Assistance with Arduino purchases

Hi...
I am upgrading my electric motorcycle and want to upgrade my dashboard design as well.
I am leaning towards using a waterproof rugged Windows 10 tablet with an Android emulator installed just in case I need an Android interface. I need the Windows 10 OS for configuration and programming the Sevcon gen4 size6 motor controller...

I am a newbie to embedding and I don't want to learn the "hard" way by wasting a bunch of money buying stuff that wont work for the final end result. I want to learn the "smart" way and just buy what I need once.

I thought I could build this in modules, so that I could have a working concept from the get go, and just add to it in steps as I tackle each task one at a time. The first task is to control a password protected relay switch to power on the vehicle instead of using a key switch. This can be Bluetooth or micro USB cable. I think the Micro USB would be the best solution, as this will keep the rugged tablet charged without removing it from the vehicle. It can be securely mounted to deter theft, but if someone wants to steal the motorcycle, anyone can load the whole thing into the back of a pick-up truck!

The end result should be able to satisfy the following tasks, in the order of importance. These are the tasks in the order of which I plan on working on them:
#1) Password protected relay control to power on/off the motorcycle
#2) Display Speedometer/Odometer/Tripometer... determined by simple wheel magnet/sensor. This may be modified to a 2 sensor system in the future to determine acceleration or deceleration, and possibly include sensors on both front and rear wheels, to help control regen braking with rear wheel ABS (thats down the road programming when I get more advanced)
#3) Display Battery pack total voltage. I already have a CycleAnalyst on my current dashboard, which already provides #2 and #3, as well as more. I plan on keeping this in the system until I get everything working on the tablet.
#4) Display Motor/Controller/Coolant temps via temp sensors. The Sevcon controller can provide some of this data, but it speaks via CAN-Bus CAN-Open. This is a whole other CAN of worms (LOL)!!
#5) Monitor 25 cell voltages to control a remote relay, to shut off a charger when the first cell hits a pre-selected max voltage. This is simplified BMS, but it should get the job done. It can be built much more elaborately in the future. There are others working on Open Source code doing this.

That's my goal in a nutshell.
I need help deciding on what Arduino products I should purchase to accomplish these tasks, with an eye towards the future developments mentioned. Any help or suggestions will be gratefully considered.

If these things are going to live where rain/snow, etc. can get to them, you have other problems to consider.

Paul

Sensor bits look like an Arduino task but all those display requirements not.

Considering the number of sensors required you probably need a Mega, but those are not suitable for final projects without severe modification: your connectors will bounce out of the socket. Even a non-bouncy installation like fixed to a wall those connectors tend to make their way out over time. So you'll have to be breaking off the headers to solder the wires directly to the PCB.

The Mega (and it's smaller sibling, the Uno) are great for prototyping exactly due to those headers, which make it easy to plug and pull wires as you try out things.

A more practical alternative for permanent installation would be to get one or more Minis or Micros, those are meant to have wires soldered in, and have a much smaller footprint (also good for motorcycles where space tends to be quite limited). Then get your tablet to talk to those Arduinos (the mini comes with USB connector built in, the even smaller micro not), pull down the data, and display it.

For a big project like this you're bound to end up with a box of parts that you couldn't use after all. I consider that a good thing, my box of parts from previous projects (or even the same project) has turned out really useful when my requirements changed again and unused parts suddenly became useful again.

Mega screw shield is also good for securing wires.
Here's the one I offer
http://www.crossroadsfencing.com/BobuinoRev17/

I'm afraid it's gonna be a problem fitting that in the dash of a motorbike :slight_smile:

I've been eyeing something like this for my sprinkler project https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mega-2560-PRO-Embed-CH340G-ATmega2560-16AU-with-male-pinheaders-Compatible-for-Arduino-Mega-2560/32801785024.html?spm=2114.10010108.100009.3.3466fa90jXCIVk&traffic_analysisId=recommend_2037_null_null_null&scm=1007.13482.91320.0&pvid=b50fca5d-b374-493d-9945-5b9e80bf8706&tpp=1

Thank you to all for your input and suggestions. If the data can be sent via bluetooth, then I wont have to fit anything into the dashboard. The PCB can be secured in a waterproof way inside the gastank. I was originally thinking of using a waterproof tablet for the actual dashboard. The major blockade with this idea is learning how to program it to make it all work. Someone else on another forum told me to use a display instead, which would require all the pcb's to be mounted in the dashboard. Conundrum. But if I run a usb mini cable from the gastank to the tablet, then the tablet should run as slave to the host arduino. I think.

The PCB can be secured in a waterproof way inside the gastank

Remind me; what is the fuel tank made of?

plastic...its a dual sport dirtbike

Stevonator:
plastic...its a dual sport dirtbike

"I am upgrading my electric motorcycle and want to upgrade my dashboard design as well."

Just curious, but why does an electric motorcycle have a 'gastank' ?

LOL... to house some of the electronics, silly! Why else?!!