. I then sorted the list based on whether the systems should be supplied by the main starter battery while the engine is running or by the aux battery if needed when the engine isn't running. After that, I decided whether I wanted the relays to be actuated by mechanical switches or by digital switches from my overlanding computer. For the dual battery system, I listed out the desired features and calculated the amount of linked power I might need based on my other desired systems.

Step 2: Evaluate the market for OTS products that meet my requirements
Fuses and Relays-
I like the Blue Sea fuse holders but they don't offer integrated relay options and I wanted the relay terminals neatly organized and protected from the elements. I then looked at the S-POD system which has some really nice features and has good reviews. However, the system is expensive, not IP66+, and did not easily meet my needs for two separate battery sources along with easily customizable switches that could fit inside the OEM switch blanks to create a clean interior look. What I did find are the Cooper-Bussmann RTMR boxes. These boxes can be arranged to accommodate various system wiring options. They have excellent temperature ratings (-40°C to +125°C) and with proper assembly, ingress protection that can withstand my eventual water fording needs (IP66/67).
Switches-
For the switches, I considered Contura products because of the numerous color and graphic options but I didn’t think I could find a good spot to cleanly mount them. Then I noticed the Qing Sheng switches that neatly fit into the OEM switch blanks. AOB offers them with similar graphics and colors.
Dual Battery-
Here’s the controversial piece. I’m not a battery expert by any means so I tried to educate myself on proper charging fundamentals for a deep cycle (substantial discharge) auxiliary battery. I did an exhaustive search and found many great products out there. There are many systems that automatically detect when the engine is on (alternator is putting out) and then link the two batteries to allow the consumer battery to draw from the alternator. I researched the particular voltage thresholds for these types of systems and made my own linking setup using a high current relay and a real time controller. After more research, however, I found that charging a deeply discharged battery from just the voltage level that an alternator puts out does not fully recharge it and can lead to decreased life expectancy. The higher end chargers ramp up the voltage and ramp down the current in a particular fashion to maximize the acceptance of the charge as well as maintain a proper floating charge when full. Some can even automatically detect sulfated batteries and pulse the voltage and current to de-crystallize a battery. I wanted a system that could power my consumers from the alternator while driving such that the auxiliary battery could properly charge at the needed voltages without those higher voltages affecting my consumers. Oh yeah, I also thought it would be neat to have a solar panel input with automatic Maximum Power Point Tracking capabilities so my consumers could run and batteries charge from solar power. But I still wanted to be able to link my two batteries in case a) I needed to jump start myself or b) during winching to reduce the strain on the primary battery and alternator. So does such a system exist? No. But the closest I could find is made by battery charging experts C-TEK. The D250S DUAL and the SMARTPASS combine to provide all the features listed above (except high current linking for jump starting). The SMARTPASS gives up to 80A from either the starter or consumer batteries to power the consumers depending on which battery is charging and the D250S handles the charging and provides up to 20A from solar panel input. The system is pretty incredible and though a little pricey, it is packed with excellent overlanding features. The Achilles heel of the system, however, is that the electronics are rated to only -20°C to +50°C (-4°F to +122°F) and the enclosure is only IP 65. I don’t have perfect solutions to those problems but I’ll later discuss my mitigations and contingencies.
High Current Relay for Linking-
It’s later. I selected a high current relay from Gigavac. The MX12 series is IP 69K, temperature rated from -55°C to 100°C and can do 800A for 10 seconds (jump starting) , and 200A continuously (sharing the load while winching or powering the engine entirely if the primary battery has failed). If my charging system has failed, then I can still link the two batteries using this relay and allow the alternator to charge the auxiliary battery.

Step 3: Make a plan
Going down the custom road takes more effort but the results can be closer to the desired goals. Here is a basic depiction of the wiring plan.


An initial draft of my schematic showing the use of one RTMR powered by the primary battery.


A later wiring diagram showing both RTMR connections and the necessary bundles of cables going to quick disconnects.

 

[enginerd4ni]

Electrical Stuff Continued

Step 4: Design and Fabricate
Switch Breakout
The idea of a rat’s nest of crimps and splices under the dash bothered me. I made a simple printed circuit board to allow me to easily route the various signals coming to and from the RTMR boxes as well as hooking up inputs from the switches, dash lights, ignition circuits, and other digital relay IO. Using quick disconnecting headers with screw flange retention, I can easily wire up and rewire my switches if I change my mind later.

