Since converting my car to mainly a track only car and removing the console I've been annoyed with the DCT shifter just hanging there and the Drivelogic and DSC/Power buttons being two sided taped to the trans tunnel. They work find in this configuration but they're hard to see with a helmet/HANS and just overall don't look as polished as I'd like.
Then I remembered I literally own a product development firm and could whip something up pretty easily.
I set out a few golden rules for the project:
- Do not permanently modify the OEM GWS
- Do not permanently modify any OEM wiring
- Create a buffered CAN bus for data logging so loggers and such can not interfere with the PT-CAN
- Create a hub for AIM equipment
- Add actual Park functionality
I went looking around and came across the AIM K8 Open button panel. This looks like it would be perfect for my application. This is great because I already use a couple different AIM products in the car, and I can even set configuration opens in RaceStudio so the K8 can configure the custom board without having to develop any sort of UI.
I'm an Electrical Engineer by schooling and trade so the next thing I did was fire up Altium and create a board that will accomplish all of the above. It will interface to all the OEM wiring and buttons, emulate the OEM GWS including diagnostic messages and errors (that won't exist.)
Other than GWS CAN messages it's read-only on the PT-CAN, it then buffers all the useful CAN packets onto a completely separate CAN buss I've been calling DL-CAN. The K8 also sits on this and transmits the button presses to the custom board where it tells the transmission what to do.
The eight buttons are:
- Park
- Neutral
- Reverse
- Drive
- DSC
- Power
- DL+
- DL-
AIM is making a few new inserts for the ones that are missing but they had off-the-shelf ones that were close enough for me to know what they are (see below)
I've been working with a guy that knows a lot about the DCT software to enable the "park" command found on every non-M car. The logic is in the software, it just [probably] needs to be turned on. It may also just work on the stock software but that's TBD. I'm hoping that at worst case with a quick DCT flash we can have real actually park functionality.
The car-side interface uses an off-the-shelf TE connector that uses the same pins as the OEM connectors so you'll have to repin the wire harness but won't have to permanently modify any wires, it will all be [kind of] plug and play.
I also added on a generic data logger CAN port to easily interface with any flying lead can cable for any type of equipment.
Lastly, I built in a three-port 5-pin AIM CAN expansion that will also power three AIM accessories. I figure, data logger, camera, GPS... should be pretty nice. There is built in over-current protection on each port so the car side should be safe from any tom foolery on the accessory side.
Next up was time to fire up the mechanical CAD and the 3D printer to start trying to find a solution that would work. This is where I spent more time struggling as I'm not really a Mechanical Engineer and finding a workable solution that doesn't permanently modify the GWS base, is structurally stable, and can be 3D printed has been a pain but I think I'm pretty much there.
Last things I need to do are get a final material printed, likely either carbon reenforced PET or some Nylon flavor. I'm still waiting on the final PCBs to come in, then I'll have to write some quick firmware and get to testing. I'll keep updating this as I go.
I'm not sure if this is something I'm going to want to commercialize but I've been making it all so it would be a super easy DIY install just in case. I may make up a couple of them if anyone really wants to be a test dummy, let me know.
Anyway, open to thoughts, ideas, suggestions as well.