Instruments, Controls & Dashboard

Note: I've started work on the implementation of my ideal instrument display, using an OLED display and HTML5.

The instruments in my Fisher Fury R1 are based around a DigiDash2 Lite by ETB instruments. This is an excellent, compact, reliable and IVA compliant system, covering all the main features required, along with some basic data logging capability.

Having used it for about 5 years, I have noticed a few things that I would do differently in my next car:

• I prefer an analogue speedometer and tachometer (rev counter).
• I prefer separate displays or meters for things like fuel level, oil pressure, oil temperature and water temperature, so that they are always visible. On the DigiDash these are available by cycling through the various display settings.
• As well as a neutral indication, it would be good to have a permanent display of current gear selected too. I'm not sure if this is something specific to bike-engined cars but, the gears are very close together and it is sometimes difficult to judge what gear you are in.
• The design has to work both during the day and at night. I find it just amazing how so many car dashes light up like Christmas trees in the dark. It's incredibly distracting. It also needs to remain clear in bright sunlight.
• Blue lighting is a definate no go. Some cars (e.g. later Lotus Elises) have blue lighting but, it has the effect of blurring the vision on many people, myself included.

I do like the progressive shift lights on the DigiDash. The 'aux' light has been configured up as a neutral indicator on my Fisher Fury R1. There is no low oil pressure warning light but, this comes up on the main display as 'OIL'. I would prefer this to be a separate digital display that flashes when low.

I plan to design and build my perfect dashboard and instruments this time around, with no compromises on cost grounds. There are a number of factors driving this:

• Simplicity and light-weight - I plan to choose the optimum method for displaying each piece of information and the optimum components to achieve this.
• Efficiency in conveying important information - I plan to chose the most efficient method of displaying information, using both digital and analogue methods where appropriate. Whilst digital displays are very good at displaying static information, moving needles convey both value and direction for dynamic information information, such as speed and engine speed.
• Clarity and understanding - I plan to colour code the display of information with white fonts and lights for labelling, green for safe values, ornage for warnings and red for alerts.

This car will have no center console, just a shallow dash running across the front of the car.

Dials

There are some things that simply work better as dials in my view. This doesn't mean that they have to be fully analogue though and a digital rendering of an analogue dial can be just as good as the real thing, given enough pixels. It also has some advantages in terms of clarity, colour and behaviour.

A pair of 80mm diameter dials would be about the right size for my chosen steering wheel. I much prefer white text on a black background and find this combination much more legible. White dial needles don't stand out enough in my view. My current preference is for red.

The McLaren MP4-12C has been a source of inspiration in terms of both the dials and digital displays, as shown in this photo (click to enlarge). I want two dials in the middle though and in a bike-engined car much more emphasis is required on the shift lights.

Speedometer

This needs to be displayed as a needle and gauge on a dial in my view. I've found the digital speed display on my DigiDash to be frustrating and it also doesn't stay constant when cruising on a dual-carriage way or motorway.

This Stack speedometer unit is the closest thing I've seen to what I have in mind. I like the 270º arc of numbers but I would like 0-140mph with 70mph at the top. I'd also like to have 10, 20, 30, etc. all the same font size and I would like minor tic marks for every 1mph. I would want to lose the red kph text as it adds confusion. I even quite like the little LCD display for mileage.

Tachometer

This also needs to be needle on a dial in my view.

Current Gear

In a bike-engined car it is often useful to know which gear you are in and the gears are very close together, making it hard to determine the gear based on engine speed. This is more even true because of the 1-down, 5-up sequential gearbox. It is also very handy to know when the engine is in neutral and many won't start if this is not the case (though I've configured my Fisher Fury R1 to start in any gear). A current gear indicator on permanent display removes the need for a neutral light, though this is usually a switched signal direct from a bike engine

Shift Warning Lights

I really like the system used on the DigiDash with its dual, five incremental lights and then the main shift light. I have these configured with a 200rpm increment, up to the 11,500rpm rev limiter and this works really well. Rather than a dual system with lights either side of the main shift light, I would have a single left-to-right sequence though. I would also make the final, red shift light much brighter. On the DigiDash the lights go from green to orange and finally to red and this kind of makes sense. The final red shift light needs to be lit before you hit the rev limiter!

I actually think a few more lights and a little bit more warning would be a good idea as in the first few gears the engine speed rises very quickly. Similarly, I'd really like to be able to configure the lights increment on a per gear basis.

