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iPad 1's are now pretty cheap. Does anyone have one of these things? What I'm wondering is how well the OBD2 interface app's gauge display would seem to work as primary gauges for the car. And for those gauges, how customizable is the display in terms of gauge style, size, and number? Also, can it run the app while playing music?

hmmm, interesting

My Zeitronix ZT-2 data logger has configurable gauges that display in real time and are highly adjustable for size,placement, and which gauges you want. Ive seen one hooked up through the display on a cell phone, Though I use my laptop.

I'm not POSITIVE but im pretty sure it was what was used for the dashboard display in Fast4 in the main characters (skyline) racecar.

(Not my laptop, not my car, Just an image I found on the interwebs)

Awesome! That's the kind of thing I'm looking for. Can the gauge styles be changed as well? Would be cheaper than a bank of gauges, would be easier to instal, may be a theft deterrent if removed (one would probably figure the car was dead if the dash is missing), and give it a high tech look (even if the car looks inspired by 1940's technology).

Steve, the Zeitronix data display is freakin' sweet. You do have a fair bit of control over the gauge styles.

Send me an email - lskidmor@vt.edu and I'll send over the software for you to play with if you'd like. You don't have to have the WB unit to install the software and play with gauge displays and see if it will suit you.


However, if you're willing to play a little bit more with some code and less 'user-friendliness' the display system for my MAFT-Pro wastes the Zeitronix in terms of flexibility and customization. But this is really only an option if you're planning on running some piggy-back EM.

Yeah, the plan is to keep the drivetrain as much plug and play as possible. Engineering the rest of the car is more than enough work (probably too much for me, but what is life without challenges?) and power to weight won't be an issue.

Can the software work on Mac? It's OSX 10.6.6.

Sorry for the late response Steve. To answer our question, I don't know about mac compatibility. I haven't touched a mac in years and am not up to speed on mac requirements.

Id assume its compatible though of nothing else due to fact zeitronix has been around for a while and sells a lot of wb units.

Steve,

Doesn't look like it supports MAC

http://www.zeitronix.com/zdl/index.shtml#latest

Yeah, I should have updated this. Lee sent me the software and I can't do anything with it unless I want to get Windows and run it with Bootcamp, but then it wouldn't work with the ipad. I suppose there are other tablets. This car is at least three projects away anyway, but I thought this idea might be helpful to others as well (if not necessarily on the OBD1 cars).

—Cheaper than a bank of custom gauges.
—Easier instal than a bank of custom gauges.
—More accurate since the information comes right from the OBD2 port.
—Configurable layout, possibly style.
—Can be removable so it's sort of a security device. At the very least, it would confuse a would-be thief, he'd probably figured the car didn't run.
—Can be used as a nav system, stereo, etc., but I'm not sure how well it multitasks or how realistic that is while driving.