Electronic Engineering Course Design Project

[kev_corsa]

Hi everyone!

I'm doing an electronic engineering apprenticeship and in my second year on my part time HNC course. I have been informed this year that I need to put together a design project on anything I want. I have decided to do something involved with cars as that is my hobby and will keep my interest throughout the project.

Could you guys give me some suggestions on a device I could design which would be usefull in a car?

Many thanks
Kevin

 

[jrz126]

I'm not sure of the aspects of that class, are there any limits as to what you have to work with?

how useful does it have to be? I'm working on a project right now that involves 62 led's mounted in my roof. (check out page 2 of the link in my signiture.) So if it doesnt have to be all that useful, I suggest involving some led's.

I have a couple more ideas, I havn't really looked into the practicallity of implementing them. I was thinking about some sort of digital climate control (my A/C is broken, so in my case it would just work for heat). you just set the temp. then a microcontroller would adjust the heat coming out of the vents. maybe have 1 thermostat measure the air coming directly from the vents, and another somewhere else in the car.

I know I had a couple more, but I'm kinda burnt out from a long day at school.

 

[bmcculla]

If you have a newer car you could build an OBD2 interface. The OBD2 interface lets you read out engine data from the car's onboard computer.

 

[kev_corsa]

thanks guys!

im not quite sure what i have to work with to be honest, but i think it shouldnt be too complex nor too simple.

my car is a 2002 vauxhall corsa (UK) (or opel corsa (Europe) or Holden Barina (Australia)) its a GM car. i went to my local dealer a while ago but they wouldnt give me any info at all on the cars ecu and how it worked

 

[jrz126]

If you have a newer car you could build an OBD2 interface. The OBD2 interface lets you read out engine data from the car's onboard computer.

I would love to do this with my '95 Chevy Monte Carlo, but I have some bogus intermediate obd 1.5 computer. you can't use the paperclip to read codes like the obd 1, and I'm pretty sure that most of the OBD 2 programs won't read it. It's been about 2 years since I looked into it thou.

I think the digital thermostat would be pretty cool :wink:

 

[bmcculla]

I think almost all cars newer than 1996 have OBD2, and a couple older models do too. I think there is some difference in the connectors between manufacturers though. The plug is usually under the dash down by the petals. Your local mechanic could probably tell you all about your cars OBD2 (or at least where the plug is and the connector style).

A couple months ago Circuit Cellar ran an article about building a trubocharger controller to change the firing angle of the spark plugs to prevent knock when you've got a lot of boost.

 

[zachtheterrible]

wen i get my truck, im gonna rig up a little system so that when i push a button, a little sign flips down that says: STOP TAILGATING!! of course itll have flashing lights or something too.

I DESPISE TAILGAITERS

 

[valve-n-head]

:idea: say kev_corsa i have an idea that i want to build, it is a gauge for directly displaying the miles per gallon as you drive. It would require a flow sensor in the fuel line, two sensors if you have return flow, and a menas of obtaining a reading from the speedometer output, probably an optical encoder or something similar.

I posted this under, Miles per gallon. However i am electronically chalanged and have very little idea as to the schematic for the device.

Good luck with your course.