Making a Vent Cover For The Temperature Sensor

Although this is not show accurate I am making a combination Vent Cover and Compass indicator lights panel for this part of my Upper Console. I'm doing a few things different with my K.I.T.T. naturally ;) I need to put that Digital DS18B20 Temperature Sensor Module somewhere and this seems a logical as any place. My thought is that if I make a removable vent cover plate or panel then if the sensor ever goes bad it will be easy to replace because all I would need to do it remove the cover plate and unplug the sensor and replace it with a new one. The space on the panel next to the vent slits I figure I'll put 4 LEDs in there to serve as the Compass indicator lights even though the Compass sends data to our Knight O.S. Dash Software I figure what the heck, why not, gives the Upper Console some more lights that actually do perform a real function ;) 

I added the 4 LEDs for the Digital Compass and mounted the Digital DS18B20 Temperature Sensor all to a couple of pieces of Proto-Board. I tested out the LEDs to make sure they were working with the Compass Module and they seem fine, just need to ID each of the wires that I colour coded Green, Red, Blue, Yellow and Black for Ground, that way I'll know which wire is for North, South, East and West indicators. Now I need to glass in a mounting bracket to attach this circuit assembly too and hook the wires up to a Molex Connector.

I drilled the holes for the Compass Indicator LEDs to poke through the Vent plate I made. I had to make a hole template out of some thin card stock just to make sure I lined up the holes right. Once done I could test fit the combo module I made so the next step will be to glass in some sort of mounting brackets to attach the circuit module to the Upper Console. I was kind of hoping to have made the Temperature Sensor Module a little easier to remove if it ever went bad but unfortunately the header pins were soldered in the wrong way so I was not able to do it quite the way I would have liked. However if the Sensor ever does go bad and I replace it I'll make sure the header pins and soldered on in a way that I can just make it so that I can plug it into a socket. 


Then I cut out a couple of "L" shaped Aluminum brackets that will serve as the main mounting tabs. I then glassed those into place. I first cemented then roughly into place using some Bondo Glass that way they would not move around any when I used the actual Fibreglass Resin and some small strips of fibreglass matting to secure the Aluminum tabs permanently into place. once this is set I can make a piece of Aluminum that I can screw down on top of the tabs to hold the circuit assembly in place. I'll put a piece of rubber padding under the top Aluminum strap to add a little cushion.

once the top securing plate is complete the final step will be to connect up the wires to a Molex Connector like I mentioned earlier on and then our little circuit assemble will be pretty much complete. I may install the HMC5883L Digital Compass into the Upper Console too as it seems likely to be the best place, kind of hard to say though as any metal or wires close to it are likely to affect the accuracy of this very delicate Compass Module so that may well involve some experimentation.

I added the Molex Connector for the Temperature Sensor and the Compass LEDs. I used an 8 Circuit Molex which leaves one spare just in case I need an extra one like maybe an extra 5V Power or Ground wire, but at 5V it should be fine. just need to determine a length of wire needed to run across the top of the T-Top window edge and down the windshield column to wherever I'll end up installing the P.C. and Arduino so a little extra will be good just in case, I would rather have too much than too little, not that it's a big issue as I can always splice on extra if I'm too short but and ounce of prevention is good ;)

Diagram For Optocoupler Combo Board

I made a diagram for the basic layout for the Optocoupler Combo board I whipped up just using some Proto-Board. In the diagram I did not include all of the Optocouplers I'm currently using as it;s likely to change and the format is simple enough to just continue the pattern to add more as needed. I have not added the Digital Compass yet either so I'll be doing another updated diagram later but this gives an idea of how simple it is to connect up some stuff like the Switch Pod button inputs for the Arduino Mega to activate screens in our Knight O.S. Dash Software interface and connect up the LDR and Temperature Sensors. You can see the Optocouplers provide complete isolation between the 12V Switch Pod buttons and the 5V ground pulse needed for the Arduino Triggers.

UPDATE:

I updated the diagram to include the connections for the HMC5883L Digital Compass.

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