Building up a Tachometer with the Arduino µController

[FW-05]

Hi there!

I´m working for some time on a way to make the Arduino Duemilanove µC handle a real tachometer. But i am still in the beginning, so only the µC is bought, tachometer comes up in some days or so, depending on my income.

But let´s start in the beginning. Some weeks ago I was browsing uTube and some vids catched my eye. People had a real tachometer connected to LfS or rFactor. Looked great so I checked out some electronics forums and a user from a german LfS-Board recommended the Arduino µC (see the datasheet http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/p...ts/doc8161.pdf). I was impressed because it can handle six PWM channels.

Now my lack of programming skills comes up. I have no clue how to get out the values of speed, RPM, Temp, pressure, fuel out of LfS in a form so I can feed the µC with it. I know, that thats the part of OutGauge.

Has anybody an idea how it could make it work? Maybe there is another way, without using OutGauge but X-Sim, but I want to try it first with the build-in LfS feature.

I think the worst problem is to adress the data from LfS over USB-port to the Arduino. The output of the values should be realized by (depending on the kind of tachometer I could get) using the internal motors (which are infact ammeters I guess) or some RC-servos I have here laying around.

Well guys, thats what I am working now on. Progress will be updated.


PS: sorry for language, if there are any missunderstandings, please ask...