Real BMW dash cluster for your racing games

Here’s a cool add on that could making racing games just a little more engaging. How about a real instrument cluster? [Herctrap] has written up the schematics and shared the code to get a real car’s instrument cluster to be driven from x-sim. It is a slightly different approach than we’ve seen before, but really not too complicated.While this is still just another accessory sitting on his desk, it really seems to add a considerable amount of feedback to the game. Next he needs to build a motion rig for his seat!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0aSG55CtcI

Comments

  1. Max says:

    It doesn’t look like he’s doing anything too clever. I was hoping for som CANbus integration, which I could back port into my BM to make the matrix display do something more interesting. Or at least set the time correctly (which happens automatically if you’ve got an OEM radio but not a 3rd party one)
    Saying that it’s not too clever, shouldn’t take anything away from it being a reasonably cool hack if you’re into driving games. Can’t wait for someone to integrate a dash unit and steering wheel into an iPad dock and link it into real racing 2 HD . Now that would be impressive in the Apple walled garden!

  2. bty says:

    from an E36 ?

  3. HAD says:

    I was kinda hoping for CAN integration too. The protocols for the matrix display are hackable of course and others have done it to display song titles and other useful things.

  4. foxdieuk says:

    It’s good he’s got the cluster working, but the video is just him showing off his “skillz”. Fail.

  5. mkay says:

    I think it’s from a e32 because of the tank size. But I thought that the speedometer was a air core too? A complete schematic with pictures would be awesome.

  6. Jonathan Wilson says:

    Best use for a BMW part ever, much better than actually using it inside one of those pieces of German crap 😛

  7. Malikaii says:

    I can see this displaying CPU usage and network traffic, along with memory space and HDD space. Turn signals blink when you click left or right, both when center is clicked. Or maybe the speedo tracks your WPM while typing. That would be cool.

  8. herctrap says:

    Hallo

    This wasnt a “CAN” cluster

    it is from 1980

    i have made a new controller

    http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/5841/120316114654.jpg

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6ekMzFO-jQ

    that can controll 6 aircore motors

    ———–

    i didnt make it with the CAN protocol
    because then you will have to use a E36 Cluster only

    but now you can use everything with aircores and also any cluster with damaged electronics

  9. nes says:

    This is a cool project. Has anyone done something like this with the stepper driven clocks found in most vehicles post 2000?

    Supposedly the coils are high enough impedance they can be driven directly from microcontroller pins. The trick is getting them to zero without smashing against the end stop.

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