A-Z of car ignition systems
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Yes yes. I see what you mean. Doesn' look classy if it resets while driving and you have to grind the starter to turn it off
What were you thinking for the sensor? Voltage test? So it picks up the alternator output?
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ring ordered today...time to wait and see while all parts are on order
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I'm thinking of just taking a feed from the tacho output and seeing if I can use that. I'll have to explore it a little more I think.
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that would do the job, but wouldnt be universal....as alot of cars dont have a taco
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Yeah, that one might have to be on a case by case basis. It's difficult because a lot of things switch on just when you're cranking the engine with it not necessarily running.
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very true....is it possible to have a circuit in place that can tell when the alternator is running? I know standard car voltage jumps from between 10-12.5 up to 14 or so
not sure if that's a valid option......
hmmmm im really not sure....have to think about that one
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You could try measuring voltage and that might do it. I'll have to have a think about that.
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is it better to get a proper PCB made for the final product?
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We-ell, it depends what you want to do really.
It looks nicer, and depending on how well you've breadboarded your prototype it might last longer.
Personally I probably wont bother, or at the very most will do a toner transfer board etch. (Harvey Norman have a reasonable laser printer for between $44 and $49 at the minute if you're wanting one).
I've never actually gone the whole hog and had someone produce a board for me though. -
cool cool, just looking at my breadboard and start attempt and its pretty dodgy
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I'm looking up toner transfer now
But that means I have to get a pcb design right first
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so bought most of my components today and started work on the prototype board
looks horrible i know but its a start.gotta wait for my reader and arduino to arrive before i can put it into full gear....
i will post the breadboard representation of the work im doing as well so that people can see what actually to put where instead of my mess of components and wires
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Good stuff mate. With toner transfer you basically clean the board, print a reversed version of your pcb file onto normal paper, then iron it onto the board with a hot dry iron.
Once it's cool you soak it in water until the paper degrades and falls off, then etch what remains.
They can turn out very nicely if you take your time with it. -
@lokki as a bonus the guy at the TAFE near me has said i can use there lab to build boards if i want, so i got all the gear i need to do full photo PCB so hey why not if you can :D
on a slightly sadder note i tried to imporve the schematic to use more closly related parts for my PCB design and i think i broke the schematic....would it horrible of me to ask you to double check? i think its in the on relay....i reveresed the diodes like you said, but i think i did something really wrong...
project file 2
it seems like power is just flooding all the links now -
What kind of transistors are you using, mate?
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@lokki BC327 PNP 50v 800ma
the ones in the schem are just the ones either you or i dropped in there because they fit -
Ok, this will be the issue. The transistors I use, simply because I've got a bag of a few hundred from building nixie displays, are MPSA42 NPN transistors.
If you're going to use PNP you have to reorganise things and put your switching on the positive rail, pull_up_ resistors and reverse the logic coming from the arduino. -
@Lokki sorry my bad im a little dyslexic at this end of the day...NPN transistors
disreguard everything i said i dont even know why thats on the receipt that way, ill look at the actual transBC549CTA
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found this
as a possible simple latch relay....less posts and possibilitys for error perhaps? -
Try substituting the relay coils for leds in the correct orientation to see what's happening there. The schematic looks ok to me, it may just be something you've done when you've laid it all out.
