Switch replacement - Python programmer out there?

[Spittybug]

How's this for a crazy idea:

I'm figuring out how to put a Raspberry Pi computer, multi-relay board and touch screen into the Delorean. I *think* I can learn enough of the hardware side to get this done. I am not a coder however and would take much longer to learn how to make an attractive GUI to control it.

I'm visualizing a GUI with customizable wallpaper on top of which would be buttons for:

• Doors Lock - on/off
• Doors Unlock - on/off

This could actually be one toggle button whose screen message changes depending on the state. If already locked, it reads "Unlock" and activates pin X. If unlocked, it reads "Lock" and activates pin Y.

• Driver Window Open - see below
• Driver Window Close - see below
• Driver Door Pop - needs to be ~2 second momentary. This is to ensure that the mechanics of the door have enough time to activate and the door begins to open.
• Passenger Window Open - same
• Passenger Window Close - same
• Passenger Door Pop - same
• Defroster - on/off
• Auxiliary Lights - on/off
• Other? - on/off

For the windows, they need to be momentaries (active only while being touched) with one for open and one for closed. Alternatively (and cooler) would be some kind of slider like a volume control. This is the hard one!
Little niceties might include the ability to adjust the screen brightness or to have a lockout button (so little fingers couldn't play...). In theory one could also build in a lock out so that if the car was moving, the door popper wouldn't work, but that's a bit more hardware work than necessary for V1.

The Raspberry Pi can control 21 relays without additional hardware I believe. It's a case of assigning a specific IO pin to go high or low to trigger the relay.

The "cooler" the look to the interface, the better. Picture this as a touch panel built into the surface of the center console right behind the gear shift.

This is the vision in my head. If anyone with coding experience could give me a reality check I'd appreciate it. I'd love to have someone teach me how to do this.

I ordered my birds eye maple veneer today and will be working on my custom center console and dashboard.

Anyone out there up for a cool project?

[Patrick C]

This needs to be a kit!

[Spittybug]

It would be a pretty invasive one.... Lots of wire tapping and stock button removal or disconnection. Plus, where would people put it all if they weren't doing an interior renovation like me?
But yes, it would be cool.
And if commercialized, the programmer would be cut in.........

[Lightning]

I do programming and have already done a raspberry pi project, see https://github.com/LightningTH/Allowance. It has a button to turn on the display along with a 4x10 (if memory serves) text display for showing my daughter's allowance. If the hardware supports it then I can write code to do it.

You'd have to source the display/touch display that you want to use as I'd then have to locate how to interact with it with the raspberry pi driver wise. The raspberry pi does have a number of connections though so it may be possible to jerryrig something too.

[Spittybug]

This is the kind of monitor I'm thinking: http://www.ebay.com/itm/HDMI-VGA-2AV...61122525622%26 or if size becomes an issue, this type: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-2-inch-TFT...61240497499%26

The Pi is nice in that it has either an RCA connector for video in or the nicer HDMI.

As I learn, I realize the number of little pieces that must come together. Auto launching the app on car start, making sure the video/input screen properly talks to the Pi, displaying a gui, sending appropriate command to the right relay via the GPIO pins, etc..... I found a neat little hardware board that will tie the Pi into the car and feed it power (controlled) when the car starts and shuts down. It even has a delayed shutdown so that if you are jumping in and out of the car it doesn't have to boot each time. I would look into the power requirement to always have the Pi running so that there wasn't any boot required. Maybe a second battery....

Lightning, do you think the GUI itself would be difficult to make look good? Delorean console quality good?

[LordFly]

Although I have NO experience with either Python or the Raspberry Pi specifically, from a programming standpoint, your goals of basic relay control seem.... well, very basic. I don't see any reason this couldn't be done. In fact, since the Raspberry is a computer, I'm surprised you haven't planned to take it a little farther and make it your media player as well

[Spittybug]

Just found this: https://sites.google.com/a/jasonfindlay.com/pi-relay/ This is what I'm trying to do except rather than it be phone based, it needs to be touchscreen based so that it can be embedded in the car. Good section on connecting to the RPi too.

My Megasquirt now interacts via bluetooth to my laptop. The tunerstudio software I use on the laptop is also available in Linux, so should be able to be run on the RPi. Getting my head around all the possibilities here! Side swipe the embedded screen and away goes relay control and up pops the Tuner studio app to control the Megasquirt! Swipe again and get the plugged in GPS sensor...... I think I'm going too big at this point.... one step at a time.

[Lightning]

All of the little pieces do add up. As you mentioned, thinking about the on/off as the raspberry pi does take a few seconds to get going. I'm not a graphics person. I know people that are, at the same time I may be able to throw something together with some high res pics of the current interior to help match if you wanted nice pictures and not a more flat look. Keep in mind that a picture of a button may look better as a new flat button vs trying to mimic the original.

The biggest is going to be how the screen interacts with the raspberry pi and how does the screen send the touch data. Some come across as mouse movements while others have special pins that you have to decode.

There are also screens like this one that could be useful.

The other thing you have to pay attention to is noise in the power lines. The delorean's electrical is very noisy due to it's design. i'm quite sure touch screens could show odd symptoms (touch position jumping around for instance) if there isn't at least a minimal noise filter on the power going to the raspberry pi/screen. Of course this is only known by trying and testing to see if anything is required filter wise.

[nullset]

Don't forget the diodes if you're hooking relays up to your RPi. When you stop providing current to a relay, it causes quite a large voltage to appear. This voltage can quickly fry your expensive raspberry pi.

I'm an embedded engineer by trade. I've wanted to do an entirely modern replacement delorean electrical system for a long time. I wish I had the time for it...imagine being able to remove the miles of wiring and replacing them with a modern data bus......it would be so wonderful.

--buddy

[Spittybug]

Yes, I've seen that screen, but I think it is pretty small.

For the interface, I wasn't thinking anything fancy, at least not for the prototype. If the wallpaper were replaceable by just changing a .jpg file, that would make "customizing" the look easier. For starters, just a carbon fiber look background would work great. For the buttons, I was truly just thinking of something that looked like an elevator panel, with driver side and passenger side. The key is making it use the whole panel's real estate and making it look like a control panel, not a computer program.

O
Door Lock/Unlock

O Open Window O
O Close Window O

O Open Door O

O Defog O Aux Lights O ?

Like I said however, if the window were a slider on the screen, that would be very cool. That would be significantly tougher I'm sure! Maybe a couple of others on the bottom for brightness or to switch to another app....

From the little bit I've learned so far, this degree of control is pretty straightforward using the relay board. (says he as a neophyte..............)