And some extension cables to connect the AOB switches to my breakout board:

RTMR Boxes
These boxes are pretty awesome. They can accept 30A relays and up to 80A total per box. Since I wanted to be able to completely remove my RTMR boxes or individual circuits without having to cut and splice each time, I decided to add Delphi Weatherpack connectors as quick disconnects. This limits each circuit’s max current to 20A but my design can accept that burden. I’ve also invested in 125°C rated cross linked wiring for most of my under-hood connections. I then finished with high temp corrugated tubing and high temp electrical tape. Let me know if you would like me to build you a customized RTMR now that I have all the crimp tools and spools of high quality wiring! Shown below is a medusa of connectors test fitting onto a custom bracket I made.

Another shot of the rest of the bracket components along with a different version of an RTMR I made for a friend.

CTEK Charging System
To mitigate the limited high temperature range of the chargers, I abandoned my plans to install them inside the engine bay and instead designed a plate to mount them in front of the radiator where they could get ample airflow but still be close enough to the batteries to attach the battery temperature sensors (another cool feature of the charger to prevent overheating/charging the battery).

This leaves the chargers exposed to water immersion during fording. IP65 may not cut it if my bow wave is flooding the charger boxes (I would prefer IP67) but I think they might stand a reasonable chance based on my evaluation of their package design. This is a major potential weakness but if they fail on a trip, I can still link the two batteries and override the consumer source input to the RTMR. Not ideal but I think it will work. At some point, I will do some trials to check performance before relying on them in the field.

Step 5: Install
Switch Breakout

RTMR

Charging System

High Current Relay
I made a little plastic plate to insulate the terminals from being so close to the top of the wheel arch where I mounted the relay.

I then used 2 AWG welding cable to connect to the batteries. I routed the cable along the firewall rather than in front of the engine along the radiator to reduce the risk of the non-fused cable shorting to ground in a collision. I also keep a 10mm wrench attached to the primary battery hold down bracket using electrical tape which stays put but can easily be removed should I need to quickly disconnect a battery connection.

Secondary Battery
For whatever reason, I couldn’t find a Sears that had the Platinum 34M in stock so I went with the one it is based on and ponied up for the Odyssey 34M-PC1500. A previous post shows the Bud Built bracket it sits on and the relocation bracket I made for the smog pump and compressor.

Engine Bay

 

[coulter6]

Absolutely amazing. That's a very impressive system and even more impressive execution. The circuit board is a wonderful addition.

I really like the CTEK idea and the way it will charge your service battery and maintain the starting battery. As you know, I'm implementing a similar system and hope it get it done in the next month or so. I don't have mad skills as you do, so my system will be much simpler.

 

[enginerd4ni]

Roof Rail Cross Bars and ARB RTT

It started with the ARB Simpson III showing up in my garage.

I was attracted to the Simpson III for a few reasons. It is one of the many similar designs likely produced in the same exact Chinese factory as almost all the others but at the time I bought it a few years ago, there were some subtle differences that convinced me to spend the extra money. First, this design offers a covered entry and an attachable annex. Both of these have proved excellent during rain storms and cold weather. Second, the fabric used was a newer more fire retardant version than most of the lower cost tents. And finally, I have been impressed by the ARB build quality and design (even if it is the same factory, some of the finer details can matter). That being said, there are definitely other less expensive yet similar or better quality tents out there but this met my needs and was the best value for my concerns at the time. Now after a few years of use, I'm still very pleased with the performance.

Before I could use the tent, I had to mount it. The factory cross bars use plastic end caps to connect to the roof rails and were too wide to fit the clamps that came with the tent so I opted for a more robust solution. The roof rails have slotted tracks that can hold a slot nut/bracket.

Using T-slot aluminum extrusion and angle brackets with slot nuts, this is what I came up with:

Then I created a hoist that attaches to the side of my house to easily lift the tent on and off the truck.

After a few years of use, the cross bars are extremely durable and are holding up perfectly.

My only complaint is that the cross bars are pretty noisy at highway speeds. For a while I would take off the cross bars when I wasn’t needing the tent but now I just leave the bars on and I’m used to the noise.

 

[snowboardwcu]

haha! you just posted this yesterday no wonder I didn't find it!

CooperBussman boxes are the way to go! really clean work, well done. thanks for the help on my other thread. the temp ratings and price point are killer....

