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I posted this on USMB the other day, so anyway, thought I'd share it here.
After my CD player blow up I didn't want to spend $200 on a new one. And I just so happen to have a PDA with a 512mb SD stick. And I've been wanting to add some gauges too. Check it out here www.OffroadingSubarus.com

This image is just a taster. go to the link above. ^

Looks quite good. Have you any photos zoomed out a bit more?

Hey, can you post up some of your photochops as well?

why not run your gauges in the pocket pc?

Andrew wrote:why not run your gauges in the pocket pc?

Will you be my programmer?


mudrat, did you goto the site with all the pictures? here it is again LINK to site with more pics
If you just want another shot, I'll go see what I can get.

Phizinza wrote:

Andrew wrote:why not run your gauges in the pocket pc?

Will you be my programmer?

welcome to the wonderful world of OBD. google is your friend.

The way I see it, with a vacuum gauge, and a ammeter (at the moment I have volt gauge in there, but I'm going to change it) you would need most of the parts out of the gauges anyway with the pocket pc. As in you can't just plug a vacuum pipe into the pocket pc (not that I know of anyhow )

And there is plenty of space there, so why not have analog gauges? I like them too. But, if you want to do this too, be my guessed with pocketpc gauges. And let me know how it goes, I'm always interested in things like that.

Smoov, you indicating I can find programmers to do this for me on google, or actual programs that do this? I'm not interested enough to bother looking on google actually. But if anyone finds anything, post it here for others to see please.

that would be ODBC and OPC

CE doesnt really lend itself to process control as it comes in pocket PC form, although it can be done.

yes i have software to do it.

No its not freeware and is very expensive commercial automation software.

Although im about to start on a similar thing in my prado, but i will be using a full blown pc udner the seat. 512mb just aint enough.

btw. GPS tuner aint the greatest navigation software.

try destinator v6...

Thanks, I'll give destinator v6 a go maybe.

Didn't relise the software was called OBD lol :-/
I think I'll stick with my cool looking analog. I've always prefered it anyhow.

odbc = open database connectivity

as is

OPC = ole' for process control

OLE= object linking and embedding


They are "concepts" not software.

So I'm assuming DCS is a melding of OPC and OLE concepts?

An ABB DCS is the tool of my trade. Wish I had a Honeywell though...

ABB/honeywell are pretty much of a muchness..
Dont really go much for either when it comes to controllers.
Use lots of both brands field devices

IMO
The grand daddy of DCS is rockwell automation's factory talk model. This seems to be the way most are heading now..
http://www.ab.com/viewanyware/enterprise.html

My explanation on opc:
an OPC driver is the link used to get data from a PLC or pretty much any exterbal data source that has a datatable/registers/integers etc. and present it to a pc based application.

Some people also call variable speed drives DCS..
so i might be talkiing about the wrong thing above
Whats your trade mudrat?

I was on the Distributed Control System wavelength.

At the last conference I went to I was especially impressed with the new Honeywell (TDC2000?) with an inbuild automated preventative maintenance scheduling package.

Unfortunately the company I work for aren't interested in an automated preventative maintenance schedule - that's what we pay operators for eh?

Isn't Rockwell just AB? I've found their gear tempramental and fragile (Saake use a lot of AB gear).

Rockwell is software side of AB, yes hard to implement for the non-experianced. But robust & proven with solid backup. I have no idea why you think its fragile. Ive never come across unreliable controllers.
Its always something someones done.

Yes ive dealt with and used every brand you care to mention, but ive found in autralia the rest are well promoted, ie you can do this and that, but um we dont know how to do it.... <-- poorly supported.
Its a very different story in europe.

The preventative stuff is easy to implement using SCADA packages.
We did a turbine control system using ENTEK conditioning monitoring & RSVIEW SE, really powerful, you can do pretty much anything you want with any data you care to have & if its not in there you can write it yourself. Its got to the point of automatically generated emails for maint. Generating reports at whatever time period, dataloggin anywhere etc....

what exactly do you do fo a job?

Kraft Pulp Mill Shift Engineer - Black Liquor Recovery Boiler/Biomass Power Boiler/3-stage Condensing Steam Turbine/Black Liquor Evaporators. Like I said, the DCS is my tool of trade.

I'm assuming you're either a Process Control Engineer or an Electical Engineer or an Instro?

I've found a lot of AB gear particularly prone to water ingress, which have resulted in several EPA fines due to ignition failure in Noncondensable Gas torches etc. The LEC timer really is just a washing machine timer, I was rather unimpressed. Probably more of a misaplication (like you said) . . . a poor tradesman always blames his tools right?

Andrew wrote:<-- poorly supported.

LOL I see you've called the ABB help line before too?

"Guten Morgen, ABB. Wie kann ich helfen?"
"Meine turbin wird gebumst"
"Nien herr, ihr Deutsch ist sehr arm."
"That's because I'm Australian"

I think this subject got hijacked along the way somewhere?

Thread Hijacking?
Its all relevant..... well sort of


Im a Electrical Control Systems Tech but pretty much work as an Controls engineer.

We dont use any AB field devices, they are crap (general statement) and are usually just rebadged other brands they have brought out. But their controllers (exp logix family), hmi, and panelviews are second to none IMO.

I work in a heavily automated timber mill (pine), we also have steam powered turbines on site & several chemical treatment plants.

Application doesnt really matter though, it all does the same stuff.

Which company are you with? CHH?

yep, the company currently known as chh

Ahhh, I don't care if you hijack it. At least people can see the first thred fine.

Also. My bro thought, why have gauges on your pocket pc when that is for the GPS. How am I gonna be able to use the GPS and gauges at the same time? I think I have a much better setup concidering the price of all this technical soft/hardware. But, go on, it can't hurt.