Advice needed

[TKS]

Hi all,

i'm in a car project, and i want to build on a standard steering wheel
more buttons, for radio etc.. lets say 5 buttons..
But a steering wheel rotates...

i use a sierra steering wheel its a wheel ho has a built in claxon.
That means that we have 2 wires available in it. (in fact its a copper ring with a copper stiff//contact sow it can rotate)

in fact we only have 3 wires 2 from the ring and one is earth.
i was thinking perhaps to difficult to give on lead of the ring 12volts..
use the 3 as earth(the iron chasis etc..) and the last ring as a micro wire lead...

then @ the non rotating side another micro controller with microwire..

and there all the perhipials on it...

but the disadvantage will be that i think that the ring will spark a very little bit will the microwire comm. suffer?? will it work??
how difficult is it to buildin reset communications?

or is it better to build it with a battery and use serial comm over the 2 rings??

anyone ideas??

TKS

 

[bmcculla]

I'd just make it wireless. With some good power management you could get it to run for years on a small battery. Take a look at Sparkfun.com - they have a $19 RF module that is optimised for tasks like yours.

 

[TKS]

well

if i make it wireless,

then i don't need a battery (Remember the 3leads i have???)

what would be the range?? the module would be in a steering wheel, thats quet allot of iron... wouldn't it be??

and what about rialability??

will take a look @ it...

Tks

 

[Hopperito]

I'd just make it wireless. With some good power management you could get it to run for years on a small battery. Take a look at Sparkfun.com - they have a $19 RF module that is optimised for tasks like yours.

Thanks for the link! There is some cool stuff there!!!

 

[DirtyLude]

If this is an actual racecar, what they usually do is have a wire, like a telephone receiver cord that wraps around the wheel/hub and goes from the wheel down to the dash. There's enough slack/spring in it to travel lock to lock. Of course racecars that use this kind of thing have very little lock to lock travel. If you have to move your hands on the wheel, trying to look at the steering wheel for data is impossible.

I might have some pictures somewhere. It's important to make it as simple as possible if you're actually racing with it. If it's just a look pretty street project I think I'd go wireless with power coming through the contacts in the hub.