Rev Burner 200MPH ?

[Speedo]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum. I'm nearly finished with my cockpit, but ran into a problem.

I have a brand new AutoMeter 0-200MPH Speedo. I will be using this with GTR2 and some cars will attain approx 200MPH at LeMans. Unfortunately, the RevBurner signal output cannot generate a speed readout beyond 130MPH.  The Speedo utilizes a 5V square wave with a signal range of 500 to 400,000 pulses per mile.

Is there a workaround for this? The Speedo is expensive, and I want to keep it. It has a matching Tachometer. Is it possible to multiply the output of the RevBurner with some sort of in-line circuit board? Your suggestions will be appreciated.

[Cristiano]

Hello.
I am working on a new firmware for the rev burner that hopefully will be able to output a higher frequency signal.
I should be able to give you a beta version in a couple of days.

I will post here when it is available.

Thanks
Cristiano

[Mortos]

Any chance you could post a video of your setup? I've been drooling over autometer instruments for a while now, but they don't sell them in my country. The cheapest ebay listings are ±€350/$500 for a tach and speedo set including shipping from the US  .

The ones I'm looking at are "Pro-comp Ultra Lite" 5" in dash units. 10k rpm tach, 260kph speedo(The metric version of a 160mph model, sadly they don't have a 320kph version of the 200mph model).

[Cristiano]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum. I'm nearly finished with my cockpit, but ran into a problem.

I have a brand new AutoMeter 0-200MPH Speedo. I will be using this with GTR2 and some cars will attain approx 200MPH at LeMans. Unfortunately, the RevBurner signal output cannot generate a speed readout beyond 130MPH.  The Speedo utilizes a 5V square wave with a signal range of 500 to 400,000 pulses per mile.

Is there a workaround for this? The Speedo is expensive, and I want to keep it. It has a matching Tachometer. Is it possible to multiply the output of the RevBurner with some sort of in-line circuit board? Your suggestions will be appreciated.

Hi Speedo.
I am still experimenting with the new firmware for the rev burnar, which I will post here soon.

I was wondering if you can set (I think you can) the number of pulse per mile on your speedometer.
because I think the rev burner should be able to push the speedo up to 200mph.

say you can configure the speedo to work with 5000 pulse per mile.

when you drive at 200mph (worst case) it is 5000 x 200 = 1M pulse per hour, which is around 16.000 pulse per minute.
the rev burner can output up to 32.000 PPM, so it should be compatible with the speedo.

anyway, I will post the new firmware soon.

Regards
Cristiano

[Cristiano]

Hello.

this is the test firmware for the rev burner:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3544050/forum/RevBurnerSpeedFirmware.zip

it only works with this beta version of SimDash:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3544050/forum/SimDashTestSpeed.zip

this firmware is able to create a signal for the speedo with a frequency double that of the original firmware.

please let me know if it works for you or if you find any problem.
if everything is OK I will include these modifications to the next version of SimDash.

Regards
Cristiano

[Speedo]

Any chance you could post a video of your setup? I've been drooling over autometer instruments for a while now, but they don't sell them in my country. The cheapest ebay listings are ±€350/$500 for a tach and speedo set including shipping from the US  .

The ones I'm looking at are "Pro-comp Ultra Lite" 5" in dash units. 10k rpm tach, 260kph speedo(The metric version of a 160mph model, sadly they don't have a 320kph version of the 200mph model).

Hi Mortos,

Yes, AutoMeter has a nice selection of gauges. I have the 200MPH 5" version of the Pro-comp Ultra Lite as well as the 10.000 RPM Pro-comp Ultra Lite tachometer that you desire. I purchased the pair from Summit Racing in New Jersey for $400 USD shipped. I live in the U.S. You might visit their website to see if they ship overseas:  Summitracing.com

This is my first humble attempt at building a simulator. My objective is to duplicate an "old school" U.S. race car and not a modern F1 racecar. That is why I prefer analog gauges rather than LCDs. I don't have a video yet. Here are some pics. The Touchscreen is to interface with the PC without using a keyboard and also for a MOTEC-type screen to help me tune cars. There is lots of empty space on the right-hand side which is for a sequential shifter. I plan to build my own heavy duty sequential. I also plan to use a aftermarket MGW H-pattern shifter originally designed for a T56 Tremec transmission. (The T56 is used in U.S. Corvettes, Mustangs and Camaros.) I will adapt the MGW shifter with microswitches spliced into the Fanatec circuitry. I also have 2 shaker transducers each powered by its own subamp.

Ray

[Speedo]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this forum. I'm nearly finished with my cockpit, but ran into a problem.

I have a brand new AutoMeter 0-200MPH Speedo. I will be using this with GTR2 and some cars will attain approx 200MPH at LeMans. Unfortunately, the RevBurner signal output cannot generate a speed readout beyond 130MPH.  The Speedo utilizes a 5V square wave with a signal range of 500 to 400,000 pulses per mile.