 

[enginerd4ni]

LED Underhood and Scoop Lighting

So I got some LED strip lighting for $10 to put under the hood and provide illumination for the engine bay. It is reasonably water resistant (IP65) and the price is right to try it out on a few applications.

I put a generous strip along the hood and wired it to a water resistant switch.

Then I decided I didn't have enough people making fun of me so I figured I'd put some strip lighting inside the non-functional hood scoop.

To do this, you have to solder through the strip carefully. Example shown here:

Drill a hole through the back of the scoop insert and the locating boss of the scoop itself.

Then fill the cavity with epoxy to strain relieve the solder joint and silicone to seal the connection and the edges of the strip if needed.

This is the one mod that doesn't really serve a legitimate purpose and looks a little cheesy but oh well!

 

[enginerd4ni]

Overland Computer and Display

This all started with a desire to have a clean way of toggling certain switches that I didn't use frequently and didn't want to clutter up the dash with banks of switches. Then I realized I could add a lot more functionality than switches.

Phase 1
I had some old hardware laying around so I figured I would create an overland computer platform as a proof of concept and to enter into my company's internal science and maker fair competition. The performance of the system is overkill for the needs but the software platform it runs on is very easy for a non computer science guy like me to use and I have access to all of this stuff for free soooo....

Simple OTS aluminum extrusion box + a real time controller w/ FPGA + various digital and analog IO + hack job wiring to solder cup dsubs.

Then I added a touchscreen display from Amulet Technologies and I used their Gem Script software to create an interactive human machine interface. Many hours were spent in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to create the buttons, icons, animations, etc. I fabricated a sheet metal faceplate and mounted it just in front of the overhead console.

The main screen shows the most useful information and allows access to the most frequently needed switches. At a glance, I can check the voltage of both batteries, the pressure in my compressor, the transmission temperature at the torque converter (useful when wheeling) and my favorite part, the clinometer. This is a throwback to the old school mechanical clinometers found in some 1st gen 4Runners and trucks:

My clinometer is digital of course and uses a three axis accelerometer to calculate roll, pitch, and yaw.

From the main screen you can also access the other menu pages. So here is a screenshot of the layout:

The settings page isn't very interesting but has some useful stuff for debugging:

The GPS page just pulls down coordinates, allows for toggling of how the coordinates are presented, and also provides calculated elevation:

The battery page shows again the battery voltage readings and hitting the "link" button engages the 200A relay. I wanted this relay to be intentionally activated and not just a switch on the dash that could accidentally be toggled and not realize it. When linked, a bright flashing animation reminds you of the status.

Similarly, the locker page has a button to activate the solenoid of the front locker that I will eventually install. Again, trying to avoid accidental toggling.

The OBD page pulls readings from the ECU in case I want more detailed information about vehicle condition:

And finally, the switch page shows the status of all the digital outputs and allows some to be manually toggled. The "radioactive mode" turns on all the lights to scare away the zombies or to be that guy, and the "SOS mode" flashes all of the lights in Morse code.

Here is a shot of the screen on the first section of Black Gap Road in Big Bend NP.

 

[enginerd4ni]

Overland Computer and Display

Here is a proof of concept showing some of the platform capabilities of the Overland Computer.

Problem: I'm in my roof top tent and I want to turn on or off some lights without having to climb down into the cabin.

Overly complicated solution:
Basically, the sbRIO system running LabVIEW RT can also host a web service to interact with the data running on the application. Since the web service can host html, java script, style sheets, bootstraps, images, etc., all you need is an internet browser and a shared wi-fi connection to get and put from the application. A friend of mine at work did the heavy lifting to develop some java script that I could adapt to my needs. I wanted a button press on the mobile browser to not only turn on that particular digital output (controlling the relay), but also for that new state to be reflected on the Amulet display panel mounted in the cabin. Also, I wanted a button press inside the cabin to show up on the mobile device. This turned out to be harder than I thought when implementing into the state machine running on the computer but I hacked it together and it seems to work now.

I think this solution isn't practical for real deployment so I probably won't set it up in the truck. It would work better if it was just a simple bluetooth connection running from an android app but that requires me to actually know how to program stuff. However, it demonstrates the capabilities. I'd like to be able to log in to my overland computer remotely from anywhere in the world so now my research is heading toward mobile modems and GPRS like stuff.

Anyway, here's a simple demonstration of the system in action:
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bKX28y0Hn94&hd=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

 

[Rotorgeek]

Post reserved for Phase 2

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