Cruise Control (with MPG sensitive logic)

[chuckm]

You can also buy a pulse generator and plc from Automation Direct (powered off of 12VDC). Basically, it can be set up to take a pulse input and scale it to whatever you need. H0-CITRO is the card that you'd want.

[MazdaMatt]

re: dividing frequency by 2... You could do that with a flip-flop arrangement. Sorry, I have no time to look up which it is but the idea is to toggle the output on each rising edge, thus dividing by two. Easy-peasy. It will cost you about a dollar.

[BronsCon]

Is there a way to release the throttle when MPG is higher than the current setting?

This would be great downhill, allowing the CC to act more like a human driver releasing the pedal on a downhill grade.

BTW, new here! Hi, everyone!

[orange4boy]

Damn fine thread. I'm getting open source goosebumps!

Can't wait to figure out if this will work on the Egg's CC.

Good job!

[jomelmaldonado]

Hello everyone, just wanted to let you know that I am working with the option of remotely changing DIP Switch #3 from inside the car. It's working flawlessly. In my car, this is the fastest and cheapest way since it has a manual transmission.

But for those cars with an automatic, I think the idea of halving the output frequency of the Ford's MAP Sensor with and LM555 from eco86 or with a with a flip-flop arrangement from MazdaMatt are great low cost ideas. I found a frequency divider circuit using the LM555 timer as a bistable multivibrator on the internet and would like to share the link: Frequency Divider Circuit for those of you that are planning on using that approach.

I think there should be a way to release the throttle when MPG is higher than the current setting, as Bronscon suggest, but for now, I don't know how. For that to be achieved, there has to be a comparator circuit and some logic gates. Basically, the internals of all cruise controls. Maybe the Cruise Control could be hacked and reprogrammed to follow those sets of instructions, but I am not familiar with that knowledge. I opened my Audiovox CCS-100 yesterday so a friend of mine could solder the wires to the DIP Switch #3 and I took photos of it when opened, I will be posting them soon.

I wish good luck on all of you that try this mod. Please let me know you're results.

[PA32R]

Here is a Master's Thesis by a guy who was looking for ways to map slopes to enable smart cruise control in large trucks. His bibliography has some references to SAE articles on fuel savings via smart CC.

[jomelmaldonado]

Thank you PA32R for that information, I will be reading it soon. Just wanted to let all you know that I uploaded the photos I mentioned of the mod to the DIP Switch and how to disassemble and re-assemble the servo. Here is the link of my photo album.

There a very detailed explanations of the process, hope it's useful.

[jomelmaldonado]

Hello everyone, I uploaded a video in Youtube when I was testing the Ford's MAP Sensor, if any of you would like to see it, here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoKxOXQb--0

[orange4boy]

I just found myself a Ford MAP sensor. I'm hoping to splice it into my Toyota Previa.

The good news is that my VSS is about 8000 so I'm hoping it works without any other electronic help other than a voltage regulator. Mine is from an 88 Mercury Sable (Taurus) V6. How did you find out the frequency of your unit? Are most Ford map sensors 8000? I don't have access to an oscilloscope.

Thanks.

[wagonman76]

I did some calculations based on the webpage I found.

The frequency range of the Ford MAP/BP sensor is 92 to 162 Hertz (Hz).

Hz = cycles per second, so x60 = 5520 to 9720 cycles per minute. I would think you could hook it up to a tachometer to simulate RPM and see what you get.