Is there a workaround for this? The Speedo is expensive, and I want to keep it. It has a matching Tachometer. Is it possible to multiply the output of the RevBurner with some sort of in-line circuit board? Your suggestions will be appreciated.

Hi Speedo.
I am still experimenting with the new firmware for the rev burnar, which I will post here soon.

I was wondering if you can set (I think you can) the number of pulse per mile on your speedometer.
because I think the rev burner should be able to push the speedo up to 200mph.

say you can configure the speedo to work with 5000 pulse per mile.

when you drive at 200mph (worst case) it is 5000 x 200 = 1M pulse per hour, which is around 16.000 pulse per minute.
the rev burner can output up to 32.000 PPM, so it should be compatible with the speedo.

anyway, I will post the new firmware soon.

Regards
Cristiano

Hi Cristiano,

The AutoMeter speedo is good quality. But unusual that it doesn't have provisions for PPM selection, etc. There are no jumpers, no wire loops to cut, no DIPS, no pots, etc.  The speedo will accept multiple signal types. Calibration is done the old fashioned way: take your car to a roadway with pre-marked 2-mile (or 2-km) distance. Activate the speedo, drive the measured distance, stop the speedo, push a few buttons, and the speedo is calibrated memorizing the number of pulses over the distance.  Sounds primitive, but is basic and procedure works. 

Ray

[Speedo]

Hello.

this is the test firmware for the rev burner:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3544050/forum/RevBurnerSpeedFirmware.zip

it only works with this beta version of SimDash:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3544050/forum/SimDashTestSpeed.zip

this firmware is able to create a signal for the speedo with a frequency double that of the original firmware.

please let me know if it works for you or if you find any problem.
if everything is OK I will include these modifications to the next version of SimDash.

Regards
Cristiano

Thanks Cristiano for such a speedy response. I will use the beta files tomorrow and let you know.

Ray

[Speedo]

Hello.

this is the test firmware for the rev burner:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3544050/forum/RevBurnerSpeedFirmware.zip

it only works with this beta version of SimDash:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3544050/forum/SimDashTestSpeed.zip

this firmware is able to create a signal for the speedo with a frequency double that of the original firmware.

please let me know if it works for you or if you find any problem.
if everything is OK I will include these modifications to the next version of SimDash.

Regards
Cristiano

Hi Cristiano,

Good news and bad news. The beta version of SimDash works great for the Speedo. And I did not have to use the beta version speedo hex file of the firmware for the rev burner.

For about 20 minutes the speedo and tacho were working OK together. All of a sudden the tacho doesn't work.  The needle has gone counter-clockwise below the zero mark by at least an add'l 30 degrees. The needle sits there and the tach doesn't work, while the speedo is OK. I exit all programs and the tacho needle doesn't move until I power down the tacho, and the needle returns to near zero mark. Attached is a copy of the error message.

Do you think I should upgrade the firmware hex file on the rev burner for the speedo?  The speedo and tacho receive data from separate rev burners, so should there be a conflict?  Or the old firmware is messing with the beta of SimDash?

Thanks for your great customer service.

Ray

[Cristiano]

Hello.

this is the test firmware for the rev burner:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3544050/forum/RevBurnerSpeedFirmware.zip

it only works with this beta version of SimDash:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3544050/forum/SimDashTestSpeed.zip

this firmware is able to create a signal for the speedo with a frequency double that of the original firmware.

please let me know if it works for you or if you find any problem.
if everything is OK I will include these modifications to the next version of SimDash.

Regards
Cristiano

Hi Cristiano,

Good news and bad news. The beta version of SimDash works great for the Speedo. And I did not have to use the beta version speedo hex file of the firmware for the rev burner.

For about 20 minutes the speedo and tacho were working OK together. All of a sudden the tacho doesn't work.  The needle has gone counter-clockwise below the zero mark by at least an add'l 30 degrees. The needle sits there and the tach doesn't work, while the speedo is OK. I exit all programs and the tacho needle doesn't move until I power down the tacho, and the needle returns to near zero mark. Attached is a copy of the error message.

Do you think I should upgrade the firmware hex file on the rev burner for the speedo?  The speedo and tacho receive data from separate rev burners, so should there be a conflict?  Or the old firmware is messing with the beta of SimDash?

Thanks for your great customer service.

Ray

I would update the firmware of the rev burner otherwise SimDash could freeze.

The crash you got doesn't seem to be related to the changes I made to the speedometer plugin.
the crash happened in the tachometer plugin. never seen it before so I need to investigate what caused it.


Did you get it again?

