Shadow dash for race application
 

Referring to this sexy beast:



I'm helping in building a chump/lemons car with an MS, and we have a shit ton of autometer gauges available to use. Alternatively, we're considering using said shadow dash, and mounting a tablet plus charging solution into the dash, with just a wideband, giant tach, fuel gauge, and shift light for gauges.

Does anyone have experience using shadow dash on track? Any pros/cons to this setup? Seems much simpler than a spendy autometer setup, and customizable as we change our minds for gauge layout.

I'm assuming it's via BT?

I'm worried the refresh rate would be slow.

Refresh rate is perfectly fine, bluetooth is fast. I would mostly worry about dropped connections/connection issues. Some days it works great for me, others it doesn't. It would be good for non-crucial/informational gauges, but I don't know if I would trust it for crucial information.

More details on the chump car?

Edit: Read some more and saw that you were still going to have main gauges. I would totally do it. Bluetooth is super cheap and easy to add to MS.

Edit Edit: Also make sure to consider cooling for the tablet. A simple computer fan or something like that would really help. A lot of devices like that have a thermal shutdown mode and constant screen on would not help that. Maybe pair it to a conveniently cheap GPS module and get realtime track data :)

Can you not hardwire it? I don't want to Bluetooth.

Not easily with an Android tablet. Its built for bluetooth. Now a windows tablet would be a different story.

Fine by me. Can we just run TS with a windows tablet?

Yep. Not as pretty as Shadow dash but in fullscreen just as functional.

ShadowDash Beta supports USB. Get a Micro-USB OTG Adapter and you can hardwire it.
I have no experience with that though.

I have used Bluetooth/Tunerstudio with my Surface Pro 2 (Windows 8.1), and once it's connected, i've never had it disconnect on me.

Good news! I hadn't heard about the OTG support. If that is supported I would go with that, a surface pro isn't something you would rock in a race car, they're not cheap lol. A used nexus 7 will cost you 100-150 on cl.

If I can find my OTG cable tomorrow I will give it a test for you tomorrow Curly.

This was 4 days ago (Cowboom is owned by BestBuy)

Attachment 234322

Even better deal lol.

I have an HP Touchpad running android, which doesn't have the best of specs in this day and age. But I'm thinking for HPDE it will be mounted up to display oil temp and water temp in big bold letters, along with whatever else I decide to include on there. Things response time aren't super critical for.

Just tested it out, this shit is the TITS. Worked perfectly for Shadow Dash and MSDroid (MSDroid allows for tuning).

Attachment 234320

Attachment 234321

So dope. Looks like I'll be building a dash with an android, or two...

Here's the car, if anyone's interested. Not sure why photos suck so much.

Ignition switch is from the '05 MSM I parted out. Yes, this heap has a switchblade key. You can see it dangling next to the red/white tag.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1424278853

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1424278853

Yeah, all you need is a USB OTG cable, and a USB-RS232 cable that has an FTDI chipset.

See talk about the FTDI chipset here: Megasquirt Support Forum (MSEXTRA) ? Shadowdash and USB (View topic)

Looks like a game-changer. Props

powered USB hub with charger and should be good to go

The car is really built to supermiata specs, but we don't have the series here yet. The plan is to run the car in chump car to get some track time and shake out the bugs. It will run in EC class so no worries on the value.

I think my camera lens was dirty when i took the shots this morning as i rushed to work.

1993 NA chassis. 2003 vvt engine. MSPNP. some other things. Now with brake lights and a running engine!

How wonderful it would be if the USB on MS3 (B connector) would send power... (no idea actually).

It doesn't. You need one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Micro-Cable-Power-Samsung-AtomicMarket/dp/B009YPYORM

Combined with one of these
DC DC Converter 12V to 5V 3A Step Down Power Supply Module Micro USB Waterproof | eBay
Looks a lot better than using a lighter-socket-converter.

If the OTG cable would have a Male B instead of a female A, it would suit the connection to MS3 much better (it will be a bunch of connection points anyway).

