How to read Speedo at low speed

[l_gaminde]

Darrel
look if your drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon, then you need to redo you calcs in MPH !

[Darrel Taylor]

I thought you were drinking the PBR.

Cause there's no way you'll get pulse periods of 125 pico seconds (.000125uS). And you wouldn't be able to read them if you did.

With 4000 pulses per Mile ...

At 120 MPH, you'll get 480000 pulses per hour (4000 * 120)
8000 per minute. (480000 / 60)
133.3 per second (8000 / 60)
which is a pulse period of .0075 Seconds (1 / 133.3)

That's 7.5 mS per pulse.<hr>
However, let's go back and take a look at davewanna's question.

It's giving 1639 pulses per kilometer.
Moving at 5 KPH, you'll get 2.28 pulses per second (1639*5/60/60)
That's a pulse period of 0.439 seconds.

Now with Pulsin at 20mhz, the resolution is 0.000002 (2 uS).
The maximum count for Pulsin is 65535 for a total time of 0.131 seconds.

The Pulsin will have timed out long before it could measure the pulse.

If we take the longest pulse that Pulsin can read 0.131 sec.
It would be 7.6 pulses per second (1 / 0.131)
457 pulses per minute (7.6 * 60)
27466 pulses per hour (457 * 60)

Divide that by the pulses/km (27466 / 1639 = 16.75 kph).
Anything slower than that, and you cannot read it with Pulsin @ 20Mhz.

Whew,
I think that deserves a Corona. <hr>

ADDED:

But, since davewanna is running at 4 Mhz, the Pulsin resolution is .000010 (10 uS)
A "full count" for Pulsin would be 0.65535 sec. (65535 * .000010)
Or 1.5 pulses per second (1 / 0.65535)
91.5 per minute
5493 per hour
For a slowest speed reading of 3.35 KPH.

At this point, I have to think that the "61cm of travel per tailshaft revolution" may not be correct if you can't read anything below 21kph.
<br>

[l_gaminde]

And now youve got it, thats why he needs more pulses thats why the car companies did it, and he needs more than one per DS rev. It just isn't going to give the resolution you want, how often will he be able to update the speedo with a counter timer setup he will still need to count for over one second to get 2.28 pulses and at two second you have 4.56 so the speeso will jump from 5 kph to 10 kph with nothing in between.

[Darrel Taylor]

I disagree (again).

It's not counting the pulses.
It's counting the time between pulses.

If the pulse period is 0.46 seconds, then that's how often you can update the display. Each pulse period gives you all the information you need when there's only 1 pulse per rev. With more than one, there would be differences between the pulse widths depending on placement of the sensors/magnets/optical whichever is used, and then you would have to average a number of samples to get the correct result. But with 1 pulse per rev, that does not apply, and a single pulse is all you need.

It would not jump from 5 to 10 kph, and in fact would give a nice linear response with at least 1 decimal.

If the CCP module were being used, and Timer1 extended to 24 bits, the lowest reading you could get would drop to well under 1 KPH. Of course, at 1 kph, the pulse period is 2.2 seconds, and that's how often you can update the display. But at 1kph, you don't need a faster refresh.

There's absolutely no reason why davewanna can't use the sensor that he has, and get excellent readings from 1 to 200 kph.
The car's computer already does it. Why wouldn't the PIC be able to do it too?

He just needs to find out the real distance per pulse.
Which can be done easily by driving the car 1km and have the PIC count how many pulses it received. From there, it's just math.
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[Acetronics2]

The problem I have is the pic has to act quickly, the engine revs very quickly, and if it spends 1 second counting pulses, it will probably be over-revving by then.

Of course, at 1 kph, the pulse period is 2.2 seconds, and that's how often you can update the display. But at 1kph, you don't need a faster refresh.

Hi, folks ...

Problem is Here, not a display problem ...

You need quasi " real-time updated speed " ( Cf Post # 2 ) ...

Alain

PS, Don't tell " Davewanna" , BUT

"Dave would have liked to" ... Humour !

[Darrel Taylor]

Problem is Here, not a display problem ...

You need quasi " real-time updated speed " ( Cf Post # 2 ) ...

I've tried ... but I don't understand what you mean Alain.

He's reading the Speedo.

If the engine revs fast, then so will the speed sensor.
And you'll no longer be going 1kph.

BTW, where'd he go.
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[davewanna]

Sorry all! Something unexpected has come up over the last 2 days. I didn't realise I had this many replies! I haven't even had a chance to read over everyone's suggestions yet... I will go through it all and post again.

Very thankful for all the assistance!

Cheers
Dave

[Acetronics2]

I've tried ... but I don't understand what you mean Alain.

<br>

Hi, Darrel

At school, I just learnt to carefully read the Problem terms :

sampling every 100ms

The unit is based on a 16F877a running at 4mhz (I can run it faster if I have to) It also controls the air-conditioning & thermo fans in a climate control kind of way, aswell as having a 20x4 display that gives me info on engine stats and temperatures.

I do know forumers are not so clear in what they look for ... but I do whith what I have under the eyes ...

Regards

Alain