Incarnation of popular request
Now that I had a good amount of design experience under my belt, it was time to try a different form factor that many users requested. They were curious if it was possible to fit an REM inside the factory clock panel on the dash so I set out to see if I could do just that. 10 units were created to test the new design fitment.
The REM + v3.1’s main new feature was the form factor which was designed to completely replace the factory clock panel. It shares a lot of the same circuit design as the v3 models but also includes a Seven Segment Clock, LED Driver Chip, and Surface Mount Components to test viability of partially assembled pcb’s from the manufacturer.
I faced many design challenges and had to come up with several workarounds for the numerous issues that came up along the way. The Ethernet Jack hitting the dash was an annoying setback but the biggest issues faced was that the little arduino regulator couldn’t handle bringing 15v down to 5v and also running the clock. Overheating and reset loops were fixed with an external regualtor rated for much more power.
- Features:
– 87-90 4.0L M/T & A/T ECU Support
– 86-90 2.5L M/T & A/T ECU Support (Requires 2.5L software)
– AW-4 TCU Support (Software Serial)
– 16×2 RGB LCD
– Check Engine Light
– Auto Dimming Display
– o2 Heater Relay reading
– RTC clock module
– Seven Segment Clock
– Power and Jack breakout pins
– Surface Mount components
– Fused Circuit Protection
– Adafruit Metro Mini
– PCB Diagnostic Adapters
– Original Price: $80
– - Compatible Upgrades
– Pads for SMD Voltage Divider for 1 extra input
– - Known Bugs
– Jack Pins are backwards so ethernet cord is hardwired.
– Arduino Regulator prone to overheating in warm environments, especially if clock is on full brightness. External Voltage Regulator 7805 recommended, Tutorial here.