Regards

Cristiano

[Speedo]

Hello.

this is the test firmware for the rev burner:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3544050/forum/RevBurnerSpeedFirmware.zip

it only works with this beta version of SimDash:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3544050/forum/SimDashTestSpeed.zip

this firmware is able to create a signal for the speedo with a frequency double that of the original firmware.

please let me know if it works for you or if you find any problem.
if everything is OK I will include these modifications to the next version of SimDash.

Regards
Cristiano

Hi Cristiano,

Good news and bad news. The beta version of SimDash works great for the Speedo. And I did not have to use the beta version speedo hex file of the firmware for the rev burner.

For about 20 minutes the speedo and tacho were working OK together. All of a sudden the tacho doesn't work.  The needle has gone counter-clockwise below the zero mark by at least an add'l 30 degrees. The needle sits there and the tach doesn't work, while the speedo is OK. I exit all programs and the tacho needle doesn't move until I power down the tacho, and the needle returns to near zero mark. Attached is a copy of the error message.

Do you think I should upgrade the firmware hex file on the rev burner for the speedo?  The speedo and tacho receive data from separate rev burners, so should there be a conflict?  Or the old firmware is messing with the beta of SimDash?

Thanks for your great customer service.

Ray

I would update the firmware of the rev burner otherwise SimDash could freeze.

The crash you got doesn't seem to be related to the changes I made to the speedometer plugin.
the crash happened in the tachometer plugin. never seen it before so I need to investigate what caused it.


Did you get it again?

Regards

Cristiano

Hi Cristiano,

Excuse me for not getting back sooner. I work for a living, unable to spend enough time playing on my sim.

I tried to flash the speedo beta firmware several times with no success. Every time the SimDash main screen shows an orange light next to the line "Rev Burner for       Firmware".    All the other lines show either "Connected" or "Disconnected".  Just to make sure I'm following the correct procedure, I flashed back and forth between the beta and "proven" versions of the firmware.  I was successful each time I flashed the proven firmware.

At this moment I am using the proven speedo firmware with the beta SimDash. Speedo works OK but tacho is still unreponsive. When I exit GTR2 the SimDash error message is on the screen. Just for curiosity, I disconnected the USB to the tacho rev burner. I cold booted the PC, launched SimDash, played GTR2 for a few minutes, speedo works great, and I exit GTR2. No SimDash error message.

I reconnect the USB cable to the tacho rev burner and do another cold boot. I play for a few minutes, speedo is OK, tacho still unresponsive, I exit GTR2 and the SimDash Error Message is there again. I repeated the process a few times, and each time the connecton to the tacho rev burner generates the error message. Is it posible the tacho rev burner board has gone bad? I tried interchanging the speedo and tach with each board, but apparently the speedo firmware cannot be used with a tacho and vice versa.

BTW, I did calibration testing of my tacho with SimDash. Appears nothing is wrong with my tacho.

Ray

[Speedo]

HOLD YOUR HORSES !!!!

Cristiano,

I re-downloaded the beta files and unpacked them again. I reinstalled the beta SimDash. I am now running on the beta SimDash and the original speedo firmware. ALL IS GOOD and operating just great.  I've logged about 20 laps at LeMans. The Lambo shows 177MPH on the AutoMeter speedo which exactly matches the GTR2 digital hud. And a Porsche is peaking at 8100 RPM on my AutoMeter tacho. (The spec for the Porsche is xxxHP at 8250 RPM, so it needs just a tweak at the SimDash calibration.)

I have not re-attempted to reflash the old speedo firmware to the beta speedo firmware. If I do more testing later today (after my chores) and SimDash doesn't lock up, should I just continue to use the old firmware? lol I wore out the blue jumper flashing the firmware back and forth.

Ray

[Speedo]

Just for grins, I tried again to reflash the rev burner with the beta version of the speedo firmware. The board still will not accept the firmware. The SimDash main screen still shows an amber status light.

I flashed back to the older version of the firmware. I tested for about an hour. Speedo and tacho are operating normally. And there is no error message. SimDash did not lock up. The only issue was I lost 100 of peak RPM on the tacho versus my testing earlier today with the same profile. I wonder if inadequate voltage is the cause for the drop in RPM. I measured the voltage at the gauge terminals...about 11.5 volts. Cristiano, should I replace my power packs with units on your website?

Ray

[Cristiano]

Hello.
I suppose if the original firmware for the speedometer works fine, there is no need to update it.
I thought it would have caused problems but apparently it doesn't.


11.5V should be fine. those gauges are designed to work on with a voltage that ranges from 10v to 14V, which is what you find in the car.

Can you recalibrate the tachometer to gain those 100 RPM back?

Cheers
Cristiano

[ricmotech]

Cristiano,

I tried this new firmware also and installed the SimDash beta. I got the same result. When I installed both the new firmware and SimDash, SimDash indicates the RevBurner needs a firmware update. When I flashed the RevBurner back to the release version of the firmware and kept the SimDash beta, it worked and the higher pulse count worked as well.