If you are worried about connection points just cut and crimp.

This looks pretty slick, I'm planning on using the Shadow Dash hardwired through USB when I finally get my MS back from Rev.

Samsung Galaxy tablet ordered. Should be cool guys. We'll keep you posted!

They also make a model with a female USB jack.

DC Converter Buck Module 12V Convert to 5V 5V 3A USB Output Power Adapt 15W | eBay

C

You still need what I linked to power the tablet.

OH I have a tab 2 laying around, could try it but I don't find your USB otg and power combo for it tho...

Maybe I could run on battery, they do last a long time. I already have OTG cable, will try with my MS3 basic.

Ignore what device or says its for. I'm 90% sure they will work for any device.

Well the Tab 2 plug isn't a micro USB so I can't use the USB and power Y cable shown but I found one today..

Aliexpress.com: Acheter Dual USB Host OTG Hub Câble USB pour Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 P5113 P5110 P5100 de récepteur de câble fiable fournisseurs sur easy2Wholesale Trading Co., Ltd.

EDIT : bummer ... The another USB port can connect the original charger to Support the Power for the USB flash disk,
card reader, mouse, USB hard disk..
•But the USB Power can not Charger your Tablet!!!Only support power for the OTG Ports.

Guess I will need another screen after my tests..

why not use something like the racecapture pro 2 and connect your MS to it via CAN. That would give you all the ECU data you want plus predictive lap which I would imagine being very helpful in setting a pace for endurance racing. As an added bonus telemetry is an option and you can input driver input sensors to do driver analysis with the data.

Yeah, and I just got that from them too...

RaceCapture/Pro: Connecting your ECU and introducing Formula Dash

Interesting work, seems like I'll wait some more but I will try the tablet on battery this week if we can reach around 0* C over here...

CAN? As in the stuff we cut out of the harness?

Isn't shadow dash like way cheaper? And doesn't require CAN/OBD

I think Shadowdash is more driven towards just monitoring engine data. Kind of like Tunerstudio but without the ability to change a tune.

On that note, have you checked out MSDroid on Google Play? Nice app + ability to alter a tune + the author is really active in adding features and killing bugs.

Does most of what Shadowdash does + the ability to change the tune.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...id=com.msdroid

Sorry to the OP this is a bit off topic.

Yep, I use MSDroid only, it just got a UI overhaul and i love being able to tune and log from my phone.

Yeah, it's a bit expensive (for a Google App) but worth it to have that ability.

We (hopefully) will have a fairly solid tune on the car, and since it is N/A, unlikely that we really need to change many parameters during a race. if so, we have troubles...

Its still nice just for convinience.

Well, thanks to the lightening fast MSPNPpro from DIYautotune.com (sponsor plug!), we can change the tune offline from reports from the driver, and/or readings from the gauge, and upload them quickly at the next pit stop. I'm sure our chump competitors will take kindly to a laptop being hooking up to our $500 race car.

Use Bluetooth and a tablet and they won't know what you are doing. Let me know if you guys need any help settinf that stuff up I'd love to give a hand.

It's just 2 wires from your MS to the datalogger.

It depends on what you want to use it for. If you just want to monitor engine parameters and change tunes then shadowdash or MSdroid is all you need.

If you want record more sensors (more driver input oriented like steering angle, accelerometer, high speed gps) and use it for post analysis to improve the driver and the car the MS isn't well suited for that.

I'm mostly thinking predictive lap timing would be a huge benefit in endurance racing but that can also be taken care of with just a phone rather than a stand alone data logger.

I just ordered a racecapture pro 2 and am going to try to get it communicating with my DIYPNP and will post back here a review so people have more options for live display of data.

If only there was a good cheap DIY external GPS solution...

stop keeping us waiting! :drool:

Taiwan is keeping us waiting.

damn lunar new year.... It's funny how much that holiday affects the world now.

Eta is march 4th but I just got a really cheap batter charger board in, so I think im going to add battery backup.

You going to be running in EC? No way you can fit that under the $ limit.

Yup, EC.