E46 M3 cluster swap

[nando]

started populating the board on saturday:


relocated the offending cap:


hardwiring the fuel gauge ADC's to my op-amp:


fits inside the E30 housing a bit better now:


:D

[Jand3rson]

Excellent work, Chris! Can't wait to see it in person.

[Wh33lhop]

I haven't checked this thread in awhile and come back and you've got boards made up... awesome stuff man!

Your "breadboard" on the previous page isn't too bad actually, I am usually really neat when it comes to breadboarding stuff out but a surprising amount of prototypes are suuuper messy. My 50 year old coworker was telling me about when he was first getting into it he wouldn't even use a board, he would just have a ball of a circuit with the ICs at the core :p functioned fine though and that's all that matters.

[george graves]

Good work - Really nice job. Hats off Nando - I'm sure Luke will be PM'ing you to do some circuit work now!

Just a suggestion or two. For "green wire fixes" you'll want 30 gauge wire. And tack it down with run-of-the-mill walmart 5 min xpoxy (don't use hot glue - the inside of a dash can be 235 degrees, it will sag. - you can use silcone if it's low on acid))

The old cap thing - that actually has a long twisted story behind it. Mostly 90's caps. I'll try to dig it up - it's a good read.

Wheelhop - yes, it's called a "dead bug" - Since most parts go to ground, you just pull out some copper clad board and start soldering - you a copper clad spacer to join parts. Crazy.

It's old school - and nasty. No one uses it anymore. The only guys that use it are old-school RF and Ham radio guys over 70. ;)

Let me know what op-amp your using - oh, and if you need a suggestion to laser cut face plate. Glad to help - if I can.

[nando]

Laser cut, hadn't thought of that.. Good idea! I just need to make a pattern somehow..

[James Crivellone]

Chris,

Not that I need another project, but if you make more of those I'd be interested to tinker with them. I don't have any real application, but the thought of grabbing an MSS54 + Cluster and having it all work just stimulates my inner nerd..ism

[nando]

I've got two more boards. I'd like to fully vet them before doing anything with the extras.. I'm sure I'll find changes here and there.

george, I'm using this op-amp:

http://www.ti.com/lit/gpn/OPA227

I didn't pick it for any specific reason, other than it had a single output and met my package size. I also chose it before I realized I'd needed two (but I bought a spare just in case).

[Wh33lhop]

Wheelhop - yes, it's called a "dead bug" - Since most parts go to ground, you just pull out some copper clad board and start soldering - you a copper clad spacer to join parts. Crazy.

Dead bugging is just flipping an IC upside down... I mean straight-up no organization, no board, no ground plane, just an IC or two and a bunch of wires. :p

[James Crivellone]

I've got two more boards. I'd like to fully vet them before doing anything with the extras.. I'm sure I'll find changes here and there.

george, I'm using this op-amp:

http://www.ti.com/lit/gpn/OPA227

I didn't pick it for any specific reason, other than it had a single output and met my package size. I also chose it before I realized I'd needed two (but I bought a spare just in case).

No biggie.. My only idea would be to install it on the e30 simulator. i've been after a 9000rpm tach and this is a great way to get one!

[delatlanta1281]

Oh god. I am failing at so much right now. Great work so far!

[nando]

I redid the "patch" for the ADC inputs. cut the +5v trace for one of the level sensor inputs and ran it to there, so I don't have to worry about pulling the ADC traces off the board. I still have the 5v input to my adapter ran straight to the traces of the cluster, though..

just waiting for the rest of the parts.

on a tangent - anyone ever buy a brand new coding plug or have a newer one laying around?

[nando]

I've got another stumper: looking for the connector for the oil level sensor. it's not a regular Amp 3-pin minitimer. Sensor looks like this:


ideas? I've searched for 3-pin amp connectors and I don't see anything that matches.

[FredK]

ah, I'll try and read the AMP PN off my engine harness tomorrow.

[nando]

that'd be sweet :)

BTW: anyone else going down this path.. just buy an S54 harness. it would have been cheaper. :(

[James Crivellone]

It somewhat looks like those plugs that GM uses all over the enginebay on the last 20 years of cars