Taking all of the above into account, this is my ideal design layout for the main instruments displays in my next car. I features two 80mm dials (cut-out is 80mm, bezel is 88m in diameter) for the speedometer and tachometer. Both use a wide arc from 0 to 140mph/14,000rpm with 70mph/7000rpm being at the top. These are both linear dials and both feature major tic marks at each number. The speedometer also features minor tic marks for each mph. The gear indication sits within the tachometer. The odometer sits underneath both dials and is id dedicated to this purpose only. Between the two dials is are the incremental shift lights. These will all be clear LEDs and thus will not be coloured until they are lit up. Each light is fully programmable. The top, red LED is ultra-bright and does not flash.

As you can see, this results in a very clear and simple display of the key information. The design of these are covered is detail in the electronics section.

Warning Lights

I'm planning 8 warning lights in total. I'm not sure on size, style or location yet.

Handbrake Warning Light

Required for IVA. I also plan to have a hidden switch for this, which when operated means this light comes on when the brake pedal is pushed. This is purely for diagnostics and information, as this line will also go to the data logger.

Comms

A visible indication that the in-car comms is transmitting.

Manual Fan Over-ride

It is a good idea to manually be able to control the electric cooling fan. This is useful for the IVA test, MOT and emissions testing and when stuck in traffic on a hot sunny day. I have a switch on the dash of my Fisher Fury R1 to enable this.

I'd like a warning light for this as well in my next car, to avoid leaving it on. It would also be useful to know when the cooling fan is coming on.

Indicators / Turn Signals

Required for IVA. I don't think having a separate light for left and right actually adds anything. You only need to know if they are on or off. A green, flashing light.

Hazard Lights

Required for IVA. An orange, flashing light.

Lights On

Not sure if this is required for IVA but, it is a useful indicator in a car with no doors (no reminding buzzer on exit) and it needs to operate when the ignition switch is off as well. A steady green light.

Fog Light Indication

Required for IVA. Typically an orange light but given that the fog light is never likely to be used, it could be any colour!

High Beam Headlights

Required for IVA. Typically a bright blue light.

Digital Display

There is a certain set of information that you need to have on view in a bike-engined car. My plan is to have an OLED digital display for the following information. This technology works well in all lighting conditions.

Fuel Gauge

It is all very well having a digital fuel gauge on the Fisher Fury R1 but it is far from linear and it varies by quite a lot depending on whether you have been accelerating or braking. A percentage reading implies more accuracy than is realistically possible and much more accuracy than is needed. A bar gauge with only 10 graduations would be good enough.

Oil Pressure

This needs to be a digital readout on a bike-engined car as it varies from about 10psi to 63psi on my Fisher Fury R1, depending on engine speed and oil temperature. I want a numeric value that is green when in range for a given engine speed and oil temperature, changes to orange when close to a set threshold and flashing red when out of the defined range.

Oil Temperature

This needs to be a digital readout as you can gain value information from a bike engine installed in a car. I want a numeric value (ºC) that is green when in range, changes to orange when close to a set threshold and flashing red when out of the defined range.

Water Temperature

This needs to be a digital readout as you can gain value information from a bike engine installed in a car. I want a numeric value (ºC) that is green when in range, changes to orange when close to a set threshold and flashing red when out of the defined range.

I want to use a 3.5" OLED display (as used on many Smartphones) to display this primary information to the left of the steering wheel. In normal use, all values are green but they can be configured to change to orange and then red at preset thresholds. This is primary display (on power up) but, this display can also scroll through other displays such as tyre pressure, maximum recorded values, etc.

Switch Gear

I used very high quality, waterproof switches in my Fisher Fury R1 and I'm really pleased with the way they have performed. The appearance might not be to everyone's liking but they are small, very light and have a nice feel as well. The one thing that lets them down is the dash material on which they are currently mounted though. It is not stiff enough. The switches are available in black and several other colours, as well as in momentary or latching form.

Ignition Switch

I wanted to use something clever here with key-less ignition but, these devices require a power source and because this car will use a very light, low-capacity battery, I don't want anything left connected to the battery when the car is not in use. This means a simple but high quality ignition lock with a key will be used.

Placement - T.B.C.

Engine Start Button

I want something subtle and plan to use another sealed, vandal resistant, stainless-steel switch. This is a momentary action switch.

'Sports' Button

A car with a 'sports' button is one that is compromised ALL of the time. It also adds unnecessary weight.

Horn

This needs to be steering wheel mounted. This is a momentary action switch.

