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

Adafruit SFX Mini Flash Sound Board with TDA2030A Amplifier Module

I have put together the Adafruit Mini Flash SFX Sound Board along with the TDA2030A Amplifier module onto a piece of Protoboard. Took me a little while to solder out the pins and Speaker connection screw terminal block so I could solder the pins onto the back of the board and add some more pins for where the speaker connections go. I relocated the original screw terminal block from the Amplifier board to just the right of the module on the Protoboard and then connected the two with some jumper wires.

Right now I am powering the Adafruit SFX board with a USB cable but I have some LM7805 power regulators on order so I can just wire in 12V and split a portion of that off to power the Adafruit board with the 5V output from the LN7805.

I also started to make my Optocoupler board for the Sound Effects that will be generated from the Space Matt buttons. Some of the sound effects will be generated from the Switch Pods and I will not need the DTMF request wire that I have worked into this board as the Switch Pods already send a DTMF tone request. But I figure just incase I ever re-purpose these little boards for something different in the future it might be a good idea to have the ability already on the little boards. Here is a diagram of how I have the Optocoupler board wired (above left). Some other buttons I may need to get a little tricky with using that 555 timer board to request the Monitor Activation Sound when I turn on the lower console buttons for either the GPS or LCD screen as they are latching buttons and the Adafruit SFX board just needs momentary connections to activate any of the sounds on the pins.

2 Low Input to 2 Higher Output Relay Board

I did up a quick diagram of the little PCB board I made with some great help from Andrea lannaccone from Face Book. There are smaller ways to do this but this is pretty small too, you can do this type of switching with a Transistor too. For what I am doing with my Top Countdown Indicator lights to activate the switch lights on my Lower Console I only need one side of the board but there was room on the board to have the same ability twice so at least I have an extra setup for should I need to do something similar again. :) 

PCB Board Installed

I installed the small PCB board later today just overtop of the other Relays board I had made a few weeks ago. I have the power wire (blue) going from the fuse panel I installed under the passenger side Hush panel into the magnetic coil and switch terminal of one of the mini Songo 12V 10 Amp Relays, this will supply power to energize the coil and provide power to one side of the Relay switch. The other blue wire you can see coming out of the top of the Relay is the 2nd power wire on the other Relay switch terminal, this wire goes into my Lower Console to supply power to the switch lights. The Relays switch will connect the two completing the circuit. The two input wires Red and Black that connect to the Optocoupler I have going into a couple of spare sockets I had available on my Molex connector for my LCD and GPS screens. Those will provide the low input signal to activate the Optocoupler once the Countdown indicator reaches it's last light, this will in turn activate the Relay making the connection as described before. Tomorrow will be the big day I test this out so if all goes well I'll be doing a video to demonstrate the final effect.

Two Relay Board Activated By Low Signal Optocouplers

There we go, I have a small PCB board set up with two 12V Mini 10 Amp Songo Relays that are each activated separately by two Optocouplers. I only need one side of this board for right now to complete the wiring scenario I mentioned in my last post for turning on the Lower Console switch lights as part of the Knight Rider dash start up sequence.
The Red and Black wires you see coming in from the left side end of the board will ultimately be spliced into the wires that connect from the Voice Box to the last set of lights in the Top Countdown indicators, this way when the Knight Rider V.B. activates those lights a signal will be sent to the Optocoupler, activating my Relay and closing the power connection to the Lower Console switch lights. I did a little tweaking to my diagram so here it is again just so you can see my minor tweaks ;)