Hello all,
I have a project I am working on, and would like the thoughts and input from those more experienced with the Arduino. I have searched the forum, as well as the Reference and Learning sections, and believe my ideas to be sound. However, I would still prefer to know I'm on the right path before shelling out the time and money, only to end up banging my head against the wall...
I am working on providing telemetry data from a race car to the pit. Unfortunately, the engine is pre ODB-II, so collecting the data is requiring a bit more effort than originally planned. Additionally, the terrain of the course is quite varied, ranging from flat open desert to 1500' rocky mountains in an underdeveloped (no reliable cell service), remote location - so the communication method is limited. I want to sample 7-8 measurements, use the Leonardo to dump them into a HAM TNC as ASCII, and display the data on the laptop in the pit. My thoughts so far are:
Sending units -> Arduino Leonardo -> HAM TNC -> radio -> air -> radio -> HAM TNC -> laptop.
From my reading in the forums and documentation sections, I believe that the Arduino will be able to perform this function with relative ease. The questions I am looking for direction on are:
- Will tapping the sending unit's wiring for input into the Arduino alter their accuracy at the in car gauges (or Arduino)? Electronic theory is not my strongest subject.
- Can anybody recommend a readily available application (Windows or Linux), that will allow me to display the received data on the laptop - preferably as gauges?
- Any other thoughts, ideas, or direction, you might want to throw out there.
I am really enjoying researching this project, it has forced me back into learning and playing with electronics - something I haven't done in at least a decade. The Arduino, the RaspberryPi, and so many other options are available now that make these types of amateur/home-brew projects both easy and affordable.
thx,
bfj