This to Fit This

This is a job I am not particularly looking forward to as there are a lot of wires to redo and reroute in order to make room for the blue plastic Gauge Cluster housing I modified to fit the Arduino Mega Enclosure, 16 Channel Relay Module and additional NAIS Relays Module.

Way back when I first started this project I was really not sure how many Relays I was going to need or really any sort of direction as to how to go about hooking them up. Now I have a lot more experience with this stuff and a lot more of a structured direction to go in. Like I say it's not a job I am looking forward too but the upshot will be that when I am done the install will be a lot cleaner and easier to manage. It's going to be a real wiring "Knightmare" though. ;)

Relays Labeled

I have all of the 16 Channel Relay Modules Relays controlled by the Arduino Mega labeled so that way I can know what they are at a glance even though I also have the wires going to each on the low voltage input pins labeled too having the tops of the relays visibly marked helps things a lot too. I figure this will make the job of connecting the switch side of each 10 amp Relay up to it's corresponding device a lot easier. The funny thing is that many of the Relays I don't even have a device to hook up to them yet, but it's sure nice knowing that the initial framework is all in place and ready for very easy hook up when I do eventually have the devices to hook up to them.... and that my friends saves a boat load of work to do in the future right? ;)

Arduino Module

Lots of soldering wires today for the Arduino Module to control the 16 Channel Relay Module. There are lots of connection still to have wires soldered to when I get another Relay Module. As it is it's pretty crowded with wires and I have that project box pretty stuffed, but neatly stuffed. I'll take to top off in a later post and show how it's all put together. Depending on how much stuff you want our Knight O.S. software to run will really determine how stuffed your project box will be. My guess is that if you wanted every device hooked up you would need a bigger project box to make room for all of the wires as they take up a good deal of space.

As you can see I have my wires for each of the Arduino pins that they are connected too so I can track which one goes to which of the Relays on the 16 Channel Relay Module. If all goes according to plan I may very well be able to install this Arduino Module and the 16 Channel Relay Module into the blue plastic Gauge Cluster housing that I spent the better part of this morning cutting out all of the "greeble" to make usable space inside of the old Gauge Cluster housing. That was a time consuming and messy job that involved lots of cutting with my Dremel Tool.

Here is a shot of the old Gauge Cluster housing all cleared out to make space for the Arduino & Relay Module. I should be able to mount those other Relays I have installed under the dash into this thing too and it should make my install a lot cleaner of a job. ;)

Here is a shot of the Arduino Mega with the Connections "Hat" I made with the wire connections soldered on for the 16 Channel Relay Module, LDR Sensor, Temperature Sensor and Compass Module & Compass LEDs. As you can see if one wanted to hook up all of the other pins you would probably need to make some holes in the sides of the Project Box or use a bigger Project Box to contain it all. But even a bigger Project Box will still fit quite nicely into the blue plastic Gauge Cluster Housing area.

Prepping For Final

I can start working on minimizing the need for the Breadboard now especially after I make a Optocoupler board for the button inputs to the Arduino so that Switch Pod or other buttons can be assigned to trigger certain screens in our Knight O.S. interface like the Environment Scan Screens, Manual Override, or Telephone Tap Simulator Screen. These can be any momentary button which makes either the Switch Pod, Space Matt Buttons or Possibly Lower Console Or Upper Console Buttons usable for this so long as they are momentary buttons.... heck even if they are not momentary buttons I have a circuit that allows Latching Buttons to generate a short pulse to simulate the function of a momentary button. So the option either way is there.

I currently have plugged into the Breadboard a bunch of wires that are going into the Arduino ports that are coded for stuff but not actually hooked up to a Relay Module yet. I need to get a 2nd 16 Channel Relay Module and modify that one just like the one here, but for now that is kind of optional for me as most of the main functions are routed through the first Relay Module. The 2nd Relay Module would be more for all the cool extras. Although you can mix and match and assign ANY of the outputs to whatever Relay you want so for example if you don't use the Auto Doors but are going to use the S.I.D. function all you would need to do is connect up the stuff you are using, The interface would still go through the motions just without the Relay hooked up it would not actually perform the "Physical" function.... but I think you get that.

The other thing I can do now is hook up the LDR and Temperature Sensors, I think I am going to install those two up into the Upper Console as that seems a logical place. The LDR Sensor I can mount so that it is facing forwards out the front part of the Upper Console that way it will get it's light values from whatever comes through the front Windshield. The Temperature Sensor seems to make sense to me to be up in the Upper Console as that way it is away from the Heater and Air Vents which I think would cause inaccurate readings to occur, that's my thought on it anyways, but I can see that being on of the best places. The Sensor for the Compass however is a whole other animal right now so not sure about that one. Getting Closer though :D