Hazard Lights

This is required for IVA and I could use a an integrated switch and warning light like I used on my Fisher Fury R1. It certainly makes the wiring simpler but, it doesn't look good.

I plan to use a single pole, latching switch to match the others and have this drive a small relay to provide the hazard light functionality.

Indicators

In the Fisher Fury R1 I have used an on-off-on toggle switch on the dash, to the left of the steering wheel. This works OK but, it is a stretch to reach and operate. I'd much prefer a more traditional, column-mounted indicator stalk on the left side. I would also like one with momentary and fixed action, like the one in my Mazda 6.

Steering Wheel

This is covered in the steering section.

Pedals

The brake pedal is covered in the brakes section.

I didn't know any better when I built my Fisher Fury R1, so I used the standard pedal box supplied by The Kitcar Workshop. This was a mistake as it is very heavy and not very good quality. It is the lowest quality piece on the car. This time around I'd buy a well engineered and much lighter unit with all three pedals floor mounted.

The mounting point behind the pedals for the brake master cylinders needs to be very rigid so that it doesn't flex.

Handbrake

The handbrake is covered in the brakes section.

On the Fisher Fury R1, I have used a push-pull paddle system mounted to the column, which rotates through the centre of the column. With the relatively small steering wheel and quick ratio steering rack this has worked fantastically well. I would struggle to go back to a normal gear lever in a sports car now. It is so much safer and quicker as you don't need to take you hands off the wheel to change gear.

The planned design (Microsoft PowerPoint) for the paddle shift is an update to that used on my Fisher Fury R1. The outer edge is based on a circle of 290mm diameter, to match the steering wheel. The 'arms' are 25mm wide to hide behind the wheel rim and extend up and down 45º to allow gear changes whilst cornering. The central 'hub' is 100mm in diameter, with a 50mm hole through it. This design ensures that they don't obscure the view of any instruments or dials behind the steering wheel. The gap from the back of the wheel to the face of the paddle is 55mm in my Fisher Fury R1 and this will be reduced to 35mm in this car.

I initially used a direct rod linkage system as shown here but, this proved unreliable (without resorting to 'heavy' engineering) and if anything, there was too much coming back through the paddles. I tried several configurations and had several failures before I gave up and moved to a push-pull cable arrangement. This is much lighter, provides great feel, whilst isolating you from the worst of the vibrations. A floating arrangement, with the engine end mounted on the engine itself, isolates the paddles from any engine movement, which is significant when performing rapid gear changes under hard acceleration or deceleration. The other thing to note in this diagram is that the pivot point of the paddles is set back from a line through the paddles themselves. This is not good as it means they also move sideways, when pulled. Although not a huge issue, it doesn't quite feel right. In my Fisher Fury R1, the pivot point is not offset like this.

The cable arrangement, gives you plenty of feedback and a wonderfully direct and weighted connection but, prevents the worst of the bangs, clunks and vibrations coming back through the paddles. It has proved very reliable in operation and is a light-weight solution too.

The other option I would like to try is a fully electronic shift operated by the paddles and switches. I'm worried that I would miss the feel though and it may also add weight. The advantage of this approach are much quicker gear changes but, this car is not about headline numbers and the focus is on driver involvement.

Too save money, I fabricated my Fisher Fury R1 paddles and mount from aluminum but, next time I'd use carbon fibre paddles mounted using a simpler and lighter system.

Rear View Mirror

I used a standard Audi TT rear-view mirror (the non-electric version) on my Fisher Fury R1 and it works really well apart from the fact that it is mounted on top on the bodywork above the dash and this is not rigid enough. The view is affected by vibrations coming through the car. The ability to dim the mirror is also something I've never used.

The other issue I had with this approach is that the Audi TT mirror mounting is really heavy. I cut it down a lot but, I want something that looks better and is much lighter on my next car.

Side Mirrors

I honestly think I'd find anything better engineered, lighter or more usable than some carbon-fibre side mirrors from a modern motorbike. I used standard Yamaha R1 mirrors on my Fisher Fury R1 and they are excellent. This photo shows a carbon fibre equivalent used on race bikes.

Covered in the engine cooling system and the cockpit heating and cooling. This is because the engine and components are at the rear of the car and cockpit heating and cooling is at the front. It is to also remove any dependencies and to minimise weight.

Tyre Pressure Monitoring

I would like to add this capability for use on road and track but, I'm worried about the additional weight it would add to the car. Systems like the Stack TOMS also allow temperature monitoring too.