The Enclosure Thread, Show Yours Off!!

[americasfuture2k]

just finished making my enclosure. i like the results. i used some click pen cap internals to make some case buttons. there is also a video showing the function of the case buttons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p79d16vbF8

[rmccomiskie]

Very similar to mine. For button extensions, I cut up a ballpoint pen refill, cleaned it out and reamed to fit the tactile buttons. As an added bonus, the backlight from the display shines on the button extensions so I have lighted buttons.













This is a Fundamental Logic MPGuino v1.0. Only the RJ-11 connector is brought outside the box. When I want to connect to USB, I open up the box. Pretty handy actually. Just unscrew the cover and carry the Guino with me. The display is red from SparkFun.

[wagonman76]

I like it. Looks quite professionally done.

[americasfuture2k]

looks pretty good there. is that the radioshack case your using?

[TomO]

I'm getting much inspiration for my MPGuino build. I actually have a project box sitting around that should be the right size to do the same thing as you, rmccomiskie. In fact, now I have an idea of what kind of room I have to add the LED output for my OEM wideband display in the same box.

[rmccomiskie]

Originally Posted by americasfuture2k

looks pretty good there. is that the radioshack case your using?

It's a Hammond Manufacturing box PN 1591 (4.5" x 2.5" x 1.1"). Picked it up at U-Do-It Electronics in Needham, MA. Mounted the way it is, the RJ11 connector just barely clears the bottom of the box in the cutout. That was just luck. I didn't plan it that way.

[rmccomiskie]

Originally Posted by TomO

I'm getting much inspiration for my MPGuino build. I actually have a project box sitting around that should be the right size to do the same thing as you, rmccomiskie. In fact, now I have an idea of what kind of room I have to add the LED output for my OEM wideband display in the same box.

There's a little room on the right side. If you're using the later MPGuino ver. 2 from Fundamental, both the RJ11 and the USB connectors are on the left end of the board. There should be nothing in the way on the right.

[TomO]

I'm using the first version board, so my connectors are on opposite ends. But I should still have room to remotely install the LED array from the Wideband monitor in the same box as the Guino.

I might actually get to building it in the next two weeks. I've been busy prepping/fixing an 03 Honda Odyssey that we just bought.

[yetimus]

I recently finished installing the MPGuino display in the instrument cluster of my '96 Passat TDI.


I'm pretty happy with the results, but it was a lot of work. In order to find something small enough to fit in the dash, I used Newhaven Display NHD-02161Z-FSY-YBW-C along with Molex 0520891619 FFC adapter. It was quite the crash course in soldering tiny wires!

The miniature display compared to the MPGuino original:


The cluster I'm running is out of a VR6 Passat with an auto trans. The automatic cars used a LCD display under the tach face plate to indicate gear selection. My car is a 5-speed so I used the space in the tach face to mount the display.



I desoldered the original LCD from my Spiffie MPGuino and mounted (crudely, I might add) the board to the back of the instrument cluster. I powered the LCD backlight directly from the instrument cluster lighting through a 270 ohm resistor so the MPGuino display would dim with the rest of the gauges.


Finally, I ran a trio of pushbutton switches in parallel with the tactile switches on the board itself and mounted these under the steering wheel.


I'm fairly pleased with the results overall. The small display has a fairly large space between the top and bottom rows of text which hampers readability somewhat, but not too bad. Also, I was hoping for a better match of the LCD backlight with that of the existing gauges. But it all works as it should and it's been a fun learning experience.

[LeanBurninating]

Now that is just gangsta. Very good! My case is in the mail, I'll post up pics ASAP.