MPG Display - analog

[freebeard]

No 140MPH speedo though.

[miro]

I understand that today the signal processing in cars is all digital.
But the displays can be an analog meter.

The article I quoted uses an analog meter to display that goes from 0 to 10 and he programmed his system to calibrate it so it is the MPG value divided by 10.

So, the pointer on 3 on the display means 30 MPG.

Seems to me that once you get used to the quirks of your own driving, it only takes a quick glance at the analog display to understand what your result is.
A digital value like 31.7 MPG probably distracts you because your brain wants to interpret the numbers.

I find that I look at the (analog) tachometer more than the (analog) speedometer, because I know the relationship ( engine speed vs vehicle speed) very well, even though the signal processing is digital .

And in any case I don't think the difference between, say 31.7 MPG and 33.4 MPG on a digital display, in most driving circumstance will mean all that much.

When specifically testing - that's a whole different driving scenario.

[Isaac Zachary]

I like the idea of gauges with simple 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. numbering. Even 10, 20, 30, 40, etc. is fine to me. It's the gauges that use 5's (5, 15, 25, 35) or that skip numbers (20, 40, 60, 80) that are hard for me to read and understand, unless the needle is exactly on that number. But when it's on the line between 40 and 60, I will think I'm going 45mph in stead of 50mph.

I don't mind that fuel mileage is displayed digitally, although I find it quite meaningly to see instant fuel mileage, digital or analog. I'd rather see the average fuel mileage, in which case having a decimal is nice.